Cycling in Germany is popular. In our eastern neighbours, you will find many different places where you can go cycling. Not only just across the border in, for example, the Eifel or in the Teutoburg Forest. Deeper into Germany, you will also find wonderful cycling destinations such as Saxon Switzerland or the Black Forest. One place to add to this list is the Harz National Park on the border of the states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. A few hours' drive from the Dutch border, you will find a beautiful mid-mountain where you can have days of cycling fun. Not only the road cyclists can do well here, but also with the gravelbike this is pure enjoyment. The Harz itself stretches over a stretch of land and also picks up a piece in Thuringia. The national park is only a smaller part of it. Cycling in Nationalpark Harz is fantastic. We have searched for you the most beautiful spots.
Basecamp Harz - where to stay overnight?
We think a good basecamp, a base for your cycling trip is very important. You can search for the right location to start your cycling holiday in Nationalpark Harz on several sites. If you book a "Bett und Bike" accommodation, you know a few things for sure: good facilities for cyclists, you are always welcome, even for just one night (subject to availability) and you can safely store your bike. In addition, you will be dealing with like-minded people. That is also worth something. We chose Bad Harzburg (what's in a name) and made some nice routes from there. Another good alternative is Wernigerode, where you also have better access to the Talsperren and the Josephskreuz mentioned further on.
Below is the map of hotels in the Harz, with some of our recommendations.
Round Harz
This is a popular route, where you basically cycle around the national park. If you ride the entire 'RundKurs' you will be 350 kilometres on the road. Then you ride from Bad Harzburg all the way to the east, past Ballenstedt and Mansfeld before returning westwards along the lower Harz region. Then you pass the Sudharz, another nature park. On this route, you will also pass the 'Hexentanzplatz'. Here you can learn all the necessary facts about witchcraft and its rituals. It is a popular spot in the Harz. The 350 kilometres are perfect for a multi-day trip, with longer stops in half-timbered towns and other places of interest in between.
Altitude metres in the Harz
The national park Harz is characterised by mid-mountain terrain. Not too high, but certainly challenging enough to ride nice training routes or just to get used to climbing in the mountains instead of the Dutch hills. We have another round where you make about 1,500 altimeters in about 100 kilometres. That's nice pedalling away. The highest peak in this area can be found on top of the Brocken, at 1125 metres you will have climbed quite a bit. From Elend, this climb is over 14 kilometres with just over 4% average percentage. But beware: here you will encounter sections with a maximum of 12% with a steepest kilometre of 9%. That's no mean climb.
Josephskreuz
One of the more impressive but also rather special points to cycle to is the Josephskreuz, on the Saxony-Anhalt side of the National Park. This iron cross, which is very similar in construction to the Eifel Tower, sits atop a climb and offers stunning views over the park. In terms of architecture, there are bound to be two camps here: haters & lovers.
Dams
The region has many beautiful reservoirs. From Bad Harzburg you can cycle straight to the Mandelholztalsperre and further on you will find the Eckertalsperre and the Okertalsperre, among others. Beautiful parts of this rugged region that you should definitely visit. If only for the pictures. The most famous of all talsperren is probably the Rappbodetalsperre, in Saxony Anhalt. Incidentally, the NationalPark is also the former dividing line between the GDR and GDR, the former East and West Germany. This piece of history is important. Many people lost their lives here trying to flee the Stalinist GDR. Because nothing happened in this 'toteskilometer' for many years, there was room for unique flora and fauna to grow. A special side effect of a nasty history.
Routes
On our komoot page you will find some great routes from Bad Harzburg. If you are considering cycling in Germany and you are not yet sure where your cycling holiday should go: Harz. Additional advantage: it is not as crowded here as in other parts of the country. So hop: all together cycling in Nationalpark Harz. Well. not all at once then.
