Day 1: Arrival

Make your own way by car or train to the hotel in Bad Grund (Bahnhof Gittelde). Rail travellers can be picked up by arrangement for a charge.

Day 2: Walk from Bad Grund to Lerbach

Your walk starts at Hübichplatz in the centre of Bad Grund. Later you pass the Heilstollen and Märchental and continue by the entrance to the HöhlenErlebnisZentrum. The 33 m-high Albertturm serves up views as far as Thuringia. After crossing the dam at the Prinzenteich there are lovely views across the chain of ponds. Steps then lead you down to Lerbach (approx. 22 km, 720 metres of ascent, approx. 6 hrs)

Day 3: Walk from Lerbach to Sieber

Today you head for the open-air museum and the idyllic Sösestausee. Here in Harz National Park you'll find a beautiful high moorland landscape. At 800m above sea level glorious views are guaranteed, before a wayside inn invites you to take a break. From there it's all downhill to Sieber, the end of today's stage (approx. 19 km, 750 metres of ascent, approx. 5½ hrs)

Day 4: Walk from Sieber to Bad Lauterberg

The third stage leads up to the Großer Knollen and into the idyllic Luttertal. Three wayside inns, two lookout towers – all in a single walking day. Later in Bad Lauterberg you might like to round off the day at the Kirchberg-Therme or the Vitamar Erlebnisbad (approx. 15 km, 730 metres of ascent, approx. 4 hrs)

Day 5: Walk from Bad Lauterberg to Bad Sachsa

From the Kurpark you head towards the Wiesenbeker Teich with boat hire and a lovely wayside inn on the lakeshore. From the Ravensberg (659 m above sea level) you can, in clear weather, see as far as the Brocken and deep into Thuringia. At your stage finish in Bad Sachsa, a cosy old town awaits (approx. 12 km, 550 metres of ascent, approx. 4 hrs)

Day 6: Walk from Bad Sachsa to Wieda

Through the wild and romantic Uffetal, the path leads to the Stöberhai (720m above sea level), the highest mountain in the southern Harz; fantastic views of Sankt Andreasberg, towards the Wurmberg and to the Brocken reward the effort of the ascent (15 km, 470 metres of ascent, approx. 4 hrs)

Day 7: Walk from Wieda to Walkenried

The final stage starts in the river valley of the Wieda. Via Zorge you continue to the famous Cistercian abbey of Walkenried, the finishing point of the Harzer Bauden-Steig walk (17 km, 500 metres of ascent, approx. 4½ hrs)

Day 8: Departure

Return by bus or train to your starting point Bad Grund and travel home from there. Rail travellers can also depart directly from Walkenried station.

The Harzer BaudenSteig runs in seven stages from Bad Grund via Lerbach, Sieber, Bad Lauterberg, Bad Sachsa and Wieda to Walkenried. Over around 100 km, woodland paths are punctuated by stops at Bauden. Highlights include Albertturm and Prinzenteich, the Sösestausee and a raised bog in the Harz National Park, Großer Knollen and the Luttertal, Ravensberg with far-reaching views, the Uffetal and the Stöberhai. The destination is the Cistercian monastery at Walkenried.

Hotel-to-hotel walk.

No tour leader.

Public transport fares extra.