Harz National Park: lynx, wildcat, red deer and more than 10,000 species across 24,700 hectares. What you can experience in the park from Bad Harzburg.

Harz National Park: Experience Wildlife, Nature & Wilderness

The Harz National Park is one of Germany's largest contiguous protected areas — 24,700 hectares of mountain wilderness, spread across two federal states, with the Brocken at its centre. From Sonnenresort Ettershaus you can reach the park on foot. Here is what you should know about this unique habitat.

Numbers that impress

24,700 hectares total area — about 10% of the entire Harz
15,800 hectares in Lower Saxony, 8,900 hectares in Saxony-Anhalt
More than 900 metres of elevation difference — from the valley floor up to the Brocken at 1,141 m
Over 10,000 animal and plant species find protection here
The park stretches from Herzberg across the high altitudes to Ilsenburg and Bad Harzburg

The lynx: a successful reintroduction

The Eurasian Lynx had been extinct in Germany for a time. Between summer 2000 and autumn 2006, 24 lynx were released into the Harz National Park — nine males and 15 females. The reintroduction project is considered a success: more than 40 young animals have been documented since.

The public lynx feeding

Wednesdays and Saturdays at 2:30 pm, public feeding takes place at the Rabenklippe. Admission is free. A rare chance to watch these shy animals up close.

Getting there: Not possible by car — the access road is closed. Three alternatives:

On foot: around 4 kilometres from Bad Harzburg along marked trails
Burgberg cable car + hike: saves 200 metres of elevation, then about 60 minutes on foot
By bus: Line 875 "Grüner Harzer" runs from April to early November

Other species in the park

Wildcat

One of the last refuges of the European Wildcat in Germany. Very shy and hard to spot — but the Harz is one of the regions where the population is stable.

Red and roe deer

The most common large mammals. In the early morning and late evening hours, your chances of spotting them on a hike are highest.

Other inhabitants

Raccoons — introduced, now a fixed part of the fauna
Raccoon dogs — occasionally encountered
Black storks, capercaillies, peregrine falcons — rare bird species
Fire salamanders in damp stream valleys
Stag beetles in ancient oak stands

What makes the park unique

In contrast to cultivated forest landscapes, the national park follows the principle of "letting nature be nature". Dead trees are not felled, bark-beetle-infested spruces are left standing, wilderness is allowed to return. In places this looks untidy — but it is precisely the strategy that favours rare species.

Anyone crossing the park today will see stretches of dead spruce forest beside young beech woods regenerating naturally. A textbook example of forest transformation in the face of climate change.

Hiking trails in the park

Several marked trails lead directly from Bad Harzburg into the national park:

Rabenklippen trail

Around 4 km to the lynx enclosure. Moderate difficulty, well marked, with fantastic views into the Eckertal valley and onto the Brocken. More details in our hiking article.

Eckertal circular trail

Around 16 km, approx. 5 hours. A longer day-tour through deeper forest, with views of the former inner-German border.

Up to the Brocken

Various routes, all within the national park — see our Brocken hiking article.

Rules of conduct in the park

So that the park stays the way it is, a few simple rules apply:

Stay on marked trails — even when it looks tempting
Keep dogs on a lead — wild animals are sensitive
Leave no rubbish behind — including apple cores and banana peels
Do not pick plants — many species are protected
Keep noise down — the animals will thank you
Fires only at official places — fire hazard in dry summers

National Park vs. Nature Park — what's the difference?

A common mix-up. The Harz has both:

Harz National Park (24,700 ha, strict protection, wilderness principle) — the park described here
Harz Nature Park — a much larger area with more relaxed protection rules, in which forestry and tourism play a bigger role

The two forms of protection complement each other. The national park is the wilder one, the nature park the more visitor-friendly one.

The Brocken in the park: a climate of extremes

The Brocken is not only the highest point but also the harshest. Its climate resembles Iceland more than northern Germany:

Wind speeds up to 150 km/h during the winter months
Over 1,600 mm of rainfall per year — almost twice the federal average
300+ foggy days a year
A dedicated weather station since 1895, today's facility since 1939

For hikers: check the weather forecast in advance. Conditions on top can be radically different from those at the foot.

Best time for wildlife watching

Spring: bird breeding season, wild boars with piglets
Summer: birds of prey over open areas, butterflies on the meadows
Autumn: stags during the rut (particularly impressive), red deer more visible
Winter: tracks in the snow, birds of prey in the Brocken area

As a rule: mornings and evenings are when wildlife is most active, not midday.

Getting there and starting points

From Sonnenresort Ettershaus you are within a few steps of the national park — the park literally begins at the edge of the forest in front of our grounds. Longer tours start from Drei Annen Hohne (Goetheweg, Brockenbahn station) or Ilsenburg (Heinrich Heine trail).

Nature experience from Das Ettershaus

Right at the edge of the national park. Book an active holiday in the Harz and experience wilderness on your doorstep.

Harz National Park: Wildlife, Nature & Wilderness