June 14, 2025, 12:11 pm | Read time: 8 minutes
Few other once universally popular nature reserves have received as much negative press in recent years as the Harz National Park. Admittedly, drought and an unprecedented bark beetle infestation have wreaked havoc here. However, our author has been hiking in the area for years and consistently sees encouraging signs that the fragile ecosystem is well on its way to recovery. Even now, there is still much beauty to discover.
For what feels like an eternity, I’ve been walking uphill on a winding forest road, and for hours I’ve been presented with a view that, under different circumstances, might discourage me or even make me abandon my tour. I’m in the middle of the vast nowhere of the Harz National Park, surrounded by brown, withered tree corpses on all slopes and hills. Where dense spruce forests once stood, you could easily film a dystopian disaster movie today. But that’s just one side of the truth, and instead of sinking my heart at this sight, it beats faster. Because a new chapter in the history of this unique nature reserve has long since begun—anyone who sees this area with their heart, as I do, will easily recognize it.
Overview
Because everywhere along the path, young firs are already towering over head height, and young birches, beeches, oaks, and alders are reaching for the sun. In some areas of the Harz National Park, humans have not intervened for decades, and slowly but surely, the healthy mixed forest that still adorns other parts of the Harz is re-emerging. But how did it come to the point where the region around the 1,142-meter-high Brocken mountain repeatedly makes headlines like “The Harz is Dying”? Accompanied by shocking images that would likely deter anyone not well-informed from vacationing here. Well, to explain this, we need to go back a few centuries.
Vulnerable Monocultures
In earlier times, the Harz was an area where both mining and charcoal burning were extensively practiced. Both industries required vast amounts of wood to keep the smelting and burning furnaces running. Once the native mixed forests were cleared, spruce was planted extensively—a fast-growing tree promising quick timber. However, such monocultures are much more susceptible to diseases and pests, like the bark beetle. This beetle can actually smell sick trees and targets them, then blindly spreads to neighboring populations. Add several years of insufficient rainfall, and you have an ecosystem on the brink of collapse. Fortunately, nature is already preparing a new, more resilient one.
Martin Baumgartner, spokesperson for Harz National Park, says in response to a TRAVELBOOK inquiry: “A forest transformation is taking place here. Where there were once monocultures, essentially plantations, a natural, wild, diverse forest is growing again.” The human contribution mainly consists of non-intervention. Only in this way can the natural development process be protected. Already today, 75 percent of the protected area is no longer being interfered with. Of course, this excludes protective measures and the maintenance of paths and roads, such as removing fallen trees.
Also interesting: The Bodetal: The Spectacular Gorge in the Harz
Goethe Was Here Too
I’ve regularly and gladly roamed through this wonderfully untouched nature in recent years. Anyone who didn’t visit Harz National Park due to its supposed current state missed a beautiful and diverse region. A tour can start in the fairy-tale town of Ilsenburg, from where you initially follow the rushing Ilse River into the higher elevations of the park. If you’re observant, you might spot fascinating fire salamanders along the way. Ilsenburg is also one of the most popular starting points for climbing the Brocken and offers numerous dining options and accommodations for hikers who wish to stay for several days.
Of course, climbing the highest mountain in the region, the Brocken, is almost a must when visiting Harz National Park. The poet Goethe honored this majesty three times starting in 1777. He also set an important chapter of his immortal classic “Faust” here, where witches dance on the summit during Walpurgis Night. Naturally, a hiking trail in the Harz is named after Goethe. Almost every place where he spent even five minutes bears his name. The ascents to the Brocken vary significantly in difficulty and length. But it’s worth it, as on clear days, according to the local National Park House website, you can see up to 200 kilometers.
Additionally, there’s an old DDR listening station here that can be visited. There are also numerous opportunities to stock up for the return journey. If you don’t want to make the ascent on foot, you can take the partially steam-powered Brocken Railway to the summit. Coming from Wernigerode, the romantic train winds its way up through curves and inclines. As a hiker, you can often hear the tender’s whistle from afar. This service is thanks to the operation of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (HSB), which maintain an extensive network of routes throughout the Harz, especially between smaller towns. As a holder of the Germany ticket, you can even use it for free. However, if you want to go up to the Brocken or back down, you must pay from or to the Drei Annen Hohne station.
Also interesting: Why Treseburg in the Harz is My Personal Power Spot
Walking Through German History
A hike through Harz National Park is also a journey through the history of our country. Until reunification, the inner-German border ran right through the nature reserve. This can be particularly impressively traced at the Ecker Reservoir, where the old DDR border markings can still be discovered on its wall. The demarcation line ran right through the reservoir at the time. According to Baumgartner, even the national park consisted of two parts until 2006, which were only merged then. The past is still palpable in the small town of Torfhaus. “In the past, West Germans drove right up to the border to get a glimpse into the East,” a staff member at the local National Park Center told me during my visit. Today, you can look out over the vast lands from the 65-meter-high Harz Tower and visit a several-thousand-year-old peat bog. And you can strengthen yourself for a tour at one of the snack bars and/or restaurants.
There are numerous beautifully located inns to hike to in Harz National Park. One is the Plessenburg Forest Inn high above Ilsenburg, which has existed since 1776. Solid cuisine at good prices, and if you’re lucky, you might witness a wildlife feeding. This can also be observed from December to April at the Molkenhaus, located in the middle of the forest near the Ecker Reservoir. The menu here is very limited, but the location itself, with a large sun terrace and fireplace for winter, is very inviting. It gets more spectacular at the Rabenklippe Inn, located high above the valley on a namesake rock. Hearty home cooking, an outstanding view, and with a bit of luck, you can observe three lynxes in an adjacent enclosure.
Also interesting: Hiking in the Harz: The Best Tips for Multi-Day Tours
The Little-Known Beauty of the Oker Valley in the Harz Mountains
The best tips and routes for hiking in the Harz Mountains
And what type of a hiker are you?
“Learning More Patience Again”
It’s surreal when a bus suddenly rushes past you on a forest path. But indeed, several lines operate in the very expansive Harz National Park. They reach many inns or can take you back to your accommodation if your feet are tired. You can reach the aforementioned Molkenhaus this way, for example. Especially in the higher elevations of the nature reserve, such as from the Scharfenstein Cliff or the Tauben Cliff, you are treated to stunning views. For you, dear readers, I hope you will soon enjoy one of these panoramas with your own eyes. And not just see what seems to be current, but also have an eye for what will hopefully soon be again here in Harz National Park.
“In terms of nature conservation, one must think more long-term than when planning a vacation for next year,” says Baumgartner. “We humans need to learn more patience in dealing with nature. And accept that some things simply cannot change overnight.” In Harz National Park, they want to make nature accessible to everyone. And show them why it’s so important to protect it. Of course, there are areas here that humans should not enter. But: “Hiking and recreation will always be possible here.”