Harz

From Quedlinburgthe Harz Mountains are so close that they can be discovered by bicycle, steamrailway ("Harzer Schmalspurbahn") or after a short drive whith a walk.

In "Bodetal" - a place of legends and fairy tales -  the deepest rock cut north of the Alps, spectacular views, you can walk along the river Bode as far as Treseburg.

From the steamrailway-stop "Mägdesprung"one can walk or hike through the Selketal until Castle Falkenstein is reached. The well-preserved castle complex, the origin of the famous medieval law book "Sachsenspiegel", provides an excellent panoramic view and interesting inner impressions. Alternatively, you can reach the castle via Meisdorf.

Ballenstedter Castle, the ancestral home of Ascanians, located right on the edge of the Harz. The Castle Park was planned by Lenné,
is also the site of the castle mill where is now an artist studio, inviting in the summer month to high-profile Martinées.

The Blankenburg castles, a baroque Palais and the most visible big Blankenburg Castle, which is gradually restored, were among the possessions of the Welfen in the Harz. They are placed in a baroque garden and a landscaped park.

The Brocken can be widely visible and can be reached very well by hiking especially fromSchierke. Nice if you ride on the steamrailway from Wernigerode to the Brocken.

At the foot of the Brocken lies Wernigerode, with its picturesque Gothic castle and the nearby zoo.