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| Peat house | ||
| district | Goslar | |
|---|---|---|
| Residents | 20 | |
no value for residents on Wikidata:  | ||
| height | 811 | |
| no value for height on Wikidata: | ||
| Tourist info | 49 (0)5320 229 04 44 www.oberharz.de/ | |
| location | ||
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Peat house is a small settlement in resin. The district of Altenau is centrally located on the B4 im Harz National Park. The highest settlement in the Harz (located at 811 m above sea level) is among others. Starting point for the hike over the Goetheweg to Chunks and for ski and mountain bike tours.
background
Torfhaus belongs as a district of Altenau to city Clausthal-Zellerfeld. The small town, founded by peat cutters around 1600, consists of little more than a few restaurants and overnight accommodations in addition to the Torfhaus National Park House and the housing estate (Goetheweg)
Since July 2013, a complex consisting of a hotel with a wellness area and log cabins, as well as a branch of an outdoor outfitter, has offered a new tourist address in the Hochharz. A new revitalization of the region through the sporty ambitious tourism and through outdoor activities is promoted. Torfhaus is thus also approaching as a travel destination for upscale tourism, even if the style will continue to be rural, lonely and certainly more rustic.
In winter there are numerous different winter sports options: Alpine skiing, Nordic skiing and tobogganing, in the other seasons the place is a suitable starting point for a variety of hikes - or just for a quiet weekend with nice walks in the pristine nature.
getting there
For supra-regional travel information, see Altenau, Bad Harzburg or Braunlage, the three surrounding larger towns.
By train
The nearest train station is in Bad Harzburg.
By bus
From Bad Harzburg it is a 20-minute journey by bus line 820 (Bad Harzburg - Braunlage) to Torfhaus. The timetable is at the KVG Braunschweig to find.
In the street
Approach via the federal highway 
from direction Bad Harzburg or Braunlage.In winter, winter tires are compulsory, snow chains are not compulsory. From Osterode am Harz, the approach is via the 
through Riefensbeek-Kamschlacken and in Altenau the descent to the L 504.
mobility
Park: On the federal road there is the large "Brockenblick" car park, the fees for the first two hours are € 1.50 each, the day ticket costs € 4.00.
Tourist Attractions
- 1 Brockenblick - The highest mountain in the Harz is only around 5.5 km as the crow flies. The lookout point is behind the snack bar Brockenstube.
- 1 National Park Monument, a project of the EXPO 2000, is right next to the Brockenblick and is intended to draw attention to the task of national parks worldwide. The monument consists of three boulders made of diabase, gabbro and granite, in the middle of which there is a metal globe. The sentence is written in a total of 30 languages on three boards between the boulders National parks - preserve the natural heritage.
- 1 TorfHaus National Park Visitor Center, Torfhaus 38B, 38667 Bad Harzburg, Germany. Tel.: 49(0)5320 33 17 90, Fax: 49(0)5320 33 17 919, Email: [email protected]. Information on the natural and animal world of the national park, some interactive presentations. In the national park cinema on the upper floor you can, among other things, watch the film "With Goethe on the Brocken".Open: April - October daily 9 a.m. - 5 p.m., Nov - March Tue - Sun 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.Price: Admission is free.
- Moor footbridge at the Großer Torfhausmoor - On foot from the large car park for about 1.2 km, simply take the Goetheweg in the direction of Brocken.
- Wolfswarte 918 m - Rocky vantage point on Bruchberg, which is approx. 3 km west of Torfhaus (see also Section walks).
activities
Mountain bike
The following MTB routes of the Volksbank-Arena Harz lead through Torfhaus:
- A2 Great Upper Harz Tour, 37 km
- B4 summiteer tour Brocken, 56 km
- H6 Torfhaus Tour, 42 km
- O11 bridge & brooks tour, 30 miles
- W10 summit tour, 38 km
Torfhaus with its large parking lot is a good start and end point for mountain bikers on the circular routes.
hike
On the Goetheweg to the Brocken
From Torfhaus you walk past the Großer Torfhausmoor on one of the traditional Brocken hiking trails, the Goetheweg to the Chunks up. Named after the great German poet who wrote on his Harz hike Climbed the Brocken for the first time in 1777, the Goetheweg leads about 8.5 km up to the summit.
On the fairy tale trail to the Oderteich
About the romantic Fairy tale trail one hikes about 4 km to the Oderteich. The Oderteich is 4 km south of Torfhaus. The path leads slightly downwards through partly boggy terrain to the lake at 725 m above sea level. Bathing is permitted on the south-west bank near the barrier wall, but the water is quite fresh. The length of the route there and back is a total of around 12 km including a detour to the moor bridge at Torfhaus and completely around the Oderteich.
If you feel like it, you can go back Wolf station with visit. Then you walk around 16 km, which is a bit more mountainous. As footwear, it is best to wear sturdy shoes, as the paths are bumpy in places.
To the Wolfswarte on Bruchberg
2 The rock cliffs of the Wolfswarte are about 3 km west of Torfhaus. From 918 m you have a beautiful view over large parts of the western and high Harz mountains. The Brocken can also be seen.
From Torfhaus you can get to the cliff if you follow the path with the "Red Bar" (Harzclub-Weg 18B). From Torfhaus you first follow the road to Altenau past the youth hostel, then over the large parking lot on the country road. At the end of it turn right into the forest, then immediately left again. Partly muddy path with wooden walkways and bridges that are slippery when wet. At a crossroads, the path leading straight ahead to Windbruch was blocked in October 2015, instead you turn left up to the road and shortly afterwards on a graveled hiking trail to the right again into the forest. Follow this to the country road. After crossing the street over a parking lot, keep to the right, then straight ahead up the mountain on the partly heavily washed out, scree hiking trail that looks more like a creek bed. Approx. 3 km easy from Torfhaus with approx. 150 meters in altitude; Walking time: 50 - 70 minutes.Strong shoes are recommended as the paths are mostly bumpy. After longer rainfalls, the second section in particular after crossing the country road is very muddy to swampy, so waterproof shoes are recommended in this weather.
At the Wolfswarte is the Stamp location 135 the Harz hiking pin. To do this - coming from Torfhaus - you have to go to the other side of the Wolfswarte, for which you follow the path leading past the cliffs for about 300 m to the next crossroads; there is the stamp box. At bad weather you can find protection at the Altenauer Hutwhich is just a few steps away at the intersection on the right.
Access to the Wolfswarte from Torfhaus is hardly suitable for people with restricted mobility; it is not possible to use a walker or wheelchair on the path. Strollers or buggies are also unsuitable for this route, and a child carrier should be used for transporting small children.
When there is a lot of snow in winter, the Wolfswarte is only accessible with cross-country skis, as the hiking trails are not cleared or are used as a cross-country ski run (Altenau-Torfhaus connecting cross-country ski run).
Winter sports
- 1 Alpine skiing - The Torfhaus lift "Am Rinderkopf" has a 400 m long descent with an altitude difference of 80 m (altitude: 740 - 820 m; for more see www.torfhauslifte.de).
- 2 Toboggan slope and toboggan lift. - Just below the Halali there is a toboggan slope and lift - the toboggan lift is the only one of its kind in the Harz Mountains. Floodlit tobogganing at certain times.Price: Single lift ticket € 1, 10-ticket up to 12 years € 6, adults €.
- Nordic skiing - Torfhaus is located in the middle of the "Hochharz" trail network. There are i.a. Connections according to Altenau, St. Andreasberg, Braunlage and Schierke. The network is on that Winter sports cards for the Harz recorded.
- A nice tour on cross-country skis is a visit to the lookout point "Wolfswarte" on the Bruchberg (see picture above). The Wolfswarte, however, has to be climbed on deeply covered hiking trails, as the trail does not lead directly past the cliff. But a real pioneering spirit is guaranteed to emerge when you fight your way uphill on a beautiful winter's day after a lot of fresh snow over the possibly untrodden snowdrifts on the hiking trails. You will be rewarded with a great panoramic view. However, if you're the first up there, there's a good chance that loneliness will soon be over. The vantage point is easy to see from the trail, so that latecomers will be happy to use the freshly laid track. Distance from Torfhaus: approx. 3.5 km easy with approx. 150 meters of altitude.
shop
- 1 Globetrotter Active Store, Alte Torfhausstrasse 1, 38667 Torfhaus. Tel.: 49(0)5320 3319288, Fax: 49(0)5320 3319289, Email: [email protected]. Open: Mon-Sun 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m.
- 2 HarzWelcomeCenter, Alte Torfhausstrasse 1, 38667 Torfhaus (in the same building as the Globetrotter). Tel.: 49(0)5320 2290190, Fax: 49(0)5320 2290199, Email: [email protected]. In the HarzWelcomeCenter you can get a good range of hiking and cycling maps for the Harz, as well as the usual Harz souvenirs from witches to schnapps.Open: Mon - Fri 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat and Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
- 3 Bacon Hut, Peat house 12 (directly at the large car park in front of the Bavaria-Alm). Tel.: 49(0)175 370 50 61. The Speckhütte - Torfhaus newest addition - wants to be something like a farm shop and offers bacon, sausage and ham, cheese, bread and all kinds of other foods and spirits to take away, but also has a few seats for a hearty snack.Open: Daily 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
There are other shops in the city of Altenau (supermarket, bakery, etc.)
kitchen
- 1 Bavaria Alm Torfhaus, Torfhaus 10, 38667 Torfhaus. Tel.: 49 (0)5320 33 10 34, Fax: 49 (0)5320 33 10 35, Email: [email protected]. Upper Bavarian style gastronomy with Alpine cuisine.Open: Mo-Fr 11: 00-24: 00, Sa Su 9: 00-24: 00 o'clock.
- Since 2015, the Speckhütte has been supplementing the culinary offer in Torfhaus with its snack (but only a few seats inside, some more outside when the weather is good). Details under shopping.
nightlife
Apart from the Bavaria-Alm, which is open until midnight, there are no bars or similar for a typical nightlife. If you are looking for a little more variety of bars or clubs, you should look for luck in Bad Harzburg or Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the latter as a university town has a slightly larger offer.
accommodation
- 1 Torfhaus Youth Hostel, No. 3, 38667 Torfhaus. Tel.: 49(0)5320 242, Fax: 49 (0)5320 254, Email: [email protected]. 45 rooms with 174 beds, some with their own shower / toilet. DJH ID required for overnight stays.Open: late December to late November. House: daily 7:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m., reception 8:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (check-in).Price: from € 23.50.
- 2 Torfhaus Harz Resort. Tel.: 49(0)5320 5320 22 900, Tel. Toll-free: 49(0)800 53 53 500, Fax: 49(0)5320 22 90 229, Email: [email protected]. Hotel: double room, sauna and fitness area. Breakfast or half board can be booked in the adjoining Halali restaurant. Holiday homes: single houses for 6 people, semi-detached houses for 4 people each, each with its own sauna, bicycle and ski storage room, WiFi.
- 3 School camp Torfhaus, Goetheweg 3, 38667 Torfhaus. Tel.: 49(0)5320 216, Fax: 49(0)5320 331 030, Email: [email protected]. Group accommodation for school classes, groups of children and young people, family camps, etc.
- 4 Ski hut of the Oker Ski Club, Goetheweg 3. Tel.: 49(0)5321 65312, Email: [email protected]. The ski hut of the ski club offers space for 25 people and can also be booked by non-members. Non-members can also stay overnight in the house by prior arrangement.
Learn
The National Park House offers courses for school classes and those interested in the National Park.
security
The tours and trails around Torfhaus usually do not have any particular challenges if you are in good physical condition. Nevertheless, there are emergencies, especially due to incorrect equipment and a lack of weather protection or a lack of stamina and surefootedness (especially for inexperienced hikers who underestimate the ascent to the Brocken via the Goetheweg). In these cases you should dial the well-known emergency number 112. Emergency rescuers are only on site on snowy weekends:
2 Torfhaus mountain rescue station. Tel.: 49(0)5322 223. The mountain station is manned on the weekends in the winter months with good snow conditions and equipped with the necessary vehicles for a rescue in snow.
Overall, you should make sure that you never set off without adequate wind and weather protection, even if you "just want to" go up to the Wolfswarte or something similar, for hikes that do not seem to be a challenge. The paths around Torfhaus are rarely smoothly leveled hiking trails, but rather over washed-out stony paths, through muddy bogs and over wooden walkways that are slippery when wet. Good footwear (trekking shoes are sufficient, but jogging shoes are the wrong choice on muddy ground) should be a matter of course. In addition, day guests should note that there is usually a sensitive temperature difference between the places of arrival and the weather conditions in the Hochharz. Campfires are prohibited in the forest around Torfhaus (National Park)
health
The closest medical care option is the Medical Care Center, Tel. 49 5323 7140 in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Clinics are located on the northern edge of the Harz in Bad Harzburg and Goslar, also on the western edge of the Harz in Herzberg am HarzIn Altenau there is a general medical practice and a dentist.
- Doctor's office cimbal, Am Schwarzenberg 9.38707 Altenau.
- Hirsch pharmacy, Breite Strasse 9, 38707 Altenau.
Practical advice
3 Tourist information (Harz Welcome Center), Alte Torfhaus Strasse 1. Tel.: 49(0)5320 22 90 190, Fax: 49(0)5320 22 90 199. Open: Mon - Fri 10 a.m. - 6 p.m., Sat Sun 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., on public holidays 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.
Hotspot in the HarzWelcomeCenter
Tourist tax
Spa contribution per night according to the statutes of the Upper Harz municipality for Torfhaus: Adults: 1,50 €, Children and adolescents: 1 € (6-17 years). See discounts Harz guest card (pdf)
trips
literature
Web links
https://www.altenau.de/web/altenau-region/torfhaus/index.html - Official website of Torfhaus
Webcam
- Brocken view from Torfhaus - Page Torfhaus Harzresort
- Brockenblick - Page harzcam.de
- Webcam (Location: Torfhaus-Harzresort) with a view of the Brocken
