Dankerode: Nature and History

Dankerode is an officially recognised health resort and a starting point and destination for locals and tourists seeking relaxation and recreation in and with nature. The village’s character also reflects its church architecture and distinctive route connections. If you are looking for a hotel in Dankerode, these themes can help you decide whether the place suits the focus of your trip.

Church heritage in Dankerode

In a chancel-tower church, the tower stands above the chancel. In Dankerode, the lower section of the chancel-tower church dates from the late Romanesque period and is its oldest part. The Church of Our Lady has the “Seiger Bell” from the 13th century. The architectural form, oldest building element and medieval bell offer different ways to explore the village’s ecclesiastical history.

Nature experiences and distinctive routes

The “Heuweg Dankerode” nature experience station on the Luther Trail brings nature and history together. It is paved with slag stones, a by-product of the copper smelters in the Mansfeld region. The surface thus provides a tangible link to copper processing and gives the route design a historical dimension.

The Harz Naturist Trail between Dankerode and Wippra opened in May 2010 as Germany’s first official nude hiking trail and is 18 km long. Unlike the single nature experience station on the Heuweg, it is a longer route with a clearly defined theme. Its opening history and length are specific details for anyone interested in the routes around Dankerode.

More to discover in the wider Harzgerode destination

The wider Harzgerode destination also has its own cultural attractions. St. Mary’s Church in Harzgerode is a Baroque building dating from 1697 to 1699. Harzgerode Castle was rebuilt between 1549 and 1552. The Renaissance building has a stair tower and a round tower, and served from 1635 to 1709 as the residence of the Harzgerode branch of the Anhalt princely house. The construction period and later years as a residence mark different chapters in the castle’s history.

At the HARZKUGELEUM in Harzgerode Castle, a beechwood ball takes visitors through various themed worlds. Its shape and weight convey information about the Lower Harz, mining, nature, and local and regional history through the ages. Opening hours vary by season; check the current times before visiting.

The natural toboggan run in Harzgerode stretches for 1,100 metres, descending in several bends from the Harzgerode plateau into the Selke Valley as far as the promenade in Alexisbad, with a drop of around 75 metres. When there is too little snow, the route is also suitable for a winter hike. Its use therefore depends on snow conditions. The nature trail in Harzgerode includes a quiz, a barefoot path and a sound organ.

Discover more destinations: Güntersberge, Alexisbad, Schielo, Neudorf, Siptenfelde

Back to the wider travel overview: Harzgerode.