Brocken & Harz National Park

The highest in the north

Life in the primeval forest around the Brocken fades and rises again. Moss mats and tangles of dead wood, on the trunks like little plant candles, the new primeval forest trees - young growth on dead wood, carcass regeneration - can also be seen from the path in some places. The Brocken primeval forest - a living world with its own dramaturgy, just a few kilometres above Schierke.

The highest mountain in northern Germany and the Harz Mountains is Schierke's local mountain. It is located in the district of the spa town of Schierke, which is surrounded by dense forests, and thus in the town of Wernigerode, and has a significant influence on the importance and reputation of the town of Schierke!

At 1141 metres above sea level, the treeless Brocken towers above the other Harz mountains just a short distance from Schierke and can be seen from the lowlands from a distance of around 100 km in good weather. The weather characterises the mountain. The prominence of the Brocken in the Harz Mountains, which stand suddenly in the north German lowlands, has led to the many interpretations of the mountain, which are closely linked to extreme weather conditions.

Cloud house, devil's pulpit, Walpurgis, cloud ghost, witch's altar are terms that have become trademarks in literature. The Brocken is Schierke's local mountain, but Goethe, Heine and other important personalities have made it everyone's mountain!

The Brocken

A few figures

The Brocken is the number 1 mountain peak in northern Germany.

The highest temperature measured on the Brocken summit was 29 °C.

The highest wind peak ever measured was 263 km/h.

The highest snow depth on the Brocken was 380 cm.

The Brocken peak rises 1141 metres above sea level.

What is the weather like in the Harz National Park?

Live webcam with a view over the Harz National Park

Our webcam at the "Brockenhaus" National Park Visitor Centre pans across the summit of the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. Brockenhotel, summit stone, weather station and the Brocken railway station of the Harz narrow-gauge railway. On a clear day, you can see as far as Wernigerode Castle and the Harz foreland.

Through nature ...

Hiking tours on the Brocken

Many roads lead to Rome. Some also lead to the Brocken in the Harz Mountains. The most popular starting points for a Brocken hike are Schierke and Torfhaus. If you prefer to go a little further, you can also start in Ilsenburg, Wernigerode or Bad Harzburg.

Our hiking suggestions

Get to know nature ...

Dandelion discovery trail

The Dandelion Discovery Trail can also be found in Drei Annen Hohne, where you can explore the nature of the Harz Mountains at various stations during the summer months. The staff of the Harz National Park have developed a puzzle booklet for this somewhat different nature trail, which can be downloaded.

Dandelion discovery trail

Creating experiences ...

Events in the National Park

Many other events and ideas for holiday planning, such as guided tours with the rangers on specific topics, feeding the lynx in the show enclosure at the Rabenklippe (Bad Harzburg), animal observations, lectures, cultural events, exhibitions and indoor activities such as handicrafts can be found in the National Park's calendar of events.

To the calendar of events

The forest is calling.

Information on the current situation of the Harz Forest

The forest is calling! Some people in the Harz Mountains would like to say: the forest is crying out.
Decades of impact on the climate are only now becoming painfully visible. In some parts, where once glorious greenery provided shady paths, bare, silver-grey trunks tower into the sky.
Looking away is no longer an option.
Looking is the order of the day.
And take action.
Forestry staff, national park staff, contractors and helpers are working around the clock to do just that.

Initiative "The forest is calling"