Torfhaus - Brocken

This hike leads along the legendary Goethe Trail from Torfhaus to the summit of the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz Mountains. The route starts right at the large car park in Torfhaus, directly opposite the Torfhaus National Park Visitor Centre. From the starting point, the trail first leads through the Great Torfhaus Moor, one of the oldest raised bogs in the Harz National Park. Wooden boardwalks take you across the sensitive moorland soil, where rare plants such as the carnivorous sundew and the fluffy cotton grass thrive. Black woodpeckers and the rare peregrine falcon can often be seen in the dead spruce forests, which are left standing as part of the national park's "Let nature be nature" concept. As the path from "Eckernsprung" is partly stony and steep along the old colonnade paths, sturdy, ankle-high footwear is essential.