This rocky ridge looks like something from another world. It doesn't belong here at all! Or did the devil really have a hand in this?
Like the jagged spine of a prehistoric dinosaur, the monster rises out of the otherwise gently rolling hills. Ingo has not promised too much. Narrow as the edge of a knife, erosion has exposed crooked stone towers that seem to defy all the laws of physics. "The Devil's Wall," Ingo murmurs, gazing devoutly at the carious teeth that look as if they could topple over at any moment. And pretty much right on the trail that winds its way tantalisingly through the grass in front of us. The group of rocks here near the village of Weddersleben is called "Mittelsteine", which, despite its dramatic appearance, doesn't really sound too lurid. In America, it would probably be called "Demons Needle" or something similar. "Now let's get going, we'll pass another part of the wall at the end of the tour." Ingo swings into the saddle and joins the path. Devil's wall. In ancient times, people could not explain the origin of the stone miracle. Which is why supernatural forces were commonly held responsible for incidents of this kind. Once again, it is said to have been the devil who quarrelled with the good Lord over the terrain. "The witches were busy elsewhere," jokes Ingo, pointing over to the dark Harz mountains. But more on that later.
You can find the GPS data for these tours in the download area below:
- TOUR 1: Devil's Wall Ride (48.9 km, 796 m elevation gain, 5 h)
- TOUR 2: Reservoir circuit (36.3 km, 990 m elevation gain, 4 h)
- TOUR 3: Bodetal-Panorama (26.8 km, 750 hm, 3 h)
The path swings northwards and takes us in the direction of Quedlinburg. The River Bode gurgles beside us, coincidentally taking the same route after leaving the Harz Mountains. The little river is the centre of the area around the old mining town of Thale. In the foothills of the Harz Mountains, the Bode is peaceful, but in the mountains it runs wild. In dozens of loops, its water has carved a gorge into the terrain that reaches alpine dimensions. The walls at the exit of the canyon rise almost 300 metres into the air. "You'll find endless trails in the eastern Harz Mountains," enthuses Ingo during our coffee break in Quedlinburg. All around us: UNESCO award-winning half-timbered houses, cobbled streets and narrow alleyways. Even the castle is picture postcard perfect. The plates in front of us are piled high with monstrous pieces of cake that would make any sports nutritionist gasp. Ingo continues to make my mouth water. "My personal highlight is the single trail over the Thekenberge. You're about to get to know it." Ingo Schramma is a veteran of the local bike scene. Immediately after reunification, finally in possession of off-road riding equipment, he began to explore the local forests in the saddle. And because that's only half as much fun alone, he looked for like-minded people on the relevant internet forums. The response was overwhelming. "At times, I had two dozen bikers on the mat who wanted to join me," says Ingo as we crank out of the city. "It got to the point where I was organising trail weekends and guided tours." There was no commercial background to this, but at some point the whole thing got out of hand.
"Fortunately, nothing ever happened," summarises Ingo. Today, the local takes a more relaxed approach. He discovered the long single trail over the Thekenberge on one of his forays. The ridge in question runs north-west of Quedlinburg as if drawn with a ruler. And as soon as the first few metres of the narrow path are behind us, I realise why these frozen waves remind me of dunes: the sandy ground not only absorbs noise, but also some of my pedalling energy. Heather curls over it like a carpet. Gnarled trees and thorny bushes bear witness to the dryness of the area, which lies in the weather shadow of the Harz Mountains. It rains less here than almost anywhere else in Germany. The trail winds along the edge of the slope for kilometre after kilometre. The highest peak here measures just 230 metres. So what? Who needs the Alps in the face of this overdose of flow? The trail ends at the Gläserner Mönch, a striking rocky cliff. We climb a ladder to the tiny viewing platform at the top. The 360-degree panorama is at its best today and the view extends as far as the Brocken 50 kilometres away. On the descent, my legs tell me that the sandy ground and the constant ups and downs have taken more energy than expected. My thighs are twitching suspiciously. And the rest of the route profile doesn't make it any better. On the outskirts of Blankenburg, part of the Teufelsmauer comes into view again. Hopping over carpets of roots and circling through labyrinths of trees, we work our way back towards Thale. A magnificent finale, crowned by a trial interlude on the Hamburg coat of arms, a kind of miniature Moab with bizarre rock needles and grippy sandstone contours. Who would expect such a natural spectacle in the middle of Germany?
Ingo has paired me up with Christian Henkel for the next few tours. The two of them know each other from the time of the forum meetings. Christian, known as "Henk", is the leader of the Dessau Nightriders, a thoroughly bike-crazy group. At least crazy enough for borderline adventures such as a winter night ride up the Brocken. Just for fun, of course. "It wasn't that cold at the bottom," remembers Henk with a grin. "But at the top, when it was minus twenty degrees, the grin froze on our faces." Fortunately, Kukki's pea stew is traditionally served on the Nightrider trips, which also thawed out the participants of the Ascension Command. When Henk shows me the planned trails on the map, the verbs 'up' and 'down' appear in every second sentence. In truth, no more words are needed to aptly characterise the topography of the Harz Mountains. And the next thing I learn is that even downhill-orientated bikers - which the boys are, given their equipment - can ride uphill pretty damn well.
In any case, their rear wheels disappear unexpectedly quickly from my field of vision on the ascent to the Hexentanzplatz. It's a few hundred painful metres uphill from Thale to the cult site. I'm happy about the deserted path, because the common tourist takes the cable car. The devil's work! The locals here still agree on that. The civilisation shock at the summit is correspondingly stark. According to legend, the witches took off from up here on Walpurgis Night for their flight up the Brocken. Today, the plateau is populated by a wandering conglomerate of air snatchers, coffee drinkers and walkers. "Witches from 1.50 euros" proclaims the cardboard sign of a witches' discounter. Overflowing souvenir stalls. Witches staggered by size, witches on brooms, witches with headscarves, witches with hats. The trade in the number one souvenir from the Harz Mountains is taking on bizarre forms. The only thing missing is a witch with colourful flashing eyes. Sorry, it already exists!
A local snack bar tempts you with culinary thunderbolts. Including the "Geile Hexe". Whatever the drink behind it may be - even the chronically hypoglycaemic Daniel from Henk's troupe, also known as "The Hungry One", refrains from sampling it.
We savour the breathtaking panorama of the Bode Valley before diving into the depths of the Harz Forest. Our topic now is downhill riding. For example, from the Weißer Hirsch to Treseburg, one of the nightriders' favourite descents.
The wild and romantic Bode Valley attracts numerous tourists to Thale every year. And rightly so, because nature itself is attraction enough. But first-time visitors to the town in the eastern Harz Mountains should not expect a fancy meeting place with a promenade. At the end of the railway line, the industrial halls of the Hüttenmuseum even exude an air of old GDR times. For many years, mining determined the rhythm of the town. Today, the facades of some of the buildings are quietly crumbling away. However, the potential of the valley and the surrounding mountains as a biking area has now been recognised. Not that bike routes have already been signposted - as in the western part of the low mountain range - but with a feel for the terrain and practice in reading maps, the finest single trails are easy to track down. Only the section of the Bode Valley between Thale and Treseburg is off-limits to bikers. However, there is an official downhill route on the Roßtrappe, which night riders also use for training. Or, to be more precise, to ride down. And a holiday village is soon to be built on the fallow land at the finish line. An ideal base camp for bike tours.
The motto on the third day is, how could it be otherwise? Witches! Some sections of the Hexenstieg are on the stage plan. The hiking trail is around one hundred kilometres long and leads from Osterode right through the mountains to Thale. The trails between Treseburg and the Rappbode Dam in particular are an Eldorado for bikers. Matthias and Alex joined the group today and can tell us a few more metres of trail. For example, the hidden entrance to the Philosophenweg, which puts a grin on everyone's face at the start. But the climb is not long in coming. On the first climb just after Altenbrak, the boys once again prove their climbing ability. Descending is out of the question! I can only hold on to the saddle with my last ounce of strength without toppling over backwards. A well-earned break at the Schöneburg viewpoint. My head swings from left to right across the panorama. Is it the foggy view that has caused me to lose my bearings? Or is it the devil's tactic to confuse me? The Bodetal valley seems to criss-cross in all directions. A glance at the map reveals something astonishing: the little river changes course by up to 270 degrees in the bends. Fortunately, the witches guide us through the labyrinth of paths. Their symbol on the trees is our guide to the flow. You've been tricked, Lucifer!
Matthias Rotter, BIKE Touring author, is almost a regular visitor to the Harz Mountains: "I have the Alps on my doorstep at home. But I have to admit that the German low mountain ranges also inspire me time and time again. As far as the flow factor of the trails is concerned, the eastern Harz even occupies a top spot in my personal charts."
AREA HIGHLIGHTS
The Eastern Harz may be overshadowed by the Brocken, but this gives the region many a bonus: for example, better weather and more secluded trails. Here are the best tips for the scene as well as addresses for accommodation and shops in the Bode Valley.
The precinct
The highest mountain range in northern Germany lies on the south-western edge of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, roughly in the centre of a line between Leipzig and Hanover. Its most famous peak, the 1141 metre high Brocken, once marked the inner-German border. The strip divided the Harz Mountains roughly down the middle. The mountain range is 110 kilometres long and a maximum of 40 kilometres wide. Word has long got around among bikers that there is a signposted route network under the signet "Volksbank Arena Harz" (74 laps with a total of 2200 kilometres/59000 metres altitude). Info www.volksbank-arena-harz.de
Towards the east, however, this network becomes increasingly sparse. Reason enough to pay a visit to the numerous trails around the legendary Bode Valley. For kilometres, true flow trails wind their way through the forests. The only thing to respect is the ban on bikes along the Bode in the valley section between Thale and Treseburg! But that's easy to get over in view of the fantastic alternatives. Topography: Typical low mountain range terrain with constant ups and downs. And even if you barely climb above the 500 metre altitude line, the metres in altitude often add up to four figures by the end of the day.
Journey
By car from the south and north via the A7 motorway. There is much less traffic when travelling from the south via the A71 (Schweinfurt - Erfurt) or on the A9/A14 via Leipzig to Thale. From Berlin, take the A2/A14 motorway via Magdeburg. Thale can also be reached directly by train. The Harz-Elbe-Express serves the northern edge of the Harz Mountains every hour from Magdeburg (Berlin) and Halle. Distance Thale from: Berlin 230 km, Frankfurt/M. 370 km, Munich 530 km.
Climate
The Brocken regularly makes headlines in the relevant weather portals. Especially with the notorious cold snaps in winter. Snow sometimes stays up there until well into spring. However, in the eastern Harz Mountains, the bare summit tends to provide dry weather, as it allows the low pressure systems approaching from the west to rain down. As a result, only around a third as much precipitation falls on the leeward side of the Brocken as in the western Harz. Sometimes the Harz wind from the south fans mild air over the ridge and clears the sky. Acceptable average temperatures can be expected on the northern edge from May to September.
Bike shops/rental
Fahrradhaus Wagner, Bodestieg 4, 06502 Thale, Tel. 03947/91546, www.fahrradhaus-wagner.de
Cieslik Zweiradsport, Obersteigerweg 1a, 06502 Thale, Tel. 03947/65577, www.cieslik-zweiradsport.de
Maps / Literature
If you want to plan your own tours, the new hiking map set "Der Harz in 4 parts" (scale 1:30000) is the best choice. The weatherproof paper ensures long durability. The set consists of the Upper Harz, Central Harz, Eastern Harz and Southern Harz sheets. 25.95 euros. Info www.harz-wanderkarten.de
Official map set of the Volksbank Arena Harz: "The Harz for mountain bikers". Revised and extended new edition. Map sheet on tear and weatherproof paper (road books on normal map paper), ISBN 978-3-935806-28-2, 16.80 euros.
Accommodation
In Thale and the surrounding area you will find accommodation in every category, from hotels to campsites. Overview under www.bodetal.de
Highly recommended: Bodetal holiday park, Hubertusstraße 9-11, 06502 Thale, Tel. 03947/77660. Very comfortably equipped complex near the cable cars. With hotel and holiday flats. Good starting point for tours.
Biker tip: Ingo Schramma, a Harz biker from the very beginning, rents out two holiday homes for up to six people. The best tour tips included! Info www.hasselfelde-ferienhaus.de
General information: Bodetal-Information Thale, Bahnhofstraße 1, 06502 Thale, Tel. 03947/7768000, www.bodetal.de
SCENE SPECIALS
Roßtrappen downhill
At the Roßtrappe, gravity fans can hurtle down into the valley on Saxony-Anhalt's only downhill route. First, take the chairlift from Thale up to the Roßtrappe viewing rock, 403 metres above sea level. The 2000 metre-long route drops 250 metres down into the Bodetal valley, garnished with jumps, steep bends and flowing passages. The chairlift and track are open from 9.30 am to 6 pm. Smaller races are also organised in summer. The dates are announced on the website in spring. The DH Cup on the Roßtrappe, on the other hand, is a fixed event. It always takes place in September. Info: www.rosstrappendownhill.de
Mega zipline at the dam
If the adrenaline rush on the DH track isn't enough, you can get another kick at the Rappbodetalsperre dam. Along the highest dam wall in Germany, there is a 1000 metre long zip wire where you can race downhill at around 90 km/h. There are even two ropes running side by side for a direct comparison. Info: www.harzdrenalin.de
Ostalgie in Thale
26 years after reunification, you can turn back the clock at the GDR Museum. With great attention to detail, the operators have brought together numerous exhibits, from the Volksempfänger to a complete classroom. The rooms, which are furnished true to the original, even smell of floor polish. The museum is located on the top floor of the Müller furniture store in the town centre. Info www.ddr-museum-thale.de
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Gitta Beimfohr
Editor
