WasserWanderWeg Huttaler Widerwaage

Short facts

  • start: At the B 242 Clausthal - Braunlage, follow the sign "Hirschler/Pfauenteiche", turn right onto the Entensumpf parking lot.
  • destination: At the B 242 Clausthal - Braunlage, follow the sign "Hirschler/Pfauenteiche", turn right onto the Entensumpf parking lot.
  • easy
  • 7,46 km
  • 2 hours
  • 83 m
  • 622 m
  • 573 m
  • 80 / 100
  • 10 / 100

best season

Hike to all important facilities of the Huttaler Widerwaage. Here you experience the highest engineering skill in the Upper Harz water management system.

This easy circular hike near Clausthal-Zellerfeld takes you to all important facilities of the Huttaler Widerwaage. This is a particularly sophisticated system of ditches and ponds between the Hirschler Pond, the Dammgraben, the Jägersbleeker Pond, and some other water ditches.

All ditches and ponds were connected to each other. Their task was to supply the Hirschler Pond with enough water. From the Hirschler Pond, water was led into the Caroline and Dorothea mines. There it was used to power the water wheels.

The special feature: The ditches of the Huttaler Widerwaage have no gradient. That means: they are level. The water can be directed in both directions. This is top-class engineering!

On your hike, you will pass all important facilities of the Huttaler Widerwaage. At the end, you will reach the highest located reservoirs of Clausthal.

You can read all information about this masterpiece of engineering on the information boards along the trail.

General information

Directions

The circular route is 7 kilometers long and starts at the Entensumpf parking lot on the federal highway B 242 and ends there as well. From here, you first reach the Huttaler Widerwaage. The water basin is built from natural stones. There, water can be dammed up and guided through the Huttal watercourse to the Hirschler Pond. In case of flood, the weir of the water basin can be opened. Then the water can flow in the other direction through the Huttal.

From the Huttaler Widerwaage, the ditch runs through the Huttal and over a small aqueduct onto a disused pond dam. An aqueduct is a bridge for a water channel.

Cross the federal highway B 242 and keep to the right. There you follow a forest path to the Dammgraben. Along the ditch, you hike up to the Polsterberger Hubhaus inn. From there, you go back through a beautiful forest landscape past the Jägersbleeker Pond and the Hirschler Pond to the parking lot.

Tip

The Polsterberger Hubhaus has become a very nice forest inn. The products on the menu all come from the region. Particularly delicious are the fresh and homemade cakes.

Parking

At the B 242 Clausthal - Braunlage, follow the sign "Hirschler/Pfauenteiche", turn right onto the Entensumpf parking lot.

Literature

Martin Schmidt: WasserWanderWege – A guide through the Upper Harz water system – UNESCO World Heritage, 4th edition, Papierflieger Verlag GmbH, Clausthal-Zellerfeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-86948-200-2 UNESCO World Heritage – Rammelsberg Mine, Old Town Goslar and Upper Harz Water Management Brochure in DIN lang format presenting the related tourist facilities along the Upper Harz water management with a short text and photos. On the back are three overview maps showing the World Heritage routes, tourist destinations, and the overall location of the World Heritage. Price: €2.00 Available at all tourist information offices in the region or online at shop.harzinfo.de.

Additional Information

Upper Harz Mining Museum

Bornhardtstr. 16
38678 Clausthal-Zellerfeld
Tel. 05323 98950
info@oberharzerbergwerksmuseum.de
www.oberharzerbergwerksmuseum.de

UNESCO World Heritage Foundation Harz

Bergtal 19
38640 Goslar
info@welterbeimharz.de
www.welterbeimharz.de

Pavings

  • Crushed Rock (38%)
  • Path (46%)
  • Hiking Trail (13%)
  • Street (2%)
  • Asphalt Coating (1%)

Weather

Next steps

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