The Harz-Mix-Tour

The starting point of the route is the street "Am Lustgarten" at the R1 in Wernigerode. We go uphill on the street, past the Lustgarten and the turnoff to the castle, and continue straight until after the turnoff to the hotel "Am Schlosspark"/Schützenhaus, where we half-right onto a forest track into the woods. We follow this path through several bends and past junctions until we see the first houses of Benzingerode on the left at a crossroads. Here we turn left along the western edge of Benzingerode, and then turn right at the next intersection into "Friedensstraße." We continue straight, pass a short incline, and then keep going straight on the subsequent farm track (concrete track, later paved), which crosses the Hellbach on a meadow at the edge of the forest. At the next crossroads (with an information board) we turn left again to the nature reserve "Struvenberg/Ziegenberg." We follow the path along the ridge to the right. The road to Heimburg must be crossed, and at the next major intersection, the path leads in a curve onto the road from Heimburg to Blankenburg/Oesig. We follow this road to the right until about 500 m later the path to Michaelstein Monastery branches off to the right.

We follow this path to the next crossroads right before the monastery gate. If you want to visit the monastery or take a break in one of the two inns, you turn left through the monastery gate here.

Even if you want to make a detour to the town of Blankenburg or take the alternative route, you turn left and follow the signage for the R12 (see alternative route).

To continue the tour, however, we proceed straight ahead about 5 km along the "Klostergrund" (Path of German Emperors and Kings) along a series of ponds, past "Volkmarskeller," until we reach a large crossroads before the Eggeröder Brunnen settlement. Here we turn right through the settlement. At the end of the settlement, there is another crossroads where we continue straight. The track is somewhat bumpy; it is best to ride on the edge strip here. After about 1.8 km, the path gently bends to the left; at the following crossroads, we turn right and after about 200 m reach a fork with a road intersection. We keep left and cross the road, following the signs to "Hartenberg/Büchenberg." A few meters later, we see the "Dreiherrenstein" on the left. We now pass several houses until the next crossroads.

From here, there is the option to make a detour to the show mine "Büchenberg" (turn left, about 700 m).

To Wernigerode, we continue straight north along the "Eisergrund." At the next larger fork, we turn right and descend in a curve to the "Kleinen Pfaffental," which we follow down to the left to the "Voigtsstieg" settlement and the intersection with federal road B244. We cross the road and cross a narrow bridge over the Zillierbach to a path running parallel to the road. We follow this path to the right across a meadow to a fallow area. Here we turn right onto the roadside cycle path along the B244, which we follow to the Christianental wildlife park, where you can make a stop.

From the Christianental wildlife park, the tour leads straight ahead about 1 km steeply uphill to Wernigerode Castle, which, with its castle museum and magnificent views of the Harz foreland, invites you to linger. From the castle, we then descend directly back to the Lustgarten and end the Harz-Mix-Tour.

However, if you do not want to visit Wernigerode Castle or want to avoid the steep climb, you can take the path from the parking lot at the wildlife park along the forest edge via Bohlweg, past Theobaldifriedhof, to "Hohlfelder Platz." After crossing the B244 (at the pedestrian crossing) and the square, you then continue to the right along the "Promenade" back to the town center and the R1.