Starting from the large parking lot at the TorfHaus National Park Visitor Center, you’ll begin the Goethe Trail up the Brocken, walking parallel to the B4 toward Braunlage. The Goethe Trail, which will lead you to the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, begins at the last house in Torfhaus. However, it is no longer possible to reconstruct exactly which route Goethe took back then—the only certainty is that he did not follow the exact path you are walking today. Incidentally, the Goetheweg is part of the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg trail.

Leaving the last houses of Torfhaus behind, follow the Goetheweg trail up to the Brocken; after a short walk, you’ll reach the Großes Torfhausmoor, also known as Radauer Born. It is one of the largest and oldest bogs in the Harz Mountains. You’ll cross this raised bog on a boardwalk maintained by the Harz National Park. Like all raised bogs, it derives its nutrients exclusively from rainwater and is therefore very nutrient-poor. The term “raised bog” comes from the slight, watchglass-shaped dome in the center of the bog, which you can clearly see at this point. Raised bogs are a habitat for specialized species—only animals and plants that are particularly well-adapted can live and survive here.

Enjoy the view across the vast, treeless moor—on a clear day, you can see the Brocken in the background. On the western edge of the moor, the Radau springs forth—the source stream of the popular artificial waterfall near Bad Harzburg. Right next to the boardwalk, you’ll see a stagnation complex in the raised bog—here, the moor’s growth has come to a standstill.