While the whole cycling world is blinded by the Alps, Pyrenees and Dolomites, there is a low mountain range in Germany that is easily overlooked. We are talking about the Harz Mountains or rather the Harz region. It is less polished and less popular here than the well-known cycling areas. A little rougher, a little more striking, and for the Dutch very close to home. But what will you find in the Harz? Dense forests, steep climbs, half-timbered towns, abandoned mines, beautiful rock formations and long quiet roads where you can ride for hours without meeting anyone. Sounds perfect right? We make the case for why you should go to the Harz on a cycling adventure in 2026 (like us). Whether you want to explore on a gravel bike, seek heights on a racer or just want to cross through the woods on your mountain bike
This is my personal bucket list for the Harz. Ten beautiful places where you can get delightfully lost (but with a route also get home again).
1. The Brocken - the roof of northern Germany
Anyone who cycles in the Harz and skips the Brocken has not really been there. At 1,141 metres, it is the highest peak in northern Germany. The climb is long, erratic and often treacherous due to wind and weather. But at the top, a view awaits that justifies everything. On clear days, you can see for dozens of kilometres. The best part? The feeling that you have really conquered something here. Not a tourist round trip, but a serious climb that stays with you.
Tip: start early. The fog often moves in later in the day.
2. Volksbank Arena Harz - mountain biking wholesale
The title sounds like a football stadium. But the Volksbank Arena is not a stadium, it is not actually a bike park either. You can safely say it is a complete ecosystem for mountain bikers.
- 74 loops to ride
- 31 starting points
- 2,300 kilometres of routes
- 50,000 altimeters
From flowy trails to technical climbs, here you can literally ride for days without doing the same thing twice. Perfect for those who want to build their holidays around cycling. When do we go there?
3. Wernigerode - Schierke - Rappbodetalsperre
Wernigerode feels like a set from a film. Colourful half-timbered houses, a castle above the town and a lively market square.From here, you drive straight into nature, towards Schierke. A small village deep in the Bode Valley, at the foot of the Brocken. Quiet, green and ideal as a base for climbing.Extra bonus: take the narrow-gauge railway to the top and cycle back down. No shame. Lots of fun, though. Or just climb up by bike, then go down and take the railway back and forth again. Extra fun 🙂
Below you can see a round trip that also takes in the Rappbodetalsperre. Reservoirs are beautiful anyway and this one really gets to go with a bullet on the bucket list.
VeloPlanner4. Quedlinburg - cycling through eight centuries of history
More than 2,100 half-timbered houses. Cobbled streets. Squares where time seems to stand still. Quedlinburg is not a city you drive through. It's a city you get off. In 2026, moreover, the renovated Stiftsberg fully open again. Perfect time to combine culture with beautiful kilometres in the beautiful surroundings.
5. Germany's smallest wooden church (Elend)
Yes, the village is really called Elend. And a little further on is Sorge. But nothing to worry about in misery. Because this is precisely where you need to go. In Elend you will find a little church. The smallest wooden church in Germany. The wooden church is tiny, charming and surprisingly photogenic. From Schierke, it is an ideal short gravel or recovery ride. Sometimes magic is in the small.
6. Stolberg & the Josephskreuz - the Eiffel Tower of the Harz
Stolberg is one of those towns you want to roll slowly through. Half-timbered houses, narrow streets and a history of more than 900 years. Towering over the town is the Josephskreuz: a steel viewing tower on a porphyry mountain peak. The climb up to it is tough, the view grand.
Fun fact: here was Juliana van Stolberg (Juliane von Stolberg) born, the mother of William of Orange. So for all Dutch people, an extra reason to head to the town of Stolberg.
7. Teufelsmauer - cycling past myths and rocks
Twenty kilometres of jagged rock formations cut through the landscape like a wall. The Teufelsmauer feels almost otherworldly. Ideal for gravel rides with short hike-a-bike bits and lots of stops to look around. We have attached a route that is about 30km, but it goes around it.
Protected nature reserve since 1935 - which makes it extra interesting to drive around.
VeloPlanner8. Hexentanzplatz - view with a story
The name alone, Witches' Dancing Place. This special place is a plateau above the Bodetal where, according to legends, witches gathered. It's wonderfully mysterious. But today, it is above all a place with a view that will make you speechless. Combine with a descent towards Thale and you have a perfect day on the (racing) bike. Want a special experience? On the evening of the This spot, along with the Brocken mountain, is probably the most famous place in the Harz Mountains near Thale and offers lively and colourful festivities not only on Walpurgisnacht (the night of 30 April to 1 May)
9. Goldene Aue & the South Harz
Here, the landscape changes completely. Open plains, strange rock formations, sinkholes, springs and forests. A biosphere reserve where gravel bikes feel at home. Quiet, pure and perfect for long days in the saddle.
VeloPlanner10. Wettelrode mine
The Röhrigschacht mine is raw and impressive.You descend on original lifts, ride a mine train and see how people worked here for centuries. And yes: you can even canoe underground. This is perhaps the tip for a day when you are not going cycling, or when it is very hot in summer. It is by no means a regular rest day. But we're used to that at CyclingDestination.
Why the Harz should be on your radar in 2026
Because it hasn't been flattened yet. Because you can climb, get lost, explore and wander here - without mass tourism taking over your ride. But also because you can ride through forests in the morning, roll through UNESCO towns in the afternoon and drink local beers in the evening while enjoying German cuisine.
The Harz is not a destination for those just looking for a nice bike path.It is a region for cyclists who want to collect stories. And believe me: after one visit, it will be on your mental map forever.
Any additional tips?
Head to the Panorama Museum, just outside the Harz. The museum, which opened in 1989 in nearby Thuringia, is home to the largest circular painting in Germany. It is Werner Tübke's painting - “Early Bourgeois Revolution in Germany” (1983-87, 14 x 123 m, oil on canvas) from the early Renaissance is one of the most beautiful but also controversial works of art in history. You can find more than 3,000 individual figures, beautifully decked out and taking you briefly out of the present day. Want to take a peek in advance? You can find a virtual tour here, at the museum site. Then should you still have time to spare? Then head to the Europa-Rosarium in Sangerhause. There you will stand among 8,700 varieties of roses 80,000 rose bushes, art in the open air. Your nose wants a holiday too.
Sleeping in the region? Here are some options for you!
