National Park communities
Information about the communities around the National Park
Visit the National Park communities all around the National Park. Here, you can find silence and peacefulness. The short distances to the National Park make it a perfect place to enjoy your holidays in nature.
Altenau
With its extensive path system, Altenau is always worth a visit. You can go on a hiking trip with or without sticks, a tour on your mountain bike or a delightful skiing trip in winter. Furthermore, you can climb the summit of the Brocken starting at the Torfhaus district and taking the adventurous Goethe Trail.
www.oberharz.de (website in German)
Bad Harzburg
Bad Harzburg, at the northern edge of the Harz, is known as a health resort with a good climate, but that is not all. For a couple of years now the town has been known as the gateway to the National Park. Lying in the valley of the river Radau, Bad Harzburg offers more than 150 kilometres of hiking routes, which give the visitors plenty of opportunities to discover the National Park's genuine forest landscape. Those less fond of hiking can use a bus to get into the National Park.
www.bad-harzburg.de (website in German)
Bad Lauterberg
Bad Lauterberg – the Kneipp therapeutic bath for wellness and cure programmes lies in the southern part of the Harz, which offers favourable climatic conditions. Due to the nearby Oder reservoir it also offers ideal conditions for fans of water sports. Real nature can be explored in various ways during a trip on the well-developed route system for hiking and mountain biking. There are also many other interesting sites nearby, such as Einhorn-Höhle (Unicorn Cave), where you can see exhibits of the oldest known inhabitant of the Harz, the Neanderthal.
www.badlauterberg-harz.de (website in German)
Braunlage
The health and winter sports resort Braunlage,which also disposes of favourable climatic conditions, lies right at the doorstep of the Harz National Park. The Wurmberg, the highest mountain of Lower Saxony, casts its shadow on it. Up there you have an excellent view over the entire Harz area. From here many interesting hiking routes lead into the National Park.
www.braunlage.de (website in German)
Elbingerode
Once, the districts of Elbingerode were part of the core area of the historic Bodfeld, where the first German emperors and kings came to hunt. Today, Elbingerode is a starting point for several hiking routes and educational trails about the particularities of more than 1000 years of mining history. Not far away from Elbingerode you can find Rübeland with its two famous limestone caves, Baumann's Cave and Hermann's Cave.
www.elbingerode.de (website in German)
Elend
The Harz community of Elend surprises visitors with the smallest wooden church in Germany. It is located near the Brocken, surrounded by lush meadows and green forests.
www.harz.eu (website in German)
Herzberg, Lonau and Sieber
The town of Herzberg lies on the sunny southern edge of the Harz. Both the historic Welf Castle and the climatic health resorts Lonau and Sieber are waiting for you. These three places form the southern triangle of recovery and relaxation.
www.touristinformation-herzberg.de (website in German)
Ilsenburg
The National Park town lies on the northern edge of the Harz. It is protected by the mountains and can therefore offer its guests a healthy climate and perfect opportunity to recover all year long. The possibility to climb the Brocken by passing through the Ilse valley, taking the Heinrich Heine trail, is nowadays more popular than in earlier years, when it was only known by a few hikers. Between May and October, many hiking destinations within the National Park can be easily reached by bus.
www.ilsenburg-tourismus.de (website in German)
Riefensbeek-Kamschlacken
Riefensbeek-Kamschlacken is the smallest state-approved resort in the Harz area. It is cosily nestled in the valley of the river Söse close to Söse reservoir. Holiday makers seeking tranquillity in a pleasant landscape will not forget this town's name.
www.osterode.de (website in German)
Sankt Andreasberg
Sankt Andreasberg is a district of Braunlage and also a health resort with favourable climatic conditions. There is not much left to say. Some keywords though: hiking, winter trips, mining history, legendary mountain wilderness.
www.oberharz.de (website in German)
Schierke at the foot of the Brocken
The National Park community of Schierke offers an attractive mixture of recreational peace and sporting dynamics. Marvellous forests and weirdly shaped rocks offer perfect conditions for hiking, winter sports, or climbing the Brocken.
www.schierke-am-brocken.de (website in German)
Stapelburg
People seeking for relaxation may stumble upon this National Park community in the Harz foreland. The extensive hiking routes leading to the National Park, into the Ecker valley or into Köhlerholz are real incentives for a visit, as well as the nearby cycle route R1.
www.gemeinde-nordharz.de (website in German)