World Heritage discovery hike: Grunder Gefälle

The 9 km long hike starts at the Grunder Gefälle parking lot (free of charge) and first leads to the other side of the road. Follow the forest path downhill until you reach the Schulte Stollen. Continue past the Wiemannsbucht mine complex and then past the Upper Eichelberger ditch. The next mine complex is the Knesebeck, where the audio guide shares exciting information about the use of water in mining. Continue downhill towards Bad Grund. The forest path ends at the cemetery in Bad Grund. You walk a little bit over the cemetery and then take the stairs down to the left. (Note: the cemetery is only accessible during the day). Now cross the L 524. Before continuing the hike, you can make a short detour to the mouth of the Tiefen-Georg-Stollen – a historic tunnel structure through which water was previously drained from the mines in the Upper Harz. The tunnel mouth is on private property and can therefore only be viewed from a distance. To do this, go to the street "Am Georg Stollen" and follow the path branching off here to the right. Without detour, continue your hike along the street "Am Georg Stollen." At the end of the street, turn left over a meadow and then right onto Knollenweg uphill. Once you have gone uphill a little, take the first turn to pass the end of the "Röhrentour." The path leads further into a residential area in Bad Grund. Here you cross the street "Hilfe Gottes" and follow the somewhat inconspicuous pedestrian path branching off to the right from the street. The path takes you for a short section through a wooded area where you can see the piped Hilfe-Gottes ditch well along the edge of the path. At the end of the path, you see the mighty headframe of the Achenbach shaft. Walk a little further uphill before turning left into the street "Hilfe Gottes." Past two ponds, at the following intersection, turn left. At the next opportunity, turn right towards Bergfarm. Enjoy the magnificent view over the Harz foreland as you follow the path towards Gittelde. Cross the railway crossing and keep straight ahead. As soon as you reach Bahnhofsstraße, you will hear the rushing water that flows on the Ernst-August-Stollen. The hike ends at the elaborately designed tunnel mouth. From here, you can take the bus to return to the starting point.

In winter, there can be a lot of snow in the Upper Harz. The ideal hiking season is spring, summer, or autumn.

Take a small detour and visit the Knesebeck mine complex in Bad Grund. The mine complex is now a museum with hands-on mining technology. Regular guided tours are offered.

Watch out for sturdy footwear and weatherproof clothing, as the weather in the Harz can change quickly.