Großer Knollen

You've probably heard of it before: the Großer Knollen in the Harz Mountains, a mountain around 687 metres high. It is located near Sieber in the Göttingen area, in the federal state of Lower Saxony (Germany). In the following, we describe why we warmly recommend the Großer Knollen as an excursion destination if you like hiking and want to enjoy nature in peace and quiet.

Location of the Großer Knollen in the Harz Mountains

The "Knollen", as it is affectionately known, is located in the Harz Nature Park in the Upper Harz Mountains and is 6.3 km from Herzberg, 5 km from Scharzfeld, 5 km from Bad Lauterberg to the north-west and 3.5 km from the Sieber district of Herzberg to the south. It is surrounded by mountains with an altitude of 550 to 650 metres. One kilometre to the south is the Kleine Knollen (631 m high). Between these two "mountain brothers" you will find the Oder tributary Bremke.

Worth knowing

The Großer Knollen is covered in magnificent beech and spruce forests. Amidst the trees, numerous ascending footpaths lead to the mountain peak. At the top of the mountain is the so-called Knollen tower, which is 20 metres high. From this tower, you can look out over the Harz mountains, the Rotenberg and Eichsfeld. You can even see the Großer Inselsberg in the Thuringian Forest from here!

Hiking on the Großer Knollen

If you like hiking, you will not only find the European long-distance hiking trail E6 at Großer Knollen, but also numerous smaller hiking trails that lead to Bad Lauterberg, Sieber and Sankt Andreasberg, among others. Hikers can enjoy a number of beautiful views along the way. In any case, however, you should expect a longer walk and several ascents, as there are no public roads that you could use to get here.

Historical facts

The stone observation tower ("Knollenturm") is a replacement for a wooden predecessor that was destroyed by a lightning strike. It was built in 1890 with a height of eight metres. Of course, this height was not sufficient to provide a view of the forest from the tower (incidentally, the forest was still a complete beech forest in 1596, with maple trees joining it from 1630). It was therefore decided to build a new, higher stone tower. The current tower was erected in 1904 on the same site and raised in 1961. The Knollenbaude also had a predecessor building; it burnt down in the 1930s. Today's Knollenbaude was built after the Second World War.

Catering in the surrounding area

There are several restaurants on the Großer Knollen where you can stop for a bite to eat. In Herzberg, hungry guests will find the "Waldgaststätte Großer Knollen." Next to the 20 metre high Knollen tower on the summit of the Knollen on the Harzer Baudensteig is the "Wirtshaus Knollenbaude" with a magnificent panoramic view over the Harz Mountains, the Weserbergland and even as far as the Thuringian Forest. Cosy, rustic rooms and an outdoor terrace invite you to linger. The Harz hiking pin stamping station is also located here. You shouldn't miss out on the free tower tour either - a steep spiral staircase takes you up to the viewing platform. You can visit the restaurant every day except Mondays.