Back to the Roots – family vacations in the forest!
For a family vacation in the Harz Mountains with kids, there is no other accommodation than the Harzverbunden comes into question.
Harzverbunden – that’s Larissa and Daniel, a young couple who grew up here in the region and have given space to their love of nature and the vision of its preservation. With the Waldquartier, the two have not only fulfilled a dream themselves but also created an enchanting place for precious family time.
Outside Bad Grund, the oldest mountain town in the Upper Harz, winding paths under the canopy of leaves lead toward a clearing in the middle of the forest. On 11,000 square meters, mom and dad can let the kids go free; here, the urban jungle is exchanged back for the childhood dream of “living in the forest.”
The heart of Harzverbunden is formed by two huge tipis, which can be booked for family celebrations and are otherwise available as a covered area. There is even a bar hidden under one tent roof. All around is a huge playground, swings and a sandbox. And what would a forest quarter be without a fireplace for stick bread and marshmallows? Here you can make new friends in the Harz Mountains with kids or end the day around the campfire.
From all the cottages, which are lined up around the clearing, you have a view of the kids and can sit back and relax – depending on the weather on the beautiful, covered wooden terrace or inside on the comfortable bench in front of the large panoramic window.
As “hygge” you could describe the style of the interior of the houses, which all have 6 sleeping places. Feeling at home in the forest is made easy here by loving details, top equipment and a good sense of embedding in nature. The highlight is the sleeping place in the bunk, which is hidden behind a wooden sliding door and at the same time opens the most beautiful forest view. On the large dining table are already ready playing cards, pens and matches for family time around the fireplace.
For a hearty breakfast in the open air to the sound of nature, there are fresh rolls from the bakery Blume in the village. If you are lucky, you can look forward to an egg from the neighborhood’s chickens. Well fortified, it is better to make plans for a natural, eventful day in the Harz.
Excursion destinations in the Harz Mountains with kids!
Floating above the trees – 40 minutes from the quarters.
About 40 minutes by car from the Waldquartier is Bad Harzburg. From the well-signposted parking lot, you can either take the mountain railroad up to the Burgberg or walk along the trail to reach the starting point of the tree suspension railroad after about 30 minutes of climbing with a view. Just above the entrance, next to the ruins of the old castle, the hotel and restaurant “Aussichtsreich” has just opened. The beautifully landscaped beer garden, with views far beyond Bad Harzburg, has delicious homemade cakes on the menu in addition to hot food.
After chips and rhubarb crumble, we all put a few kilos more on the scales that we have to pass before our ride with the suspension railroad down to the entrance of the treetop path. A good thing, because the ride is not possible under 20 kilograms of own weight. A thousand meters long and at a speed of about 15 km/h, we glide – suspended in parachute gear – over the leafy canopy. An absolute must in the Harz mountains with kids!
With butterflies in our stomachs and a big portion of freedom in our luggage, we stand with both feet on the ground again, at the gate to the next highlight: the treetop path. At eye level with the treetops, a bridge path leads past deciduous and coniferous forest and imparts a lot of knowledge about the forest through playful and educational interactions.
We pursue the questions of how the woods of the trees sound, how the age of the green giants can be recognized, where which animal is at home in the forest and, above all, what we humans would be without it and how we can protect it.
Goslar, here it is worth stopping in the Harz Mountains with kids – 30 minutes from the accommodation.
Just fifteen minutes from Bad Harzburg is the largest city in the region, Goslar. The old town, which has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its half-timbered houses, churches and small alleys, as well as the market square, which is worth seeing and whose centerpiece is the fountain with the golden eagle, is worth a family stop on the way back to the quarters. Even as parents, we notice what the confrontation with history and nature on site does to us, to be able to experience and thereby also recognize connections. How nice that in the evening we can share all the impressions of the day around the campfire, also with other families before we find sleep in the bunk as deep and restful as it has not been for a long time.
Admiring sequoia trees in the world forest – 20 minutes from the quarters.
On the second day we leave our car and start after a late breakfast on foot from the front door in the direction of the “World Forest“. After about 20 minutes we reach the entrance to the “Erlebnispfad”, which winds its way through the forest for 1.7 kilometers. It starts at parking lot P1 at the Indian Tipi and the two totem poles. The trail leads us through the redwood forest to a long jump pit where we can compete with the animals in our jumping skills. The coyote wins. Other highlights on the trail through the forest, which is home mainly to American tree species, include the wooden bridge, a giant puzzle and the sound game. It takes attention and a good eye to spot the brown bear between the trees from the high seat. Things get shaky at the end of the trail when we freehand our way across the suspension bridge to the last part of the trail. If you take in all the attractions along the way, you should allow about 2 hours.
Back at our home in the forest, inspired by the adventure trail, we are more than motivated to build our tipi. The old wood in the forest directly behind our quarters offers so much building material that we are busy for hours with our family project. But then we enjoy the evening sun on the clearing in front of our cottage and carve sticks for our evening meal at the campfire. Connected with nature, the family and the people who are also guests here, we celebrate the simple and unique life, the sunset, the silence in the forest and the starry sky.
This is what a vacation in the Harz Mountains with kids looks like and we are sure you are now just as eager to get to know the Harz Mountains and the great destinations around it!
*This post was created in cooperation with Larissa and Daniel from the Harzverbunden. Our local mate Kirstin was allowed to spend 3 days with her family in one of the vacation homes. All opinions are our own and we can heartily recommend a vacation in the nature in the Harz.
