In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
About 300 kilometres from the imperial town of Goslar past the Upper Harz ponds and the Brocken to the half-timbered towns on the eastern edge: a route of climbs, narrow-gauge steam and bad-weather days, where fog simply comes with the territory.
The spirit of the route
The Harz is Germany's northernmost low mountain range, and it drives differently from the Alps: no passes, but constant ups and downs between 250 and 850 metres, with spruce slopes, raised bogs and ponds that were built over centuries in the Upper Harz as water reservoirs for mining. Goslar, Clausthal-Zellerfeld and Quedlinburg lie in the Harz or on its edge and are on the World Heritage list or part of it; in between, the Brocken rises 1,141 metres above the tree line, mostly in fog and often in a gale. The route does not follow the shortest line but links the highlights: mining town and imperial palace in the west, the Torfhaus bog and the Brocken hike in the national park, the steam trains of the Harz narrow-gauge railways, the Rappbode dam and the Bode Valley in the east, and finally the half-timbered town of Stolberg on the southern edge. Expect bends, gradients and drives through narrow half-timbered towns, and keep a day free for the Brocken on which you might actually see it. Overnight spots are almost always motorhome pitches and campsites on the edge of town; wild camping is not possible anywhere in the national park or the forest.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Goslar to Clausthal-Zellerfeld (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- From Goslar take the B241 uphill into the Upper Harz, turn off shortly after the town towards Hahnenklee, then continue via Bockswiese and a country road to Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Several long climbs up to about 600 m and hairpins near Hahnenklee; motorhomes of 7 m and more will notice them. A good hour of pure driving time.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Goslar: the old town, the Rammelsberg mine and the Upper Harz Water Management System together form a UNESCO World Heritage Site; market square with the Kaiserworth and its glockenspiel, imperial palace above the old town.
- Hahnenklee: the Gustav-Adolf stave church of 1908 in Norwegian style and the Bocksberg cable car with views over the western Upper Harz.
- Clausthal-Zellerfeld: the Marktkirche zum Heiligen Geist, one of Germany's largest wooden churches, and the Upper Harz Mining Museum.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Goslar the municipal pitch Füllekuhle (Bertha-von-Suttner-Straße, about 10 spaces, listed as free and without services, just over 1 km to the old town) is a simple base but is often taken by long-term parkers. In Hahnenklee there is the pitch at the Stabkirche (Am Bocksberg, about 10 spaces, listed as free plus tourist tax, water and waste disposal available, partly narrow and sloping). According to its own website, Prahljust campsite near Clausthal-Zellerfeld currently does not accept motorhomes or caravans (tents and camping barrels only), so clarify by phone first. Prices, opening times and rules change; in winter some disposal points are out of service.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Car parks in Goslar and Clausthal-Zellerfeld usually have a parking disc, a fee or a height barrier, and overnighting is not intended there. The Upper Harz ponds and ditches lie in forest and nature reserves, and access for motor vehicles is mostly closed. A single night to restore fitness to drive remains tolerated on public car parks without a prohibition sign – in practice only the second-best choice next to the pitches.
- Insider tip for campers
- Goslar's old town is tight, cobbled and has several through-traffic restrictions: leave the camper on the edge and walk in (about 10–15 minutes). Rammelsberg guided tours underground: check opening times and booking on the visitor mine's website beforehand. In the Upper Harz pitches fill up fast on winter weekends and in school holidays – arrive early in the afternoon.
2Stage 2: Clausthal-Zellerfeld to Torfhaus (approx. 35 km)
- The drive
- From Clausthal-Zellerfeld take the B242 to Altenau, then a country road uphill to the B4 and on to Torfhaus. Winding but well built; the drive through Altenau is narrow, and Torfhaus lies at about 800 m. Around an hour without stops; allow longer if you add the Oker reservoir.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Altenau: spa town in the Upper Harz with a spa park; starting point for walks to the Oker dam and the Dammgraben.
- Torfhaus bog with the Goethemoor trail and a view of the Brocken – boardwalks across the raised bog, about 1.5 hours at an easy pace.
- Torfhaus national park visitor centre (HarzInfo): exhibition on the national park, maps and current information on trail closures.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Torfhaus I found no classic pitch with services; the paid Großparkplatz Brockenblick (about 50 spaces, roughly 12 euros per 24 hours according to user reports, no electricity or water) is used for one night – follow the signs and machine notices on site. With services: in Altenau the pitch at the Kristall-Saunatherme (about 15 spaces, listed at roughly 10 euros plus tourist tax) or in Bad Harzburg the pitch at the Sole-Therme (Nordhäuser Straße 10, 18.50 euros per 24 hours including the guest levy for 2 people according to the operator, no reservations). Check prices beforehand.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the Harz National Park camping – motorhomes included – is prohibited outside the designated sites; motor vehicles may drive and stand only on paved roads and car parks. Outside the paid Großparkplatz, the car parks at Torfhaus are for hiking, not for overnighting, and are checked. Along the trails the stay-on-path rule applies in the core and nature development zones.
- Insider tip for campers
- Expect fog and wind: Torfhaus is among the foggiest places in Germany. The Goetheweg to the Brocken (about 9 km one way, roughly 2.5–3 hours) starts here and leads through national park territory; sturdy shoes, rain protection and warm clothing make sense even in summer. National park rules: stay on the paths, dogs on a lead, mountain bikes only on approved routes, no fires. Check the Harz National Park beforehand for current closures due to bark-beetle wood, storm damage or wildfire risk.
3Stage 3: Torfhaus to Braunlage (approx. 40 km)
- The drive
- Take the B4 (Harzhochstraße) south to Braunlage, then the B242 to the Oderteich and Sankt Andreasberg and back to Braunlage. Winding mountain road up and down; in winter the B4 between Torfhaus and Braunlage is where chain requirements or closures come first. A good hour, considerably longer with stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Oderteich near Sankt Andreasberg: the largest of the Upper Harz ponds, built 1715–1722, with a path across the dam crest – part of the Upper Harz Water Regale.
- Sankt Andreasberg: Samson mine, mining museum with a working Fahrkunst (man-lift), and the silver mine museum.
- Braunlage: the Wurmberg with its gondola (about 970 m), views over the Harz and a summer toboggan run.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Braunlage has the Stellplatz Schützenstraße (Schützenstraße 20, reported in the press as open since autumn 2024, about 35 grass spaces with electricity, water and disposal, listed at roughly 20 euros per night in high season for two people plus tourist tax) as well as campsites in the surroundings; check opening times and prices beforehand. When heading for Sankt Andreasberg and Hohegeiß, look for alternatives on the edge of the villages. Tourist tax (Kurbeitrag) is charged in Braunlage and Sankt Andreasberg and often applies to pitch guests too – ask on site for the rate per person and night.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Braunlage steers motorhomes to pitches; overnighting on the car parks at the Wurmberg cable car and at the cross-country ski trails is generally not tolerated. Around the Oderteich and the Harz water courses nature protection and the stay-on-path rule apply. Only in an emergency stand for one night on regular car parks to restore fitness to drive.
- Insider tip for campers
- In winter: Braunlage is a winter sports resort, the roads are steep and narrow in town; tyres with the Alpine symbol are mandatory in snow and ice, carry snow chains. Gondola and toboggan run have seasonal hours – check beforehand. In Sankt Andreasberg the Samson mine works in any weather and is a good rainy-day alternative.
4Stage 4: Braunlage to Schierke (approx. 60 km)
- The drive
- From Braunlage via Sorge and Benneckenstein to the Rappbode reservoir near Trautenstein and Wendefurth, then via Elbingerode and Drei Annen Hohne to Schierke. Country roads with gradients, 30 km/h in villages; narrow points at the reservoirs and in Elbingerode. A good two hours with breaks. Schierke lies at the foot of the Brocken at about 600 m.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Rappbode dam: at 106 m the highest dam wall in Germany; also the Titan RT suspension bridge (about 483 m long, about 100 m high) and the mega zipline.
- Drei Annen Hohne: interchange station of the Harz narrow-gauge railways and junction of the Brocken railway; steam locomotives and a small exhibition at the station.
- Schierke: walks to the Schnarcherklippen and Feuersteinklippen; the station is the gateway to the Brocken railway.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Schierke has the Harz-Camping am Schierker Stern campsite (listed as open year-round, about 46 pitches, from roughly 16.50 euros per night including two adults); check capacity and opening times beforehand, especially at weekends and in school holidays. The car park Sandbrinkstraße is listed on portals as a free overnight spot but this is not officially confirmed – the signs on site decide. Near Rappbode and Wendefurth there are campsites and a few pitches; clarify availability there as well. Schierke is a district of Wernigerode (Saxony-Anhalt): tourist tax is charged, often for pitch guests too.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Saxony-Anhalt and Lower Saxony regulate forest stays similarly strictly: motor vehicles belong on roads and car parks, and overnighting in the forest and the national park is prohibited. The car parks at the Rappbode dam are designed for visitors to the bridge and the lake and are partly chargeable – overnight there only where explicitly permitted.
- Insider tip for campers
- Titan RT (bridge and zipline) is a paid attraction with time slots; check tickets and weather conditions online beforehand, it stays closed in storms or when lightning threatens. Access and car park are signposted; it is emptier early in the morning. Schierke has a Brocken railway connection: if you stay here, you can ride up the Brocken next morning without driving.
5Stage 5: Schierke to Wernigerode (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- From Schierke via Drei Annen Hohne down the B244 to Wernigerode. Short, but with a descent of around 300 m; ice on the route is possible in winter. About 30 minutes of driving – the day belongs to the Brocken.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Brocken railway (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen, HSB): steam train from Schierke or Wernigerode up the Brocken (1,141 m), pure travel time just over 30 minutes from Schierke and about 1 hour 40 minutes from Wernigerode.
- Brocken summit with weather station, Brocken museum and a circular path on the granite plateau; in clear weather the view reaches into the Magdeburger Börde.
- Wernigerode: town hall (half-timbered, late 15th century), Wernigerode Castle above the town and the colourful half-timbered lanes of the old town.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Wernigerode the town runs the pitch on Halberstädter Straße (49 spaces, pay at the machine, 20 euros per day and 2 euros for disposal and water according to the town, open year-round, no reservations; 300 to 600 m to the centre depending on the source). There are also campsites in the surroundings; check prices and opening times beforehand. If you take the train from Schierke, leave the camper on the pitch and travel down to Wernigerode in the evening.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Wernigerode is heavily touristy and regulates parking in the old town strictly: overnighting outside designated sites is not intended. Along the way down from Schierke there are hiking car parks in the national park – overnighting is prohibited there.
- Insider tip for campers
- Book Brocken railway tickets in advance from the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen or buy them at the station; at weekends and in school holidays seats go fast. A return ticket Wernigerode–Brocken currently costs 65 euros per adult (single 43 euros; selected afternoon trains about 55 euros return; check current fares beforehand). The Brocken has fog on about 300 days a year, the wind is strong and it is often 10–15 degrees colder than in the valley: bring a windproof jacket and warm clothes. Check weather and visibility beforehand with the Brocken weather station.
6Stage 6: Wernigerode to Quedlinburg (approx. 45 km)
- The drive
- From Wernigerode via Ilsenburg and Halberstadt to Quedlinburg. Flat to undulating country roads and the B6; drives through Ilsenburg and Halberstadt with 30 km/h limits and narrow points. A good hour without stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ilsenburg: the Romanesque Ilsenburg monastery and the start of the Ilse Valley with the Ilsefälle waterfalls and the Ilsestein – a walk of about two hours.
- Halberstadt: St. Stephanus cathedral with its treasury, one of the most important medieval church treasuries in Germany.
- Quedlinburg: UNESCO World Heritage Site with about 1,300 half-timbered houses, the Stiftsberg with the collegiate church of St. Servatius and the castle.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Quedlinburg the town names the Schlossparkplatz (no reservations) and the Lehof Caravan & Camping, opened in 2025 (Am Mühlgraben 1, enquiries via its website), as places for motorhomes. The Marschlinger Hof (a car and coach car park, listed on portals with up to 6 motorhome spaces at around 26 euros) is, according to recent user reports, no longer reliably usable for motorhomes – clarify beforehand. Check location, prices and capacity beforehand; they fill up quickly at weekends. Whether tourist tax applies, and how much, ask on site.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Quedlinburg is a World Heritage Site; a parking ban zone applies in the inner town, and overnighting outside designated sites is not tolerated. Even on the edge of town stand only on designated pitches – wrongly parked vehicles are towed, the public order office patrols.
- Insider tip for campers
- Leave the camper and walk: the cobbles are uneven, the lanes narrow, and motorhomes over 2 m high do not fit everywhere. Climb the Stiftsberg early in the day, then descend via the Münzenberg with its small craftsmen's houses into the old town. The Selke Valley railway (HSB) runs from Quedlinburg station via Gernrode to Alexisbad and beyond – an alternative to the Brocken for railway fans. On Christmas market and Advent weekends Quedlinburg is overcrowded.
7Stage 7: Quedlinburg to Thale (approx. 15 km)
- The drive
- From Quedlinburg via Neinstedt to Thale at the mouth of the Bode Valley. Flat, well built, short. About 20 minutes of driving – a day for the Bode Valley.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Bode Valley: granite gorge between Thale and Treseburg with the path along the Bode, about 8 km one way, heavily used in summer and at weekends.
- Rosstrappe and Hexentanzplatz: two viewpoint rocks above the Bode Valley; a cabin cable car runs to the Hexentanzplatz and a chairlift to the Rosstrappe, both also reachable on foot. Also the Harz mountain theatre.
- Thale: starting point for walks into the Bode Valley; on Walpurgis Night (30 April) the town is completely overrun.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: In Thale the Wohnmobilstellplatz Bocksberg is in the district of Friedrichsbrunn (Waldstraße 3A, about 34 spaces with electricity, water and disposal, listed at roughly 12 euros per night plus tourist tax; above the Bode Valley, so drive up with the camper). The car park "Am Bodetal" (An der Hütte 1) is listed on portals with about 10 spaces without services, but recent reports say overnighting there is no longer allowed – plan it as a day car park only. Campsites near Treseburg in the upper Bode Valley are an alternative if you want to sleep in the valley. Tourist tax is charged in Thale.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Bode Valley lies in the Harz Nature Park; overnighting on car parks and along the paths is prohibited. The valley road in the Bode Valley is closed to vehicles in places or open to residents only – observe the signs.
- Insider tip for campers
- The Bode Valley is partly closed in storms, floods and after heavy rain (bridges, steps); check the condition and closures with the town of Thale beforehand. Sturdy shoes are a must, the path is rocky in the upper section. Allow at least half a day if you want to climb to the Rosstrappe. Cable car and chairlift stand still in storms.
8Stage 8: Thale to Stolberg (approx. 55 km)
- The drive
- From Thale via Ballenstedt and Harzgerode into the southern Harz uplands to Stolberg. Country roads through beech forest and karst landscape, with some gradients and narrow village drives; in Stolberg itself the main street is narrow and the side streets steep. A good hour and a half.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Ballenstedt: Ballenstedt Palace with a spacious landscape park, halfway between Thale and the Selke Valley.
- Stolberg: half-timbered town in the valley with Stolberg Castle and the market square; Thomas Müntzer is considered to have been born here.
- Josephskreuz on the Great Auerberg: 38 m steel-frame cross from 1896 (the wooden predecessor after Schinkel burned down in 1880), with a viewing platform.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Stolberg has the Stellplatz am Rittertor (Rittergasse 77, about 5 spaces on the edge of town, listed as free, maximum 2 days, no services, tourist tax roughly 2 euros per adult); there are campsites in the surroundings. Check pitch details and opening times beforehand with the Südharz tourist office.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In the southern Harz, as in the rest of the Harz: designated sites only; overnighting on hiking car parks and in the karst area is prohibited. The access road to the Josephskreuz is steep and narrow.
- Insider tip for campers
- The road to the Josephskreuz is only conditionally suitable for larger motorhomes – better leave the camper in the valley and walk up (about 45 minutes). In Stolberg itself the streets and car parks are tight; use pitches on the edge of town. The journey home leads via the A38 (Südharz motorway) towards Nordhausen and Kassel or Halle.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- In Germany a motorhome on public roads and car parks counts as a parked vehicle if it stands only to "restore fitness to drive" – in practice one night, without camping behaviour (no chairs, tables, awning, levelling legs or wedges, no grey water on the ground). Anyone who stays several nights or sets up camp is camping – and that is not allowed outside campsites and motorhome pitches.
- In the Harz National Park (Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt) tents, camping and sleeping in a vehicle outside the sites are prohibited; the stay-on-path rule applies, dogs must be on a lead, fires are forbidden. In nature reserves and forest (the forest laws of both states) motor vehicles may stand only on roads and car parks. Fines are set by the authorities and the national park administration.
- Signs saying "overnighting prohibited" or showing a crossed-out motorhome take precedence. Around Torfhaus, the Brocken, Rappbode and in the spa towns (Braunlage, Schierke, Thale) checks are made. Hiking car parks are for parking, not for overnighting.
- Useful tools: park4night, Campercontact and the printed German pitch guides; user information on fees and facilities is often out of date – check on site or by phone. In the Harz many sites are seasonal, and some close in winter.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Service stations stand at almost all municipal pitches; many take coins or cards, some tokens. Fresh water is usually sold in 100-litre portions for a fee. In winter, water points in the Upper Harz are partly switched off (frost).
- Drain grey water only at the station, empty the cassette only into the marked openings – not into drains or public toilets. Formaldehyde-based sanitary additives are unwelcome at many stations.
- Tap water in Germany is drinkable throughout; heed "not drinking water" signs at cemeteries and fountains. Never drink stream water in the Harz without treating it.
- Gas: grey 11 kg and 5 kg exchange bottles are available at many petrol stations, DIY stores and campsites; refillable bottles and gas tanks are filled at autogas (LPG) stations, which in Germany have ACME connections – bring a suitable adapter from countries with a different system. Foreign exchange bottles are not swapped. Larger shops are in Goslar, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg; there is little between Torfhaus and Schierke.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: motorhomes up to 3.5 t drive like cars – 50 km/h in built-up areas, 100 km/h outside, motorway with no general limit (recommended 130 km/h). Motorhomes over 3.5 t up to 7.5 t: 80 km/h outside built-up areas, 100 km/h on motorways; over 7.5 t: 80 km/h both outside built-up areas and on motorways (check weight classes against the current StVO beforehand). Caravan combinations: 80 km/h, 100 km/h on motorways only with a 100 km/h approval. In the Harz 70 or 50 km/h often applies outside towns and 30 km/h in many villages.
- Environmental sticker: to my knowledge there is no low-emission zone on the route itself. On the way in, as of 2026 the green sticker is still required in Magdeburg and Halle (Saale) (foreign vehicles too); Hanover abolished its zone in 2024 and Leipzig is abolishing its own – check the current situation beforehand with the Federal Environment Agency.
- Toll: no vignette for cars and motorhomes. The truck toll applies to goods vehicles over 3.5 t; according to the operator Toll Collect, motorhomes are generally not liable. For very heavy vehicles over 7.5 t, especially with a truck registration, clarify the classification before the trip.
- The Sunday and public holiday driving ban and the holiday travel ban on July and August Saturdays apply to trucks over 7.5 t; motorhomes registered as such are generally not affected, but those with truck registration are – check the vehicle registration document.
- Winter tyres apply situationally: in black ice, snow, slush or frost, tyres with the Alpine symbol (mountain pictogram with snowflake) are mandatory; plain M+S tyres are no longer enough. In the Upper Harz and on the Brocken snow often lies from October to April; the B4 at Torfhaus and roads in the Upper Harz can be closed. Carry snow chains.
- Rear carriers: a warning plate as in Italy or Spain is not required, but the number plate and rear lights must remain visible (otherwise a lighting bar with plate). Alcohol: 0.5 per mille, 0.0 for novice drivers and under-21s. Phone at the wheel only hands-free – fine and a point in Flensburg.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Weatherproof clothing in layers and sturdy walking shoes: on the Brocken it is often only 5–10 degrees even in summer, plus fog and strong wind.
- A supply of euro coins: many pitch machines for electricity, water and parking fees in the Harz do not accept cards.
- A long power cable (at least 25 m) with CEE plug and a Schuko adapter – the posts on the pitches are often far apart.
- Snow chains and winter tyres (Alpine symbol), in autumn too: the Harzhochstraße B4 can be closed in snow.
- Folding bike or e-bike: cycle paths link pitches with town centres and stations, for instance in Wernigerode and Thale.
- Printed or offline-saved confirmations for the Brocken railway and Titan RT with time slots – mobile reception in the Upper Harz is unreliable at peak times and in valleys.
As of 2026-09. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
