- 5:30 h
- 21.85 km
- 382 m
- 145 m
- 554 m
- 800 m
- 246 m
- Start: Buntenbock
- Destination: Torfhaus
Do you know the "Sperberhaier Damm"? The impressively hand-built structure once served to supply water to the Clausthal mines, as did the numerous ponds, ditches, and watercourses (= underground channels) of the UNESCO World Heritage "Upper Harz Water Management System".
The 'mouth holes', entry and exit points of the water to the underground, are still partially visible. Pay attention to the "Dennert-Tanne", the typical yellow Harz information signs shaped like a conifer, the building material of the miners. Passing Altenau, we enter the Harz National Park. With some luck, we may encounter a shy lynx – the king of the Harz forests, which is being reintroduced here. Get information at the Torfhaus National Park House and join a hike with the National Park ranger.
Good to know
Pavements
Best to visit
Directions
From now on, water determines our path. The UNESCO World Heritage "Upper Harz Water Management System" today consists of over 90 ponds, almost 100 kilometers of water ditches, and numerous historic structures. Water once powered the water wheels that brought ore to the surface and drained the mines. It was distributed from the precipitation-rich Brocken throughout the entire Upper Harz. Clausthal and Altenau, as well as St. Andreasberg on the Brocken bypass of the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg, were free mining towns. They had market and grazing rights, and the inhabitants were exempt from military service for their lord. The water rights described the right to divert and use water for mining purposes.
Huttaler Widerwaage, Polsterberger Hubhaus, Sperberhaier Damm, Grabenhaus Rose, Dammgraben … On many information boards along the way, the constructions of the Upper Harz Water Management System are lovingly and accurately described. This brings the historic mining back to life, which accompanies us at every step.
Behind Altenau, still in the mining catchment area, we enter the Harz National Park. We will leave it again only at Drei Annen Hohne. The witch symbol on the impressive wooden sign trees now marks the way. Where a few years ago there was dense spruce forest, now toppled giant trees dominate with their root plates over a man's height. The forest transformation towards a natural mountain forest is in full swing. Here nature is allowed to be nature again; the forest remains untidy. We follow the Dammgraben until we reach the Magdeburg Path, which will be reopened at the end of August 2025. This path leads narrowly, partly steep and alpine, to Torfhaus, the end of the stage.
Additional information
The Harzer-Hexen-Stieg is supported by Harz Energie, the savings banks along the way, and Blankenburger Wiesenquell.
Literature
Harzer-Hexen-Stieg - official hiking guide
Route description in both directions, 5 stages, 2 alternative routes, altitude profiles, graphics, overview map, places to eat and stay, GPS tracks, stamp locations | 80 pages, format 120 x 190 mm | Schmidt-Buch-Verlag
Available at www.harzinfo-shop.de.
License (master data)
Harzer Tourismusverband
Author´s Tip / Recommendation of the author
Not directly on the path, but the detour is worth it: The Polsterberger Hubhaus now houses a very beautiful forest inn. The products on the seasonal menu all come from the region. Especially delicious are the fresh and homemade cakes.
Contact
Beate Engel, Polsterberg 1, 38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Phone 05323 5581, Fax 05323 715507
polsterberger-hubhaus@harz.de, www.polsterberger-hubhaus.harz.de
Map
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