Harzer Witches' Trail - Total Distance

The best way to get to know the full diversity of the Harz Mountains is by crossing it on the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg trail.
Since 2005, the "Quality Trail Hiking in Germany" has connected the towns of Osterode in Lower Saxony and Thale in Saxony-Anhalt. Ninety-four kilometers that lead the hiker through almost all types of landscapes and explore the sights and points of interest of the region:
Historical mining has already been mentioned. The Harz was almost treeless at times. Wood was needed for the expansion of the mines, but especially for the production of charcoal - the most important energy source for smelting ores. Charcoal pits and charcoal burner huts were found everywhere.
Water powered mining, and ditches and ponds accompany the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg trail for long stretches. But water also plays an important role in other aspects. For the Harz itself, but also for its surroundings. Reservoirs collect and secure the vital water, protect against floods, and provide drinking water far into northern Germany.
The legendary mountain wilderness of the Harz National Park, the first and only cross-border national park in Germany, takes you to places where nature is still allowed to be nature - and so it appears: Inspiring for body and mind. This is the home of dwarves, where witches hide and devils lurk behind gnarled tree stumps.
The Harzer-Hexen-Stieg trail itself is also cross-border. What is now the inconspicuous border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt was a piece of the Iron Curtain until 20 years ago. Relentlessly dividing East and West, it also cut through the Harz mountains. Today, the Green Belt runs along the former inner-German border. A refuge for rare plants and animals.
The Brocken mountain became a symbol of separation. Its often fog-covered and storm-battered peak was omnipresent yet unreachable. Only the Stasi and Russian military had access to the most important listening post to the West. The Brockenhaus on the summit bears witness to the history of this unique mountain.
Once again, nature dominates everything: From the Brocken downwards, the Bode river dictates the path. Warm and cold Bode springs emerge there in the swamps, merge, meander through dense forests and over open meadows, before flowing towards the magnificent highlight of the hike:
the Bodetal valley. The deepest rock valley in Central Europe north of the Alps. The rock walls rise hundreds of meters, and the water rushes through swirling and roaring. What began idyllically ends spectacularly.
And here we meet them again. The myths and legends of the Harz Mountains. High above the Bodetal valley, on the Hexentanzplatz (Witches' Dance Floor) or opposite on the Rosstrappe, where the hoofprint of Brunhilde's horse fleeing from the knight Bodo is deeply etched into the rock. She lost her crown when jumping over the Bode Gorge. It still lies at the bottom of the river to this day...