Never mind the Alps! Crossing the Harz also requires a lot of power and perseverance – and is therefore a challenge to be mastered, maybe as a nearby training ground for something higher.

With its signposted MTB routes, the Harz offers excellent conditions for a mountain crossing by bike. For example, from Bad Harzburg in the north to Bad Lauterberg in the south – 66 kilometres and 2,450 metres of climbing. No less challenging is the west-east route from Seesen to Ilsenburg, with 91 kilometres and 2,500 metres of climbs. Of course, both routes take you over the famous Brocken, the magic mountain of the North.

• Route north-south Bad Harzburg-Bad Lauterberg 
• Route west-east Seesen-Ilsenburg
• Overview map