Magic Mountain: Hike the misty peaks, old towns & stunning caves of Harz

ECOLOGICAL IMPACT

By joining a Nature Meet trip, you actively support nature conservation. For every trip and every ticket, we donate to projects that protect the unique places we visit. Donations for this trip go to:

BUND Westharz: This NGO protects natural habitats and endangered species like the lynx in the Harz mountain region.

KEY FACTS

• Meeting location:

Option A: Berlin - Saturday 5:50 am in Platform 14, Berlin Central Station

Option B: Wernigerode - Saturday 9:30 am outside Wernigerode Hbf

• Distance:

Day 1: 10 km (Exploring Hermann Caves & Wernigerode),

Day 2: Hiking Brocken 14 km elevation gain of 900m, multiple break times during hikes

• Difficulty: intermediate/advanced – hiking at relaxed pace with multiple break times on well-marked paths, moderate / steep elevation in certain parts, sure-footedness & good fitness required

• Included:

1. Community guide during entire trip
2. Shared accommodation
3. Guided hike to Brocken
4. Steam engine ride from Brocken to Wernigerode
5. Entry to Hermanns Cave
6. Entry to Titan RT: Suspension Bridge (optional, if scared of heights)

Note: All public transport from the meeting points for this trip is covered in the 9-Euro-Monthly Ticket offer.

WHY GO?

The 2-day trip involves visiting the Hermanns cave that impresses not only with its large number of unique formations of stalactites and stalagmites along with walking on the longest suspension bridge in Germany. We stay for a night in the quaint town of Wernigerode, affectionately also known as the Pearl of the Harz. A journey to this stunning medieval town with a splendid hilltop castle looking down at street after street of timber-framed houses and steam engines chugging up and down the mountains will fill you with nostalgia.

Lastly and most importantly we hike in the Heinrich-Heine-Weg, the most beautiful trail to the highest mountain of the Harz & Northern Germany, the legendary Brocken.

Brocken is often shrouded in mist, which contributes to its mysterious charm. Storms have always raged around the isolated summit plateau and clouds of fog give Brocken a mystical glow.

Optical illusions such as the “Brocken Ghost“ may give you a scare, but don’t worry, it’s probably just your shadow cast upon the fog… or is it? After all, this was the favourite haunt (pun intended) of the witches of yore. Even today you can meet witches, devils and other mythical figures here. We are not kidding! Read about it under ‘Fun Facts’ below.

WHAT’S THE PLAN?

Day 1: Starting early on Saturday morning, we take a mix of trains & buses to get to Hermann caves in the Harz region to explore these ancient caves filled with unique formations of stalactites and stalagmites as well as a sparkling crystal chamber. We then take a walk on the Titan RT - the longest suspension bridge in Europe (optional, if scared of heights). We then move on to Wernigerode also referred to as the “Pearl of the Harz” that we would be exploring in the evening as well as staying for the night.

Day 2: The following day, we catch public transport to get to Ilsenbrug, the starting point of our hike to the summit of Brocken using the Heinrich-Heine-Weg trail that is known as the most beautiful trail to the Brocken. Once at the summit, we capture the stunning sights of Harz National Park and grab a bite/drink before catching the iconic Harz steam railway back to Wernigerode, pick up our bags and then catch the train back to Berlin via Magdeburg at 6:40pm that arrives in Berlin just before 10pm on Sunday.

WHAT ARE SOME OF THE HIGHLIGHTS?

Discover Wernigerode: Stunning medieval town with splendid medieval Wernigerode hilltop castle (impressively reconstructed in the 19th century) overlooking down streets filled with timber-framed houses.

Wildpark Christianental: Marvel at many animals native to Germany in large open-air enclosures, which you would otherwise only rarely or never see in the forests.

Brocken: Standing at 1141 meters above sea level making it the highest mountain in Northern Germany.

Harz Steam Railway: The sound of the engine's whistle, smoke drifting past the window and the smell of a real steam train evoke memories of a bygone age. Settle back, relax in the comfortable historic carriages and enjoy train travel as it should be done.

Hermann Caves: Famous for large amounts of unique formations of stalactites and stalagmites, as well as having huge cavities up to 50 meters high. Special highlights in the Hermanns Cave are the Olms Lake, in which Germany’s only olms live, and the sparkling crystal chamber.

Titan-RT Suspension Bridge: Germany’s longest suspension bridge with a length of 483 meters (optional, if scared of heights).

Teufelskanzel & Hexenaltar: Meeting point for witches and the devil on Walpurgis night.

Heinrich-Heine-Weg: This is the most beautiful trail to the Brocken that passes through untamed beech forest & bizarre rock formations.

Fun Fact

• Harz Narrow Gauge railways have the largest network of narrow gauge railways in Germany and has been classified as a historical monument since 1972.
• Brocken hosts the annual Walpurgisnacht (Night of the Witches) celebrations at the end of April, loosely associated with the tradition of the annual witches’ celebration, purportedly celebrated on the mountaintop.

WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?

• Trip Briefing: In the booking confirmation you’ll find a link to a detailed briefing on what to expect, how to prepare, where to meet & how to get there.
• WhatsApp Group: In the booking confirmation, we invite you to join the group to connect with trip mates, coordinate arrival options, exchange photos & stay in touch.
• Start the adventure: Once we’re there, we kick off our trip with a short round of introductions so that you get to know each other. Then we start exploring & hiking together.

+++ PLEASE NOTE +++

Free cancellation up to 5 full days before the day of the trip. After that, cancel up to 48 hours before the trip to get a 50% refund. The trip is not dependent on favorable weather conditions (i.e. goes ahead as scheduled also when it rains). If the event is cancelled on our end, you will get a full refund.

Nature Meet is not responsible for any loss, theft, damage or personal injury that occurs during the trip.