text:
Brno

Brno (pronounced Burno) (German: Brünn, Štatl in the local dialect) is the major city of Moravia (a historical region in the Czech Republic). It is the largest city in Moravia and the second-largest city in the Czech Republic by population and area. It was founded around the year 1000; and since the 14th century, the city served as the capital of Moravia. Brno is the heart of Moravia and its cultural hub; it's home to many institutions related to Moravian history and culture. At the same time, Brno represents the administrative centre of the contemporary South Moravian region. It has a population of over 400,000 people (2024), and it's in a beautiful natural environment between South Moravian vineyards and the Moravian Karst.

Understand

The city was founded about 1000 years ago, it received city status in the year 1243, and for centuries it served as the capital city of Moravia, until 1948 when communists abolished Moravia's autonomy. The city flourished mainly during the 19th century. Today's Brno is a mixture of many different architectural styles, there are many beautiful places. But it remains home to significant cultural offerings, and countless beautiful buildings, the city has the third largest historic preservation zone in the country (the biggest one is in Prague, the second in Olomouc). There are three castles, Špilberk (former royal castle, and former seat of rulers of Moravia), Veveří Castle (near the Brno reservoir), and Líšeň Castle.

Brno is not particularly well known by tourists so you can easily avoid crowds and overpriced services.

Brno is the cultural hub of Moravia, it's the home to several notable Moravian institutions, e.g. Moravian Gallery, Moravian Museum, National Theatre Brno, and Brno City Theatre. It's a city with a long tradition of motor racing (on the Masaryk Circuit), huge exhibitions and trade fairs (in the Central European Exhibition Center), and a vibrant university city. There are about 89,000 university students in Brno, a city with 400,000 inhabitants, which makes it the country's largest student city by percentage of population. Since 1998, there has also been an international firework competition held annually at the end of May and beginning of June – Ignis Brunensis, it attracts about 100,000–200,000 visitors every day it's being held.

The most interesting places in Brno include the Brno Underground, a labyrinth of underground cellars which includes the second biggest ossuary in Europe (after the Catacombs of Paris), the two (or three) castles in Brno, the cathedral on the Petrov hill (Pope Benedict XVI visited the cathedral in 2009), the Basilica of the Assumption of Our Lady in the Old Brno District, the St. Jacob's Church, the Moravian Museum (the biggest museum in Moravia and the second biggest in the country), Lužánky Park which is the oldest public park in the country, Denis Gardens, and various historical squares, churches, palaces, and other interesting buildings.

There are also many places worth visiting outside the city centre, such as an old Jewish cemetery in Brno-Židenice (by area, the biggest one in Moravia), or the Marian Valley in Brno-Líšeň, a cascade of lakes between forested hills. From the north, Brno is surrounded by hills and very pleasant countryside, the most notable place is probably the Moravian Karst.

Brno lost its capital city status but still has the feel of a 'cosmopolitan' capital, there is a rich variety of cultural events, clubs, pubs, etc., and several excellent museums and theatres. There are also two interesting things about theatres in Brno, Reduta Theatre is the oldest theatre building in Central Europe, and Mahen Theatre (part of the National Theatre Brno) was the first theatre anywhere in Europe to be illuminated by Thomas Edison's electric light bulbs (at that time, it was only a four-year-old invention). Brno also serves as the capital of judicial authority of the Czech Republic (it's the seat of the Constitutional Court, the Supreme Court, and the Supreme Administrative Court) and many other state authorities, the rest of it is located in Prague.

Tourist information

 * City of Brno website
 * City of Brno website
 * City of Brno website
 * City of Brno website
 * City of Brno website

By train
Brno is on the Prague–Vienna and Prague–Bratislava–Budapest routes, and all IC, EC and Railjet trains stop here. Some trains originating in Prague terminate here.

 * Prague: 2½ hr, IC/EC/RailJet trains every 30 minutes to every hour: Standard tickets are expensive (the regular fare is 360 Kč), but there are cheaper ways: You can either get the SuperAkční fare for 119 Kč or a Včasná ticket for 205 Kč. The SuperAkční ticket can be used for a particular train only. There are limited numbers of SuperAkční and Včasná tickets for a particular train or day and they are generally only available when you buy the tickets in advance. You can buy all types of tickets both online and at the ticket office at the train station. For regular journeys, it is good to buy a ČD loyalty card (In Karta), see Czech_Republic. A new operator RegioJet provides train service nine times a day. Tickets are generally sold online and start at 99 Kč.
 * Olomouc: 1½ hr, every 2 hours: Be careful that you get into the proper train, because another train to Brno via Břeclav departs at around the same time which will add 2 hours more to your trip.
 * Ostrava: 2¼ hr, hourly
 * Bratislava: 1½ hr, EC trains every 2 hours
 * České Budějovice: 4½ hr, every 2 hours
 * Vienna: 1¾ hr, Railjet trains every 2 hours (depart from Wien HbF station, though you can also depart from other stations further from the city center)
 * Rijeka: the overnight Regiojet calls here on its way to Prague.

By car
Using highways - D1 highway from Prague and Ostrava or using any of the national roads, D2 from Bratislava or D52 from the south (it runs towards Vienna, but ends about 25 km ahead of borders). For the highway, you have to buy a toll sticker.

By bus
There are coach services from various European destinations including Prague where frequent buses run touting assorted amenities and stops (such as Prague Airport). A timetable of all buses (including international) can be found on IDOS.

Two main bus stations are used. A few hundred meters north of the train station is, used e.g. by RegioJet (formerly Student Agency). A much bigger but also much more remote station is used by local and international buses. Usually buses only stop at one of the stations, check your ticket which one it is upfront.

Taxi
Try to avoid getting a taxi on the street (public transportation is always the better option in Brno) and if you have to, try to negotiate the price in advance. For taxis hailed on the street, the maximum price set by the city council is 30 Kč/km. It's advisable to call one of the major Brno Taxi services:

 * Lido Taxi, +420 542 214 221 . (30 Kč/km)
 * City Taxi Brno, +420 542 321 321 . (30 Kč/km)

By plane

Ryanair flies in 2017 up to 7 times a week a week to London-Stansted. Wizzair flies to London-Luton 3 times a week and twice a week to Eindhoven. During summer there are also various flights to Bulgaria, Egypt and Greece. Bus 76 runs every 30 minutes from about 04:30–23:30 to the bus and train stations in the city center. The fare is 25 Kč, and you can buy your ticket beforehand in the information centre or the ticket machine in the airport. At night there is a connection by night bus line N89.

Other airports in the major cities "nearby", accessible within 1-2½ hours, include:

By boat
An unconventional, but beautiful way to get to Brno (well, from just outside town) is to take a boat from the village of Veverská Bitýška, which takes you (in the summer season only) on a trip across Brněnská přehrada (Brno dam lake) to Brno-Bystrc. From there you can continue to the city centre by tram.

Get around

The Integrated Transport System of the Southern Moravia Region (IDS JMK) covers public transport over Brno and the whole Southern Moravia Region; it includes local trains, trams, buses and trolleybuses. Daytime transport ends up at 23:00, the night buses go hourly and have a central transfer node at Main Station. Some night buses have a connection to night buses in the region, so you can get from Brno at night to surrounding villages.

For journeys within the city, a short transfer ticket (valid 15 min, 20 Kč) and long transfer ticket (60 min, 25 Kč) are available. Tickets are available at yellow ticket vending machines at bus and tram stops, and also at railway station counters. People aged 70 and over travel for free, show your passport is there is a ticket inspection.

Brno has a system called Beep&Go, where every bus, trolleybus and tram in the city has a terminal for contactless ticket purchases using your credit card, smartphone or smart watch. This has since replaced purchasing tickets from the bus driver. It costs the same and the ticket is then stored virtually on your card/phone. You can also purchase tickets for people travelling with you or tickets for more zones. When a ticket controller comes, you have to use your device on a special reader that they will present to you. You need to use the same device you used to purchase the ticket, because services like Google Pay or Apple Pay create virtual credit cards when paying.

South Moravia Region is divided into tariff zones. Brno consists of two zones. IDS JMK tickets are valid in all buses and local trains (category Os, Sp and R), the price varies on number of zones you travel over.

One-day network ticket costs 90 Kč for Brno and 190 Kč for the whole region. On weekends up two adults and three children can travel on a single network ticket.

If you decided to bring your bicycle with you, there is a map of bike paths available on Brnonakole.cz. Even though the city centre is flat and easily accessible by bike, it is forbidden to ride a bike in the pedestrian zone (mainly Freedom Square (náměstí Svobody) and surrounding streets) during workdays from 09:00 to 17:00. There is also bike sharing service Rekola (minimum fee is 400 Kč/bike for 2 months). Bike and e-bike rental RentBike.cz is in the city centre opposite St. Michael's Church but after reservation via web form they can delivery bike or bikes to you (price is 280 Kč one way as of Nov 2018). They also do guided bike tours.

See

The city centre is full of historical buildings, old churches, theatres, fountains, sculptures, clubs, restaurants, etc. It is very compact, so one can just walk around most of the places of interest.

Do

 * ExploreBrno — easy walking, treasure hunt game in the city centre. Min. 2–3 hours
 * Wine-Tours.cz — South Moravia Highlights by minibus (Mikulov, Lednice, Valtice, and big degustation in Wine Center of Czech Republic) or halfday trip to Moravian Karst (boat trip in punkva caves)
 * Wine-Tours.cz — South Moravia Highlights by minibus (Mikulov, Lednice, Valtice, and big degustation in Wine Center of Czech Republic) or halfday trip to Moravian Karst (boat trip in punkva caves)

Buy
The ATMs of these banks in the city centre do not charge a fee for withdrawing money:
 * fio banka
 * KB (Komerční banka)
 * Raiffeisenbank

Eat
Czech food is mostly based on pork, dumplings and potatoes. Another Czech favorite is smažený sýr, fried cheese, which is available at many restaurants and fast food stands. Soups plays an important part in Czech cuisine as it is almost always part of lunch (chicken, beef or vegetable broth, garlic soup, cabbage soup, goulash soup, vegetable soup or mushroom soup).

A good option is to visit one of the many pubs or restaurants that usually offer traditional Czech food all day long. You could easily find a restaurant where you get a meal and a drink for around €5, even in the city center. Many of these places also offer cheaper special (limited, pre-prepared) menus at mid-day. Cafés offer a nice selection of rolls and pastries if you're looking for breakfast food. Visit the cukrárna near the House of the Four Idiots on nam. Svobody and try a rakvička ("little coffin", small pastry covered with cream). This is the only place in the Czech Republic to find the chocolate ones.

Mid-range
There are plenty of restaurants in the city centre, where you can have a decent dinner. Both Czech and international cuisine can be found. A very incomplete list of the good restaurants may include:

Drink
The traditional Brno beer is Starobrno, and a traditional non-alcoholic soft drink is kofola (a very different but captivating kind of cola). Both must be tasted in draught form! Although Czechs are famous for their love of beer that love is mostly focused on pale beer, dark beer (černé pivo) is sweet and not very often drunk here. There's quite a few small breweries in the city, among them a small private brewery named Pegas, a block west from the steeple of St James Church (sv. Jakub). The pub is equipped with modern brewing technology, beer is made right in front of the guests' eyes. For a list of other breweries look at this list.

The go-to bar is the cramped and smoky Charlie's Hat (known to most locals simply as Charlie's), east on Koblizna street from the north end of Freedom Square (50 Kč entry, includes drink voucher). A cluster of more down-tempo bars frequented by students can be found along Dominikánská (Kavárna Trojka - students caffee and bar) and Starobrněnská just west of the Zelný trh (cabbage market square). Around the main square, you can find a lot of clubs, pubs, restaurants, coffee houses and lounge bars.

Bars in and around Dvořákova street in the city centre include:

Sleep
There are many hotels all around Brno city. You can compare and choose hotels on Brno Hotels Directory.

Stay safe
Avoid the main train station after dark as it attracts a number of unsavory characters, the usual caution applies. Also keep a keen eye out when using Automated Teller Machines in the immediate area for similar reasons. The area is also known be actively visited by pick-pockets. Also avoid the Cejl street during dark hours for the same reasons. Take the tram or a bus between the stops Malinovského náměstí and Tkalcovská.

Connect
Brno has 4G from all Czech carriers. As of Sept 2021, you might even get 5G but coverage is patchy.

Go next
Moravia has a dense cluster of nearby sites inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List
 * Olomouc: a fine historic university town, with an impressive Plague Column (1½ hour trip)
 * Telč is one of the prettiest towns in the Czech Republic (2 hours trip)
 * Lednice-Valtice is one of the largest artificial landscapes in Europe dotted with palaces and follies (1 hour trip)
 * Třebíč has one of Europe's best preserved Jewish areas (1½ hour trip)
 * Žďár nad Sázavou contains a fine pilgrimage church (1½ hour trip)
 * Kroměříž: an impressive baroque chateau and formal flower gardens (2 hours trip)
 * Beautiful caves of Moravian Karst, with a boat trip inside the cave (45 minute trip)

Places near Brno - trips less than one hour
 * Battlefield Austerlitz (City Slavkov u Brna)
 * Castles: Pernstejn, Bucovice, Slavkov u Brna

Hostels are available in these towns that can be easily reached by bus/train from Brno:
 * Olomouc (80 km)
 * Kroměříž (70 km)
 * Humpolec (100 km) on the way to Prague
 * Tábor (170 km)
 * Prague (210 km)

Other places
 * Vienna is easily accessible as a day trip by train or bus (return ticket by train €33, by bus €14)
 * Bratislava is less than an hour away

title: Brno


text:
Broadford

Broadford (Gaelic: An t-Àth Leathann) is a village straggling along the main road across Skye in the Scottish Inner Hebrides. All island routes converge here so you're bound to pass through it. Its name refers to the "broad fjord" of the bay, not the river crossing, but historically it meant only the western settlement around that crossing: Harrapool, Sculamus and Breakish are the eastern extension of Broadford. The population in 2020 was 1170.

Get in
By road the usual route is to follow A87 across the toll-free bridge from Kyle of Lochalsh. Or you can take A830 "The Road to the Isles" to Mallaig, car ferry to Armadale, then A851 north to Broadford. Going back, an indicator board at the start of A851 shows the status of the ferry. In summer you must book your ferry space, as you face a long wait if you turn up at Armadale or Mallaig without a booking.

See Glenelg for the strange little ferry that plies across the eastern narrows in summer only, and it only fits six cars. (Historically it was for cattle-drovers, with their herds swimming alongside.) This lands you at Kylerhea, not really a village, just a hillside covered with stones and bracken. The lane from the pier crosses lonely moors to reach A87 east of Broadford by the airstrip.

By bus: Citylink Bus 915 runs twice daily from Glasgow Buchanan Station via Glasgow Airport, Dumbarton, Loch Lomond west bank, Crianlarich, Glencoe, Fort William and Invergarry, crossing the Skye Bridge to Kyleakin then onward to Broadford; about 6 hrs 30 min. It continues via Sligachan and Portree to Uig, for ferries to Tarbert on Harris and Lochmaddy on North Uist.

Citylink Bus 917 runs twice daily from Inverness via Loch Ness, taking 2 hr 30 min to Broadford then on to Sligachan and Portree.

Stagecoach Bus 52 runs 3 or 4 times daily from Armadale pier (connecting with the ferries) to Broadford, Sligachan and Portree.

Bus 55 runs three times M-F from Kyle of Lochalsh to Kyleakin and Broadford, with two continuing to Torrin and Elgol.

By train the nearest station is Kyle of Lochalsh, where trains from Inverness connect with the buses across Skye.

Get around
The village straggles, but you can walk around it, and to the start of the Beinn na Caillich ascent.

See

 * Wildlife: along the shore, always be on the look-out for otters, seals and birds of prey.
 * Pabay is the island a couple of miles out in the bay. Seeing it from shore is all you can do, as it's a private estate with no ferry, and the same for Scalpay a few miles northwest and linked to Skye by a causeway, not to be confused with Scalpay on Harris.
 * Raasay is the island you can visit; the ferry sails from Sconser near Sligachan.
 * See Elgol for Kilchrist ruined church and other sights along B8083 leading southwest.

Do

 * : There are two mountains of this name on Skye, this one is the 732 m / 2402 ft summit behind Broadford, the first big peak you see on the road across Skye. The path ascends from Coirechatachan on A87 (Grid ref NG619227). It's a steep slog, with the path often lost under boulders. (Dr Johnson and Boswell thought about climbing it, but wimped out.) The slope is convex so you don't see the summit until the top. There's a very large summit cairn, said to be the burial place of a Norse princess. From here you can retrace your steps, or continue to the lower summits of Beinn Dearg Mhor and Beinn Dearg Beag then down to the road.
 * Skye Guides lead rock-climbing and scrambling expeditions over the Cuillin, tailored to your ability.
 * Kayaking is pleasant around this coast but bring your own, there's no local hire facility.

Buy

 * Broadford is your last chance to stock up if you're heading somewhere remote like Elgol or Raasay. There's a Co-op food store (daily 7AM-10PM) and a Post Office.
 * Fuel: Asda Express filling station is open daily 6AM-10PM.
 * Craft and gift shops scrummage around village centre. They include Love from Skye jewellery, Nook & Cranny, Sandbank Studio, Old Pier Gallery knitwear, Skye Gift Company, Skye Candles and Skyeline Ceramics.

Eat

 * The Sprig serves trad Scots fare. It's opposite Claymore, open daily 4-10PM.
 * The Sprig serves trad Scots fare. It's opposite Claymore, open daily 4-10PM.
 * The Sprig serves trad Scots fare. It's opposite Claymore, open daily 4-10PM.
 * The Sprig serves trad Scots fare. It's opposite Claymore, open daily 4-10PM.
 * The Sprig serves trad Scots fare. It's opposite Claymore, open daily 4-10PM.

Drink
Broadford doesn't have a pub. Try the Hebridean Hotel, east edge of the village.

Sleep

 * Village centre B&Bs include The Sheiling and Carrick.
 * Skye Basecamp Hostel is next to Dunollie Hotel. It's aimed at climbers, with guides based here.
 * Otter Lodge B&B is next to Hebridean Inn.
 * Skulamus is the neighbourhood by the junction of A851 to Armadale. Scorrybreac B&B is west side of the junction and Taigh An Uillt is east side.
 * Breakish is the settlement east towards the airfield. B&Bs are Strathgorm, Strathallan and Shiloh.
 * Skye Basecamp Hostel is next to Dunollie Hotel. It's aimed at climbers, with guides based here.
 * Otter Lodge B&B is next to Hebridean Inn.
 * Skulamus is the neighbourhood by the junction of A851 to Armadale. Scorrybreac B&B is west side of the junction and Taigh An Uillt is east side.
 * Breakish is the settlement east towards the airfield. B&Bs are Strathgorm, Strathallan and Shiloh.
 * Skulamus is the neighbourhood by the junction of A851 to Armadale. Scorrybreac B&B is west side of the junction and Taigh An Uillt is east side.
 * Breakish is the settlement east towards the airfield. B&Bs are Strathgorm, Strathallan and Shiloh.

Connect
As of June 2024, Broadford and the A87 have 4G from all UK carriers. 5G has not reached this area.

Go next

 * A lonely road B8083 winds west through the hills to dead-end at Elgol.
 * A87 runs northwest to Sconser near Sligachan, for ferries to Raasay. It continues north to Portree and Uig, while a minor road branches off to Carbost, for the Talisker distillery.
 * A851 runs south to Armadale, for ferries to Mallaig on the mainland.
 * The usual route back to the mainland is A87 east via Kyleakin and over the bridge. You'll pass picturesque Eilean Donan castle near Dornie.

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/

title: Broadford


text:
Norfolk Broads

The Norfolk Broads (also commonly referred to as The Broads) is an historic and scenic area in the east of the English county of Norfolk, close to the Suffolk border and also extending into that county. It consists of a network of mostly navigable rivers, lakes and marshes. A large portion of the Broads now falls within the irregular boundaries of the Broads National Park.

History
For many years the broads were regarded as natural features of the landscape. It was only in the 1960s that Dr Joyce Lambert proved that they were artificial features, the effect of flooding on early peat excavations.

The Romans first exploited the rich peat beds of the area for fuel, and in the Middle Ages the local monasteries began to excavate the peat lands as a business, selling fuel to Norwich and Great Yarmouth. Then the sea levels began to rise, and the pits began to flood. Despite the construction of windpumps and dykes, the flooding continued and resulted in the typical Broads landscape of today, with its reed beds, grazing marshes and wet woodland.

Landscape
The Broads largely follows the line of the rivers and natural navigations of the area. There are seven navigable rivers, the River Yare and its (direct and indirect) tributaries the Rivers Bure, Thurne, Ant, Waveney, Chet and Wensum.

The broads range in size from small pools to the large expanses of Hickling Broad, Barton Broad and Breydon Water. The broads are unevenly distributed, with far more broads in the northern half of Broadland (the Rivers Bure, Thurne and Ant) than in the central and southern portions (the Rivers Yare, Waveney, Chet and Wensum).

Some of the larger broads form nationally important freshwater marshes.

Flora and fauna

The Broads are a very important remnant of the wetlands that once dominated much of the East Anglia. A number of species found here are very scarce in the United Kingdom and even found nowhere else.

The birdlife is especially popular with visitors and specialist broadland species include bittern, which you are more likely to hear than see - they're secretive and well-camouflaged among the reeds, but make a very characteristic 'booming' call which carries quite far and sounds more mechanical than natural. Also look out marsh harrier and bearded tit.

The spectacular yellow and black swallowtail butterfly is found at many locations in the Broads, but nowhere else in the whole of the UK.

Invasive species
The Broads waterways are starting to suffer from increasing threats from invasive species. Of particular concern are 'killer shrimp' (dikerogammarus villosus), mink and signal crayfish as well as a number of invasive plant species: Australian swamp stonecrop, Himalayan balsam, floating pennywort, giant hogweed, Himalayan balsam, Japanese knotweed and parrot's feather. For further information see Broads Authority Invasive Species. The Broads Authority have published a leaflet to improve public awareness and outlining specific steps anglers, boaters, canoeists, kayakers and windsurfers should take to prevent spreading these invaders Broads Authority Advice on preventing spread of invasive species.

Climate
Being in East Anglia the Broads enjoy a drier climate than the more western parts of the UK. Winter temperatures range 1-7°C and typically have 10 rain days a month. In summer Jul & Aug range 12-21°C with 9 rain days each month. Winter sunshine hours per month can be as low as 60 hr in Jan but improve to over 200 hr in July. Detailed information can be found on the UK Met Office Norwich Climate page or UK Met Office East of England Climate page.

Regions
Although the Broads are a single area under control of a single authority, people often consider the area split into two regions: the Northern Broads and the Southern Broads. The Northern Broads are Rivers Bure, Ant and Thurne and many of the more famous Broads (Wroxham broad, Hickling Broad, Horsey Mere, Salhouse Broad, etc.) whilst the Southern Broads comprise Rivers Wensum, Yare, Chet and Waveney and include Breydon Water and Oulton Broad. Northern Broads can be busier as most tourists seem to focus more on that area.

Trinity Broads
Slightly separate from the main "Broads" everybody knows are 5 broads on a tributary of the River Bure but with no navigable link to the river nor to the main Broads network. The Trinity Broads comprise 3 larger broads (Rollesby Broad, Ormesby Broad and Filby Broad) and 2 smaller broads (Lily Broad and Ormesby Little Broad). The area has been classified as an area of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and recreational access to the area is strictly limited and controlled.

Access
Some broads are not connected to the main river network and thus there is no navigation access. A surpassing number of broads are under private ownership and recreational navigation is barred or restricted. Historically broads were considered part of the King's river and thus free access to all was permitted. However in the 19th century some private landowners used the Inclosures Act to block public access to broads they owned. Prominent local boatbuilder Herbert Woods lead access campaigns and in 1949 held an organised trespass into Hoveton Little Broad (Black Horse Broad), dismantling the barriers blocking Black Horse Dyke access to the broad. The protest resulted in the landowner agreeing to public access through parts of the year (Easter to mid-Sept) but other landowners and closed broads did not allow access. Many will be familiar with the name Herbert Woods from the boat hire company based in Potter Heigham.

Today the Broads Authority are starting to talk to landowners of closed broads with a view to greater public access (focusing on 9 linked but closed broads). Hoveton Great Broad is receiving particular focus as significant public funding is being provided for restoration works.

Staithe
Predominantly used in the Northeast and East of the UK, the term "Staithe" or "Staith" means a wharf of quay. More northern areas tend to use Staith (from the Anglo-Saxon) whilst to the south Staithe (with an "e"), from the Danish spelling, is used. Across the Broads area the word will be seen all over the place, house names, street names, place names and even some wharfs and quays!

Norfolk Wherry
Visitors to the area might notice quite a few "names" incorporating the word "Wherry" e.g. Wherryman's Way footpath, pub names, street names, beers, house names. The word is referring to the Norfolk Wherry, a water craft used for trade and passengers around the broads. Over time the design of the craft varied and to an extent the design and size depended on the waters they were used on but they had a gaff rigged sail with the mast well forward in the hull. Later wherries were around 50 ft long and able to carry 30 tons of cargo. Wherries first came into use in the early 1600s, the last one being built in the early 1900s. There are 8 surviving wherries on the broads, some can be sailing around the broads. In the era when the broads and associated river network were used to transport goods, (some) wherry operators were not adverse to a bit of smuggling (carrying a couple of barrels of smuggled French brandy would give higher profits than carrying 40 tons of coal). The practice developed where a rapid system of warning signalling evolved using the water pumping windmills. When customs inspections were suspected, a wherry would send a runner to the nearest mill who would then fix their sails in a diagonal orientation (St Andrew's Cross). Neighbouring mills would see this signal and position their sails in the same orientation (the sending mill then resuming normal operations). The signalling system allowed warnings to be sent fast over great distances (it is said to have taken less than 15 min for such a signal to pass from Yarmouth to Horsey). Wherrymen seeing the warning would then sink their illicit cargoes marking the spot with floats made of reeds. The sunken cargos were later picked-up by the mill operators (marshmen) and the profits would be split. The mills were then used to pass an all clear signal by orienting their sails in a horizontal/vertical (St George's Cross) orientation. Despite the warning systems, wherrymen were caught and one is said to have been sentenced to 4 years hard labour and confiscation of his craft (though his friends were quicker than the authorities and sunk the craft in a broad, and when it was raised after the sentence was completed the cargo was still intact).

Visitor information

 * Norfolk Broads Visitor Information
 * Broads National Park

Get in
Many will enter the Broads through Norwich which has good rail, road and air links. Drivers generally head for Norwich and then turn E on the A47 to S of Norwich, avoiding the city. The Broads are well signposted from the A47 E of Norwich. The Broads are between 5 and 20 miles from Norwich depending on exactly what part you are heading for

Alternatively the A12 main road runs north from Ipswich close to the coast through Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth.

Boats
If you are taking your own boat on The Broads (e.g. canoe, kayak, dinghy) even for a day, you will need to pay a toll (buy a licence). How much they cost depends on the type/size of boat and how long you are on The Broads for. See  Broads Authority Tolls. Membership of some sporting organisations include a license for your boat on the Broads (e.g. British Canoeing).

Short visit tolls in 2020 (per 7 days period, max 28 days): sailboards, paddleboards, rowboats, canoes etc. £7.90; motorless sailboats < £8.25, +ca £5 per exceeding metre; boats with motor < 4 m £13.60, +ca £8 per exceeding metre (i.e. ca £45 for a 7.5 m yacht with outboard motor). Vessels must be insured, except the smallest un-powered ones.

Fishing
There are public and private areas on the broads, and some areas where fishing is not permitted for conservation reasons. You will need an Environment Agency Rod Licence.

Get around
The Broads are served by an extensive road network, though some roads are single track and require care (if unfamiliar with such types of roads).

The region is connected by a network of rivers and dykes and can be seen by boat, either a day or part day boat hire or a longer cabin cruiser hire. Note that most waterways within the broads have speed limits of 3–6 mph (2.5–5 knots) and you are not permitted to cruise between dusk and dawn.

Rail lines within the broads run Norwich–Cromer, Norwich–Great Yarmouth, and Norwich–Lowestoft. Services are operated by Greater Anglia

The area is served by bus routes Travel Line East Anglia and First Group and Anglian Bus for the Southern Broads.

Some enjoy seeing the region by bike or walking, both shorter circular routes as well as longer multi-day routes (see "Do" section below).

See
Within the confines of the Broads National Park, there are several important conservation areas. Some of the larger specific reserve areas include:

Do
Since the Norfolk Broads is now the UK’s largest nationally protected wetland and an important area for wildlife, there are plenty of outdoor activities to do. You won't find any clubbing spots here but there are many family pub restaurants along the Broads.

One of the main activities is to rent a boat and cruise along the river for a few days, stopping at pubs along the way.

Canoeing
The Broads are ideal for canoeing and kayaking and there are several canoe hire centres around the Broads (full day or part day hire).

Walking
There are many footpaths and walks around the Broads, both shorter circular routes and longer multi-day walks

Several circular walks described at Discover the Broads.

Boating
There are many places where you can hire boats to take out on the Broads, from small day boats through to full family cruisers sleeping aboard for a few weeks, mostly motor boats. A small day boat for a few hours would not normally need booking in advance whilst the holiday sleep aboard cruisers would need advance booking.

Seals
Between late Oct and Feb you can visit the Grey Seals at Horsey Gap (check early and late if seals are present before visiting). A large wild population comes ashore over this time (up on the beach and dunes) to breed and give birth. About half the world population of grey seals live around the UK, and Horsey Gap is one of the larger populations. Some areas have been roped-off for sake of seals; they can be dangerous with the young and males around, but you can watch and see the colony clearly.

Stay safe
Given the wide range of activities in the area, safety considerations depend on what you are doing.

For recommendations for water based activities see Broads Authority Safety Recommendations.

Go next

 * Norwich
 * Wroxham and Hoveton
 * Horning
 * Potter Heigham
 * Great Yarmouth
 * Lowestoft
 * Cromer
 * Beccles and Bungay

title: Norfolk Broads


text:
Broadstairs

Broadstairs is a beach resort on the east coast of Kent. It has sandy beaches, clean bathing water and a variety of pubs and restaurants. In 2021 its population was about 25,000.

Understand
The village of St Peters was established around 1080 AD, an outpost of the Cinque Ports responsible for maritime defence. Around 1350 a shrine was erected on the clifftop, and acted as a landmark for fishing vessels. The fishing folk cut a flight of broad stairs from the shore to the shrine and so their hamlet was named. It was a poor sort of place, lacking a sheltered harbour and hemmed in by cliffs to impede inland transport. But in the 18th century high taxes made smuggling lucrative, and Broadstairs' out-of-the-way landing beach and cliff-face hidey-holes made it a popular smuggling route.

The town grew from 1824 with the fashion for sea bathing, and a steam ferry service from London. Prosperous visitors included the writer Charles Dickens and the future Queen Victoria; the railway arrived in 1863 and brought hoi polloi. It's been a holiday resort ever since, with St Peters and Broadstairs townships merging in 1895. There's a rash of light industry and retail a few miles inland but the Victorian centre is fairly well preserved.

Tourist information is available from the kiosk below the foot of High St. It's open Apr-Sep: daily 10AM-4PM, but is under notice to quit the site by end of June 2023, and its future base is not known. Tourist info is also available from the Dickens House Museum.

By train
Trains from London Victoria run every 30-60 min, taking 1 hr 50 min via Rochester,  Chatham,  Gillingham, Sittingbourne and Faversham, where the train may divide. You need to be in the portion running along the north coast to Whitstable, Margate and Broadstairs, continuing to Ramsgate. The other portion heads south to Canterbury East and  Dover Priory.

Trains from London St Pancras run hourly and take 90 min via Stratford, Ebbsfleet, Ashford,  Canterbury West and Ramsgate to Broadstairs, continuing to Margate. Eurostar no longer stops at Ebbsfleet.

An occasional train takes 3 hours from London Charing Cross, meandering via Ashford, Canterbury West and Ramsgate. You'd only take it to reach one of the minor stations: Paddock Wood, Sturry, Dumpton Park, are these lyrics from Flanders and Swann's Slow Train?

is at the top of High Street, half a mile from the sea front. There's a staffed ticket office and machines, coffee kiosk, waiting rooms and toilets. There is step-free access to platform 1 (towards Margate) from the main entrance. For step-free access to platform 2 (towards Ramsgate) use the ramp from Broadway.

By bus
National Express NX022 takes 3 hr 15 min from London Victoria via Canterbury and Margate to Broadstairs, continuing to Ramsgate. It runs four times a day.

Stagecoach Loop Bus runs every 10-20 min between Margate, Broadstairs and Ramsgate.

Buses stop by the railway station, there isn't a bus station.

By car
Broadstairs is from London and about 1 hour from the M25 via the M2, and 16 miles east of Canterbury.

By boat
Broadstairs is 2 miles from the channel port of Ramsgate with ferries from Ostend in Belgium (for car passengers/coaches only though - no foot passengers).

By plane
The nearest major international airports are London Gatwick, and London Heathrow ,. Manston Airport closed in 2015.

Get around
The town is easily navigable on foot.

Taxi operators include Andrew's, Central and A2B Thanet.

See

 * has 200 yards of golden sandy beach between the cliffs. The shore drops away quite steeply so keep an eye on kids and weak swimmers. No dogs anytime 1 May - 30 Sep.
 * St Mary's Chapel that held the clifftop shrine is nowadays just a flintstone frontage on Albion St (junction with Alexandra Rd), occupied by a unisex hairstylist.
 * Holy Trinity is the Anglican church that now holds the shrine, 100 yards north at the corner of Albion St and Church Rd. Built in 1830, it was castigated by Dickens as "a hideous temple of flint, like a petrified haystack."
 * is the village that in 1895 became part of Broadstairs. Ted Heath (1916-2005) was born here; he was prime minister 1970-74 and a keen yachtsman. St Peter's Church (Church of England) is a charming old building with an interesting graveyard.
 * is a headland atop the cliffs. The lighthouse was first lit in 1691 and is now automated. Kingsgate Castle to the south in Joss Bay has been a plutocrat's stables and a hotel but is now private apartments.
 * is the village that in 1895 became part of Broadstairs. Ted Heath (1916-2005) was born here; he was prime minister 1970-74 and a keen yachtsman. St Peter's Church (Church of England) is a charming old building with an interesting graveyard.
 * is a headland atop the cliffs. The lighthouse was first lit in 1691 and is now automated. Kingsgate Castle to the south in Joss Bay has been a plutocrat's stables and a hotel but is now private apartments.

Do

 * Other beaches near Broadstairs are Botany Bay, Joss Bay (for surf), Stone Bay (sandy in spite of the name), Louisa Bay (no dogs May-Sep 10AM-6PM), Kingsgate Bay and Dumpton Gap. At low tide you can walk between several of the beaches, but the high tide comes right up to the cliffs. This exposed, cliff-backed coastline is not suitable for launching anything much bigger than a paddle-board, for marinas and harbours head to Ramsgate or Sandwich.
 * Broadstairs Town Trail is a self-guided walk around town. The trail’s 10 illustrated boards describe the history of some local people and buildings. You can download it or pick up a leaflet from the Tourist Information Centre.
 * Palace Cinema is on Harbour Street, tel +44 1843 865726.
 * Golf: North Foreland GC is two miles north near the lighthouse. The main course is 6436 yards off white tees, par 71, visitor round £80. The Northcliffe course has 18 par-3 holes. See Ramsgate for other nearby courses.
 * Broadstairs Food Festival is held at Easter and in autumn.
 * Broadstairs Dickens Festival is in June. Dickens was a regular visitor 1837-1859 and described the place as "Our English Watering Place". For the centenary of his first stay they staged David Copperfield and decked the townsfolk in Victorian dress. The publicity worked and it became an annual event, in mid-June.
 * Folk Week is in August, venues all over town.
 * The Bandstand hosts a full programme of entertainment during the summer.

Buy

 * Convenience stores on High St are Londis (daily 7AM-9PM) and Tesco Express (daily 6AM-11PM).

Eat

 * Cheap eats: Albion St and Harbour St are wall-to-wall with cheap takeaway or sit in places. The strip extends inland up High St and southwest along York Rd.
 * The Jetty is relaxed dining in the bungalow at the pier end, open W-Sa noon-10:30PM, Su noon-7:30PM.
 * The Jetty is relaxed dining in the bungalow at the pier end, open W-Sa noon-10:30PM, Su noon-7:30PM.

Sleep

 * Ramsgate Road is the main strip for B&Bs, southwest corner of town. There's no campsite or hostel nearby.

Connect
Broadstairs and its approach roads have 4G from all UK carriers. As of April 2023, 5G has not reached town.

Go next

 * Whitstable is on the north Kent coast with a shingle beach. It used to be famous for its oysters.
 * Faversham for the national fruit collection and breweries.
 * Canterbury is a must-see.
 * Margate is a resort with a funfair, nowadays down-at-heel but pleasant when the sun shines.
 * Ramsgate and Sandwich are ports looking onto the Channel.

title: Broadstairs


text:
Broadway (disambiguation)

There are a number of streets and other places in the world called Broadway. You could be looking for:

United Kingdom

 * Broadway (England) – a village in the Cotswolds in Worcestershire, Central England.

United States

 * Broadway – a major road in New York City and Westchester County.
 * The most famous section of Broadway, in Midtown Manhattan, is synonymous with New York's Theater District.

title: Broadway (disambiguation)


text:
Broadway (England)

Broadway is a well-known and much-visited Cotswolds village in the English county of Worcestershire. Often referred to as the "Jewel of the Cotswolds" and the "Show Village of England" because of its archetypal rural beauty, the 'Broad Way' leads from the foot of the western Cotswolds escarpment along a wide grass-fringed street lined with ancient honey-coloured limestone buildings, many dating back to the 16th century. Broadway makes an ideal base from which to explore the surrounding countryside, including the rest of the Cotswolds region, for which the village forms the northern gateway.

Despite Broadway's status as a major tourist destination, it is considered more upmarket than the nearby Bourton-on-the-Water, and rarely seems excessively crowded. If you take a car, though, you will need to be either patient or selective about your car park on busy days, particularly summer weekends and bank holidays.

Understand
Broadway became a busy staging post on the route from Worcester to London as coaches had to harness extra horses for the long pull up nearby Fish Hill. As many as 40 travellers' inns once existed within the village to service those passing through, a few of which are still in use today.

Broadway has been home to a lot of prominent English artists and composers, including Sir Edward Elgar, John Singer Sargent, J.M. Barrie, Vaughan Williams and Arts and Crafts artist and writer William Morris.

Like many Cotswold villages, Broadway became prosperous from the wool trade, and much of its charm comes from its large number of luxurious old limestone houses.

 * Broadway visitor information

By coach
Private chartered coach trips are run by a lot of companies from most major cities, including London, Birmingham, and other nearby tourist hotspots such as Stratford-upon-Avon. You are likely to find yourself sharing the coach with either the elderly or Japanese tourists.

By car
There are several well-signposted car parks around the village. On busy days (notably bank holidays and summer weekends) the one where you are most likely to find a space, the largest car park, is on Leamington Road, near the village library. This has a somewhat unusual entrance; you drive under a bridge formed by two adjoining apartment buildings. The nearest postcode (for SatNav) is WR12 7DZ.

By thumb
You can hitchhike from the B4632 or A44 roads. Locals are very friendly, if a bit posh, and generally will give lifts to stranded people.

By train
The nearest mainline railway stations are Evesham and Honeybourne, both on the Cotswold line with direct services to Worcester, Oxford and London Paddington at least every two hours from approximately 6AM until 10PM.

Take the Gloucestershire Warwickshire Steam Railway from Cheltenham Racecourse to Broadway. This private steam railway does not connect to the mainline railway network, but you can use the Stagecoach Racecourse Park and Ride bus D to get between Cheltenham Racecourse and Cheltenham Spa railway station. The steam railway and Park and Ride services are at opposite ends of this very large racecourse, so allow 20 minutes to walk between the two.

Get around
Broadway is a relatively compact village, flat and easy to walk around. None of the car parks are more than a ten-minute walk into the centre, and the buses stop right along High Street.

The main shops, hotels, pubs and cafes are mostly easily found off the High Street, around the village green and war memorial. However, when walking from there, along the High Street, it is a common mistake to think that the shops end at The Horse & Hound pub. It is well worth walking five minutes further north along High Street to find a few more quaint little shops around the Leamington Road junction.

See

Buy

 * Nearby Broadway Tower was a country retreat of Victorian designer William Morris, and many shops sell both practical and souvenir items with Morris' distinctive floral designs.
 * There are a number of fine art dealers in the village, notably paintings and furniture. If you need to ask the price, you can't afford it.

Eat

 * Broadway is well-served for eating. The best dining is in the hotels, see Sleep for Lygon Arms, Russell's and Broadway Hotel.
 * Locally-made ice-cream is sold from the back of a tricycle, near the village green, during the peak summer season and on most weekends.
 * Locally-made ice-cream is sold from the back of a tricycle, near the village green, during the peak summer season and on most weekends.
 * Locally-made ice-cream is sold from the back of a tricycle, near the village green, during the peak summer season and on most weekends.

Go next

 * Chipping Campden is another beautiful Cotswold village about six miles away, again with exclusive posh boutique shopping. By road it is easiest to drive up the A44 Fish Hill and then down the B4081 Conduit Hill. By bike, a flatter route is possible north through the B4632 Willersey and Weston-Sub-Edge and east along the B4035 Aston-Sub-Edge. A shorter pedestrian route is over the Cotswold Way long-distance footpath, but this can be very steep in sections and should not be attempted in cold or stormy weather.
 * Winchcombe is about 8 miles (13 km) south on the B4632, another Cotswold village that also features a fortified manor house, Sudeley Castle.

title: Broadway (England)


text:
Brocéliande

The forest of Brocéliande, or forest of Paimpont is located 40 km to the west of Rennes, in Ille-et-Vilaine in Brittany. It is part of the district of Brocéliande. This forest is mostly a private forest belonging to several families.

Access to public is limited but the most remarkable sites are open to everybody.

Understand
Brocéliande is a mythic forest from the Arthurian legend, usually identified as the forest of Paimpont. It is a mythic place because the forest hides many legends about King Arthur, Merlin the wizard, the fairy Viviane. The forest of Brocéliande is a mysterious place.

By car

 * RN24 (Rennes/Vannes-Lorient) exit Plélan-Le-Grand/Paimpont.

By plane

 * Rennes-Saint Jacques airport.

By bus

 * Bus Illenoo, from Rennes railway station, line 1: Rennes-Paimpont.

title: Brocéliande


text:
Brock

Brock is a township of about 12,600 people (2021) in the Durham region of the Greater Toronto Area, in Ontario.

Understand

The Trent-Severn Waterway forms part of the northern border of the municipality, which enters Lake Simcoe through Ramara Township. There are five locks in Brock. Thorah Island in Lake Simcoe is within the municipal boundaries of Brock.

Communities
is the largest community and commercial centre of the township, while is home to the municipal administration and local high school.

Beaverton is the commercial and financial centre for the township, and several stores, services and entertainment facilities are located there.

Smaller communities in the township include Ball Subdivision, Blackwater, Cedar Beach, Creightons Corners, Derryville, Gamebridge, Layton, Maple Beach, Port Bolster, Pinedale, Saginaw, Sunderland, Thorah Beach, Vallentyne, Vroomanton, Wick and Wilfrid.

History
The original Brock Township was surveyed in 1817 as part of York County and the first meetings were held in 1833. The township was named for Major General Sir Isaac Brock (1769–1812) whose estate received free land here for his service in the War of 1812. William Bagshaw became Brock's first Postmaster and Justice of the Peace in 1819 when he owned property on Lot 5 Concession 9.

By car
Brock can be reached by traveling east on Highway 12 from Orillia, by traveling north on Highway 12 from Whitby, or by traveling west on Highway 7 from Peterborough. Portions of Highway 7 and Highway 12 are part of branch of the Trans-Canada Highway passes through the area, traveling between Sudbury and Kanata (near Ottawa) on Highway 69 and 400, then Highway 12, then Highway 7, then Highway 417.

title: Brock


text:
Brocken

Brocken, above sea level is the highest summit in the Harz mountains and in the northern part of Germany. Brocken is the German word for boulder and when you see the mountain you realise where the name comes from, as the mountain rises like a cake above the landscape.

Understand
The sensitive, ecologically valuable Brocken massive is protected and part of the Harz National Park. Staying on the marked roads and paths is mandatory - you may not walk around in the woods wherever you like. The mountain is visited by around 1.4 million tourists every year, and the trip up and the views are often the high point on a trip to the Harz.

Popular ways of getting to the summit are on foot or by the historical Brockenbahn steam train from Wernigerode or Nordhausen to Drei Annen Hohne and on to the Brocken. However, be aware that the mountain is shrouded in clouds for about 300 days a year and at those times the amazing views are covered up. To enjoy them you need some luck or be prepared to adjust your travel plans quickly according to weather conditions.

History

 * 293 million years ago: The mountain was formed, according to research in the early 2000s by the Senckenberg Natural Historical Collections in Dresden.

 * 1572: The earliest recorded climbing of Brocken, when the physician Johannes Thal from Nordhausen described the flora of the mountain in a book.

 * 1736: Count Christian Ernst zu Stolberg-Wernigerode has the "Wolkenhäuschen" (lit. cloud hut) built on Brocken, a mountaineer hut equipped with a fireplace. The hut is still standing next to the larger buildings on the summit.

 * 1743: The first summit station named Brockenhaus is built.

 * 1777: Author Goethe hikes from Torfhaus to Brocken, arriving on 10 December 1777. The path he took is nowadays known as "Goetheweg".

 * 1800: The first inn is built.

 * 1850: The Prussian military measures the height of the mountain as 1,141.1 metres above sea level, which is still the official height.

 * 1859: Brockenhaus burns down.

 * 1862: A new Brockenhaus is opened.

 * 1890: Professor Albert Peter from Göttingen opens the Brockengarten.

 * 1895: The first weather station is set up.

 * 27 March 1899: The Brockenbahn opens.

 * 1935: A mobile transmitter with a power of 10 kW transmits the first television broadcasts from Brocken.

 * 1937: Brocken becomes part of the nature protected area "Oberharz".

 * 1939: The present weather station is built.

 * 17. April 1945: The Brocken Hotel is destroyed by an American air bombing towards the end of WWII

 * 1961: The Berlin Wall is built and the inner German border is strengthened, and Brocken (close to the border) is closed to visitors. The mountain is sealed off by a 3 m high wall. For the rest of the Cold War, Brocken houses a signal interception station by the East Bloc militaries.

 * 3 December 1989: - As the East German regime is withering away, hundreds of people demand access to the mountain and it's reopened to the public.

 * 1 October 1990: - The Hochharz National Park is founded (today known as just Harz National Park).

 * 15 September 1991: - The Brockenbahn is reopened after a renovation and many discussions about whether there should be active rail services in a protected area.

 * 30 March 1994: The last Russian troops leave, and the summit is restored to a more natural state to become part of the surrounding national park.

Flora

As a kind of Alpine island, the mountain has since the end of the last ice age been a retreat for some animals and plants that one would otherwise encounter in the high mountains. The first scientific book about the plants of the Harz, Sylva Hercynia: sive catalogus plantarum sponte nascentium in montibus & locis plerisque Hercyniae Sylvae quae respicit Saxoniam, was written by physician Johannes Thal from Nordhausen in 1577. Unlike other flora books of the day, it described all the flora, not just medical plants.

In the 19th century Brocken had become a popular destination, and hikers were commonly given a bouquet of Brocken flowers by the inn owners as a farewell gift. This meant the hillsides were often emptied of flowers, and many flowers went extinct. Nowadays picking flowers is prohibited as the area is a national park. If you're interested in the Alpine flora of the mountain, take a guided tour through the Brockengarten park.

Some iconic flowers of the Brocken include:
 * Alpine pasqueflower (Pulsatilla alpina subsp. alba), in German: Kleine Alpen-Kuhschelle, or Brockenanemone (earlier also Brockenblume – "the Brockenflower")
 * Crowberries (Empetrum), in German: Krähenbeere or locally Brockenmyrte
 * Brocken hawkweed  (Hieracium negrescens), in German: Brockenhabichtskraut
 * Alpine hawkweed (Hieracium alpinum), in German: Alpenhabichtskraut

Fauna
Several animal species have adapted to the conditions of life on the Brocken. For example, the water pipit (Anthus aquaticus) and the ring ouzel both breed in the area around the summit.

The viviparous lizard occurs on the Brocken in a unique, dark-coloured variant, Lacerta vivipara aberr. negra. The common frog (Rana temporaria) can also be found here. Insects are very numerous. There are many beetles, including ground beetles such as Amara erratica, and hundreds of species of butterfly. The cabbage white here produces only one generation per year compared with two in the lowlands.

Some mammal and bird species that occur here are relics of the ice age, including the northern bat (Eptesicus nilssonii), the alpine shrew (Sorex alpinus) and the ring ouzel.

Climate
The top part of the mountain has a harsh Subalpine climate, and the tree line goes at 1110 m. The location in the Middle German mountains, the easy access from Wernigerode and by the Brockenbahn often cause visitors to underestimate the mountain and its risks. Brocken has an extreme microclimate influencing the weather conditions, which can change quickly just like in the Alps.

In the summer heavy thunderstorms and storm winds may emerge quickly. In the winter there are frequent snow storms dropping large amounts of snow that can block roads and make hikers lose orientation. Another risk during the winter is ice falling off the masts and buildings.

As a hiker, you should always take along weather-resistant clothing and sturdy shoes and follow the weather forecasts. Also consult the Stay safe section in this article, especially if you're an unexperienced hiker.

On the summit there's an information sign describing the weather conditions. Weather averages from 1960–1980:

 * Average temperature:
 * Yearly rain:
 * Snowy days in a year: 176
 * Cloudy days in a year: 306

Weather extremes since 1895, when record keeping was started:

 * maximum snow height: on 14–15 April 1970
 * farthest view: on 11 January 1998
 * strongest wind: 73 m/s (263 km/h, 163 mph) on 24 November 1984
 * highest temperature: on 20. August 2012
 * lowest temperature: on 1 February 1956
 * most rain in a year: in 2007
 * most rain in a month: in December 1974
 * most rain in a day: on 17 July 2002
 * most sunny hours in a year: 2004.5 h in 1921
 * highest number of cloudy days in a year: 330 days in 1958

If you have a lot of luck, you can see a Brocken spectre on a cloudy or foggy day. It's an optical illusion composed of your own shadow cast on clouds, but the shadow is huge and often surrounded by halos.

Current weather and forecasts

 * www.harztourist.de shows three webcams and weather information in German.
 * DWD, the German weather service, issues warnings.
 * Four day forecast for Brocken by Meteomedia AG

Get in
Other modes than hiking, which has its own section right below.

By road
From Schierke, the Brockenstraße circulates the mountain up to the summit. Private motorised vehicles are banned on the road though it is open to bikers and pedestrians. Pedestrians have the right of way, and on days when there are lot of pedestrians it can be challenging to ride a bike.

There are also horse carriages transporting tourists up the mountain from Schierke, as well as guided Segway tours but riding your own electric ride is not allowed in the national park.

If you come by car, there are parking lots in Schierke, Torfhaus or Oderbrück near the B4 highway, or at all railway stations.

By train

The Brockenbahn is a narrow gauge (1000 mm) railway used by steam trains operated by Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB). In 2011 about half of the visitors to Brocken used the railway. It starts at Drei Annen Hohne, 540 m ASL (has a parking lot), and the 19 km-trip up to the Brocken station, 1125 m ASL takes about 50 minutes. Drei Annen Hohne is on the Harzquerbahn between Wernigerode and Nordhausen, and steam trains also operate on this railway. There are through trains from Wernigerode to Brocken taking one hour and 40 minutes. From Nordhausen you usually have to change trains in Eisfelder Talmühle and Drei Annen Hohne, and the trip will take around three and a half hour.

The ticket price (known as Brockentarif) to Brocken or back down is the same, no matter where you get on (or off) the train. If you come by car, it's a bad idea to drive to Schierke (the last station before Brocken) as there aren't enough parking space for the demand. Instead you can board the train for instance in Wernigerode at the same price.

The Brockentarif as of Nov 2022:

 * adults: one-way: €34, return: €51
 * children aged 6-14: one-way: €20.50, return: €30.50
 * mobility impaired persons with documentation ride for free
 * going by train from Wernigerode to Schierke (to hike up to Brocken) costs €14 for adults one-way, and €21 return, and for children 6-14: €8.50 ons-way, €12.50 return
 * for more ticket types (family and group discounts etc.), consult the HSB website

By horse
As mentioned above, you can travel up the mountain in a horse-pulled carriage. The trip from Schierke takes about two hours.

Some companies offering such trips:
 * Lindes Planwagenfahrten from Wernigerode
 * Bauer Lindes Planwagen also from Wernigerode

By bike

More details about the routes in the Hike section

Brockenstraße from Schierke
The paved road is the only way to ride a racing bicycle to the Brocken, and the best and easiest route for touring bikes.

The Brockenstrasse was renovated between 2008 and 2011. Between Schierke and Gelber Brink/Ilsenburger Chaussee on 900 m altitude the route was paved anew. Bikers don't need to worry about the road, but there are often a lot of hikers and sometimes gravel chunks. Further up the road was patched up, and there are even more hikers. There are also horses and carts carrying tourists on the road.

As a biker approaching hikers you should ring the bell early, pass them at a moderate speed and at enough distance. As a pedestrian, don't block the road by walking side by side. If you're walking a dog, keep it at short leash. There's space for everybody if you take others into consideration.

Through the romantic Ilsental from Ilsenburg or Bad Harzburg
From Ilsenburg you can ride up Brocken on a touring bike, on the route is a gain in elevation of about 1000 m. The route between Ilsenburg and Brockenstrasse goes along good or decent gravel paths along the valley. The roaring Ilse will accompany you on the way. In the upper section it gets a bit steeper, and if you're on a bike without an electric motor you need to be quite fit. If you're riding an electric bike, it's good if it has a battery with a capacity of at least 500–600 Wh.

There are two routes from Ilsenburg. The easier one goes through the forest along the Bremerweg to the Ilse Falls, past the Rote Brücke and Gelbe Brink where you will get on the Brockenstrasse. The more demanding route - the "Brocken Nordrampe" goes to Scharfenstein and along a rather steep road paved with concrete bricks to the summit. Here, a mountain bike with suspension and sturdy tires is recommended to climb the mountain comfortably, and going down would be unsafe as it's really steep at some places. This is a former border road, and there are more details about it in the Hike section below.

From Bad Harzburg you can also get to the Brocken Nordrampe (following the route in ). Beware that there is a long flight of stairs to get up a dam, and a section with tree roots on the path.

From Torfhaus or Braunlage
The relatively fine gravelled Goetheweg from Torfhaus is now also rideable by bikes in its entirety (the bike ban on the section along the railway was lifted in 2021). Much of it can be done on a touring bike, but the section at the Brockenbahn is covered by coarse concrete plates with some loose gravel on them here and there. When going downwards along that section, even mountain bikers should better get off and push their bikes.

From Braunlage you can take the routes along the Grosse Bode described in, joining the Goetheweg along the road. The last part follows the paved Brockenstrasse.

Fees and permits
There are no fees or permits required, however you have to stay on the marked paths (see below).

Hike
A day hike to the Brocken is part of many peoples' journey to the Harz. If you're a beginner, it's best to start in Torfhaus of Schierke. Seasoned and fit hikers can also start the journey in places like Wernigerode, Ilsenburg, Bad Harzburg, Altenau, Braunlage or St. Andreasberg. Alternatively you can split the journey into two days and stay overnight at the summit.

The routes in the national park are well signposted and you need to stay on them. Despite the good signage, it's good to bring a map for instance a printout from OpenStreetMap.

Goetheweg from Torfhaus

In 1777, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe hiked in the Harz mountains arriving from Clausthal-Zellerfeld in Torfhaus and stayed at forester Degen. On 10 December, they walked up the mountain together. The very exact route is unknown but Goethe wrote down these notes about his trip:

 * „Früh nach dem Torfhause in tiefem Schnee. 1 viertel nach 10 aufgebrochen, von da auf den Brocken. Schnee eine Elle tief, der aber trug. 1 viertel nach eins droben. Heiterer herrlicher Augenblick, die ganze Welt in Wolken und Nebel und oben alles heiter. Was ist der Mensch, dass du sein gedenkst. Um viere wieder zurück. Beim Förster auf dem Torfhause in Herberge.“

 * (Early after the Torfhaus through deep snow. At quarter to ten we broke camp, from there we went up the Brocken. The snow was an elbow deep, but it carried us. Quarter past one we were up. It was a clear wonderful moment, the whole world in clouds and fog and above it everything clear. What is the human you think you are. Around four o clock back. Stayed at the foresters' in Torfhaus.)
 * – Goethe: Schriften zur Geologie und Mineralogie

This wasn't Goethe's only visit, he returned on 21 September 1783 and 3 September 1784. Nowadays around 250,000 people take the Goetheweg route to the summit.

Get in: Start in Torfhaus at an elevation of 811 m: ''ca. distance, ca. 2–3 hr walking time, simple.'' The path is throughout widened to a width of 3 m. Where the path goes next to the rail tracks, biking is prohibited. Large parking lot.

If you start at the small parking lot at the B4 highway on the road to the Ehrenfriedhof cemetery, the route is notably shorter with only to the summit. Ehrenfriedhof is next to the B4 between Torfhaus and Oderbrück. Somewhat further is the highest point reachable by car for a hike (around 830 m ASL), i.e. less altitude to cover to get to the summit. However if you start at the Ehrenfriedhof you won't pass the Nationalparkhaus nor the bog at the Grosse Torfhausmoor. Another downside is that parking space is limited and it's not cleaned during the winter. At these times you can only get there by bus – take bus 820 between Bad Harzburg Bhf and Braunlage and get off at Ehrenfriedhof. In the DB routeplanner the stop goes by the name "Oderbrück Ehrenfriedhof, St. Andreasberg".

A comparatively bigger parking lot can be found in a bit further south in Oderbrück (790 m ASL) at the B4. From there the distance to the summit is 7.6 km.

Go:

 * – Parking lot (parking fee €1/hr, €5/day) and bus stop at the B4. Restaurant, view to Brocken, Visitor centre TorfHaus with movies about the national park screened on the upper floor. The visitor centre is open Tu–S 10:00–16:00.
 * – The path goes next to the bog. From here, a log road goes into the national park, parallel to the main path and a bit into the bog. If you take the sidetrip, you have to stay on the log road – it's not just prohibited but dangerous to step into the bog.
 * – Viewpoint to Brocken with dead forest and fallen trees. There's an info sign about the re-emergence of the forest. The trees have died partially because of pollution and partially because of bark beetles. Between the dead trees, the forest is slowly returning in the form of small spruces and rowans.
 * – The source of the Ecker river; during the Cold War it was a border river between the Germanies. Today you will cross between the states of Lower Saxony and Saxony Anhalt. South of it is a refuge hut with stamping checkpoint 136 "Eckersprung" of the Harzer Wandernadel. The Harzer Wandernadel is a system of 222 points around the mountain range where hikers can collect stamps in a book and be awarded hiking badges when they've collected enough stamps. There are two toilets too, closed in the winter.
 * – After a steeper section up to the Brockenbahn, the Goetheweg runs parallel to it. You will get a close up view of the train if it happens to pass. Formerly hikers walked up a stairway, now there's just a wide path (known as Neue Goetheweg). This section is closed to bicycles.
 * – From here on, the journey continues along the steep road Brockenstrasse. As you're getting close to the summit, and many other hiking routes have merged together (e.g. five out of the seven routes described in this guide), expect to share the road with many other hikers as well as bikers. There are three info signs here too.
 * – The last refuge hut before the summit. The hut is closed from the sides and offers good protection from wind and rain. The name translates to "bone-breaker curve" and you can read more about it below.
 * – You've arrived! The stamping point number 9 can be found right of the Brockenhaus.
 * – You've arrived! The stamping point number 9 can be found right of the Brockenhaus.

Knochenbrecherweg and -kurve

The name "Knochenbrecherkurve" (bone-breaker curve) dates from the times where horses were a common way for getting to the summit and before the current road (built in 1849 or earlier) was built. The old road went from this curve straight up to the summit. This section was extremely steep and went through rough terrain, horses frequently broke their bones here. In the 1950s the old road had grown over and wasn't recognizable any longer. In 2012 a local hiking club asked for the old road to be reconstructed for hikers, but the park authorities weren't too enthusiastic to carve up a path in a protected area. Moreover many visitors like seniors, families with small children and so on wouldn't be able to walk such a steep path safely.

But if you want to experience an uncomfortable path here, head for the rocky Eckerlochstieg from Schierke, part of which is known as the "kneebreak".

Some hiking history: Goetheweg throughout the ages
As there is a new Goethe way neuen Goetheweg, some people will ask what happened to the old one? The answer is that the paths, just as the mountain itself, have changed over the centuries.

If you have a look at for instance "Meyers Reisebuch" from 1901, there the historical Goetheweg is outlined: starting from the railway station, the path first crossed the railway, followed its steep routing uphill past the Hirschhornklippen (nowadays inaccessible). Then the path went along a log road through the Goethemoor bog, crossed the railway once more and went steeply straight up to the summit. As the mountain was closed to the public in 1961 and remained so for almost 30 years, the nature reclaimed the route.

In 1989 when it again became possible to visit the mountain, the number of visitors grew quickly and new paths had to be created to cope with the number of visitors. In 1990 the new Goetheweg was built in the area of the former border wall along the Brockenbahn. As the new path didn't cross the railway, two potentially dangerous points for hikers were removed. The section next to the Goethemoor was also improved. There's a memorial stone to the construction of the new Goetheweg near the junction of the railway and Brockenstrasse.

As years went by, the number of visitors grew and the path became more and more congested. In addition, the stairway built next to the railway was slippery when wet or snowy, and when there was plenty of snow, walking became impossible. Hikers often walked on the railway instead, as it was ploughed during the winter, which was dangerous. In 2008–2009 the Goetheweg was rebuilt; it got a gravel surface and was widened to 3 m throughout so that it can be ploughed and stay open around the year.

Eckerlochstieg from Schierke

Get in: Start in central Schierke, about 610 m ASL. Length of the walk about, 2–2.5 hr of walking, easy, altitude gain about 530 m. Parking in Schierke costs. For this path you need sturdy shoes, like mountaineer boots, because the terrain is rocky. Walking sticks with adjustable length can also be a good idea to help you keep the balance. If you start from Schierke you can also use the Brockenstrasse, which in practice is car-free but can be busy with bikers and other hikers. In addition it's notably longer, 11 km in length.

Alternative route to the Brockenstraße in Schierke: At the northern end of Schierke, stay on the sand path along the Warme Bode stream. To the right there's a bridge across the stream with the access path to Eckerlochstied (it's signposted). In maps the route is marked. The text below describes staying on the Brockenstrasse as this route is somewhat shorter.

Go:
 * – Head uphill along Brockenstrasse, past the
 * – After the bridge on Brockenstrasse, turn right to the rocky footpath Eckerlochstieg and follow it until it crosses the Brockenstrasse again.
 * – Get off the road before the bridge, and follow the rocky path uphill.
 * – Cross the Brockenbahn and continue for about 300 m to reach Eckerloch (ca. 880 m), where you can take a break in the hut. Here's also stamping checkpoing 11 of the Harzer Wandernadel. Next comes the steepest section of the rocky path, known as Eckerlochanstieg, and to the left you can see corridors cleared of forest, which are part of a ski jumping arena, demolished in the 1970s. About 200 m further you can see a large clearing to the right, the former site of some buildings related to the ski jumping facilities. As you move on, the trees are getting smaller and smaller in size.
 * – The Eckerlochanstieg part ends where the path meets Brockenstrasse. Turn left and follow the Brockenstrasse to the summit.
 * [7] Km 5.7: Brockenbahn crossing – Brockenstrasse crosses the Brockenbahn and right afterwards Goetheweg with its hikers joins. Now, expect the road to be busy for the remainder of the itinerary. A more detailed description of the next points can be found in the Goetheweg section above.
 * [8] Km 5.9: Hut at the "Knochenbrecherkurve" (ca. 1060 m) – The last hut before the summit.
 * [9] Km 7.0: Brocken 1141 m / Gipfelstein – You've reached the summit.

Heinrich Heine-Weg from Ilsenburg

This route was used by poet Heinrich Heine in 1824 to descend from the mountain, he hiked up from Bad Harzburg (see below) and stayed overnight at the summit.

Heine wrote the following about the upper end of the climb:
 * "Wenn man die obere Hälfte des Brockens besteigt, muss man an die deutsche Nationaltragödie von Dr. Faust denken. Ich glaube, auch Mephisto muss mit Mühe Atem holen, wenn er seinen Lieblingsberg ersteigt, es ist ein äußerst erschöpfender Weg und ich war froh, als ich endlich das langersehnte Brockenhaus zu Gesicht bekam."

 * ("When one climbs the upper half of the Brocken, one has to thing about the German national tragedy of Dr. Faust. I believe that also Mephisto had to make an effort catching his breath when he climbed his favorite mountain, it's a very demanding way and I was happy to finally catch sight of the Brockenhaus.")
 * – as per an info sign on the former border path

Heine wrote the following about his overnight stay at the summit:
 * "Ich fand das Haus voller Gäste, und wie es einem klugen Manne geziemt, dachte ich schon an die Nacht, an die Unbehaglichkeit eines Strohlagers; mit hinsterbender Stimme verlangte ich gleich Tee, und der Herr Brockenwirt war vernünftig genug einzusehen, daß ich kranker Mensch für die Nacht ein ordentliches Bett haben müsse. Dieses verschaffte er mir in einem engen Zimmerchen, wo schon ein junger Kaufmann, ein langes Brechpulver in einem braunem Oberrock, sich etabliert hatte."

 * ("I found the inn was full of guests, and as a smart man, thinking about an uncomfortable night in the hay storage, I asked for some tea with a dying voice. The innkeeper was smart enough to understand that a sick man has to have a real bed for the night. He put me in a small room where already a young salesman in a brown coat had established himself")
 * – Heinrich Heine: Die Harzreise, Verlag Philipp Reclam jun, Leipzig 1972, S. 46

Get in: The itinerary starts at an altitude of about 300 m. The itinerary is about 10 km when starting from the Ilsetal parking lot, and about 13 km when starting from the Ilsenburg railway station. The path will follow the Ilse river valley and there are many pedestrian bridges enabling you to cross between the sides of the river.

Go:
 * – Walk south-west from the parking lot along the road or the footpath through the lower Ilse Valley. Make sure you don't turn left too early as this will take you to Plessenburg, in the opposite direction. Instead continue along the Ilse, and turn left when it turns (at the path junction to Brocken).
 * Upper Ilse Valley – follow the path past the Ilse waterfalls (Ilsefälle), and 500 m later (after the bridge) a forest path turns right. 100 m uphill this forest path turns left and becomes narrow and rocky, follow it for about 1 km. (Check whether this description is true, there seems to be conflicting advice.)
 * – The Bremer Hütte (Bremen Hut) is named so because the first hut on the place was built by hikers from Bremen already in the 18th century. The present one is from 2008.
 * – after Bremer Hütte, the path turns right, gets wider, and after 500 m it reaches Stempelsbuche. Here's a hut and the trunk of an old beech tree (named the Stempelsbuche) as well as two planted beeches. Continue west on the wide path.
 * – The next point of interest is Hermannsklippe ("Hermann's cliff", not signposted) with views of all of Northern Harz. 50 m away is a junction, turn left to get towards the Hirtenstieg.
 * Hirtenstieg – The Hirtenstieg section is the steepest part of this itinerary, at some places as steep as 20% (i.e. 20 m gain in elevation for every 100 m walked). The road was built for the East German border troops and is paved with concrete bricks. It passes the, a hut, and (Little Brocken, 1083 m ASL), and crosses the Brockenbahn before reaching Brocken from the north-west.

From Drei Annen Hohne along Glashüttenweg
The easy route, around long, starts at the railway station, the lower terminus of the Brockenbahn. The gain in elevation is about 600 m, and the path is gravelled, except for the last 4 km on Brockenstrasse which is paved.

 * Head west from Drei Annen Hohne, along the streams Zillerbach and Wormsgraben. From, 2.5 km along the route you will get the first view of the valley.
 * Another place for a break is the Urwaldsteig to the . It's a sidetrip along a log road to the Ilse sources at an altitude of 900 m. By this point you've already reached Brockenstrasse. Follow that road to the summit.

If you return to Drei Annen Hohne and want to take an alternative way back, a few hundred metres after leaving Brockenstrasse and getting onto Glashüttenweg, there's a. Turn left and walk towards Hohnekamm. This takes you to the mountain path "wilde Hohnekamm" going along cliffs. The highest of them is the (901 m) with nice views of the valley below. From Hohnekopf, a bit further along the path, you can take smaller paths down to Trudenstein and the Glashüttenweg that you can walk back to Drei Annen Hohne.

From Wernigerode along Holtemme
Get in: Start in Wernigerode at around 250 m ASL. The distance is about 17.5-18.5 km and takes 4-5 1/2 h. The conditions aren't particularly demanding but the distance means that hiking to the Brocken and back to Wernigerode is demanding - something for fit hikers on a long summer day. There is a 900 m gain in altitude.

To "cheat" a little bit, you can take the Harzquerbahn to Steinerne Renne and save about 6 km of walking. There's also a guesthouse by the same name a few kilometres from the railway stop towards Brocken, if you want to stay overnight on the route and make it a two-day hike, or still better, you can stay at the summit as mentioned in the Sleep section - this will give you time for some sidetrips and if the weather is clear you can enjoy the sunset at Brocken (which is less crowded during the day). Yet another alternative is riding the Brockenbahn to the summit and hike down or vice versa.

Go:

 * - The hike as described here starts at the railway station. Follow the railway and the Holtemme river to the southwest.

 * - At Steinerne Renne you will have left the built-up are and arrived into nature. Hikers will cross the railway tracks next to the station. As described above, you can take the train to skip the less-interesting first 6 km of the hike and start here instead (as of 2022 a one-way ticket from Wernigerode is €4, roundtrip €6). There is a small hydroelectric plant between the station and the river with a small window where you can look inside.

The path now gets rocky and steep but goes through a beautiful landscape along the Holtemme with views to the railway. Here the river is a mountain stream with many small waterfalls. If you prefer to walk along a forest road, take the Bielsteinchaussee east of the river, it too will take you to the guesthouse.

 * - The "Steinerne Renne" guesthouse is in a historical building next to the steep mountain stream, and a place to stay overnight at the route or have a meal or a beer. Next to the building you can find stamping checkpoint nr. 28 ("Gasthaus Steinerne Renne") of the Harzer Wandernadel.

From the guesthouse, the path goes moderately uphill. After about 2 km the path (signposted with a red circle in a white triangle) merges into the beautiful forest path "Höllenstieg" (though the name translates to "hell climb"). On the right side of it, at about 650 m ASL is a small bog which is the source for the Holtemme. Over the following 250 metres, the path gets steeper again.

 * - The path meets up with Brockenstrasse at the same point as Glashüttenweg. Shortly before that you can take a sidetrip along a path to the right to the Brockenkinder - forest cliffs albeit without a view. At a side path from Brockenstrasse "Gelber Brink" there's a table with benches where you can take a break. It also has a stamping checkpoint, nr. 22 ("Gelber Brink / Abzweig Brockenstraße"). Nearby is also the Urwaldsteg forest described in the Glashüttenweg section above.

Once you've reached the Brockenstrasse, there are around four more kilometres along the paved road to the summit.

 * around km 18.5: Brockensummit / Gipfelrondell - With 18.5 km on the path from Wernigerode, you've reached the end of the hike.

From Braunlage along Dreieckigen Pfahl
Get in: This route starts in Braunlage at an altitude of 570 m ASL, next to the lower station for the cable car to Wurmberg. It's a moderate hike of 11.7 km with a altitude gain of 600 m. There's a big parking lot, with parking for a fee. If you arrive by bus, the nearest stop is at Trinitatiskirche, 7-10 minutes away on foot. This exact route isn't suitable for bikers as it follows the Neue Goetheweg next to the railway - where cycling is disallowed as per above.

Some shortcuts are possible. You can take the Wurmbergseilbahn cable car up to Wurmberg, from where the hike will be around 9 km and the altitude gain of 350 m. You do have to descend a little from the Wurmberg, but not to the level wher you started at. From Wurmberg there are nice views to Brocken, which is 4.7 km away as the crow flies. Then, head northwest for a 2.5 km comfortable downhill hike (170 m downhill) along the western valley of Kalten Bode river. You will eventually meet up with the trail from Braunlage, at the junction at the inner-German border.

If 25 km of hiking to Brocken and back to Braunlage seems too long, you can walk from Brocken to Torfhaus (8.5 km) or Oberbrück (8 km). From these places you can take the bus back to Braunlage.

On the other hand, fit hikers can take the "Drei-Gipfel-Tour" (three summits' tour) visiting the three highest view mountains in Harz in one day. After climbing Wurmberg or Brocken as described below, backtrack along the path to Dreieckigen Pfahl, and take the hiking path signposted by a red circle on white background going southwest instead of southeast. This will first take you to the viewpoint Bodebruch with views of the bog that is the source of the Grosse Bode stream which you should follow. When there's a path leaving the stream, follow it, and then turn right again at the next crossing and walk up to Achtermannshöhe (925 m ASL). From its tree-free summit there are wonderful views to the surroundings including the two other mountains. Walk down the mountain along the path signposted by a red circle on white background to the Bärenbrücke rest area (ie. backtrack to Grosse Bode, and follow it), and follow the stream further to Braunlage.

Go:
 * - Above the vallet station of the cable car there are signs pointing the way to Brocken/Dreieckiger Pfahl.

 * - Turn left across the bridge and then right and follow the Warme Bode stream along a wonderful hiking path, Bodeweg. If you prefer to walk along a paved but more monotonous forest road, stay on the left bank of the stream (still, follow it).

 * - The lower Bodefall is a cascade waterfall, with a height of about 2 m.

 * - The upper Bodefall is likewise about 2 m in height.

 * - A bridge over the river with a picnic place (table and benches) and a hut ("Rieche Hütte"). Cross back to the left bank of the stream, and continue upstream along a gravel path.

 * - Keep to the right and follow the signs towards Dreieckigen Pfahl, leaving the stream valley. To the left there are the ski tracks coming down from Achtermannshöhe. During the summer the section is closed to hikers.

 * - From here, there are two paths, about equally long, going in parallel to Dreieckigen Pfahl. During the Cold War this was the border between East and West Germany, now between the states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. Turn left in the junction to follow the Fahrweg on the Lower Saxony side, and turn right to follow the Kommenenweg on the Saxony-Anhalt side. The latter follows the East German border strip which still doesn't have much vegetation.

 * - Picnic place, rest hut, a toilet (closed in the winter) and an info sign with a map. At the toilet building you can find the stamping checkpoint 168 of the Harzer Wandernadel.

 * - A little over a kilometre from Dreieckiger Pfahl you get on the Goetheweg, which you will follow to the summit together with hikers coming from Torfhaus. A more detailed description of the rest of the route is in the Goetheweg section above. The route will follow the Brockenbahn until Brockenstrasse, from there you should follow the latter to the summit.

 * Km 11.7: Brocken 1141 m / Gipfelstein - After the last section on the paved main road you've reached the finish line; the summit of Brocken.

From Bad Harzburg over the Eckertalsperre and the Hirtenstieg
The way from Bad Harzburg is not an easy one, but very rewarding. The varied route is about 14.5-15 km in length and you will gain about 1000 m in altitude.

Get in If you drive to Bad Harzburg to take a day hike, the best place to park is at the at the southern edge of town, next to highway B4. From here, cross the highway on a pedestrian bridge to get on a hiking path at the foot of Ettersberg. From here the hike is about 2 km shorter than from the railway station but it doesn't matter much because the section in the town doesn't include any uphill sections and you will regardless have about 1 km to climb.

An easier and more varied alternative tour is to take the bus to Torfhaus, hike the Goetheweg up to Brocken and the Hirtenstieg and Eckertalsperre down - the route described below in reverse. There will be less gain in elevation for the uphill hike, and you will see the attractions of two different routes. Or you can do it the other way around, getting down along Goetheweg, and if you like you can walk down half the Goetheweg and along the Ecker river back towards Bad Harzburg (this trip would be around 20 km from Brocken to Bad Harzburg) - though such a trip would be better to split on two days with an overnight stay on the Brocken. Indeed, hiking up and back from Bad Harzburg along the route below (33-34 km and 1000 m gain in altitude) on the same day would just be something for fit hikers on a long summer day. For a more relaxed trip, stay overnight at the summit.

Go:
 * - Like the route from Wernigerode, also this one starts at the railway station with some urban hiking first.

 * Km 1: Bad Harzburg pedestrian zone - The hike takes you south along the pedestrianised Herzog-Wilhelm Strasse along the Radau. Also on hot summer days it's comfortably cool below the big trees lining the street. Bikers can easily get past the pedestrianised section on parallel streets should they wish.

 * - You'll cross the highway without problems over the bridge near the cable car to Burgberg. From here there are several paths to Molkenhaus. For instance you can go via Sennhütte or the hiking path over Ettersberg. The best route for bikers is the car-free route to Molkenhaus (from B4, follow signs towards "Märchenwald").

 * - Molkenhaus is a building in the forest that housed a restaurant and was a destination in itself until it closed in early 2019. Here the national park established a wild animal watching point and a playground (around 300 m to the south). From Molkenhaus a gravel road leads onwards to the Luisenbank rest area.

 * - At a stone cross (memorial for the fallen in WWI) there's a small cliff with a view into the Eckertal. Further south, just before the rest area the high forest opens up, as storms have brought down many trees. From there, there are views to the Eckertalsperre, Scharfensteinklippe and Brocken. There's a shortcut path across the former forest to Luisenbank (signposted "Eckertalsperre").

 * - Rest area with open hut and benches. From here the route is paved to Eckerstaudamm. Before you arrive at the dam there's a long flight of stairs.

 * - The stairs take you to the top of the dam, and from there you can see Brocken. During the Cold War the border went across the dam, and there is a border marker left from these times. At the eastern end of the dam is stamping checkpoint nr. 1 of the Harzer Wandernadel.

Further along the eastern bank of the Ecktalsperre dam lake there are a lot of tree roots on the path. Pedestrians should watch their step, mountainbikers will have a lot of fun and riders of regular bikes should better push them. This kind of path will be the norm for the section to Scharfenstein. In a bigger path crossing you can see a larger meadow and the remains of the former cattle farm Scharfenstein. About 400 m further along the gravel road is the ranger station with the same name.

 * - The ranger station has a small self service café for drinks and food, open during the warmer half of the year. If you're collecting stamps for the Harzer Wandernadel, stamp checkpoint nr. 2 is here. From the Scharfensteinhütte there's a 15 minute walk along a mountain path to the Scharfensteinklippe with beautiful views to the Eckertalsperre, Brocken and Torfhaus. Walking towards the Brocken, you will now get onto Grenzweg, the Cold War military road along the former inner-German border which is very steep at some places.

 * - About 1 km from Scharfenstein you'll encounter the Heinrich-Heine weg from Ilsenburg (described above). At the junction there's a picnic place with tables and benches. 50 m down the Heinrich-Heine-weg there's a path to the Hermannsklippe. From here on, there are about 3 km to the Brocken. The route is also described above, though it is pretty steep, you'll pass the Bismarckklippe, the rest place Eiserner Tisch at 970 m (with a table of iron from pre-WWII left, hence the name) and the Kleiner Brocken ("Little Brocken") at 1018 m.

 * Km 14.5: Brockengipfel 1141,1 m - You've reached your destination.

Winter hiking

Beautiful sunny winter weather with a few degrees below freezing and above all no or weak wind are the optimal conditions for a winter hike that can be an unforgettable experience. Especially during inversions (cold and moist air in the valleys and warmer air higher up) you can get blue clear skies with views to the horizon whereas it's cold and foggy in the valley below. This was known already in Goethe's time, two and a half centuries ago. The Brockenstrasse from Schierke is regularly plowed and sanded in the winter, as is the Goetheweg, and the Brockenbahn runs year-round too. It's also possible to begin a Goetheweg hike from the cemetery at Oberbrück.

When hiking in the winter, beware that some hiking trails in the area that are kept open in the winter also double as skiing tracks. There are no winter sports facilities on Brocken itself. For example the skiing tracks in the Eckerspring area end just before the steep section of Goetheweg up to the Brockenbahn. It may be possible to do some Nordic skiing on the Goetheweg itself as well if there are little hikers. But as there are snow walls on the sides of the plowed path it's uncomfortable or impossible for hikers to dodge skiers. And the Brockenstrasse is sanded, so at least here you have to take off the skis and carry them if you want to get to the summit.

Closed routes

If you take a look at old hiking maps from before WWII, you will see many hiking paths (particularly on the northern side of Brocken) that aren't described here. These routes have been closed by the authorities in order to protect the nature, together with all of Brocken itself except the few official routes described above and the summit plateau. These include the upper part of the historical Heinrich Heine-Weg, which on old maps may also be labeled Schneelochweg where snow could be spotted well into the summer. The closed areas act as a refuge for wood grouses, lynxes and other sensitive animals. Entering these areas is a crime and punishable by fines that can amount up to €25,000 according to Lower Saxony state law.

You are unlikely to do so by accident, though. The closed routes aren't marked on maps (protected areas are generally a marked as such on maps), and inasfar they're still visible in the nature there are prohibition signs. Finally, the official routes are well signposted - follow those signs and you'll have nothing to worry about.

See

At good weather you can see all of Harz and far beyond it. In the southeast you can see the Kyffhäuser and by excellent weather conditions beyond it the Thuringian Forest (Thüringer Wald) mountain chain. In the west there are the Weserbergland heights including the Solling. In the southwest you can catch a glimpse of the mountains of Northern Hesse including the Hoher Meissner, Kaufunger Wald, Reinhardswald and Habichtwald. In the north and northwest you can see the cities of Brunswick and Magdeburg.

Gipfelrundweg

The East German authorities built a 3 m high wall around the summit, which was torn down at the reunification when the mountain reopened for civilians, and the route of the wall was turned into a walking path, the Gipfelrundweg (lit. "way around the summit"), about 1.6 km in length. There are good views around all of the mountain but the view to the north is particularly impresive. There are ten information signs along the route where you can learn more about the views, nature and culture. There are daily guided tours along the path (see the Brockengarten listing above).

Do

 * Walk around the summit plateau along the Gipfelrundweg.

 * Get married - since 2011 the civil registration office of Wernigerode has a presence at the Brocken, and thus it's possible to get married here.

 * The Faust - Die Rockoper auf dem Brocken was a rock opera performed in the Goethehall of the hotel running from 2006 to 2019 with a total of 387 performances. Chances are that it will return after the pandemic.

 * Take a tour of the weather station (requires prior appointment, see details above).

Hiking and running events

Buy

There are three places you can buy souvenirs: in the Urian souvenir shop at the ground floor of the hotel, in Brockenhaus and at the Brockenwirt in the railway station.

Eat and drink

In addition there's a restaurant (Goethesaal) and café (Hexenklause) in the hotel, which is operated by Brockenwirt. Finally the Brockenhaus museum has a small cafe (Hexenflug).

Cope
There's an ATM at the hotel, near the entrance. Public toilets are next to the Goethesaal of the hotel (fee: 50 cents).

Connect
There's 4G coverage on and around the Brocken, in addition the hotel offers guests free Wi-Fi. If you for instance want to send a traditional post card, there are post boxes at the railway station.

Stay safe

In a nutshell: a safe, enjoyable and successful hike to the Brocken requires at least moderate fitness, good weather, suitable gear, snacks and enough time.

Brocken is sometimes underestimated by hikers - it does not exactly appear like a rough high mountain environment but rather as a forested hill with good tourist infrastructure. However someone caught in sudden bad weather at for instance the exposed Hirtenstieg will disagree. The mountain is a very popular destination, also drawing visitors with little or no hiking experience who sometimes get into trouble because of ignorance and bad preparation.

 * Fitness: Choose your route according to your fitness level and hiking experience. If this is the first time you'll be walking these kinds of distances and uphill, you should not use the Brocken to test if you could do it or not. Better to make longer training hikes in your home surroundings first. Nevertheless, should you during the hike notice you're not going to make it, stop and turn back. Cutting your trip short isn't a sign of weakness but of responsibility for yourself and others.

 * Weather: See the climate section above. Always check the weather forecast before going.

 * Equipment and snacks
 * Proper shoes: You should at the very least wear sports shoes with good grip, better still mountaineer or hiker shoes. Length-adjustable trekking poles are also good to have.
 * Clothing: Even on warm summer days it's good to bring some warm clothes, as a temperature difference of 10°C between the valley and summit is common, and the wind chill will make it feel even colder. During the winter you should always dress warmly. Dress in layers - if it gets too warm, you can always take off one layer. Rainproof clothing and spare underwear are also good to bring. On clear days, bring sunglasses, sun protection lotion and a hat.
 * Snacks: Always bring some snacks and enough water, particularly in the summer. If you're just walking around the Gipfelrundweg, a small bottle is good to have, on the other hand for a day hike in the summer, three liters could be necessary. During the winter, bring a thermos of some warm beverage that can warm you up on breaks.

 * Time: Take your time and don't rush it. Consider how far can you walk in an hour in a terrain like this, and remember that heat, cold and wind can slow you down. Take enough breaks and plan for enough time at the summit. Especially during the short winter days, start early as the trip may take longer than you first thought.

Go next
After visiting Brocken, your next destination would be one of the towns and cities the hiking routes above start/end in.

title: Brocken


text:
Brockenhurst

Brockenhurst is a small town in the New Forest.

title: Brockenhurst