Ilse Valley & Heinrich Heine Trail
Ilsetal & Heinrich-Heine-Weg
A classic hiking trail that follows a stream and small waterfalls up from Ilsenburg. The poet Heinrich Heine once climbed the Brocken by this route.
The Ilse Valley lies about 10 km northwest of Wernigerode, near Ilsenburg. The Ilse River forms a series of small waterfalls (Ilsefälle) over granite rock, and the forest stream is clear. In 1824, the poet Heinrich Heine followed this valley up to the Brocken and later wrote about the journey in his Harz Journey. Today the Heinrich Heine Trail runs about 11 to 12 km from Ilsenburg to the summit of the Brocken. If you do not go all the way to the top, a round trip to the Ilse Falls takes about 2 to 3 hours, and you can also climb to the Ilsestein lookout. Ilsenburg also has a Romanesque abbey that is worth a visit on the way.
Opening hours
All day
Nearby sights
- Brocken
- Wurmberg (Braunlage)
- Wernigerode Old Town & Town Hall
- Harz Narrow Gauge Railways – Brocken Line
- Wernigerode Castle
- Rübeland Caves (Baumann's Cave & Hermann's Cave)
- Titan-RT Suspension Bridge & Rappbode Dam
- Blankenburg Castle & Baroque Gardens