Harzer Hexen-Stieg - 3rd stage - from Torfhaus to Drei Annen Hohne

19.73 km long

Difficulty: medium

Condition: medium

Great panorama

Walking / hiking

5:00 h
19.73 km
341 m
599 m
542 m
1,141 m
599 m
Start: Torfhaus
Destination: Drei Annen Hohne

The "highlight" of the route: This stage takes you through the Harz National Park to the 1141 m high Brocken, the highest mountain of the Harz and all of northern Germany.

The 1142 meter high Brocken summit appears within reach from the starting point Torfhaus. Hexen-Stieg and Goetheweg are one, on it we hike toward the most German of all mountains. The wooden green witch on the National Park signposts shows us the right way.
Here, along this paved path once ran the border that divided Germany for more than 40 years. That is history. Today we reach through the most beautiful high moors of the Harz in the Harz National Park to the highest peak of northern Germany, with an incomparable view. Schlungsklippen, Ahrensklint, Trudenstein: above Schierke the path leads past rustic rocks and through dense forests to our stage destination, right at the station of the Harz narrow-gauge railway.

Best to visit

suitable

Depends on weather

Directions

Arriving at Torfhaus, the landscape opens up again, with a magnificent view of the highest Harz mountain, the Brocken. Previously, it lay unreachable between East and West. Today we cross the former Iron Curtain on the comfortable “Goetheweg”, which has now become the Green Belt. Occasionally, steam trains of the Harz narrow-gauge railways rumble past and bring the less energetic up the mountain. The fantastic panoramic view from the 1141 meter high Brocken summit makes the ascent definitely worthwhile. But even in fog, which is not uncommon, the mountain is an experience. Alpine plants grow in the Brockengarten, and the Brockenhaus offers interesting information about the mountain and its history. The highest point of the Hexen-Stieg is reached. Now it goes downhill, but only as far as the terrain is concerned, because it remains exciting. Or do you already know the impressive “spheroidal weathering” of Brocken granite, which Goethe already described? At Ahrensklint, the flint cliffs, and Trudenstein above Schierke, you can stand on it!

Schierke, in the “valley of the witches”, has a long tourist tradition. The “St. Moritz of the North” was and still is a popular winter sports resort. Numerous old half-timbered villas exude their charm. The town at the foot of the mountain is one of the most common starting points for the Brocken hike. But we walk down quiet paths, because the Hexen-Stieg leads above the town, through fresh forest to the hamlet Drei Annen Hohne.

Directions & Parking facilities

Getting there

The Altenau district Torfhaus is easily accessible by car via the B4 from the north through Bad Harzburg and from the south through Braunlage.

Parking

There is a paid large parking lot at Torfhaus.

Public transportation

The Torhaus is located directly on the Bad Harzburg - Braunlage bus line.

Literature

KartoGuide Harzer Hexen-Stieg Official guide with map (1:30,000) Authors: Hans Bauer & Dr. Stefan Krooß Publisher: Harzer Tourismusverband & Harzklub Publisher house: Schmidt-Buch-Verlag, Wernigerode ISBN-10: 3936185336 ISBN-13: 978-3936185331 Price: €6.80

Map

Harzer Hexen-Stieg 1 : 30,000: Official map for the recognized award-winning hiking trail in the Harz. Publisher: Harzer Tourismusverband & Harzklub Publisher house: Schmidt-Buch-Verlag, Wernigerode ISBN-10: 3936185328 ISBN-13: 978-3936185324 Price: €5.50

Event

Place of interest

Tours

Harzer Hexen-Stieg - 3rd stage - from Torfhaus to Drei Annen Hohne

Contact & Services

Harz at home