Oberharz am Brocken: Hiking, Charcoal Making and Culture

Oberharz am Brocken combines hiking trails, traditional charcoal making and local history. When planning your trip, you can choose what to focus on: a hike with a set time frame, an insight into traditional crafts, or cultural attractions in Hasselfelde and Stiege. This makes it easy to tailor your hotel stay to the activities that interest you most.

Hiking and Trails

A 2.8 km moderate hike through mixed forest leads to the Krockstein viewpoint; the walking time is 55 minutes. Check current trail conditions before setting out. Another moderate option is the 5.5 km circular trail around the Hasselvorsperre near Hasselfelde, with a stated walking time of 1 hour and 28 minutes. Compared with the Krockstein hike, this loop is 2.7 km longer and takes 33 minutes more. The two routes therefore differ in both distance and time required.

Hasselfelde has an extensive network of hiking trails, including the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg, nature trails and the Köhlerweg. These paths provide access on foot to sights and destinations in the surrounding area. In Stiege, longer-distance hikers can also consider the “Wege deutscher Kaiser und Könige” history trail, the Selketal-Stieg and the VIA ROMEA pilgrimage route.

From Hasselfelde, you can take the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways to the Brocken or the Selke Valley every day. Check the current timetable before travelling. This lets you include hikes and train journeys of different durations in your trip plans.

Charcoal Making and Local History

At the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus, traditional earth kilns are built, fired and harvested from early April to the end of October, offering a chance to experience the age-old craft of charcoal making firsthand. In Hasselfelde, the Charcoal Burners’ Museum gives an insight into the difficult working and living conditions of charcoal burners. The demonstration at the earth kiln and the museum’s exhibits offer two different ways to learn about the same craft.

At the Haus des Gastes in Hasselfelde, the Blumenau Museum presents the life and work of chemist and emigrant Hermann Blumenau through pictures and text. Also located there, the local history room tells the story of the town and the lives and work of its residents. Ask the Tourist Information office about the local history room’s opening hours. St. Antonius Church in Hasselfelde is a three-aisled Gothic basilica.

In Stiege, the stave church is the only religious building in Germany in the Norwegian dragon style. The loop is part of the Selke Valley Railway and is described as Europe’s smallest reversing loop. Stieger See is located in the heart of Stiege and is surrounded by green meadows and forests.

Neuwerk also has its own attractions for visitors: the traditional Grasedanz festival is all about the hay harvest. The RT suspension bridge is a few kilometres from Neuwerk. The Rübeland dripstone caves are located right in the centre of Rübeland.

The Wider Harz

Within the broader Harz travel region, Harz National Park covers 24,732 hectares, around ten percent of the entire Harz. Its eight visitor centres and national park houses provide information about the park, hiking tips, exhibitions and film screenings. The national park also offers guided hikes and excursions with rangers, experts, national park guides and national park forest guides. Check the latest dates before planning a guided tour.

The Harzer Wandernadel links 222 stamping stations throughout the Harz. Anyone who collects all 222 stamps earns the title “Harzer Wanderkaiser”. The Upper Harz Water Management System today includes 107 surviving ponds, 310 kilometres of water channels and 30 kilometres of underground waterways; it has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since August 2010.

Discover more destinations: Benneckenstein, Rübeland, Trautenstein, Stiege, Hasselfelde, Elend, Elbingerode, Neuwerk, Königshütte, Sorge.

Go to the main travel overview: Harz.