Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Stolberg Historic Old Town loop from Großer Auerberg

Hiking trails & Routes

Harz Mountains

Mansfeld-Südharz

Südharz

Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Stolberg Historic Old Town loop from Großer Auerberg

Hard

4.7

(49)

134

hikers

Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Stolberg Historic Old Town loop from Großer Auerberg

05:37

18.3km

630m

Hiking

Hard hike. Very good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is right next to a parking lot.

Last updated: August 19, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Pferdekopf

Biosphärenreservat Karstlandschaft Südharz

Waypoints

Start point

Parking

Get Directions

1.03 km

Josephskreuz Observation Tower

Highlight • Monument

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

Translated by Google •

Tip by

1.08 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 …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

5.53 km

Viewpoint

6.86 km

Stolberg Historic Old Town

Highlight • Historical Site

City of Stolberg (Harz) is a district of the municipality of Harz in the district of Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt. The approximately 1400 inhabitants town in the Harz had city rights …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

7.25 km

View of Stolberg from the Lutherbuche

Highlight • Viewpoint

The small town of Stolberg is by far one of the most beautiful historical towns in the Harz Mountains. The place is beautifully at your feet from the Luther beech. …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

8.22 km

Rittertor Stolberg

Highlight • Monument

A former city gate at the western end of Stolberg.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

9.99 km

Stolberg Deer Monument

Highlight • Monument

The two paths that lead to the monument were once the bridle paths of the lords of the castle. Irmgard von Stollberg had this monument with the heraldic animal of …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

10.5 km

Röhrenteich

Lake

13.1 km

View of Stolberg Castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

A fine place to rest, the old oak tree and 2 benches including the panoramic view of the castle make the place something very special.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

13.4 km

Beautiful half-timbered houses

Highlight • Historical Site

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

Translated by Google •

Tip by

18.3 km

End point

Parking

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

11.7 km

4.60 km

1.36 km

673 m

Surfaces

11.3 km

4.79 km

1.51 km

721 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Highest point (580 m)

Lowest point (290 m)

Weather

Today

Tuesday 13 October

15°C

3°C

0 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 17.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

July 14, 2023,Wanderung um Stolberg mit Josephskreuz (HWN 215/216)

Wonderful tour from the "Waldbühne" car park, which leads around Stolberg and also to the Josephskreuz. ☝️😄 However, it should be noted that Stolberg is not only surrounded by mountains, but also extends into 4 valleys. Therefore, the effort of the tour lives from the constant uphill and downhill, which is rewarded by views of the city and castle from …

Showing Translation

March 8, 2025,Stolberg 🗼Josephskreuz

With beautiful views of Stolberg and Stolberg Castle🏰, I walked on the Oberer Bandweg through beech forests to the Großer Auerberg in the morning.
On the summit stands the Josephskreuz.
This is a double cross made of steel framework and can be climbed over 200 steps, built in 1896.
The thought of the Eiffel Tower is actually obvious, the round …

Showing Translation

January 13, 2023,🏰Stolberg🗼 Spazur ❄️ich🌬 hab,s ☔️kommen 🚣sehen 🛀

Friday from 1 everyone does their own 😉 I had forgotten Claudi's stamp booklet on another tour 🙄 the view back then, corrected it today 🤗🤣.
I saw the weather coming on the tower, but it was like this 🙄 water, hail storm 🤪 but it was a nice round, Stolberg 👍😎🗼👊

Showing Translation

October 20, 2024,🏘️🍂 Stolberg und die Josephshöhe 🍁🗼

As part of my Wanderkaiser project (2014-2016) 🫅🎒 I also drove through Stolberg 🏘️ in the southern Harz ⛰️⛰️. My enthusiasm for half-timbered houses 🏠 was not so pronounced at that time (I didn't really know it then; but maybe it originally arose here 🤭). In any case, I was so impressed by this little town that I said to …

Showing Translation

August 23, 2024,Sachsen-Anhalt, Stolberg

A place worth seeing, which seems to consist only of half-timbered houses, some of which date back to around 1500.
We hiked up to Josephshöhe. There is the 38-meter-high observation tower called Josephskreuz. It is the largest double iron cross in the world, weighs 125 tons and is held together by around 100,000 rivets.

Showing Translation

November 13, 2022,Stolberger Kringel und Josephskreuz

In order to escape the thick fog, which swept all day from the Thuringian Basin to southern Saxony-Anhalt, Uwe had chosen a tour around Stolberg/Harz. We set off in more than five hours of November sun, finally up to the Josephskreuz.
Today's GPS information: 14.7 kilometers and 461 meters in altitude.

Showing Translation

September 30, 2023,Harz Stolberg Josephshöhe HWN 215 und Lutherbuche HWN 216🥾🌲🐝

A beautiful hike with 2 interesting stamps. Unfortunately we didn't see the road closure between Mägdefleck and the bend. It took us an hour to cover 800 meters. Always hoping that the next stack of trees will be the last. Therefore, please do not follow the tour like this.
The Joseph Cross was the total reward.

Showing Translation

November 12, 2023,Stolberg Runde

"Historic European City"

Stolberg

gemeinde-suedharz.de/fachwerkstadt-stolberg-harz

The most beautiful village in Germany is 25 minutes away from us.
Stolberg's coherent ensemble of almost 400 half-timbered houses is nestled in four narrow valleys. One of the oldest half-timbered houses dates from 1470.

stadt-stolberg.de/buergerhaus

Stolberg is therefore always worth a trip.
In 2019 it was voted the most beautiful village in Germany.

Showing Translation