In the beginning of November we drove out to the Harz mountains for a day-hike.

We chose a route from Schierke (part of the city Wernigerode) up to the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz mountain range (1,141 meters).

The trail

Right from the start of the trail the dominating part of the landscape are dead trees. The forest is slowly recovering from a bark beetle infestation which happened a few years back and has a silver look to it.

Most of the way up is through rocky but well maintained forest terrain. The clear and dry day makes the trail not very challenging.

Closer to the Brocken peak we reach a tarred road which leads all the way up to the highest elevation.

While these stretches of paved road (especially on the way down) are expected on a mountain with larger infrastructure (you can even take a train to reach the top), they are still a bit disappointing if you are there for a more natural experience.

Summit and Descent

Having arrived on the peak we take the “Gipfelrundweg”, a path around the summit, check out the clear views and begin our descent.

After following the tarred road for a little longer we are back on rocky forest terrain in the midst of the dead trees.

Recommendations and Track

If you would like to hike up the Brocken be aware that it can get very windy on the summit. Wind-proof clothing is thus recommended. Other than that, on a clear day in November no special equipment was needed.

We followed – more or less – this route on Alltrails.