The Dammbach Valley invites you to enjoy a short hike all year round. St. Salvator Church in Trautenstein is home to a Neoclassical baptismal font. The stream landscape and church art offer two different reasons to explore the area.
Explore the Dammbach Valley on foot
The Dammbach and its tributaries are among the main tributaries of the Rappbode and flow into the Rappbode near Trautenstein. The Dammbach Valley is part of the “Harzer Bachtäler” nature reserve. A hike through the valley therefore focuses on both the streams and the protected landscape.
Five long wooden footbridges provide crossing points over the tributaries, allowing hikers to cross with dry feet. The footbridges are a distinctive feature of this short hike, which is accessible all year round.
A Neoclassical detail in the church
The baptismal font in St. Salvator Church in Trautenstein is a Neoclassical Harz iron casting dating from 1830. It is designed in the form of an ancient altar. Its material, date of creation and form come together in a single piece of church furnishings—a striking cultural and historical accent alongside the area's natural attractions.
The surrounding landscape
The Trageburg rock is located near Trautenstein, about 2 km northeast of the town. It lies on the right bank of the Rappbode pre-dam and along the Harzer Hexenstieg trail. From there, you can look across the Rappbode Valley to the left bank. The distance is approximate: the rock is described as a nearby landscape feature, not as part of Trautenstein.
Hiking and culture in Oberharz am Brocken
In the wider destination of Oberharz am Brocken, two hikes differ in their distance and stated duration. A moderately challenging route leads through mixed forest to the Krockstein viewpoint. It is 2.8 km long, with a stated walking time of 55 minutes. Also moderately challenging is the circular trail around the Hasselvorsperre near Hasselfelde: it is 5.5 km long, with a stated duration of 1 hour 28 minutes. The Hasselvorsperre loop is therefore the longer of the two routes and also has the longer stated duration. Check current trail conditions before setting off.
The wider destination also offers a cultural experience at the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus: from early April to the end of October, traditional earth kilns are built, fired and harvested there. This offers a chance to experience the old charcoal-burning craft in action. The time of year is a helpful guide when planning your visit.
Museums in Hasselfelde explore different aspects of history. The Charcoal Burners' Museum gives an impression of the difficult working and living conditions of charcoal burners. The Blumenau Museum in the Haus des Gastes presents the life and work of chemist and emigrant Hermann Blumenau in pictures and text. The local history room in the Haus des Gastes tells the story of the town and the lives and work of its residents.
Stiege also has its own cultural and landscape features in Oberharz am Brocken. Stiege's stave church is the only religious building in Germany in the Norwegian dragon style. The turning loop belongs to the Selketalbahn and is described as Europe's smallest turning loop. Lake Stieger See lies in the middle of Stiege and is surrounded by green meadows and forests.
From Hasselfelde, you can take the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways daily to the Brocken or into the Selke Valley. Check the current timetable before your journey. The options in the wider destination are therefore varied: a short hike and church art in Trautenstein, and further hiking routes, charcoal-burning crafts, museums and railway features at the respective locations in Oberharz am Brocken.
Discover more destinations: Neuwerk, Königshütte, Elend, Benneckenstein, Stiege, Sorge, Hasselfelde, Rübeland.
Go to the main travel overview: Oberharz Am Brocken.
