November 3, 2025, 3:59 pm | Read time: 6 minutes

For a brief moment, the sun fought its way through the dense rain clouds hanging ominously over Bad Harzburg, transforming the landscape into a true riot of colors. Yellow, red, brown–the forests and hills around the city glow in all the shades of autumn like an impressionist painting. From high above, I enjoy this view, standing on the Burgberg. The wide, flat landscape stretches before my eyes beyond the horizon. At this place, where a piece of German history was once written, things are rather quiet today due to the weather conditions. Only those who truly want to are outside, and so I breathe in the silence and let my mind travel back almost 1,000 years.

Behind me lie the ruins of the Harzburg, built from 1065 to 1068 by one of the most colorful figures in German history. Once a mighty structure, it served as the ancestral seat of Henry IV, who was crowned German emperor in 1084. It was here that he had to flee from his enraged people on the night of August 9 to 10, 1973, allegedly through a secret passage in the castle well. Less than a year later, the Harzburg was destroyed after Henry’s defeat in a battle. In the winter of 1076/77, Henry had to undertake the now-legendary Walk to Canossa to Pope Gregory VII to prevent his deposition as regent. The city of Bad Harzburg is named after its former fortress.

Gondola with Conductor

The Burgberg is one of the most popular excursion destinations in the city. Those who shy away from the short but steep climb through the dense mixed forest can also take the very beautiful cable car up. When my friend and I tried it recently, there was even a conductor who clipped our tickets with a punch like in the movies, then manually operated the cabin for its journey and safely steered it upward. The gondola also offers spectacular views of Bad Harzburg and the surrounding landscape, which is already part of the Harz National Park. And then, well over 480 meters above the Radau Valley, there’s another attraction that many might hardly notice.

Like a shrine, the so-called Harz Legends Hall stands right next to the viewing platform from which you can look out over Bad Harzburg. In incredibly detailed work, artist Eduard Bergmann and his son, Franz, brought 14 Harz legends to life in a unique diorama from 1928 to 1932 using wood and marble. The unique mini-museum is only open on Sundays and holidays between 2 and 4 p.m. The scene on the Burgberg is literally overshadowed by the 19-meter-high Canossa Column, which commemorates the aforementioned penitential walk of Henry IV. If needed, you can fortify yourself for the descent at the “Aussichtsreich” hotel-restaurant.

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Above the Treetops

If you wish, you can also fly down the Burgberg on the treetop cableway, which has been in operation since 2020. Hanging in a harness system, you rush through the treetops to the valley. During my visit, however, the weather didn’t cooperate, so I instead went to another nature-related attraction: the approximately 1,000-meter-long treetop path that winds through the Kalte Valley. This offers great views of the nature of Bad Harzburg. Especially for children, the trail, designed as a learning path, is great, as they can learn interesting facts about the local nature at a total of 52 stations. There are also scavenger hunt sheets available at the entrances.

Those drawn deeper into the nature around Bad Harzburg have the Harz National Park as a unique hiking area right at the city gates. A relatively short tour leads, for example, through dense forest to the very beautiful Radau Waterfall. The 23-meter-high cascade doesn’t reveal that it was once artificially created, and even that doesn’t detract from the magic of its sight. If you wish, you can extend the tour from here and make it a true pleasure hike. Because right near the Radau Waterfall, two very good and authentic inns await hungry stomachs. There’s the venerable “Molkenhaus,” where wildlife feedings also take place from December. But my favorite is the “Rabenklippe,” which offers homemade specialties with a sensational view all the way to the Brocken.

Also interesting: Why I Keep Returning to the Harz National Park

There’s Much to Discover

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A great tour from Bad Harzburg also leads to the “Cross of the German East.” This is actually a huge cross, erected, visible from afar, in memory of displaced persons. Starting from the Burgberg, you can reach it within about an hour and fill your canteen at the Sachsenbrunnen in the middle of the forest along the way. The monument itself, there’s no other way to describe it, is truly awe-inspiring due to its size and location. And again, not far from the already mentioned inns.

A slightly longer tour takes the hiker from Bad Harzburg to the Ecker Reservoir. During the time of the German division, the border ran right through it, and even today, you can see the old demarcation stones with the inscription “DDR” on the dam wall. From here, it’s not far to the Scharfenstein Cliff. There, you’ll find not only a ranger station with a small snack bar but also a very nice view of the landscape after climbing the rock. If you want to hike in the city itself, you can, for example, walk through the Krodotal high above its rooftops. Another path leads to the beautifully named Elfenstein, from which you again have a panoramic view of the town and the surrounding landscape.

Afterward, you can also explore the long pedestrian zone of Bad Harzburg. Here, there are various dining and shopping options. Certainly worth seeing is the more than 125-year-old Wandelhalle with its drinking fountain. Fed by nine healing springs, the city was especially popular as a spa town in the past. The soothing water can also be enjoyed in the local brine spa.