Perhaps you’ve already read our post about Wernigerode? We spent the first day of our holiday in the Harz Mountains in this wonderfully charming town before setting off early the next morning to finally explore the countryside. After a delicious breakfast at the Hotel Travel Charme Gothisches Haus in Wernigerode, we packed our things for the trip and set off. A beautiful day lay ahead of us with many highlights, adventures, adrenaline, and unique views.
- The beautiful Blue Lake
- Rappbode Dam and TITAN RT
- Action with Harzdrenalin
- Off to the Bode Valley
- Hexentanzplatz, Rosstrappe, and more
- Holiday in the Harz Mountains – Hiking Trails
- Conclusion of a holiday in the Harz Mountains
The beautiful Blue Lake
By chance, we had heard and seen something about a “Blue Lake” on Google Maps. Since it was on our way, we didn’t want to miss this scenery. This lake is located just 15-20 minutes from Wernigerode on the B27 federal highway. We parked the car and walked the last few meters. At some point, we spotted a turquoise lake through the trees, framed by green trees and limestone walls. Apart from a man with his dog, there wasn’t a soul in sight.
The lake has very calcareous water. It was created by the closure of a quarry after World War II. The high lime content in this lake absorbs all color—except blue. Hence the name! We were told that the water often turns a dark green in the summer. This is because people seek cooling off in this lake. The excessive nutrient value unnecessarily promotes algae growth, causing the color to change.
You can hike and stroll around the lake. It’s a bit strenuous in some places, but you get some great views. We couldn’t stop clicking the camera shutter. It was somehow reminiscent of Bavaria, Austria, and Canada. These colors, this silence, this idyll – what a perfect start to the day.
Rappbode Dam and TITAN RT
After our trip to the Blauer See, we set off again for our next highlight. We wanted to go to the Rappbode Dam. Several adventures awaited us there. But let’s take it easy and take one thing at a time. The Rappbode Dam was built between 1952 and 1959 and consists of a dam, waterworks, hydroelectric power plant, and reservoir. The dam wall is 106 meters high, making it the highest in Germany. The dam protects against flooding in the Eastern Harz and provides drinking water and electricity. This all sounds very technical and boring, but on site, it all looked truly idyllic.
The Rappbode Dam is also home to the world’s longest cable suspension bridge – the TITAN RT. Here, you can stagger 483 meters above the valley, even in bad weather. The bridge only opened in 2017 and is practically brand new. Many vacationers and visitors were out crossing the bridge that day in perfect weather. Admission costs €6 for adults and €4 for kids. We didn’t cross the bridge because we had other plans.
Action with Harzdrenalin
Here at the Rappbode Dam is also the territory of Harzdrenalin. 100 meters northeast of the dam and above the bridge is Europe’s longest double zip line – the Megazipline. This has been around since November 2012 and spans the Wendefurth Dam’s sports pool, stretching approximately 1,000 meters in length and at a maximum height of 120 meters. We had a queasy feeling just before the “takeoff.” But there was no turning back.
We were suspended securely in the harness, the valley in front of us, the bridge below us. Then the exhilarating ride began. You can apparently reach top speeds of 85 km/h. How fast Marco and I were going? Unfortunately, we don’t know. But it was fast and incredibly cool. The view over the Bode Valley, the view of the people who were just walking across the bridge – simply unique!
There are even more highlights at Harzdrenalin. You can book a Segway tour, go wall running on the dam, or get a thrill on the Giga Swing. We actually wanted to do that the next day, but I (Bolle) just wasn’t brave enough. Below the suspension bridge, you can experience a 75-meter-deep pendulum jump, alone or with a partner in a tandem. Here, you’ll likely experience the thrill of your life. Simply amazing!
The jump costs €79, for a tandem €149. Wall running is available for €49, and a Segway tour starts at €30. The flight with the Megazipline costs €39 per person. What’s also really cool is that you can book a helmet camera on site. This way, you’ll have your adventure directly on a memory card provided by Harzdrenalin. The perfect souvenir of your vacation in the Harz!
Off to the Bode Valley
We heard online about a “Grand Canyon” in the Harz. This refers to the densely forested and beautiful Bode Valley. We were determined to find a vantage point to see this scenery for ourselves. So, after our adrenaline rush, our route led us to Thale. The road wound through lush green forests, the birds chirped, and we enjoyed the sunshine on our faces.
By chance, we arrived at the parking lot of the Rosstrappe cable car station. We didn’t want to go here, but we just got out. In our Harz Card booklet, we discovered that we could ride the chairlift for free. We first got an overview on a map by the parking lot.
“Oh, how cool! The Hexentanzplatz, the Rosstrappe, and many hiking trails are here too! Then let’s drive down to the valley and just see what’s going on!”
So we took the chairlift down to the valley. And here in the valley, “all hell” broke loose. So, it wasn’t quite that bad, but we were standing in the middle of an adventure world for children. So, if you’re planning a vacation in the Harz Mountains with your children, you’ll find plenty of action and activities here.
On the other side of the valley, we discovered the cable car, which took us up to the Hexentanzplatz (Witches’ Dance Place). The view over the Bode Valley was breathtaking. A round-trip ticket costs €7, but is not included in the Harz Card.
Hexentanzplatz (Witches’ Dance Place), Rosstrappe, and more.
Once you get to the top, there’s plenty more to do: a bobsleigh run, restaurants, shops, a theater, and a zoo. We grabbed a coffee and sat in the sun overlooking the valley and the rocky massifs. What a view! From the side, you can even see the Rosstrappe rock on the opposite side. Walpurgis Night is a huge spectacle on the Hexentanzplatz (Witches’ Dance Floor).
More than 10,000 people come to be entertained by music, a laser show, and fireworks. Myth has it that the witches of the Harz Mountains always gather here on the last night of April – Walpurgis Night – to celebrate a spooky ritual. From here, they continued on together to the Brocken, where they danced around the blazing witches’ fire.
Unfortunately, the bobsleigh run was completely overcrowded with school groups, so after a leisurely snack, we headed back. We took the cable car down and the chairlift back up the other side. We definitely wanted to go to the Rosstrappe. This high granite rock stands 403 meters above sea level and promises a wonderful view. Here, too, there are myths, stories, and legends. If you want to learn more about the legendary hoofprint, take a look here: Harz Sights – Rosstrappe.
Holiday in the Harz – Hiking Trails
We actually wanted to go on a hike through the Bode Valley that day. We had previously picked out a great route on the map. Unfortunately, it was closed, so we didn’t have enough time to do other hiking trails. In general, there are countless hiking trails in the region, so it’s difficult to decide. If you have enough time, you could perhaps do the tour from Thale to Treseburg and the Hexentanzplatz (5 to 6 hours).
The hike from the Teufelsmauer (Devil’s Wall) into the Bode Valley is also said to be really beautiful (5 to 6 hours). It takes about 3 hours from the Rosstrappe to Thale. You can find information about other hiking trails around Thale here: Outdoor Active. There are many viewpoints around Thale and the Rosstrappe, such as the Prinzensicht or the Teufelsmauer. If you have time during your vacation in the Harz, you should definitely head to one of these viewpoints.
But there’s much more. The well-signposted network of hiking trails of over 8,000 km makes the Harz a paradise for hikers. We will certainly come back and hike again. We did, however, hike up the Brocken. More on that in the next post. If you’re looking for inspiration and information about hiking trails, check out www.harzinfo.de.
Conclusion of the vacation in the Harz
The beautiful and varied day ended once again with a wellness treatment at the Hotel Travel Charme Gothisches Haus. We fell into bed late in the evening, completely thrilled. After this day, we knew that the Harz is a truly fantastic region and that we really like it. We somehow never expected such cool nature and diversity. And once again, we can say: The Harz Mountains rock! Absolutely! We highly recommend a vacation in the Harz Mountains! And don’t forget: The Brocken Hike!