August 26, 2025, 4:40 am | Read time: 9 minutes
There are few places in Germany where you can hike in such solitary, pristine nature as in the Harz. And such a tour becomes even more spectacular when it leads along a river or past a waterfall. On many routes, you get both, and often a hearty, strengthening meal as well. TRAVELBOOK author Robin Hartmann has loved the Harz for years and reveals which excursions are also worthwhile for hiking beginners.
There is hardly a more beautiful and calming sound for me than the babbling of water. The perfect soundscape for a day in nature that is both exhausting and invigorating for the soul. Suddenly, there it is—a stream or even a river—accompanying the path for a while. Ideally, its flow is the only sound besides that of your own feet, one step after another, the mantra of the hiker. Like a vein running through the land, such a body of water turns an already beautiful route into a true pleasure trail—and perhaps even leads, particularly spectacularly, to a wild waterfall. In my favorite hiking region, the Harz, I have been discovering such wonderful places for years. I would like to share some of them with you here.
First, there’s the absolute classic, the hike through the archaic Bodetal along the river of the same name. Over millions of years, the Bode has carved a gorge several hundred meters deep through the landscape over a stretch of about 10 kilometers. Along sometimes narrow footpaths, you follow the water, for example, from Thale to Treseburg or even Altenbrak, or vice versa. Sometimes the Bode meanders, sometimes it rushes alongside the path, at times so close that on hot days it even tempts you to take a dip (which is officially prohibited).
Pause by the River
In spring, you can find wild garlic here, and along the path, woodruff and devil’s claw bloom. If you’re adventurous and leave the main path at a spot I won’t describe in detail here, you can even make your way along a steep trail to a supposedly 1,000-year-old yew tree. The tree is so large that you can easily find space for a rest in its hollow trunk. There are also some great viewpoints like the Sonnenklippe, where you can relax on the tour. From the fairy-tale town of Treseburg, the Bodetal then noticeably flattens and opens up, with the river now flowing wide and sluggish through the landscape. Be sure to take a break here for a refreshment at the “Pension Sternschnuppe,” which has, in my opinion, the most beautiful beer garden in the Harz right by the river.
A second highlight of the Harz is undoubtedly a hike along the Ilse River near Ilsenburg. If you wish, you can even extend this to a climb of the Brocken, but the short base route is particularly suitable for families. The village itself welcomes you with a picturesque charm that probably captivates many hikers (even before the tour). Along the route, there is also a water playground for little guests and a Kneipp footbath for tired feet, both naturally fed by the Ilse itself. The route then begins over wide paths through a dense beech mixed forest. If you wish, you can refill your canteen at the “Prinzess Ilse-Quelle” spring. Personally, I also drink directly from the various streams and rivers in the Harz when needed, but it’s up to you whether you want to follow my example.
Also interesting: Hiking through the spectacular Bodetal in the Harz
Named After a Poet
Since the route can eventually lead up to the Brocken, the course of the Ilse takes the hiker over rough and smooth terrain to higher elevations. Not really strenuous climbs, but you should have a bit of stamina for this part of the tour. However, since you’ll be stopping frequently to take pictures of the postcard-perfect route, breaks will naturally occur. It’s only a few kilometers before you reach the wild Ilse Falls, where the rushing water now flows over numerous cascades toward the valley. No wonder the route is also known as the “Heinrich-Heine-Weg,” named after one of our great German nature poets. If you’ve planned a day trip, you can now return to the village via the excellent “Waldgasthaus Plessenburg” and the Ilsestein on a circular hiking trail.
The two aforementioned tours are certainly the most popular river hikes in the Harz due to their beauty, good accessibility, and technical simplicity, and they are absolute tourist magnets depending on the season. But there are also more solitary paths, and here the hike along the Ecker should be mentioned. You can even follow this river from its source, the Eckersprung, for half a day to the mighty Ecker Reservoir, into which it flows. Initially, you might wonder where this river is supposed to be, but just a few hundred meters further, it emerges as a rushing mountain stream under its dense riverbank vegetation. The tour leads through the landscape in absolute forest silence. In summer, you should definitely plan a little more hiking time due to the countless bushes with wild raspberries waiting as a refreshment.
Also interesting: Okertal: The little-known valley in the Harz
A Piece of German History
The Ecker crossing is also spectacular. A spot where you cross the river over a few large stones to the other bank. It’s not far from here to the reservoir, which is particularly worth seeing. During the time of the inner-German division, the border ran right through its dam. You can still see the old demarcation stones here today. Above the reservoir, there is a well for thirsty hikers. Now you have a tough choice to make. Either take a detour to the Radau Waterfall or a relatively close stop at the equally delicious “Molkenhaus” and/or “Rabenklippe” inns.
I would recommend sweetening your rest with a detour to the waterfall. For me, with its 23 meters in height, it is the most beautiful cascade in the entire Harz, even though it was once artificially created. The hike through the Radau Valley along the river of the same name is also worth a detour. Perhaps you’ll stay at the waterfall in the Greek restaurant “Santorini.” Or go further to the “Marienteichbaude.” There, with a bit of luck, you can even witness a wildlife feeding. My personal recommendation among these options would be the “Rabenklippe.” Not only can you enjoy homemade food with a sensational view of the Brocken, but small guests are also likely to be thrilled, as three lynxes can be observed in a nearby enclosure.
Also interesting: Why I keep returning to the Harz National Park
The Most Beautiful and Wild Valleys in the Harz
Why I Keep Returning to Harz National Park
A True Record Holder
If you want to see a true record holder with your own eyes, you should walk along the Oker through the Okertal. Because in the small town of Romkerhall, the Romkerhaller Waterfall awaits, the highest cascade in the entire Harz at 64 meters. It was also once artificially created, by a real royal. English King George V, married to a German princess, had his hunting grounds here in the 19th century. The hunting lodge he also built is now a hotel-inn. And due to its quirky history, it is jokingly called “the smallest kingdom in the world.” A very beautiful place, especially popular with couples, is located nearby in the middle of the Oker River: the so-called Engagement Island. You can reach the stone island via a bridge. Please be sure to heed the warning signs here for your own safety, not to enter or swim in the river. You’ll find out why.
Another beautiful river-waterfall hike can be started from the Steinerne Renne train station near Wernigerode. You can reach it either on foot or via the network of “Harz Narrow Gauge Railways,” which I highly recommend. The partially steam-powered trains and their charming whistles make the eyes of both young and old railway enthusiasts light up, even on short routes. The best part: Except for a few stations toward/from the Brocken, you can use the train for free with the Germany Ticket. On foot, you then reach the Steinerne Renne Inn along the Holtemme River. This inn boasts perhaps the most spectacular location in the entire Harz.
Also interesting: Hiking in the Harz: The best tips for multi-day tours
Picnic and Stopover
Because right by the inn, the Holtemme cascades down a wide, rushing waterfall. This can be crossed thanks to a bridge. This way, you can ascend on one side of the river and descend on the other. Of course, after a refreshment in the always busy inn. For families, a visit to the waterfall in Königshütte is also worthwhile. Although not as impressive as its wild cousins, you can linger wonderfully here thanks to some picnic benches. For children, it is also a great water playground. From here, it’s not far to the small and large reservoirs and dams, which are themselves a sight to behold. If you want to eat well along the way, you can stop at the family-run restaurant-hotel “Mandelholz.”
The beauty of this list is that I know for sure that I will be able to add a few more points to it in a few years. Because even though I hike several hundred kilometers a year in the Harz, I certainly haven’t seen all the corners of this natural wonder that spans three federal states. So I’m sure I’m still missing a few tours along some beautiful rivers and waterfalls. Perhaps you were just pleased to read that your personal secret tip is (still) not on this list. And who knows, maybe we’ll meet there by chance someday, nod to each other, and then go our separate ways. There’s definitely enough space for all of us in the Harz.