THE HARZ – MAGICAL AND BREATHTAKING NATURAL LANDSCAPE WITH UNIQUE CULTURE
You can do fantastic mountain biking and also with the race/gravel bike it is beautiful cycling deep into the forest with very challenging climbs. For example, there is the Brocken which, at 1142 meters, is the highest mountain in the region and where you cycle up through the National Park car-free.
Whether long or short tours, short steep or long climbs, in the Harz Mountains you can always expect a varied cycling experience. Numerous routes offer ideal training conditions for the most ambitious but also for the most recreational cyclists. The routes in the Harz range from flat, slightly hilly roads, to tough climbing sections with gradients of up to 18 percent. Intensive intervals, longer block training or strength training? You’ll find the ideal climb for every form here. Not surprisingly, the Harz Mountains are often used by German professional cyclists as preparation for races.
"Real challenges on the road, gravel mountain bike or cozy with the e-bike, here in the heart of Germany you will find it all"
The major German events such as the Tour of Lower Saxony and the Tour of Germany stop here regularly and even the Tour of Peace once made a stop here. There is hardly any other region where cyclists find so much variety on the saddle. The tours lead through a national park, a biosphere reserve, a geopark, four nature parks and three UNESCO World Heritage Sites. You’ll pass large reservoirs, historic half-timbered towns and impressive moorland landscapes. Local hosts attuned to the needs of cyclists round out the local offerings. More information and tips for bicycle tours can be found at: www.rennrad-harz.de
A true eldorado for mountain bikers
Cross country, marathon, freeride, downhill, dirt – almost all facets of mountain biking are possible in the Harz Mountains. The 74 signposted and classified routes of the Volksbank Arena Harz lead to fantastic views and impressive cultural monuments. Narrow trails, soft forest soil and rocky passages alternate with jumps and turns in three levels of difficulty on 2,300 kilometers of routes with a total of 55,000 altimeters. Cyclists can start at 31 locations in the region and discover the varied landscape again and again.
Mountain bikers encounter myths and legends on the routes in the Bode Valley. The seven routes around the rugged rock valley have much to offer, winding through dense forests on narrow, rooty trails to impressive vantage points. Five bike parks in Braunlage, Hahnenklee, Sankt Andreasberg, Schulenberg and Thale demand maximum concentration from riders and put their technical skills to the test. Those who want to can test their skills in the Harz Mountain Bike Cup – a series consisting of several races at different locations in the Harz Mountains.
www.volksbank-arena-harz.de
A great vacation destination for any sports enthusiast
The Harz Mountains offer a variety of experiences in every season. With also more than 8,000 kilometers of hiking trails, nature lovers are spoilt for choice: hike/MTB along more than 200 meters steep cliffs in the Bode Valley or along the legendary Devil’s Wall, discover untouched nature and history in the beautiful Selketal Valley or the extraordinary karst landscape in the southern Harz. Climbing the 1,141-meter-high Brocken can be done in a variety of ways.
Whether on the Devil’s Path, through the Eckerloch or the romantic Ilse Valley, the highest peak in northern Germany is an integral part of many Harz vacations. The variety of cultural and historical treasures amidst this mountain world is also impressive. Picturesque half-timbered towns such as Wernigerode or Quedlinburg with numerous museums and galleries, historic buildings such as Wernigerode Castle®, Falkenstein Castle or Drübeck Abbey or the former Harz mines take visitors back to times gone by.
You can also travel back in time on the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway, which winds through the Harz landscape with its impressive steam locomotives. And if that is not enough, the Harz Mountains are home to three UNESCO World Heritage Sites out of a total of 46 protected cultural and natural areas in Germany. Adventurers get their money’s worth with vertical wall runs, a flight on the “Megazipline” double rope slide or a 75-meter-deep pendulum jump on the Gigaswing at the Rappbode Dam. The summer toboggan runs like the “Harzbob” in Thale or the mountain bike trails and bike parks in the region will bring you plenty of adrenaline. And as if there is not enough to do above ground, there are also the caves of the Harz nature show, such as the Rübeländer dripstone caves or the Heimkehle karst cave in the southern Harz region. The temptation to expand your (cycling) horizons a bit in Germany too should really be sought no further than in this beautiful region.
Harzer Tourism Association
Marktstraße 45
38640 Goslar
Telefon 05321-34040
info@harzinfo.de
www.harzinfo.de
