Family Holiday in the Harz with Kids: What Really Works

A family holiday has to make everyone happy — parents need rest, kids need action, and no one needs endless hours in the car. The Harz is one of the regions in Germany that genuinely delivers on this. In this article we share our hands-on experience from Das Ettershaus.

Why the Harz works for families

Three reasons make the region especially well suited for families:

1. Compact distances. It's rarely more than a 30-minute drive from the hotel to the next destination. Brocken, ski area, stalactite caves, Wernigerode — all reachable within an hour at most.
2. Nature without fitness requirements. Hiking trails range from a flat stroll along the lake to a full-day tour. No "two hours of driving first, then a mountain hike" — the forest starts right outside your door.
3. Bad-weather alternatives on hand. Thermal baths, stalactite caves, castles, adventure pools — when the weather doesn't cooperate, there's a Plan B in every direction.

What families can expect at Das Ettershaus

Children up to age 6 free of charge

Children up to and including 6 years stay free of charge in their parents' room. Breakfast and all hotel services included. On longer stays this saves a noticeable amount — and makes spontaneous trips more realistic.

Pool, 31°C

Our indoor and outdoor pool is 31 degrees warm and 16 metres long, with an integrated whirlpool. The outdoor area is heated in winter too — swimming with a view of snow-covered trees ranks among the most beautiful family memories our guests take home.

Pancake machine at breakfast

We have it for one simple reason: it works. Children who are usually grumpy in the morning suddenly get up willingly, because the machine makes their pancakes themselves. Breakfast is served from 07:00 to 10:00 in the main building.

Treehouse as an adventure stay

For families looking for something special: our treehouses. 14 of them on the grounds, on stilts, in the middle of the forest. The Elvis is our largest at 25 m² — room for two adults and a child, private terrace, everything included. More on this in our treehouse article.

Top excursions with kids

Baumwipfelpfad Harz (Treetop Walk)

1 km trail at 26 metres above ground through the treetops. Fully accessible (max. 63 cm width for strollers), open year-round (Apr–Oct 9:30–18:00, Nov–March 10:00–16:00). Right by the Bad Harzburg Burgberg, with a combined ticket including the cable car ride.

Burgberg cable car

In operation since 1929, a three-minute ride up to the 483 m Großer Burgberg. Kids love the old gondolas. At the top there's a playground, the Cross of the German East and the starting point for many hiking trails.

Lynx feeding at Rabenklippe

Free entry. Wednesdays and Saturdays at 14:30. The enclosure is home to lynxes released as part of the National Park reintroduction project. The animals show themselves especially at the public feedings.

Getting there: not possible by car (closed road). You either walk about 4 km from Bad Harzburg, take bus 875 "Grüner Harzer" (April to early November), or take the Burgberg cable car and then hike for 60 minutes.

Rübeland stalactite caves

Baumannshöhle and Hermannshöhle — two stalactite caves, open year-round. Guided tours of the Baumannshöhle every 20 minutes. The perfect bad-weather day for kids: a constant 9°C, stalactites, dark halls, light shows. Travel time from Das Ettershaus: about 40 minutes.

Bad Harzburg wildlife park

Free entry. Open year-round. Four species — fallow deer, red deer, mouflons and sika deer — live here on spacious enclosures. Plus a lovingly designed goat pen. Feeding allowed (with posted instructions).

Wernigerode Castle

The "Neuschwanstein of the North" sits on a hill above the "Colourful Town in the Harz". 50 original rooms, many designed to be exciting for children. A lovely half-day tour with a following stroll through the medieval old town. 25 km from Das Ettershaus, about 30 minutes.

Brocken steam train

No child forgets a steam-locomotive ride. The Harz narrow-gauge railway runs daily to the Brocken — 2 hours from Wernigerode, 30 minutes from Schierke. Real steam locomotives from the 1950s, quaint carriages, many stops along the way. Book tickets in advance; in summer they sell out fast.

With small children: what helps on site

• Stroller-friendly hiking trails around Bad Harzburg: spa park, Eckertalweg, beginner routes on the Burgberg
• Baby lounge at the hotel on request
• Pancake machine every morning
• Heated outdoor pool for swimming without freezing — even on sunless summer days
• Restaurant Taut's with kid-friendly options
• Restaurant Ursprung by the treehouses: more rustic, more relaxed, a kid-friendly setting

With school-age kids and teens

This is where the Harz gets even better. Extended hikes (Brocken, Eckertal), the Brocken steam train as a day trip, skiing in winter on the Wurmberg, summer toboggan runs in Schierke and Hahnenklee. If you want action, you'll find it. If you want quiet, you'll find that too.

Further reading

• Excursions in the Harz with kids
• Treehouse holiday in the Harz
• The Harz Guide — hiking, Brocken, nature
• The Bad Harzburg Guide — city guide with Burgberg, thermal baths & more

Plan your family holiday

Check availability and choose the right family package: Our offers at a glance.