Goethe Way

Goethe Way (

Harz mountains, Thuringian Forest, Alps) as well as a railway station (Goetheweg station) on the Brocken Railway. They are all named after the German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

.

Harz

Torfhaus–Brocken

Length: ca. 8 km
Lowest point: 800 m (Torfhaus)
Highest point: 1,141.1 m (Brocken)

The Goethe Way is one of the most frequented hiking trails in the Harz National Park. Around 200,000 people walk along this path every year to the highest mountain in the Harz, the Brocken.^[1]^[2] It follows the route probably taken by Goethe in climbing from Torfhaus to the Brocken on 10 December 1777. Goethe's exact route is however not known today.

Up early to Torfhause in deep snow. Quarter past ten decamped; from there up the Brocken. Snow one ell deep, but reached top quarter past one. Wonderful, bright moment, the whole world in clouds and mist and up above all was bright. What is man that you are mindful of him. Back again around four. At the foresters' hostel in Torfhause.

Schriften zur Geologie und Mineralogie – Goethe

Starting from Torfhaus, the Goethe Way runs along the Abbegraben stream past the Great Torfhaus Moor (Großer Torfhausmoor) heading southeast, to below the

Hirschhornklippen crags, and up to the summit of the Brocken. Today, the path runs along the "New Goethe Way" (Neuer Goetheweg) opened in 1991 running in an arc along the railway line up to the Brocken Road. Here, it crosses the natural tree line

and reaches the Brocken plateau shortly after crossing the road.

From July 2008 to October 2009 the New Goethe Way, parts of which had previously formed a board walk, was upgraded into a three-metre-wide (9.8 ft) path.[3]^[4] This measure which was discussed is detail beforehand allows the path to be cleared of snow by machines as was already possible on the other section of the Goethe Way. This makes the ascent safe even in winter.^[5]

The Goethe Way is part of the

Harz Witches' Trail

.

Thuringia

Weimar–Saalborn–Hochdorf bei Weimar–Neckeroda–Großkochberg

Length: ca. 28 km
Lowest point: 230 m (Weimar)
Highest point: 525 m (Luisa Tower)

The Thuringian Goethe Way begins in the centre of Weimar, and runs past

Belvedere Castle, which is also often used as an entry point for Goethe Way walks. In Buchfart

the Goethe Way crosses a wooden through-truss bridge (Holzkastenbrücke) and runs past limestone rocks in which artificial caves were once hollowed out as a refuge. The Luisa Tower (Luisenturm) near Großkochberg offers a fine view of the Weimar Land just before the end of the walk.

References

^ Nationalpark Harz: Wegeplan Nationalpark Harz (Niedersachsen) 2002 - Zählung Wanderer^{[permanent dead link]}
^ Nationalpark Harz: Umgebauter Goetheweg feierlich eröffnet Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine
^ "Nationalpark Harz: Umgebauter Goetheweg feierlich eröffnet". Archived from the original on 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2010-11-18.
^ Goslarsche Zeitung: Gefahrlos zum Brocken wandern - Goetheweg wintersicher ausgebaut Archived 2012-03-13 at the Wayback Machine (date 22 October 2009)
^ Nationalpark Harz: Bauarbeiten am Goetheweg im Nationalpark Harz - Hintergrundinformationen^{[permanent dead link]}

External links

Harz

Description of the Goethe Way by the Harz National Park Management
Photo gallery of the Goethe Way in the Harz

Thuringia

The Goethe Way from Weimar to Großkochberg
The Goethe Way in Weimar Land Archived 2014-12-26 at the Wayback Machine

[1] Nationalpark Harz: Wegeplan Nationalpark Harz (Niedersachsen) 2002 - Zählung Wanderer^{[permanent dead link]}

[2] Nationalpark Harz: Umgebauter Goetheweg feierlich eröffnet Archived 2011-07-17 at the Wayback Machine

[3] "Nationalpark Harz: Umgebauter Goetheweg feierlich eröffnet". Archived from the original on 2009-10-26. Retrieved 2010-11-18.

[4] Goslarsche Zeitung: Gefahrlos zum Brocken wandern - Goetheweg wintersicher ausgebaut Archived 2012-03-13 at the Wayback Machine (date 22 October 2009)

[5] Nationalpark Harz: Bauarbeiten am Goetheweg im Nationalpark Harz - Hintergrundinformationen^{[permanent dead link]}

[1]

[2]

[4]

[5]

Harz

Thuringia

See also

References

External links

Harz

Thuringia