To the highest mountain in the Harz Mountains
The Brocken is the highest peak in the Harz Mountains at 1,141 metres. From the top, you can enjoy a magnificent panoramic view. A hike up the Brocken is therefore one of the highlights of every trip to the Harz. Famous travellers such as Goethe and Heine were already magically drawn to the summit back in their day. Goethe included his impressions of the “Blocksberg” and the Walpurgis Night in Faust, and Heine wrote in his “Harzreise”: “I want to climb the mountains, where the dark fir trees rise, brooks murmur, birds sing, and the proud clouds chase...”
The “Mountain of the Germans”, as the summit is also called, has some special features: geographically, it lies on the former inner-German border and was a restricted area from 1961 to 1989. Climatically, its elevated position in northern Germany brings rough winds and cold temperatures, comparable to the mountains of Iceland. In terms of nature conservation, the magical mountain peak belongs to the Harz National Park and lies at the heart of the park’s core zone. That’s why public traffic is not allowed. Although the Brocken Road leads from Schierke up to the summit, it can only be used with a special permit.
Some coach drivers offer covered wagon rides from Schierke up to the Brocken. The second option to reach the Brocken is the Brocken Railway, which is part of the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railways (HSB). Anyone who wants to experience the climb up to the summit fully will, of course, hike up. From Torfhaus, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe began his first Brocken tour on 10 December 1777, accompanied by forester Degen. The rough terrain, unspoilt nature and strange rock formations along the way left a lasting impression on him. Goethe captured his Brocken experience in Faust.