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This time we are taking you on a circular hike of almost 30 kilometres starting in Bad Lauterberg. Six stamp points wait along the way, and the route is quite demanding – especially the section between the Bismarck Tower and the Goedeckenplatz.
Map and GPX data for the circular hike from Bad Lauterberg
Harzer Wandernadel stamp points on the circular hike from Bad Lauterberg
- 101 Einhornhöhle
- 115 Bismarck-Turm
- 150 Großer Knollen
- 151 Ruine Scharzfels
- 152 Knollenkreuz
- 153 Goedeckenplatz
Right at the start it goes steeply uphill from our car park to the Bismarck Tower. Shortly afterwards we leave the beaten tracks and push through the undergrowth – past the Dicker Forstmeister and on to the next stamp point, the Goedeckenplatz. From here the going becomes much more relaxed, apart from the unavoidable climbing that simply comes with the Großer Knollen.
The Einhornhöhle unicorn cave
After the descent the path takes us steeply down to the Einhornhöhle, one of the best-known caves in the southern Harz. It is not only a popular destination but also an important site for fossils and archaeological finds. Early on it became associated with legends about unicorns – hence the name, which means “unicorn cave”. Unfortunately everything was already closed when we arrived, so it stayed a short detour to the stamp box. A visit during opening hours is well worth it, though: the guided tours give fascinating insights into the history and geology of the cave, and the entrance area is impressively set into the rock.
The Scharzfels castle ruins
Only a few minutes’ walk from the Einhornhöhle lie the Scharzfels castle ruins, sitting imposingly on a rock above the valley. Built in the 10th century, the castle was long considered impregnable until it was finally destroyed during the Seven Years’ War. Today the remains are freely accessible, and from the castle wall you have a fantastic view across the Harz. I took the time for the short loop around the ruins before securing the stamp inside – definitely one of the finest spots on this tour.
From there we had to hurry a little to reach the last stamp at the Knollenkreuz and to avoid doing the short descent back to the car in the dark.
More hikes
