Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Beautiful half-timbered houses loop from Stolberg (Harz)

Hiking trails & Routes

Harz Mountains

Mansfeld-Südharz

Südharz

Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Beautiful half-timbered houses loop from Stolberg (Harz)

Moderate

4.7

(326)

990

hikers

Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Beautiful half-timbered houses loop from Stolberg (Harz)

03:25

11.3km

330m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Mostly accessible paths. Sure-footedness required. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through a protected area

Please check local regulations for:

Biosphärenreservat Karstlandschaft Südharz

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

681 m

View of Stolberg and Stolberg Castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

A view of the half-timbered town and the castle to enjoy.

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5.65 km

Josephskreuz Observation Tower

Highlight • Monument

Wonderful view of the Harz. The HWN stamping point is also located here.

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5.70 km

Josephskreuz on the Great Auerberg

Highlight • Monument

The Joseph Cross is a must in the south-eastern Harz. It stands on Josephshöhe and is, so to speak, a piece of Paris in the Harz Mountains. The Joseph Cross …

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9.76 km

Beautiful half-timbered houses

Highlight • Historical Site

Only in a few cities are the historical buildings so well preserved.

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10.1 km

View of Stolberg Castle from the Unterer Bandweg

Highlight • Viewpoint

Great view of the castle from the lower Bandweg. This runs parallel to the upper Bandweg more or less around Stolberg.

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10.3 km

View of Stolberg and its castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

From an elevated position there is a very impressive view of Stolberg with the castle on the opposite side of the valley.

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10.3 km

View of Stolberg from the Unterer Bandweg

Highlight (Segment) • Viewpoint

Nice trail off the beaten track with many viewpoints of the small town and its houses.

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11.1 km

View of Stolberg Castle and St. Martini Church

Highlight • Viewpoint

Originally built as a medieval castle in the 13th century.

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11.3 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

6.96 km

3.43 km

475 m

468 m

Surfaces

5.39 km

4.35 km

1.03 km

481 m

< 100 m

Elevation

Nothing selected – click and drag below to see the stats for a specific part of the route.

Weather

Tuesday 20 October

11°C

6°C

96 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 13.0 km/h

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Comments

April 23, 2026,Stolberg und Josephskreuz

To conclude my short holiday in the Harz, I went to Stolberg today. First, I walked through the delightful little town, and then I went to the Josephskreuz. I dared to go up onto the platform, which took quite a bit of courage.

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August 2, 2022,Von Stolberg zum Josephskreuz

Started in the climatic health resort of Kolberg, after the ascent to the Bandweg, continued to the Auerberg. Highlight is the Joseph Cross, also called the Eifel Tower of the Harz Mountains due to its construction. The Joseph Cross is the largest iron double cross in the world, which was built in 1896 based on the model of the Eifel …

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June 4, 2022,Stolberg - Josephskreuz / Josephshöhe (HWN 215) - Lutherbuche (HWN 216) Runde

Except for a 2 km long, boring forest autobahn section, it was a worthwhile tour around and in Stolberg. A beautiful, small place with some good places to stop and in some sections many steps 😰😁

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April 13, 2024,Josephskreuz (HWN215) - Lutherbuche (HWN216)

Today we wanted to do a little walk before our evening event in Stolberg.
We started at Stolberg train station, where you can park for free.
From there it felt like it was only going up towards Josephskreuz. Unfortunately the paths are not small forest paths, but they are easy to walk. We were alone the whole time and didn't …

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July 13, 2024,Stolberg - Josephskreuz - Stolberg

An easy hike with a highlight. Actually two highlights, because the whole of Stolberg itself is a highlight in itself. The Josephskreuz is impressive - definitely do it. There are numerous hikes

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October 28, 2021,Stolberg Harz - HWN 215 + 216

Nice little town ...

After a really long journey with various road closures around Stolberg, we arrive at the Kaltes Tal parking lot below the castle. The place is still in the light morning fog, the sunlight penetrates only slowly into the valley. We first hike up to the castle - the property, which has already been extensively renovated and …

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April 5, 2024,Von Stolberg auf die Josephshöhe und zur Lutherbuche

Stolberg in the southern Harz is a dream of half-timbered houses and was the discovery of the holiday. There are beautiful half-timbered houses elsewhere, but here everything was just right: the views of the town from the surrounding hills showed that there are no ugly modern buildings disturbing the well-preserved ensemble.

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September 30, 2025,Wanderung zur Josephshöhe (Auerberg) (HWN 215), Lutherbuche Stolberg (HWN 216)

A wonderful combination of hiking, history, and enjoyment—with the Joseph's Cross, the idyllic half-timbered houses of Stolberg, the Luther Beech, and several opportunities for refreshment, this trail is highly recommended. 🍺🌲🏰

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