Welcome to the Harz Mountains, welcome to the Harz Monastery Trail!
The Harz Monastery Hiking Trail is an excellent combination of recreational potential for body, mind and soul and cultural enjoyment at its finest. Like a string of pearls and in an unusual density, hikers and pilgrims experience a diverse monastery and church landscape.
No wonder: for centuries, the Harz monasteries have shaped the cultural and economic development of the Harz region. With seven stages between 10 and 22 km and no great differences in altitude, hikers can immerse themselves in the world of fragrant monastery gardens, Gothic cloisters and fascinating churches, experience monasteries as event venues, museums and distilleries, as special places of spirituality and as good hosts.
Along the way, hikers can keep an eye on the Brocken, the Harz church spires and the rolling hills of the northern Harz foreland. The river landscapes along the Oker, Ecker and Bode rivers are particularly romantic, and the Devil’s Wall near Blankenburg and Thale is magnificent. You will experience the enchanting Schimmerwald forest, hike along the former inner-German border, past monastery ponds rich in fish and past gems of Romanesque church art — now even as far as the cathedral city of Halberstadt!
The Harzer Wandernadel booklet accompanying the monastery hiking trail shows 12 special stamp points along the trail in specially designed red stamp boxes. The booklet is available at all tourist information offices, at the Harzer Wandernadel service office or in our online store.
As a reward, the hiker receives the high-quality pin for the Harz Monastery Hiking Trail in copper.
| Stamping points from east to west | Width N | Length E |
|---|---|---|
| Burchardi Monastery | 51.9000729 | 11.04196 |
| Cathedral/Treasure, Halberstadt | 51.896306 | 11.04886 |
| Collegiate Church of St. Cyriacus, Gernrode | 51.7245 | 11.1357 |
| Monastery on the Münzenberg, Quedlinburg | 51.7869 | 11.1334 |
| Wendhusen Monastery, Thale | 51.75593 | 11.04977 |
| St. Bartholomew’s Mountain Church, Blankenburg (Harz) | 51.78766 | 10.95439 |
| Michaelstein Monastery, Blankenburg (Harz) | 51.806409 | 10.912717 |
| Himmelpforte Monastery, Wernigerode | 51.83358 | 10.74305 |
| St. John’s Church, Wernigerode | 51.836663 | 10.788879 |
| St. Laurentius, Darlingerode | 51.845314 | 10.729555 |
| Drübeck Monastery | 51.85556 | 10.71558 |
| Ilsenburg Monastery | 51.85950 | 10.67824 |
| Wöltingerode Monastery, Vienenburg | 51.95914 | 10.53978 |
| Collegiate Church of St. George, Grauhof | 51.93775 | 10.44764 |
| Neuwerk Church Goslar | 51.90938 | 10.42558 |
