--- title: "Harz National Park - Harzer Tourismusverband e.V." url: "https://www.harzinfo.de/en/pure-nature/harz-national-park" description: "Rugged granite cliffs, gnarled mountain spruces, misty moors, and murmuring stream valleys – this is pure nature in the Harz National Park." language: "en" breadcrumb: "Root > Harzinfo > Pure Nature > Harz National Park" --- Harz National Park ================== Legendary mountain wilderness **Pure nature in the Harz National Park** ----------------------------------------- Around the 1,141 metre high , the highest mountain in northern Germany, lies the Harz National Park. Covering an area of 24,732 hectares, it makes up about ten percent of the entire Harz region and is one of Germany’s largest forest national parks. In parts of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, a primeval forest is once again growing across state borders. The guiding principle is: let nature be nature. The national park preserves an extensive, near-natural area where habitats and biodiversity can develop without human interference. Nevertheless, the remains accessible. Guests, day visitors, locals, and groups – whether school classes or youth camps – can experience the mountain wilderness. At the , information centres, and during , you can learn how the park’s conservation concept is put into practice. You can also explore the landscape independently on marked hiking trails. In addition, environmental and experiential education programmes offer opportunities to consciously perceive the environment and rediscover connections in nature. - **Overview:** - - - - - - ### Discover the Harz National Park ### Hiking in the National Park Following the principle “Let nature be nature”, a primeval forest is gradually growing again in the Harz National Park. You’re invited to explore this mountain landscape on your own and cross the large protected area by various routes. Further down you’ll find an overview of the hiking trails in the National Park – including the , which are especially suitable for families. #### Enchanting adventure trails ### Animal adventures ### Deer rutting season  Meeting the king of the Harz forests In autumn, the deep roaring of the stags echoes through the forests of the Harz Mountains. This is the time when the red deer mating season begins – a natural spectacle that attracts many visitors. The red deer, also known as “rotwild” among hunters, is the largest animal in the Harz and the most common one here. Although their habitat is becoming increasingly restricted, they still remain a part of the woodland. During the rutting season, the stags display their clearly audible behaviour. At dusk, the males call to keep rivals away and draw the attention of the hinds. For the animals to maintain their natural behaviour, they need peace and quiet during this time. Disturbances can quickly cause them to change their behaviour or withdraw completely. That’s why certain parts of the forest are temporarily closed to hikers in autumn. If you’d like to experience this event for yourself, you can join guided evening walks. National Park rangers and foresters accompany these tours, showing you the best places and times to observe red deer – if you’re lucky. You can find dates for the guided rutting and wildlife observation tours in the  or on the websites of the . - - ### The moors of Harz National Park When winter ends and the snow melts, the Upper Harz mires in the Harz National Park reappear. They are mostly hidden between the forests, away from the paths. But if you're attentive while hiking, you'll spot them – sometimes even from the trail. Between the moss cushions, dark water shimmers, crooked tree trunks stand out at the edges, and there’s a sharp scent in the air. From March to May, depending on how long winter lasts, the white, cotton-like flowers of cottongrass bloom above the damp ground. The mires have largely been preserved in their original state. They offer a habitat for animal and plant species that can only survive here. These include endangered butterflies such as the Cranberry Carpet as well as rare dragonfly species like the Alpine Emerald and the Moorland Hawker. In some places, narrow boardwalks lead through the area. They allow you to walk through this tranquil landscape without damaging the fragile ground. - What is a moor? Bogs are wet habitats that form in areas where the amount of rainfall is greater than the water loss through evaporation and drainage. The resulting lack of oxygen leads to an incomplete decomposition of plant remains and to the formation of peat, which is so typical of bogs. In the Harz National Park, these bog areas are mainly found to the west of the Brocken, above 700 metres above sea level. Here, on the rain side of the Harz mountains, about 1,500 millimetres of precipitation fall each year. To the untrained eye, bogs, especially in summer when the vegetation is lush and green, do not seem very different from a meadow. However, already in spring and early summer, the variety of blossoms shows that the plants living in the bog are very different from those in other habitats. - What grows in the moor? But why doesn’t a forest grow here, when it’s well known that the entire Harz region is naturally a large forested area? Abundance of water, lack of oxygen and poor nutrients are the key factors for the development of bogs. High rainfall leads to plenty of water in the soil. In certain places, such as hollows, water gathers even more. Only plants that can cope with high water levels can thrive here. Besides some tree species like the bog birch or alder, these are mainly various grasses and, most importantly, peat mosses, which can store large amounts of water in their moss cushions. The high water content in these landscapes causes a lack of oxygen in the root area of the plants. The dead plant material is only partially decomposed and peat is formed. The resulting organic, nutrient-poor soil provides a habitat only for specialists, which explains the unique vegetation of the raised bogs. The round-leaved sundew is one of the more hidden treasures of nature. This tiny plant is quite special – it’s one of the few carnivorous plants in the Harz. These inconspicuous plants, only a few centimetres tall, are perfectly adapted to their environment. They have found an additional source of nutrients: small insects that get stuck on the sticky droplets on the leaf hairs can be digested by the plant within one to two days. - How old are the moors? The moors are among the oldest habitats in the Harz National Park. With the end of the last Ice Age, around 10,000 years ago, the development of moorland in our low mountain range began. From about 3,000 BC onwards, there was a marked spread of moors, and around 3,000 years ago, they had already reached roughly their current extent. Some of the plants that are considered special features of the Harz moors are referred to as Ice Age relicts. Experts assume that these species were more widespread in Central Europe during the Ice Age and were only able to survive later in small refuges – such as the moors. One example is the dwarf birch (Betula nana), which forms small but very vigorous populations in several moors of the national park. Anyone who has visited the wide landscapes of Scandinavia will know this species, which is so rare here, as a constant companion on their hikes. While the forests only gradually emerged during the post-glacial landscape development and underwent many changes in structure over the millennia, the moors probably changed comparatively little in their character – here, around 10,000 years of landscape history lie open before us! - Where can I discover moors in the Harz? - Anyone hiking from Torfhaus to the Brocken along the will soon, after leaving the settlement, enter a narrow wooden boardwalk on the left, leave the forest behind and find themselves on a small plain with completely different vegetation. On a walk through the **Großes Torfhaus Moor,** also called Radauer Born Moor, there are many typical moorland plants to discover along the boardwalk: marsh rosemary and cranberry, cotton grass and tufted hairgrass, and you’ll also regularly spot heather. The hidden round-leaved sundew is also waiting to be found here. The benches along the boardwalk invite you to pause, take in the silence of nature, and enjoy the view all the way to the Brocken. - At the **Oderteich,** located between Sonnenberg and the B4, a moor walk is also worth taking. Looking from the southwest shore of the Oderteich towards the northeast, you’ll spot an open, largely treeless area between the wooded banks that stands out from the rest of the surroundings – a moor. The takes you all the way around the Oderteich. - More moors can be found near the **Dreieckiger Pfahl** and on the **Hohnekamm,** where you can also walk safely on wooden paths. To protect the sensitive vegetation – and your own footwear – it’s a good idea, just this once, to really “stay on the wooden path”. You’ll be rewarded with a wonderful nature experience! ### Well informed ### The Harz Tourism Association is a national park partner Bildgrafik Im Herzen Naturversteher in the Harz are diverse and truly “nature lovers at heart”. They are committed to protecting our unique nature in the Harz National Park while making it possible to experience it. By choosing with national park partners, you also choose to protect our natural landscapes. Contact Harz National Park Authority - Lindenallee 35 38855 Wernigerode - +49 3943 26280 - -