The Harz Guide
Hiking, mountains, tree houses, family — everything that makes the Harz Nature Park so special for our guests.
The Harz for nature lovers and families
What awaits you right outside the hotel
The Harz is northern Germany's highest mountain range. With the Brocken at 1,141 metres as its iconic landmark, over 8,000 kilometres of marked trails and a national park spanning two federal states, the region is one of Germany's most varied natural landscapes.
Sonnenresort Ettershaus is located in Bad Harzburg, right on the edge of the national park. Hiking trails start at our doorstep, the Brocken is 20 kilometres away, and the Wurmberg and St. Andreasberg ski areas can be reached in 20 to 30 minutes.
On this page you'll find our personal guide to the most important topics for your stay: from hiking and climbing the Brocken to family trips to Wernigerode or Goslar.
Hiking in the Harz
Trails right from the hotel
Bad Harzburg is one of the most important hiking centres in northern Germany. 222 stamping stations of the Harzer Wandernadel are spread across the region — directly from the Ettershaus, you can reach the Großer Burgberg (stamp 121), the Kreuz des deutschen Ostens (stamp 122) and, after about four kilometres, the lynx enclosure at the Rabenklippe on foot.
A classic day tour is the Burgberg–Rabenklippe–Molkenhaus loop of around 12 kilometres. If you want more, extend it to the 16-kilometre loop through the Eckertal with views of the former inner-German border.
More routes: Hiking around Bad Harzburg — the most beautiful routes from the Ettershaus
The Brocken
Northern Germany's highest peak
At 1,141 metres, the Brocken is the highest point in northern Germany. Its climate is more like Iceland than central Europe: short summers, long stormy winters, wind speeds of up to 150 km/h and over 1,600 millimetres of precipitation per year.
Three trails lead to the summit — the Goetheweg (easiest option, 16 km return with only 300 metres of elevation gain), the Heinrich-Heine-Weg from Ilsenburg (10.5 km one way, 850 metres of elevation gain) and the Teufelsstieg, the most demanding route (23 km, around 7 hours, the only Brocken trail that ends right in Bad Harzburg).
If you'd rather not walk: the Harzer Schmalspurbahn narrow-gauge railway steams daily from Wernigerode up to the Brocken. Two-hour journey, genuine historic steam locomotives from the 1950s.
More on the climb: Brocken hike from Bad Harzburg — the Teufelsstieg and alternatives
Tree house holidays in the Harz
Sleeping in the treetops
Our 14 tree houses stand on stilts right in the middle of the forest and are unique in the Harz in this form. Three categories: Elvis (25 m² for up to 3 guests), Elvis Junior (20 m² for 2 guests) and the octagonal Oktagon.
Each tree house has its own terrace, Wi-Fi and full access to the resort's pool, sauna and restaurant. In the morning you'll hear birds instead of traffic; in the evening you'll sit on your terrace among the treetops.
Learn more: Tree house holidays in the Harz — what makes sleeping in the treetops so special
Family in the Harz
Outings for every age
The Harz is a classic family holiday destination. Children up to age 6 stay free with us, the pool is a warm 31°C, and at the pancake machine at breakfast the little ones are usually happy first thing in the morning.
Our top family outings:
- Baumwipfelpfad Harz (treetop walk) — 1 km path at 26 m above ground, right by the Burgberg
- Burgberg cable car — in operation since 1929, a three-minute ride up to 483 m
- Lynx enclosure at the Rabenklippe — public feeding Wednesdays and Saturdays at 14:30, free entry
- Bad Harzburg wildlife park — fallow deer, red deer, mouflons and sika deer, free entry, open year-round
- Rübeland stalactite caves — Baumannshöhle and Hermannshöhle, guided tours year-round
- Wernigerode Castle — the "Neuschwanstein of the North" with 50 original rooms
More ideas: Family holiday in the Harz — what really works · Family outings in the Harz with children
Discover Bad Harzburg
Burgberg, brine thermal baths, town centre
Bad Harzburg is more than just a starting point for hikes. The brine thermal baths with their four pools fed by a 840-metre-deep spring offer relaxation in any weather (Mon–Sat 08:00–21:00, Sun 08:00–19:00). The treetop walk at 26 metres above the ground is barrier-free. The Burgberg cable car has been running since 1929 and takes you up to the 483 m Burgberg in three minutes.
From the Ettershaus you reach the town centre in 5 minutes by car or 25 minutes on foot through the forest.
More highlights: Bad Harzburg sights — the complete town guide
Winter in the Harz
Skiing, sledging, sauna world
When snow falls, the Harz turns into a winter playground. Wurmberg Braunlage (971 m), with 13 km of pistes and 6 lifts, is the largest alpine ski area north of the Alps — including Germany's longest piste north of the Alps at 4.3 km.
Sankt Andreasberg at the Matthias-Schmidt-Berg offers smaller, cosier slopes with floodlit night skiing (Wed/Fri/Sat until 21:00). The 1.5 km Wurmberg toboggan run is challenging; the shorter run at the Schierke Kurpark is perfect for the little ones' first attempts.
After a day in the snow, back to the Ettershaus: straight into the 31°C heated outdoor pool — swimming with a view of the snowy forest.
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