Brocken

The Brocken is the highest mountain in northern Germany at 1,141 meters (3,743 feet) and the best-known peak of the Harz Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt. Most visitors ride a historic steam train to the summit, where wild granite moorland, sweeping views and a museum on Germany's Cold War division await. Steeped in witch legends and once sealed off behind the Iron Curtain, it is one of the most atmospheric day trips in central Germany.

Witches, Goethe and the Cold War

For centuries the Brocken was known as the Blocksberg, where witches were said to gather on Walpurgis Night. Goethe climbed it in December 1777 and later set the Walpurgis Night scene of Faust here, and Heinrich Heine wrote about it in his travelogue The Harz Journey.

The 20th century brought a very different chapter. From August 1961 the summit lay in the East German border zone and became a closed military area, with Soviet and Stasi listening stations eavesdropping on the West. Ordinary people could not visit. On December 3, 1989, a few weeks after the fall of the Berlin Wall, around 6,000 demonstrators forced the summit open, and the last Russian soldier left in 1994.

Things to Do on the Brocken

• Ride the Brocken Railway: Steam trains have climbed to the top since 1899, using adhesion alone on the steep final stretch.
• Visit the Brockenhaus: The national park visitor center in the former listening station covers the witch myth, German division, wilderness and extreme weather, with a 360-degree viewing platform. A multimedia guide is available in English.
• Walk the summit loop: A short trail circles the plateau past granite boulders and viewpoints.
• See the Brocken Garden: Germany's first alpine garden, founded in 1890, displays about 1,500 mountain plants from May to October.

Tickets and Opening Hours

The summit itself is free. As of October 2026:

• Brocken Railway: round trip €65, one way €43; children 6–14 €39 round trip. The fare is the same from every station. Online tickets usually open three to four weeks ahead, and trains on sunny weekends sell out.
• Deutschlandticket: valid on most of the narrow-gauge network but not between Drei Annen Hohne and the Brocken.
• Brockenhaus: daily 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (last entry 4:30 p.m.), closed December 24; adults €8, children €4, families €17.

How to Get to the Brocken

There is no public road to the summit, so you arrive by train or on foot. The usual gateway is Wernigerode, a half-timbered town with regional rail connections via Halberstadt or Goslar; plan roughly 1.5 hours by car from Hanover or about 2.5 to 3 hours from Berlin. From Wernigerode, Drei Annen Hohne or Schierke, the narrow-gauge steam trains head up the mountain; the climb from Drei Annen Hohne alone takes about 50 minutes.

Hikers often start at Torfhaus on the Goethe Trail, about 8 km (5 miles) one way. Allow around three hours to reach the top.

Is the Brocken Worth Visiting?

Yes, but dress for it. The summit is foggy on more than 300 days a year, has an average annual temperature of under 4 °C (39 °F) and ranks among Germany's windiest places, so bring a warm, windproof layer even in summer. Clear autumn and winter days offer the best views, and frost-covered trees make winter trips magical. The railway and Brockenhaus are wheelchair accessible. Combine the trip with Wernigerode's castle and old town for a perfect day in the Harz.