Back Roads Germany (Dk Eyewitness Travel Back Roads)

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EAT AND DRINK

QUEDLINBURG

Ratskeller moderate

Feast on pork, veal, and game in rich

sauces in this traditional basement

restaurant beneath the Rathaus.

Markt 1, 06484; 03946 27 68; closed

Wed & Jan

Theophano expensive

Tucked beneath the cellar arches of a

360-year-old half-timbered house, this

restaurant serves modern regional

cuisine that includes cod on a gherkin-

dill risotto with fried tomatoes and

veal in a chervil-root sauce. Finish with

exquisite handmade truffles.

Markt 13–14, 06484; 03943 963 00;

http://www.hoteltheophano.de

AROUND THE BROCKEN

Brockenwirt inexpensive

The Brocken Hotel houses a rustic

bistro – Baude am Bahnhof – and a

café that serves hearty snacks.

Auf dem Brocken, 38879 Schierke;

0394 551 20

DRIVE 9: Mystical Mountains

4 The Hexentanzplatz
Saxony-Anhalt; 06502
The Hexentanzplatz, or
“witches’ dance place”
prob ably began life as a
spiritual place used for
Celtic rituals and sacrifices.
Later, it became known as
an occult center, where
witches were said to
gather before flying to the
Brocken on Walpurgisnacht.
Today, revellers arrive

on the same night to
enjoy the cele bra tions.
A modest museum, the
Walpurgishalle (May–Oct: open daily),
explains pagan worship in German
with vivid draw ings and a ghoulish
Germanic sacrificial stone.
ª From Thale, return to the T-junction
and turn left. Continue on the same
road and turn right on to the B81. In
Blankenburg, turn left on to the B27 to
the parking lot left beyond the caves.

Walpurgisnacht

Walpurgisnacht (April 30) probably

began as a Celtic festival celebrat ing

spring, but developed a reputation

for black magic. Legends grew of

witches and warlocks flying up to the

Brocken to recount the past year’s

evil deeds before holding an orgy

that included the devil himself. So

powerful were these legends that for

centuries church bells would toll on

Walpurgisnacht to deter evil forces.

HIKING IN THE BODE VALLEY

The Hexenstieg or Witches’ Trail along

the Bode Valley, takes in spectacular

scenery, passing gnarled trees that are

centuries old. This path is best explored

by first taking a bus No. 18 from Thale’s

train station to the village of Treseburg,

then walking the back downstream,

which takes between 2–3 hours. For a

longer walk, take the chairlift to

Hexentanzplatz, then walk the 6-mile

(10-km) trail to Treseburg, stop for

lunch, then return to Thale via the

Hexenstieg – a walk of 4–5 hours.

Maps are available at the tourist

informa tion office (Rathausplatz 1,

06502 Thale; 03947 25 97).

6 The Brocken

Saxony-Anhalt; 38879

The ascent of the Brocken (3,747 ft/

1,141 m), the highest peak in the Harz,

is a vital part of any Harz itinerary. The

easiest way to reach the top is by the

narrow-gauge

Brockenbahn railroad,

which climbs steeply to a

height of 3,691 ft (1,125 m).

Trains depart from Schierke

for the short journey. Here,

the Brockenmuseum

(open daily) displays

exhibits on the moun tain’s

geology and mythology.

An easy 1.5-mile (2.5-km)

path loops the summit,

with superb views.

ª Return to the B27 and

turn right. In Braunlage, turn right

down Pfaffenstieg and right again on

to the Wurmberg chairlift parking lot.

Steam Trains in the Harz

Steaming through 87 miles (140 km)

of track through the moun tains, the

Harzer Schmalspurbahn (www.hsb-

wr.de) is the larg est narrow-gauge

network in Europe. Many of the

steam trains are from the 1950s, but

one has been in service since 1887.

The railroad lines link Quedlinburg,

Nordhausen, and Wernigerode with

the Brocken. Round trips depart on

Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays.

5 Rübeland Höhlen
Saxony-Anhalt; 38889
Since its chance discovery by a
15th-century miner, the 600,000-
year-old Baumannshöhle (open
daily) has attracted visitors keen to

where the 1920s works of this Bauhaus
artist are displayed. To the left of Carl-
Ritter-Strasse, on Wordgasse, lies the
Fachwerkmuseum (open Fri–Wed),
Germany’s oldest half-tim bered house,
built in 1310, now a con struc tion
museum. Turn left for a short walk to
the Markt. One of its many attrac tive
buildings is the Rathaus, parts of
which date back to 1320.
ª Leave Quedlinburg on Gernröder
Weg, which becomes Suderöder

Chausee, then turn right on Suderöder
Strasse for Thale. In Thale, turn left, then
right to Hexentanzplatz parking lot.

Left Scenic train ride to the Brocken

Below Sixteenth-century Renaissance

castle atop the Schlossberg, Quedlinburg

Sculpture of a goblin,

the Hexentanzplatz

tread in the footsteps of Stone

Age inhabitants and Ice Age bears,

some of whose skeletons remain

here. The adjacent Hermannshöhle

(closed Nov–Apr) has impressive

stalagmites and stalactites.

ª Continue on the B27, turn right at

Elend, and continue to Schierke; park

at the railroad station.