Goetheweg from Altenau via Torfhaus to the Brocken

Short Description

From Altenau, it goes via Torfhaus on the Goetheweg up to the Brocken.

Description

Follow in the footsteps of the master of German classicism on the path named after him between Altenau via Torfhaus up to the Brocken. The trail is a total of 16.3km long. From Altenau to Torfhaus it is 8.7km and from Torfhaus to the Brocken 7.6km. Goethe managed this path in the middle of winter in just one day. Pack your backpack, put on your hiking shoes, and follow the masters lead.

Route Description

Follow in the footsteps of the master of German classicism on the path named after him between Altenau via Torfhaus up to the Brocken. The trail is a total of 16.3km long. From Altenau to Torfhaus it is 8.7km and from Torfhaus to the Brocken 7.6km. Goethe managed this path in the middle of winter in just one day. Pack your backpack, put on your hiking shoes, and follow the masters lead.

You start your hike in Marktgarten in Altenau and initially walk parallel to Landstraße 504 to Kräuterpark Altenau. Leaving the park on your left, you will soon reach the Seerosenteich, where the Goethe bench and the new bookshelf await all visitors. Here you can take a break, peruse Goethes works, and dream by the pond. The new permanent special stamp of the Harzer Wandernadel at this location will make the hearts of all stamp collectors beat faster.

Refreshed, the hike continues up through Tischlertal to Dammgraben. The ditch is part of the Oberharzer Wasserwirtschaft, the historical energy supply system of the Oberharzer mining industry, which has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2010. Continuing along a forest path parallel to the road to Torfhaus, you pass by Hedwigsblick and cross the border into the Harz National Park.

After crossing the Torfhaus road, you hike along a mystical path lined with roots, small peat sections, and rocks along the wayside, past the Großer Torfhauslift ski lift, the parking lot at Rinderkopf, and the youth hostel until you reach the town center of Torfhaus.

From here, you enter the second part of the Goetheweg and cross the B4 road, which you follow for a short distance. You continue through the wooded moor area along ditches. You pass the Brockenfeldmoor and soon reach the Eckersprung in the middle of the Green Belt. Just as most Harz streams originate from the moors of the Upper Harz, here the Ecker has its source. You leave the protective forest and step out onto an area with only a few trees remaining. This is where the former inner-German border ran, which you follow for a short distance. Ahead of you lies the track of the Brockenbahn.

You are now getting closer to the highest peak of the Harz at 1141m - the Brocken. It is clear to see that the growth of the spruces here is more compact, and many trees are already dead. You have reached an altitude where the spruces struggle to survive against the harsh weather.