Harz winter world

Experience the thrill of downhill skiing and snowboarding in the heart of Germany. Top quality resorts, slopes for all levels, professional ski schools and modern facilities make the Harz your perfect winter destination.

Ski-lifts can be found in the towns of Altenau, Bad Lauterberg, Bad Sachsa, Braunlage, Hahnenklee, Hohegeiss, St. Andreasberg, Schulenberg, Torfhaus and Wernigerode. When the temperature dips below freezing and sufficient snow covers the slopes, ski areas are groomed and ski-lifts will be in operation. In the Harz there are many slopes that cater for beginners and advanced skiers in addition those slopes that have different levels of difficulty from light to hard (black).

On special days during the week it is possible to enjoy skiing and snowboarding in the evening in floodlight in Bad Lauterberg, Bad Sachsa, Braunlage, Hohegeiss, Schulenberg and St. Andreasberg. It is best to check with the local tourist information for up to date information.

Modern snow cannons support the natural conditions in Braunlage, Hahnenklee and St. Andreasberg. If you are new to skiing or just need a refresher course there are ski schools in all of the major ski centres. In addition special classes are available for children.

If you need skis, boots, snowboards and any other equipment there a number of ski-hire stations available in all major ski resorts of the Harz.

With over 500km of perfect cross-country skiing available in the Harz, there is no better way to experience the outstanding beauty of a winter landscape in the Harz.

Many well-groomed trails with various levels of difficulty lead through the snowy forests of the Harz. Especially recommended are the cross country ski tracks of the Harz National Park.

Cross country ski equipment for both adults and children can be hired in all major ski resorts of the Harz, while cozy comfortable forest restaurants along the trails provide tasty specialties of the Harz.

The flood lit cross country ski tracks in Braunlage, Hohegeiss, Buntenbock and Clausthal-Zellerfeld are great for some adventure skiing after dark.

The trails of the Harz are usually linked with each other to form a complete network of cross country skiing tracks.  So for example starting in Braunlage you can easily reach the cross country skiing tracks in Schierke and Torfhaus. In Schierke there is a cross country skiing area with guaranteed snow and about 40km of trails which are located below the Brocken and lead with an altitude of more than 1,000 meters directly into the National Park. Some of the ascents and descents of these trails are highly challenging.

The cross country skiing tracks surrounding Sankt Andreasberg are very popular with various circular courses and connecting trails to suit all levels. Such as the 12km long circuit around the Sonnenberg which is regularly groomed and maintained.

The cross country skiing tracks in Bad Sachsa start from the Ravensberg Mountain and are connected to the 42km long South Harz Trail, which leads to Bad Lauterberg.

The 20km long border trail around Benneckenstein runs along the borders of three states of the Harz: Lower Saxony, Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. In Sorge there is a circuit which leads to the Freiland-Grenzmuseum showing the Ring of Remembrance and runs along the federal state boundary to the Dreilaenderstein.

These are just some examples of the numerous cross country skiing tracks that are waiting to be discovered in the Harz.

Hikers are advised to be careful and not to step on the cross country skiing tracks in order to ensure the good condition of these can be maintained.

A sledging outing is always fun. Pack away the skis and snowboards and enjoy the fast pace of sliding down a mountain. Great fun for all the family.

With well-groomed sledging hills, some with floodlights and some with lifts that carry you back up; you can feel the thrill and exhilaration as you ride down the slopes. Sledges can be hired in many of the towns in the Harz.

The three sledging runs in Braunlage with a combined length of 1,500 meters provide a challenging course.

If you wish to avoid pulling the sledges back up then make use of the sledge lifts in Braunlage, Hohegeiß or the one in Torfhaus, where the 300-metre descent ensures plenty of fun and a beautiful view towards the Brocken.

Just as long and also equipped with floodlights as well as snow-cannons is the sledging hill in St. Andreasberg. Owing to its special facilities it is possible to do snow-tubing here. The ski-lift takes you and your equipment back up to the summit. As you cannot control the speed; fun and action are to be expected during snow-tubing.

The 1500 meter long sledging run in Hahnenklee also ensures plenty of fun as it can be artificially snow-covered and offers floodlights on the last 400 meters. The ski slope on the Ravensberg in Bad Sachsa provides a 300 metre toboggan run, which will surely delight all winter sports fans.