Torfhaus
A high viewpoint at about 800 meters, facing the Brocken, with the Harz National Park visitor center and boardwalks across the high moor.
Torfhaus sits on the upland on the Lower Saxony side and is one of the best places to take in the full view of the Brocken. It takes its name from the peat extracted here in the 18th century. The Harz National Park Visitor Center explains the mountain forests and lynx conservation, and the high moor boardwalk nearby takes about an hour to walk. This is the starting point of the Goethe Trail, along which Goethe climbed the Brocken in winter in 1777. The trail is about 8 km long and takes about 2.5 hours one way. Winter is the high season for cross-country skiing and sledding. It is about 30 km from Wernigerode, with bus connections to Bad Harzburg and Braunlage.
Opening hours
All day (visitor center approx. 10:00–17:00)
Nearby sights
- Bad Harzburg Treetop Walk & Burgberg Cable Car
- Oker Valley & Oker Dam
- Samson Mine
- Zwinger Goslar
- Breites Tor
- Rammelsberg Mine
- Goslar Museum
- Goslar Cathedral Porch (Domvorhalle)