Talsperre Wippra

The Wippertalsperre dam and its reservoir

The Wippra Dam, which was built between 1951 and 1952, is a dam on the River Wipper, a tributary of the Saale. It is located near the town of Wippra in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt. Originally, the dam was used to supply the Mansfeld copper mines with industrial water. The dam consists of a straight concrete gravity dam wall that dams up the river. The wall is around 126 metres long and about 18 metres high and also houses a hydroelectric power station to generate electricity. The reservoir covers an area of around 32 hectares and measures around 2.2 kilometres in length and can therefore store up to two million cubic metres of water.

Activities around the Wippra dam

The Wippra dam and its surroundings offer opportunities for numerous hikes to explore the beautiful Harz landscape on foot. The Wippertalsperre circular hiking trail around the lake and the dam stretches over 6 kilometres and is of medium difficulty. You can start your hike either in Hayda or in Königerode. An exciting experience of nature also awaits you on the Singltrail circuit, a 4.5 km route along the dam through woods and fields. For enthusiastic hikers, there is the 16 km Luther Pilgrimage Trail, on which you can explore many historical sites such as the Luther Museum or Neuenburg Castle.

Another 8 km hiking trail leads from the Wippra dam to the ruins of Treseburg Castle. It leads you through the enchanting Bode Valley along the River Bode and past impressive cliffs and picturesque forests. The difficulty level of this trail is moderate and you can start at the car park at the Wippra dam. A real highlight of this route is exploring the Treseburg ruins. This impressive old fortress from the 10th century sits majestically on a rock and offers an impressive insight into times gone by. Although only a few remnants of the castle remain, it is well worth a visit as you have a breathtaking view of the valley and the charming village of Treseburg.

If you want to cool off in the summer months after an extensive excursion, you can jump into the reservoir, which turns into a non-official bathing area in the warmer months. In addition to hiking or cycling tours in the area surrounding the dam, you can also take a guided tour on site, which gives visitors a unique insight into the inspection passages inside the dam wall.

Experience unforgettable excursions

There are numerous interesting excursion destinations and sights to discover in the immediate vicinity of the Wippra Dam in the Harz Mountains. One impressive highlight is the Kyffhäuser monument with its imposing statue of Kaiser Wilhelm, which is located a little further south-west of the dam.

Very close to Sangerhausen is the Heimkehle, a fascinating stalactite cave. On a guided tour, you can marvel at the breathtaking formations of stalactites and stalagmites. Sangerhausen itself offers historical treasures such as Sangerhausen Castle, St Jacob's Church and the largest rosarium in the world. In addition to an exploration of the Wettelrode Ironworks Museum and a visit to the Hexentanzplatz, you can round off an eventful day with a trip on the nostalgic Harz narrow-gauge railway, travelling through the idyllic landscape of the Harz Mountains.