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Ilse Valley – Paternoster Cliff loop from Prinzess-Ilse-Quelle

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Hiking trails & Routes

Ilse Valley – Paternoster Cliff loop from Prinzess-Ilse-Quelle

Moderate

4.8

(708)

1,942

hikers

Ilse Valley – Paternoster Cliff loop from Prinzess-Ilse-Quelle

02:19

7.83km

240m

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: May 18, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Nationalpark Harz

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

277 m

Heinrich Heine Trail (Heinrich-Heine-Weg) along the River Ilse

Highlight • Trail

A beautiful valley with admirable nature - we could see dippers, brown trout and, when it rains, numerous fire salamanders. Several seating areas along the river invite you to take a break.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

426 m

Ilse Footbridge

Highlight • Bridge

The bridges over the Ilse are always a highlight and popular photo opportunity.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.09 km

Ilse Valley

Highlight • Gorge

The path always goes along the roaring Ilse. Very nice.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.26 km

Wooden bridge over the Ilse

Highlight • Bridge

Here you can switch from Heinrich-Heine-Weg to the quieter side of the Ilse

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.40 km

In the years 1775-1776, Count Heinrich Ernst of Stolberg-Wernigerode had a stately hunting lodge built on the Königskoll in the Huysburger Häu south of Ilsenburg. He named it Plessenburg after his son-in-law, Prince Friedrich Erdmann of Anhalt-Köthen-Pleß. A little way away from the hunting lodge, a forester's lodge was built in the 19th century, which soon became a popular restaurant for day trippers. Immediately next to the hunting lodge, however, a half-timbered building for the kitchen staff was built in 1880, which was used by the catering business after the expropriation of the Princes of Stolberg-Wernigerode after the Second World War and which was later structurally connected to the old hunting lodge to form a building complex that is now used as a popular restaurant for day trippers.

Numerous hiking trails lead to Plessenburg from the surrounding areas of Ilsenburg, Drübeck, Darlingerode, Wernigerode and Bad Harzburg. It is a popular stopover on the way to or from the highest peak in the Harz, the Brocken. Not far from the Plessenburg are the Wolfsklippen with a viewing platform, the Ilse Falls in the Ilsetal and the Ilsestein. Furthermore, the Plessenburg can be reached on certain days from the beginning of May to the end of October by a bus line from Wernigerode via Ilsenburg.
Source: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plessenburg

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4.92 km

Paternoster Cliff

Highlight • Natural Monument

The paternoster cliff is located about 2.8 kilometers south-southwest of the Ilsenburg core town. At the rock formation the trail leads from Ilsestein to Plessenburg

Translated by Google •

Tip by

6.20 km

View over Ilsenburg

Highlight • Viewpoint

Rocky path. Be sure to use sturdy shoes and enjoy the wonderful view.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

6.59 km

Ilsestein

Highlight • Natural Monument

The Ilsestein is undoubtedly one of the extensive list of particularly impressive rock cliffs in the Harz. Its walkable part is about 130 meters long, with its upper area being a narrow, just a few meters wide rock ridge. The elongated granite formation runs from southeast to northwest. The Ilsestein is densely forested, but still has many vantage points with impressive views. The terrain drops almost vertically in some places. Many of the areas accessible to visitors are secured with railings, but not everywhere.

The Ilsestein consists of the Ilsestein granite named after it, which geologically belongs to the granite area of the Brocken massif. The rock is particularly rich in quartz and has numerous large-volume fillings with various other minerals. For this reason, the Ilsestein granite is less suitable as a material, which is why there are no quarries in this area.

Source: harzlife.de/extra/ilsestein.html

Translated by Google •

Tip by

7.83 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

3.82 km

2.99 km

805 m

115 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

4.99 km

2.65 km

115 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (540 m)

Lowest point (330 m)

Weather

Monday 29 June

22°C

12°C

80 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 7.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

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Ilse Valley – Paternoster Cliff loop from Prinzess-Ilse-Quelle

Heinrich Heine Trail (Heinrich-Heine-Weg) along the River Ilse

Ilse Footbridge

Ilse Valley

Wooden bridge over the Ilse

Plessenburg Lodge

Paternoster Cliff

View over Ilsenburg

Ilsestein

Nearby routes

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