Runde von Ilsenburg

The Ilse Valley is one of the most beautiful valleys in the Harz Mountains - the unspoilt beech forests and beautiful rock formations characterise the gorge section of the Ilse Valley from Ilsenburg up to the Ilse Falls. This is exactly where our hiking trail takes you: from Ilsenburg along the Ilse river with a hiking time of 4:30 hours and a distance of around 15 kilometres past a wide variety of highlights such as the Heinrich Heine Trail, theIlse Falls and the Ilsestein.

The first of our hiking highlights on the route is 2.2 kilometres after the start of the hike (from the Ilsenburg bus stop): the pedestrian bridge over the Ilse. From the idyllic little bridge, you can watch the Ilse flowing underneath - a peaceful place to relax.

Shortly afterwards, the well-known Heinrich Heine Trail follows along the Ilse. The rustic and partly rocky path is far more beautiful than the well-maintained gravel paths and the babbling brook surrounded by trees and rocks makes the hike along the Ilse even more enjoyable! If you've already had your fill of the babbling brook, you'll love the next highlight of the hike. The Ilse Falls are reached after around 5 kilometres of hiking and are probably the most beautiful part of the Ilse Valley - wildly romantic and always a little different depending on the water level.

After the Ilse Falls, the route continues on an extensive eastern loop to the Paternosterklippe near Ilsenburg. According to legend, the name of the cliff is derived from the last Lord's Prayer, which a group of nuns prayed here before fleeing from robber barons and plunging to their deaths. The interesting rock formation offers a wide view and even a beautiful view of the Brocken.

About three kilometres from the original starting point in Ilsenburg, the legendary Ilsestein stone rises high above the Ilsetal valley. The green-iron cross marks the summit, 474 metres above sea level, which Heinrich Heine raved about. Once at the top, however, caution is advised as the cliff down to the valley is not secured with a railing or similar. The route continues along the path and finally leads back down into the Ilse valley, from where it heads back towards Ilsenburg.