Wernigerode

Our hotel in the National Park Harz at Ilsenburg was a former NVA barracks, and the whole area was a former NVA training ground - we hadn't realised that Ilsenburg was almost sitting on the old East/West German border. We were able to walk right out of the door of the hotel (after a fabulous, included, breakfast) and begin our walk. The highest point of the Harz Mountains is Brocken. We didn't head up here as the pictures didn't look great, but instead plotted a route through scenic points around it. We passed a number of snakes, dragonflies and birds, although the forest apparently also has lynxes. The path itself was well worn, following for most of the morning concrete slab road that was probably part of the training area. We were surrounded for most of the day by at least some views of dead trees, which apparently was part of the natural cycle of the park. The reservoir we walked to was part of the old border, and even had a remaining DDR post there. From here to the ranger station was quite open and therefore hot under the 34° sun. We recovered with a radler at the ranger station and collected a few more stamps, that mark the various walks throughout the park. To head back, we followed the Ilse river, and gained the cover of the forest again. By the time we completed the loop back to the hotel we'd covered more than 22km and I'd done more than 37,000 steps.

Beer Index (Ilsenburg) €5.10/0.5l (hotel)Leia mais