Trautenstein: Dammbach Valley, Taufstein and the Harz Landscape

Hiking and streams in the Dammbach Valley

The Dammbach Valley is ideal for a short hike all year round and is part of the “Harzer Bachtäler” nature reserve. The Dammbach and its tributaries are among the main tributaries of the Rappbode and flow into the Rappbode at Trautenstein. The valley’s landscape is thus shaped both by its appeal for hiking and by its connection to the Rappbode river system.

Five long wooden footbridges provide crossings over the tributary streams, allowing hikers to cross them without getting their feet wet. The bridges serve a specific purpose along the hike: they cross the side streams. When exploring the valley, visitors can consider this feature of the route as well as the opportunity to hike there year-round.

A scenic spot in the surrounding area

Trageburg Rock lies about 2 km northeast of Trautenstein, on the right bank of the Rappbode pre-dam and along the Harzer-Hexen-Stieg trail. From there, visitors can look across the Rappbode Valley to the left bank. This adds a distinct scenic spot, with its location and view of the Rappbode Valley, to the streams and hiking theme of the Dammbach Valley.

The Taufstein of St. Salvator Church

One detail of Trautenstein’s cultural history is the Taufstein of St. Salvator Church. It is a neoclassical Harz cast-iron piece from 1830, designed in the form of an ancient altar. Its material, date, style and form provide a precise picture of this distinctive church object: the Taufstein has a specific historical context and is also characterised by its altar-like design. It is therefore a specific object, rather than just a general description of the church, that represents the cultural side of the town.

More trails in Oberharz am Brocken

The wider Oberharz am Brocken destination offers further hiking options with specific details on distance, duration and difficulty. One moderately difficult route passes through mixed woodland to the Krockstein viewpoint. It is 2.8 km long, with a stated walking time of 55 minutes. Near Hasselfelde, a moderately difficult circular trail runs around the Hassel pre-dam. It covers 5.5 km, with a stated duration of 1 hour 28 minutes.

The two trails can be compared directly using their key details: the circular trail at the Hassel pre-dam is 2.7 km longer, and its stated duration is 33 minutes more than that of the trail to Krockstein. Both are rated moderately difficult; they also differ in their destinations and in that only the Hassel pre-dam route is explicitly described as a circular trail. These examples belong to the wider Oberharz am Brocken destination and should be distinguished from places of interest in Trautenstein itself.

Charcoal making and regional history

The traditional craft of charcoal making can also be explored in the wider Oberharz am Brocken destination. At the Harzköhlerei Stemberghaus, traditional earth kilns are built, fired and harvested from early April to the end of October, offering visitors a chance to see the craft in action. The charcoal-making museum provides an impression of the difficult working and living conditions of charcoal burners. The two sites focus on different aspects: the Harzköhlerei highlights the stages of the craft, while the museum explores the charcoal burners’ lives and work. These regional cultural themes complement the hiking and landscape features without attributing further characteristics to Trautenstein itself.

Discover more destinations: Königshütte, Elbingerode, Neuwerk, Rübeland, Sorge, Stiege, Elend, Hasselfelde.

View the wider travel overview: Oberharz Am Brocken.