300 km cycle tour through the Harz Mountains
The long cycle tour around Germany's northernmost low mountain range leads through the three federal states of Lower Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. The Harz Mountains demand a bit of sporting spirit from cycle tourists, and not just because of the sometimes harsh, cool climate, even in summer.
Large stretches are asphalted, but many kilometres are on forest and field paths, and the countless metres of ascent add up to more than 4,500 metres over the course of the entire route.
A navigation device and a map are definitely worth having, as the signposting for cyclists is sometimes very patchy, depending on the region.
On the other hand, the Harz scores with its landscape: the cycle route leads through extensive, often very dense mixed forests and romantic, remote river valleys. Not forgetting the magnificent culture and architecture, for example in the imperial city of Goslar, in the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Quedlinburg and in the half-timbered towns of Nordhausen and Wernigerode. From here, you could also take a detour to the Brocken, northern Germany's highest mountain. However, the climb to the summit at 1141 metres at the end of the Brockenstraße requires additional stamina for 900 metres in altitude and around 25 kilometres.
Journey:
The starting point of Goslar is easy to reach by train from all directions in Germany, as are the towns of Wernigerode, Quedlinburg and Nordhausen, www.bahn.de
Tour combinations:
The TREKKINGBIKE-Harz-Runde offers connections to the R1 European Cycle Route and the Saale Cycle Route, among others, Unstrut cycle path and Weser-Harz-Heide long-distance cycle route.
Accommodation tips:
Göbel's Vital Hotel in Bad Sachsa, www.goebel-hotels.com
Hotel Die Tanne in Goslar, www.die-tanne.de
Country house "Zum alten Fritz" Seesen, zum-alten-fritz-in-seesen.de
Hotel Median in Wernigerode, www.medianhotel.de
Hotel Harzer Hof in Osterode, www.hotel-harzer-hof.de
Kurpark-Hotel in Ilsental, www.kurparkhotel-ilsenburg.de
Refreshment tip:
Heinrich Heine, Friedrich Schiller, Hans Christian Andersen and Kaiser Wilhelm once stopped off at the country house "Zur Rothen Forelle" in Ilsenburg. Today, the country house is praised for its excellent cuisine. www.rotheforelle.de
Maps and literature:
Schmidt-Buch-Verlag cycle map "Harz" (2 sheets) 1:50,000 with GPX tracks for 12.95 Euro at www.schmidt-buch-verlag.de
ADFC cycle tour map "Harz/Leinetal" 1:150,000 for 7.95 euros.
ADFC regional map "Harz" 1:75,000 for 7.95 euros.
Information:
Harz Tourism Association, Tel. 05321/34040, www.harzinfo.de;
Tourist-Information Oberharz, Tel. 05320/2290444, www.oberharz.de
The article was published in Trekkingbike issue 5/2016. You can download the issue in the Trekkingbike app (iTunes and Google Play) or order it in the DK shop.
