Mountainbiking in the Harz: Tours & insider informations
If you are looking for information about mountainbiking in the Harz, then this page will be helpful to you. In addition to insider information about mountainbiking in the Harz, on this page you will find 36 tour suggestions (over 2000 kilometers) with pictures, elevation profiles and GPS data. You can follow all tours for free and choose from different starting locations and levels. The information was compiled by extreme athlete Fritz Geers, who was born and raised in the Harz Mountains and has been at home for many years. You can also book guided tours with Fritz Geers or fellow mountainbikers. You can find all of this on this website.
Mountainbike tours in the Hochharz
Tough Brocken MTB-route
Demanding mountainbike route over the two highest mountains in the Harz mountains - Brocken (1,142m) and Wurmberg (971m)
Odertal warmup route
Easy Hochharz mountainbike tour starting in Braunlage with beautiful scenery of the Oderteich and views to the Oder valley near Braunlage
Little Hochharz mountainbike route
Moderate mountainbike tour through the Nationalpark Harz starting in Braunlage along beautiful paths at the Oberharzer Wasserregal
Long downhill from Brocken across the Harz
Mountainbike route starting in Braunlage, including long downhill from Brocken into the Oberharz and a varied panorama of the Harz mountains
Sperbehaier dam route
Mountainbike tour with a start in Torfhaus, a long descent and insights into the UNESCO world heritage Oberharzer Wasserregal
Hirtenstieg dam route
This demanding mountainbike route leads with an 846 meter ascent directly from Bad Harzburg to the 1,142 meter high Brocken
To Torfhaus and back
Mountainbike route from Clausthal-Zellerfeld to the Hochharz and back via various paths at the UNESCO World Heritage Oberharzer Wasserregal
2000 meters ascent mountainbike tour
Demanding mountainbike route starting in Altenau with lakes, waterfalls, cliffs, Wurmberg mountain and valleys of the Nationalpark Harz
With the Mountainbike on the Brocken
Mountainbike tour starting in Altenau on the Brocken along reservoirs, quarries, waterfalls and through the Nationalpark Harz
Hochharzer mining-canal route
Beautiful mountainbike tour through the Nationalpark Harz with insights into the characteristic mountain landscape around Torfhaus
Mountainbike tours in the Oberharz
Big Clausthal-Zellerfeld lap
Mountainbike tour starting in Clausthal-Zellerfeld along the mountains of the Oberharz and beautiful water reservoirs
Two valley cycling-tour
Mountainbike tour with start in Clausthal-Zellerfeld along several lakes, the Oberharzer Wasserregal and a waterfall
MTB 100 kilometer route
Physically demanding mountainbike tour from Osterode am Harz to the Hochharz and back over the Oberharz and the Harz-foreland
South-north mountainbike Harz-cross
Physically demanding mountainbike crossing of the Harz mountains with steep climbs, fast descents and plenty of vertical metres
Nine dam tour
Mountainbike tour in the Oberharz starting in Wildemann along many lakes and canals of the UNESCO World Heritage Oberharzer Wasserregal
Easy lap around the Grumbachvalley
Easy mountainbike tour starting in Hahnenklee, including many ponds of the world heritage Oberharzer Wasserregal and easy climbs
Schulenberg MTB summer route
Easy mountainbike tour through the nice landscape of the Oberharz and around the Oker dam near Schulenberg
One Climb Only Tour
Easy mountainbike route along the Innerste dam, to the Altar cliffs on the edge of the Harz and through valleys in the nice Oberharz
Steep climbs Harz route
Demanding mountainbike tour through large parts of the beautiful Oberharz and the scenic Hochharz, starting in Wildemann
Little Oberharz route
Mountainbike route starting in Schulenberg with many ponds of the Oberharzer Wasserregal and lookout tower
Seven dam tour
Beautiful mountainbike route starting in Altenau along historical places in the Oberharz, scenic mountain meadows and seven lakes
Mountainbike tours in the northern Harz
Altarklippen route
Easy mountainbike route with views to the old town of Goslar and the nearby Altarklippe on a mountain near Goslar
Goslar uphill fun
Medium-difficulty mountainbike route from Goslar into the Oberharz, through the Innerstetal and along dams back to the city of Goslar
Nordharz lap
Mountainbike tour starting in Bad Harzburg with a steep ascent through the Gosetal and a long descent with a view to the Harz foreland
Around the Granetalsperre
Beginners mountainbike tour with ascent to Steinberg and a loop around the scenic Granetalsperre near Goslar
Big Schalke-Bocksberg route
Demanding mountainbike tour starting in Hahnenklee, crossing Oberharzer mountain valleys and the mountain peaks of Schalke and Bocksberg
Huneberg route
Easy mountainbike tour starting in Bad Harzburg and beautiful views of the dark green mountain slopes of the Brocken
Brocken-view route from Hahnenklee
Moderate mountainbike tour from Hahnenklee via the city of Goslar towards Hochharz and back through the beautiful Oberharz
Mountainbike tours in the southern Harz
Handwerkersruh MTB-route
Easy mountainbike tour on the southern edge of the Harz between mountains, hills and fields, starting in Osterode am Harz
Big Knollen route
Demanding mountainbike route starting in Bad Sachsa through the southern Oberharz and via Ravensberg, Stöberhai and Grosser Knollen
Kaiserweg MTB-route
Medium-difficulty mountainbike route over the Kaiserweg, the Stöberhai mountain and through the southern Oberharz starting in Bad Sachsa
Wildemann Vorharz route
A varied mountainbike route along forests and fields through the Harz foreland and back to the Oberharz, starting in Wildemann
Deciduous forests and fields route
Diverse mountainbike route starting in Lautenthal through the Oberharz and the Harz foreland with fields and various forests
Lärchenplatz lap
A varied mountainbike tour starting in Bad Sachsa along the Walkenried monastery, many lakes and through the southern Harz
Impressions of the Hexenstieg
Mountainbike tour along the Harzer Hexenstieg starting in Osterode am Harz and showing many ponds of the UNESCO World Heritage Oberharzer Wasserregal
Big Oberharz lap
Demanding mountainbike route with varied impressions of the Oberharz, starting in Lautenthal and sections in the Harz foreland
Guided mountainbike tours in the Harz Mountains
Mountainbike weekend in the Harz
Spend several days on guided mountainbike tours in the Harz alone or with a group at fixed event dates
Trans-Harz MTB Trail Stage Tour
Experience the Harz on guided tours over several days on the best paths in stages with organized luggage transfer
MTB guiding for Mountainbikers
Individually planned mountainbike tours on exciting paths and trails with experienced mountainbike guides from the Harz Mountains
Mountainbike Courses
Learn, improve and develop your MTB riding technique in riding technique courses with guided tours or in the bikepark
MTB-Event for customers & employees
Invite customers or employees to an exclusive event consisting of extreme sports speeches and a guided mountainbike tour
Mountainbike rental in the Harz Mountains
Outdoor-Center-Harz
Mountainbike rental located in the forest with a large selection of e-mountainbikes, touring mountainbikes and a small bike-shop
BoardnBikes
Rental of downhill bikes, enduro bikes, e-mountainbikes, touring mountainbikes and downhill equipment at the Bikepark Hahnenklee
Bikes & Parts
Bike shop with the option to rent and test mountainbikes and e-mountainbikes for tours in Ilsenburg (eastern Harz)
Bike Verleih
Private rental of e-mountainbikes from various manufacturers, as well as helmets and repair kits for the tour, based in Hahnenklee
Sport Plaeschke
Mountainbike and ski rental at locations in St. Andreasberg and Braunlage, as well as sales of used mountainbikes
Bikeshop Braunlage
Rental, repair and sale of e-mountainbikes and e-trekking bikes located at the Wurmberg cable car in Braunlage
Bikeparks in the Harz Mountains
Bikepark Braunlage
Large bikepark with long routes that are suitable for beginners with a bit of experience, but often contain rocks and roots
MSB-X-Trail Bikepark Sankt Andreasberg
Great bikepark with routes that are highly recommended for beginners and routes that also challenge advanced riders
Bikepark Hahnenklee
Bikepark with varied routes that are suitable and recommended for families, beginners and advanced riders
Racepark Schulenberg (Bikepark)
Bikepark with a special atmosphere, as well as downhill routes that are tough and a real enrichment for experienced riders
Rosstrappen-Downhill - Bikepark Thale
Well-maintained bikepark in the Eastern Harz for beginners and advanced riders with clear routes that can be easily combined
Trailpark Harz (Ilsenburg)
Signposted natural trails for mountainbikers with the same features as bikepark trails, but without lift transport
Geographical location of the Harz region
The Harz is the northernmost low mountain range in Germany and is the first port of call for many northern Germans when a weekend trip to the mountains is planned. The approximately 2,200 square kilometer area (approx. 90 km × 30 km) is located between Hanover, Kassel and Leipzig at the intersection of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. Like other low mountain ranges in Germany, the Harz consists predominantly of extensive forest areas and is characterized by deep valleys with rivers, reservoirs and waterfalls.
Mountains in northern Germany
Particularly in the Harz is a historic water management system called the Oberharzer Wasserregal (UNESCO World Heritage Site). The system of ponds and ditches extends across the entire Upper Harz, around which the areas of North Harz, South Harz, Hochharz and seven mining towns lie. The historic mining landscape offers a large number of varied trails and paths that are ideal for mountainbiking for beginners and advanced riders. To the east of the Hochharz lies the lower Eastern Harz, which takes up the largest part of the Harz in terms of area.
Climatic conditions in the Harz region
Because there are no higher altitudes north of the Harz and the flat land means there are hardly any natural barriers to the weather, the Harz is often affected by cooler temperatures and greater rainfall , than other low mountain ranges in Germany. Depending on the exact location, the amount of precipitation and temperature also vary considerably within the region. The region around the Brocken is considered one of the wettest areas in Germany, whereas the areas on the edge of the Harz differ little from the rest of northern Germany in terms of climatic conditions.
Winters getting shorter and shorter
In recent years, the winters in the Harz have become shorter and shorter and it is now possible to mountainbike in the Harz almost all year round. Only in phases between December and March does so much snow fall that mountainbiking is not possible. In summer, temperatures in the Harz have risen so much on average in recent years that large parts of the forest are changing. The best time for mountainbiking in the Harz is between April and October. In the summer months, when the weather is good, you can see the church tower in Braunschweig from the Brocken.
Mountainbiking on the Brocken
The Hochharz forms the higher elevations of the Harz in the area around the Brocken (1,142 meters high). There are also other peaks here that are more than 800 meters high. These include the Wurmberg (971 meters high) near Braunlage, the Acker ridge (approx. 860 meters high) and the Achtermanns-Höhe (924 meters high). A large part of this area is part of the Harz National Park, which is particularly scenic, but unfortunately has a significantly smaller number of paths that are heavily frequented by hikers. Advanced mountainbikers will find a lot of fun on these often rather demanding paths, whereas the rest of the Harz is more recommended for most tours due to its much more varied network of paths.
Trails on the highest mountain in the north
There are no designated trails for mountainbikers directly at the summit of the Brocken: an asphalt road leads from Schierke to the summit from one side of the Brocken. This is also used by many hikers, horse-drawn carriages and racing cyclists. From the other side near Bad Harzburg with the Eckertalsperre there is a second long and steep climb straight up to the summit. The "Panzer Platten-Weg" is the former inner-German border between East and West Germany and consists of concrete slabs, each containing 28 holes. The first trails can only be found a few hundred meters below the summit.
Route network in the Harz
The Volksbank Arena Harz is a route network designed by Harz communities and municipal institutions. Around 2,200 kilometers of official routes with an altitude of around 59,000 meters were planned on 74 different circuits around 2004 on existing forestry and forest paths in the Harz. Some of the routes are signposted with small signs to make orientation easier for mountainbikers. Opposite a bike park, the routes are designed for touring mountainbikers and are therefore neither closed nor separated from other hiking trails.
Volksbank Arena Harz
In order to find the routes of the Volksbank Arena Harz, it is recommended to buy the official map set for mountainbikers, because the signs can quickly be overlooked when riding the tours or are not always clear and unambiguous. Most of the paths in the Volksbank Arena Harz run on wide forest roads, which means they are easy to navigate and you don't have to worry about broken trails. In general, there are very few path or trail closures in the Harz. It is allowed to ride a mountainbike almost everywhere.
Contact into the Harz
You can contact mountainbike guide and extreme athlete Fritz Geers from the Harz Mountains for all inquiries about offers, dates, media or partnerships. Fritz answers many inquiries himself when he is not on the road. The Tourism Information Center in the Harz will also be happy to help you if you have general questions about accommodation options, events or general travel planning.
Offers for mountainbikers
You can find a lot of information about mountainbiking in the Harz and related offers on this website. You are welcome to contact Fritz for a non-binding offer or book mountainbike guide friends directly online. You can find specific services on the pages linked below.
Spots
- Mountainbiking in Bad Harzburg
- Mountainbiking in Goslar
- Mountainbiking in Clausthal-Zellerfeld
- Mountainbiking in Braunlage
- Mountainbiking in Torfhaus
- Mountainbiking in Hahnenklee
- Mountainbiking in Osterode
- Mountainbiking in Schulenberg
- Mountainbiking in Lautenthal
- Mountainbiking in Wildemann
- Mountainbiking in Altenau
- Mountainbiking in Bad Sachsa