Also in 2023 I was a couple of times in the Harz, where I tried a new campsite Hohegeiss and my usual campsite in Braunlage.
The first visit was at the beginning of July, when I had 2 lovely bike rides on a racing bike from Brunlage.
On my first trip I drove an old familiar route, which I think is mandatory if you are in these parts. The trip is only 43 km. but with 1000 hm. it is reasonably challenging, if you think it is too short you can just run it twice. It is really beautiful, especially the 10 km. on the köningshof which winds between the stream Sieber all the way up to Sonnenberg with very little traffic.
The next trip I will call the dams trip, here you will pass some of the big dams in the area, something I have always been fascinated by. The trip is approx. 100 km, but only 1300 Hm. and very beautiful. I can recommend the chicken salad at the Sperberhaier Dammhaus, which you pass halfway through the trip.
Later in the year at the end of August, I was again in the Harz for a few days, among other things I wanted to look at the area around Ballenstedt air station, where the rock festival Rockharz is held every year, I thought that maybe I could kill 2 birds with one stone in 2024 by listening to some good music and at the same time riding a bike. I decided to try a new campsite in Hohegeiss, which is a little closer to Ballenstedt than the campsite in Braunlage.
The campsite is nice enough, but it's just not very fun that it's down in a hole, so you start the day with 400 meters uphill with an average of 11% and up to 14% max, the sign says 15%.
The trip to the air station was 116 km. and 1580 Hm. a nice trip with lots of wind. Around Ballenstedt you ride on cycle paths which is nice. The castle park was not suitable for racing bikes. I would probably do the route in reverse if I had to do it again. By the way, I ate the biggest kebab I've ever had in the town of Ballenstedt. The rock festival sold out a few days after I got home, so it I won't be going in 2024.
The next day I wanted to drive up to Brocken or as we call it in Denmark Bloksbjerg . It's been a long time since I've been there and the weather was great.
I don't know exactly what happened that morning, but I must have been a bit confused about starting from a different campsite than I usually do and I must have lacked oxygen after the first 400 meters with an average of 11%. In any case, I got to drive a circuit from the campsite to Zorge and back again, a great interval if you are here to train for the harder races. The circular route is 12 km. with 200 hm and a maximum increase of 10.8%, so perhaps not so many Danish races. But those who know me know that I'm not into intervals.
The drive to the Brocken is fantastic, especially the last 9 km. those are car-free and where you can be lucky to come across the steam locomotive that runs at fixed intervals to the top of Brocken. At the top there is a nice view and the opportunity to eat and drink. Unfortunately, the descent is not so good because of the many people who hike to the top.
If you didn't eat at the top, I can recommend Café am Kurpark, see my review here
 |
See also my other blogs with trips in the Harz
Harzen fantastic cycling terrain, nice people and good food.
Comments