Steam railway
Near the summit.
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The Brocken is a 1,141-metre mountain near Schierke in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt, about 12 km southwest of Wernigerode in a straight line. It is the highest peak in the Harz and in all of northern Germany, and part of Harz National Park. Despite its modest height, its climate resembles that of mountains about 1,000 metres higher: snow covers the ground above the tree line from September to May, mist shrouds it some 300 days a year, and the mean annual temperature is just 2.9 °C. The mountain has long been tied to legends, which Goethe drew on in his play Faust. The Brocken spectre is a common sight here, a climber's shadow cast eerily onto the fog. The summit is an open plateau of grass and granite boulders, ringed by spruce forest on the slopes. On top are a historic botanical garden with about 1,600 alpine plants and an old television tower turned hotel and restaurant, with an observation deck. Visitors hike up on the park's trails or ride the narrow-gauge Brocken steam railway to a station at 1,125 metres near the top. The weather is changeable, cold and often misty, so bring warm clothes even in summer.
Near the summit.
1,600 plants.
A shadow on fog.
Harz National Park, near Schierke, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
On foot or by steam railway.
Warm clothes, even in summer.