Hotel zur Erholung

Braunlage

Go on a family holiday with the kids and visit the small German town of Braunlage, located in the Goslar region in the southern Harz Mountains. The town has its history to tell, having been founded as early as 1250. One of the oldest buildings in town is the old forge building from 1658, which today serves as a hotel. The cosy little town also has a number of shops as well as cafés and bistros.

The town's main source of income is tourism, mostly due to its fantastic location, which helps make it suitable for a lot of outdoor activities and sports in the beautiful mountains and forests. In summer, there are plenty of opportunities for hiking or cycling in the mountains, and there are several mountain bike trails to challenge most. In winter, skiing is popular and this is certainly noticeable. The Harz is a fantastic ski resort and is very popular in winter with tourists from all over Europe. The beautiful surroundings, a mixture of pine forests and mountains, make this place truly unique.

Try a turn on the ice rink in the Stadion, located in Harzburger Strasse. Ice hockey and disco skating are organised here, as well as ice shooting. Equipment can be rented at the Stadion, try to get up to speed with a pair of skates on your feet, a fun experience for all members of the family, both experienced and inexperienced. A little less balance is required to play mini golf, here more emphasis is placed on precision with a golf ball. Try the 14-hole mini golf course at Adventure Golf. This sets the stage for a wonderful and active holiday with the children, with lots of fun and exciting activities. Find a self-drive holiday with Risskov and go on an active family holiday in Braunlage, Germany.

Wurmberg

With help from a cable car from Braunlage, you can get to the top of Wurmberg where you can enjoy a fantastic view over the entire Oberharzen. Wurmberg is the largest ski area in the Harz. For both skiing and snowboarding enthusiasts await a modern ski area with various tow lifts and pistes for beginners as well as experienced skiers. 

Schierke

The small village in the middle of the Harz Mountains has about 900 inhabitants and is located at the beautiful Harz National Park right in the middle of the beautiful Germany. Schierke is situated about 600 metres above sea level and leads directly up to Bloksbjerg. The village lies in the valley of the river "Kalte Bode" and is a very popular place, both because of its beautiful location, but also thanks to the many opportunities for outdoor recreation that the surrounding mountains and parks offer. There are plenty of opportunities for hiking and cycling in the beautiful countryside. The park covers 24,700 hectares, so it may be a good idea to have a few walks prepared from home, as it is a large area.

Harz National Park

In the fantastic park of 247 sqm you can get up close to nature. With more than 300 km of routes there are plenty of opportunities for beautiful hiking and cycling tours for the whole family. 

Vitamar Swimming Pool

Go to the Vitamar water park and try a cheap self-drive holiday in Germany. Vitamar offers lots of fun for children and teenagers. Here you will find a large swimming pool with artificial waves and the waterslide "Black Hole" with impressive light, video and sound effects. In addition, the hall also offers surf waves like the sea, a water park with a water channel, whirlpool, Roman steam bath, year-round outdoor swimming pool and a waterfall for both young and old guests. The water temperature is 28-31°C, while it is 33°C in the children's paradise and 35°C in the whirlpools. If you need to relax a bit after all the activity in the bathing area, you can go to the sauna area. There are Finnish saunas, a bio-sauna and much more. At the Vitamar bathing area you have to pay an entrance fee.

Risskov has the cheapest prices for weekend breaks in Denmark, so see if there is a hotel close to Vitamar and enjoy some quality time with the whole family.

Bad Lauterberg

Take a holiday in the Harz Mountains and visit Bad Lauterberg, a beautiful destination in Germany, located in a deep valley in the southern part of the beautiful Harz Mountains. Go on a car holiday in Germany and visit the beautiful Bad Lauterberg which is surrounded by steep mountains between 460 and 700 meters. Bad Lauterberg has just under 12,000 inhabitants and is a renowned, popular spa town, so a wellness holiday is certainly possible too. As the town is over 800 years old, you will find a beautiful town centre with romantic streets. The town offers everything from large department stores to small shops, cafés, ice cream parlours and restaurants. There is a weekly market day in Bad Lauterberg at St Andrew's Church, which you can check out. It's also possible to go on a weekend break, so check in with Risskov for spa, wellness and pampering.

Bloksbjerg (Brocken)

Go on holiday in the Harz and drive to Bloksbjerg, the highest point in the Harz at 1142 metres. Find a cheap hotel stay at Risskov and enjoy a real family holiday in the Harz Mountains. From Bloksbjerg there is a fantastic view when the weather is right. See the vast forests, mountains and surrounding valleys. You can either cycle, hike or travel by train to reach the top. You can also take the narrow-gauge railway from Schierke.

Wernigerode

"The colourful city of the Harz" Wernigerode and Wernigerode castle. The castle is enthroned high above the city. In the castle you can look into princely rooms and there are various exhibitions all year round. From the castle you have a fantastic view of the Harz landscape up to Bloksbjerg. Wernigerode is a town full of charm. There are many magnificent half-timbered houses - the oldest dates from around 1400.

Herzberg

The small town of Herzberg lies south of the Harz National Park. Here you can visit the Welferslott (Welfers Castle), which is located high above the town. The castle burnt down in 1510, but was then rebuilt using timber frame techniques, which are unusual for this type of building. Today, the castle is Lower Saxony's largest timber-framed castle and an architectural attraction. To this day, you can visit several museums at the castle.

The area around Herzberg am Harz also offers a range of outdoor activities, and countless kilometres of hiking trails stretch through the stunning region. The area is also ideal for climbing, Nordic walking and cycling. In winter you can ski in the area, both alpine and cross-country, so Herzberg is quite an ideal place to visit on an active holiday or mini break with great opportunities for lots of experiences.

Christmas market in Wernigerode

Open 21nd November - 22nd December - You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information

Christmas atmosphere between the hill and mountain tops of the Harz. With Christmas lights and old half-timbered houses, Wernigerode looks like a scene from a fairytale in December, when the town's Christmas market takes place in the square in front of the magnificent town hall. Wernigerode offers pleasant walks, stalls with the most wonderful Christmas gifts and Christmas treats galore for the sweet tooth."

Wernigerode's old square is the site of the annual Christmas market, which spreads out into the side streets of the town among the beautiful old half-timbered houses. Many of the houses date back to the 16th century and with the Christmas market's decorations and splendour, the atmospheric buildings look extra grand.

During the Christmas market there are many Christmas stalls. They sell handicrafts in many trades and various Christmas treats such as glazed apples, hot mulled wine and roasted almonds. The village centre is car-free, making it perfect for short strolls under the dark December sky.

Wernigerode is centrally located in the Harz, and can thus be experienced in continuation of and together with our many stays in the region.