The Harz Mountains are the highest range in northern Germany, rising abruptly from the North German Plain in a dark mass of spruce forest and granite. The Brocken, at 1,141 metres, is the highest peak and the most visited — on a clear day the views stretch across half of northern Germany. This is the mountain where Goethe set the witches' gathering in Faust, and the place still has a slightly wild, folkloric atmosphere.
The range straddles the former border between East and West Germany, and that history is visible everywhere. The Brocken was a restricted military zone during the Cold War, bristling with Soviet listening stations. Today you can ride the Brockenbahn, a narrow-gauge steam railway, to the summit — one of the most enjoyable train journeys in Germany.
The old mining towns scattered through the mountains are worth exploring in their own right. Goslar, with its medieval centre and Romanesque imperial palace, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wernigerode has a fairy-tale hilltop castle and rows of half-timbered houses. Quedlinburg, on the northern edge, is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Europe.
In winter, the Harz is popular for cross-country skiing and snowshoeing, though the downhill skiing is modest by Alpine standards. In summer, the hiking is excellent — hundreds of kilometres of marked trails wind through forests, past waterfalls, and along former mining paths. The Harzer Hexenstieg, a long-distance trail running east to west across the entire range, takes about five days and is one of Germany's finest walks.