We begin the hike at the corner of Waldbreite and Unter den Birken and cross the street to the Bodfeld pharmacy. On the footpath, walk approx. 350 m in the direction of the town exit, where you cross the street again and join the hiking trail.
Follow the path for about 1.8 km to the crossroads (Russenhay). There you keep left and immediately right again and follow the path downhill in the direction of the Zillierbach inlet. After approx. 700 m the path forks again. Keep to the right and you will come directly to the inlet of the Zillierbach Dam.
Our hike continues on the right-hand side, always with a view of the dam wall, to the Peterstein viewpoint with a stamp and seating area. After you have enjoyed the view and have collected the stamp of the Harzer Wandernadel, you continue towards Hermannschacht, an old disused mine shaft. In the opposite direction to the dam wall, it goes uphill on the main Wernigerode hiking trail in the direction of "Alte Forsthäuser". After approx. 900 m you will reach another fork in the road. At this point keep left and continue to follow the signs to "Alte Forsthäuser". After about 900 m, past the forester's lodge, there is another fork in the road. Follow the signs to Hermannschacht. Note: The junction to the old pit is about 50 m on the left. Displays provide information about the shaft and its current use as a bat shaft. If you cross the meadow on the left-hand side and walk along the edge of the tree, after approx. 100 m you will reach the somewhat hidden observation point "Brockenblick" with a seating area and a fantastic view over the meadow to the Brocken massif. There is a station of the forest trail with an ancient beech. After a promising break we go back the same way to the two old forest houses. Between the forest houses, continue to the refuge on the Eisenstraße in the direction of Elbingerode. After approx. 2.4 km you have the opportunity to make a detour to the Hirschbrunnen, a rest area with a natural spring. Follow the signs. After an informative resting time, we return to the main trail and follow the road to our starting point.
TIP: Right at the beginning or at the end of your hike you have the opportunity to look at an architectural feature. The Diakonissen Mutterhaus is located on the premises of the Diakonie - a building in the Bauhaus style.
Furthermore, you will always come across displays on the subject of forest and forest, since sections of the forest nature trail are on the hike.
