Riding fun

The riding fun tour starts in Thale. The town has much to offer, especially many events take place at the Hexentanzplatz.
First, we head east to Gernrode, where the towers of the St. Cyriakus collegiate church rise above the rooftops. We continue southwest on our tour through the Harz to Hasselfelde. The eventful route takes us from Bad Suderode with winding roads to Friedrichsbrunn and further via the L95 to Stiege and finally to Hasselfelde. The biker ranch of the western town Pullman City is a popular spot for a short break, cool drinks, or a refreshment in a western atmosphere. During the summer months, it is always a meeting point for numerous motorcyclists.

The tour continues to the Rappbode Reservoir and Wendefurth Dam. Besides a breathtaking view when crossing the Rappbode Reservoir, the Titan RT impresses. Steady-footed riders can easily venture across the suspension bridge in motorcycle gear. Those who prefer a quieter time can spend some moments below the dam on the water paddling. The Wendefurth boat rental offers pedal and row boats as well as raft trips. A highlight is the floating restaurant, where you can enjoy both freshly caught and in-house smoked fish.

Finally arriving in Rübeland, you have to make a decision. You can choose to take a long tour by turning left at the railway crossing towards Elbingerode, or shorten the tour as a bad weather alternative by turning right towards Hüttenrode. (Regardless of the weather, with constant 8 – 9 degrees Celsius in Rübeland in the Harz caves – Baumann Cave and Hermann Cave – there is much to discover besides stalactites and bats).
For the long tour, proceed from Elbingerode via Drei Annen Hohne and Elend to Braunlage. From there, continue on the B27 to Bad Lauterberg. The Oder reservoir on the left side of the direction of travel is a popular photo spot and invites you to take a short break. In Bad Lauterberg, a stop at the Wiesenbeker pond is a must. Dombrowsky’s Baude invites you to a rustic meal in a wooden house style. With the most beautiful lake panorama, it is perfect for relaxing and recharging for the journey ahead. Then continue to Herzberg am Harz and from there through the Siebertal and Sankt Andreasberg. When we reach the B242, we turn right. Shortly after, there is an opportunity to stop at the Oderteich. Until the end of the 19th century, the Oderteich was considered the largest reservoir in Germany and still supplies several hydroelectric power plants.
Continue on the B4 to Torfhaus. Directly on the federal highway is a large parking lot at the National Park visitor center, which is used as a meeting point by many motorcyclists, especially on weekends. The tour continues through the northern Harz foothills until we arrive in Wernigerode and shortly after in Elbingerode. Here, the circle closes, and you can begin the return journey. You can decide whether to pass the Rappbode Reservoir once more or go directly over Hüttenrode back to Thale.

Publisher:
Harz District, Department of Strategy and Control / Tourism
Friedrich-Ebert-Strasse 42, 38820 Halberstadt
www.kreis-hz.de

Texts:
Harz University of Applied Sciences, Business Administration / Service Management Laura Goldbach, Max Kaiser, Laura Ruppenthal, Felix Schäfer,
John-Philipp Schneider, Max Weber

Editorial:
Annekathrin Degen, Claudia Wahnfried

Maps:
Christiane Weidle, cartographic services, SIGNA and Harz District