The Devil's Path to the Brocken
The Devil's Path in the Harz Mountains - a sporting challenge
Do you fancy a sporting challenge in the great outdoors? Then the Bad Harzburg Devil's Path to the Brocken is just the thing for you. Although the Devil's Path is only 13 km long in total, you have to hike a total of around 950 metres in altitude on this route.
Incidentally, the name of the climb is said to be inspired by Goethe. He sent his characters Faust and Mephisto up the Brocken via this route in his work "Faust". You should be in good physical condition for this route and be equipped for all weathers. The climate on the Brocken is comparable to the climatic conditions at high altitudes in the Alps.
Route description of the Devil's Path
You start your hike in Bad Harzburg and always follow the devil symbol on the signposts of the Harz National Park. After passing through the fairytale forest and the high ropes park, you reach the Philosophenbach stream with the Hermann-Löns bench to the Wodans oak tree, where the first steep climb towards the Ettersklippe cliff awaits you. At around 520 metres above sea level, you can take your first breather in the "Molkenhaus" national park forest restaurant. You then hike past the adventure playground and enter the "Braunschweiger Weg". You hike across mountain meadows and descend into the Ecker valley. Following the course of the River Ecker, you pass a specially protected ravine forest biotope. After climbing up to the top of the dam wall, the Devil's Path leads you to the national park ranger station at Scharfenstein. From the national park ranger station at Scharfenstein, the hiking trail, which now becomes steadily steeper, leads you first to Hermannsklippe and then to Bismarckklippe. Finally, you have reached the final stretch of your hike and climb to the summit of the Brocken.
Note on the Devil's Path to the Brocken
If you don't want to take the same way back via the Devil's Path, you can continue your hike on the Harz Witches' Trail in the direction of Thale or Osterode. Or you can hike along the Goethe Trail in the direction of Torfhaus to the Eckersprung and then descend in the Ecker valley to the Sperrmauer. There you will meet up with the Bad Harzburger Devil's Path again.
