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Ilsetal Valley – Heinrich Heine Trail (Ilse Valley) loop from Ilsenburg

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Hiking trails & Routes

Ilsetal Valley – Heinrich Heine Trail (Ilse Valley) loop from Ilsenburg

Moderate

4.8

(1691)

5,108

hikers

Ilsetal Valley – Heinrich Heine Trail (Ilse Valley) loop from Ilsenburg

04:42

16.3km

400m

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 23, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Nationalpark Harz

Waypoints

Start point

Train Station

Get Directions

1.66 km

Nagelhüttenteich

Lake

2.69 km

Ilsetal Valley

Highlight • Gorge

The Ilsetal is a wild and romantic mountain valley southwest of Ilsenburg. The Ilse has its source not far from the Brocken summit at an altitude of almost 1,000 meters …

Translated by Google •

Tip by

3.29 km

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

4.18 km

Ilse Valley

Highlight • Gorge

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

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Tip by

4.36 km

Heinrich Heine Trail (Ilse Valley)

Highlight • Trail

Nature lovers should definitely prefer the hiking trail along the Ilse to the gravel road. The stony path is easy to walk when the brook splashes, surrounded by trees and rocks.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

4.46 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

4.84 km

Lower Ilse Falls

Highlight • Waterfall

The Ilsetal is always worth a trip, regardless of the season.

Translated by Google •

Tip by

6.51 km

Ilse Falls

Highlight • Waterfall

If there is enough snow, the upper and lower Ilse falls are also great for a snowshoe tour

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8.15 km

Viewpoint

11.6 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

16.3 km

End point

Train Station

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

8.99 km

4.14 km

2.69 km

408 m

< 100 m

Surfaces

7.28 km

5.38 km

3.27 km

280 m

< 100 m

Elevation

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

Weather

Tuesday 1 September

18°C

8°C

51 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 12.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

December 8, 2023,Durchs Ilsetal zum Kloster Ilsenburg

Unfortunately, I had to complete the warm-up lap for the E.M.T.I winter hike tomorrow with @Sebastian, @Annette Henze and many others alone.
Start and finish was Ilsenburg. The path went along the Ilse, some of which were extremely icy, to the Bremer Hut with a view of the Brocken. With hardly any trees left on the plateau, we went over …

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May 1, 2023,Wildromantisches Ilsetal

Hello everyone! Today we started from a paid parking lot (as of 5/2023 day ticket 6 €) in Ilseburg. The great hiking trail runs directly along the Ilse. This is awesome! Up to the Ilse Falls. Then the path branches off towards the cliffs (which are also worth seeing!). Views, lots of water, varied vegetation, cliffs, (lots of hikers) and …

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May 16, 2026,Durch das Ilsetal zur Plessenburg

Early in the morning, we took the HEX Express towards the Harz.
Upon arriving in Ilsenburg, the weather initially showed its grayer side — a bit cloudy, light drizzle, and fresh air ☁️🌧️
But that changed faster than expected, and the first few meters along the Ilse immediately made us look forward to the tour. The water babbled next to …

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December 25, 2024,🥾Runde von Ilsenburg durchs Ilsebachtal über die Plessenburg

A beautiful, varied tour on Christmas Day.
Starting point is the car park at the adventure forest in Ilsetal.
Along the Ilsebach, over hill and dale, beautiful.
At the Bremerhütte we left the Ilsebach and continued along the hunting trail over the Plessenburg to the Ilsestein and back to the car park.
There were also sections with farm tracks, some …

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September 16, 2023,Ilsetal

As always with Garmin Fenix, altitude meters🫣 are cheese.

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July 25, 2026,2️⃣2️⃣2️⃣: Durch das Ilsetal zur Plessenburg (Nationalpark Harz) 🥾🏔️🌲🌳☀️

The path along the Ilse is known as the Heinrich-Heine-Weg. The poet took it in 1824 on his descent from the Brocken to Ilsenburg, hence the memorial stone on the route. In his famous "Harzreise", Heinrich Heine set a literary monument to the Ilse... still worth reading and quite amusing today.

Showing Translation

January 17, 2025,Ilsetal und Plessenburg

In winter, when there is snow and ice, the Heinrich Heine Trail is very dangerous. At the upper Ilse Falls, it is only recommended for hikers who are not afraid of slipping. Alternatively, you should hike on the road along the Ilse.

Showing Translation

August 4, 2024,Wanderung von Ilsenburg zur Plessenburg.

Today we went from Ilsenburg over the Ilsen Falls to the Bremer Hut and then on to Plessenburg. After refreshment we went to Ilsestein and back to Ilsenburg. A very beautiful and varied route.

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Ilsetal Valley – Heinrich Heine Trail (Ilse Valley) loop from Ilsenburg

Ilsetal Valley

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

Ilse Valley

Heinrich Heine Trail (Ilse Valley)

Wooden bridge over the Ilse

Lower Ilse Falls

Ilse Falls

Paternoster Cliff

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