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The Nationalpark Harz

The legendary mountain wilderness

In 2006 the Harz National Park was created from a merger of two existing national parks: the Hochharz (Saxony-Anhalt) and the Harz (Lower Saxony). With the merger, Germany's first national state park with an area of almost 25,000 hectares was created.

National parks are traditional protected areas. Today there are over 2,000 national parks worldwide - 14 of them in Germany.

Nationalpark Harz . Lindenallee 35 . 38855 Wernigerode . +49 3943/55020 . www.nationalpark-harz.de

"The Harz National Park forms a unique natural backdrop."

"Let nature be nature!"

Tasks and goals of the Harz National Park

The focus is on protecting natural processes. "Let nature be nature!" is the motto of the German national parks. As a result, valuable habitats for numerous animal and plant species are preserved developed. However, humans are not locked out. The national park accompanies these processes through its own research work and also pursues renaturation projects such as the rewetting of peatlands or forest development. Another important focus of the work is to bring people closer to the beauty of nature. The National Park information centers are a great help.

Ilsetal National Park Visitor Centre

Find out more about the beech forests around Ilsenburg

Our national park house is located in the Ilsetal - diagonally across from the large parking lot on the southern outskirts of Ilsenburg. After visiting our exhibition on life in the beech forest, you are well prepared for your forays through the forests around Ilsenburg and the wild and romantic Ilsetal. There is also a lot to discover in the garden of the National Park House. On the upper floor of the house, changing photo exhibitions invite you to pay repeated visits.

opening hours:

Tuesday to Sunday: 8.30 am – 4.30 pm

Monday is closed, except on public holidays

Free admission

Ilsetal 5 . Nationalparkhaus Ilsetal . 38871 Ilsenburg . +49 39452/89494

More Information

The forests around Ilsenburg are also affected by forest change. You want to know what the forest change is all about? Watch the explanatory videos or just contact us!

Initiative "The forest is calling"

An initiative of the Harzer Tourismusverband e.V.

With its initiative "The forest calls", the Harz Tourism Association explains what is happening in the Harz forest, why it is happening and how people behave correctly in the forest. Two short explanatory videos are provided for this.

Shortfilm-Der Wald Knigge

Shortfilm-Changes in the Harz forests

Here you can find further information.

Our National Park Partnership, at heart a naturalist.

As tourist information in a national park municipality, a partnership with the Harz National Park must of course not be missing. We work closely together on specific topics such as forest development, external appearance and other projects. The rangers on site in the Ilsetal National Park House also support us at trade fairs or take our guests on great discovery tours through the mystical forest landscape around Ilsenburg. We are happy to be part of a great network and to develop sustainable projects with other partners throughout the Harz region.

Information about the partnership, about all partners or about the realignment of the partnership can be found here!

For you we have two great videos about partnership: