Hike to the Quedlinburg Old Watch Tower in the Harz Mountains

Rolling foothills around Quedlinburg in the Harz Mountains in Germany offer great trails for hikes or walks. You may want to visit the Quedlinburg Old Watch Tower on a ridge overlooking the cute Quedlinburg village below.

The rolling foothills of the Harz mountains that surround Quedlinburg feature forested terrain with open, rolling meadows, some hills and plenty of farmland – perfect for those who need to stretch the legs and mind a bit on an easy wander.

We’d heard about the Quedlinburg Old Watch Tower (“Altenburgwarte”) that was located approximately 0.5 miles (just under 750 meters) from the southwest edge of town, on a sandstone ridge overlooking the village below.

Craving exercise with our typical added dose of touring, we headed out from just below the Schlossmuseum (“Castle museum”) through a park and then along a picturesque lane (“Huttenweg”).  We really had no idea where we’d end up. But we figured with any luck, we’d find our way along country lanes and footpaths (the signing in Germany for all walking paths is excellent) and we’d eventually arrive at the Altenburgwarte. And, well, if we didn’t, we’d still have an adventure with a few tales to tell.

We jogged past groups of German kids on their way to school, past farmers tending their orchards who waved hello despite our rather alien-to-the-area looks (think tech running gear), and then came upon a sign pointing toward, yes, the sought-after Altenburgwarte. We stopped to poach an apple and a few berries too. Ssssssh!

Cherries on a branch hanging over onto the trail just outside Quedlinburg proved too much for Michael Hodgson to pass up.

Into the forest we went, along a lovely, cool dirt road – feeling a little bit like Dorothy and her companions entering the dark woods in Wizard of Oz — making turns when the signs said to. Hard to get lost here!

The signing for all walking paths, as you can see, is excellent in Germany. This one points the way to the Altenburg — the Old Watch Tower.

The Quedlinburg Watch Tower itself is a simple, albeit fun and somewhat quirky destination that you can still climb up – 51 steps through a dark narrow interior (a bit of an adventure sans flashlight which, of course, we forgot to bring). The Harz Club built the current 10-meter-high, restored tower in 1889. It was created from ruins of the original tower, which was five meters in diameter and built in the 14^th or 15^th century.

Trees blocked the view to town from the top. We’re guessing hundreds of years ago they could still see the bad guys coming to protect the town.

Therese Iknoian standing on the steps at the base of the Altenburgwarte — Watch Tower.

Wildflowers carpeted the fields we ran through as we followed paths through farmland toward the Watch Tower.

Cafe Kasekuchenbackerei is pure, delicious, cheesecake decadence.

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