Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Beautiful half-timbered houses loop from Stolberg (Harz)

Hiking trails & Routes

Harz Mountains

Mansfeld-Südharz

Südharz

Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Beautiful half-timbered houses loop from Stolberg (Harz)

Moderate

4.7

(438)

1,441

hikers

Josephskreuz Observation Tower – Beautiful half-timbered houses loop from Stolberg (Harz)

03:28

11.6km

350m

Hiking

Moderate hike. Good fitness required. Easily-accessible paths. Suitable for all skill levels. The starting point of the route is accessible with public transport.

Last updated: October 1, 2026

Tips

Your route passes through protected areas

Please check local regulations for:

Pferdekopf

Biosphärenreservat Karstlandschaft Südharz

Waypoints

Start point

Bus stop

Get Directions

1.46 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.

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5.80 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 …

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5.84 km

Josephskreuz Observation Tower

Highlight • Monument

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

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6.23 km

View of Josephskreuz

Highlight • Viewpoint

The view of the country from here is beautiful, but unfortunately it costs money.

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10.3 km

Beautiful half-timbered houses

Highlight • Historical Site

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

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10.4 km

Half-timbered houses on the market square, Stolberg

Highlight • Historical Site

You can see very beautiful half-timbered houses here.👀

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10.6 km

View of Stolberg and its castle

Highlight • Viewpoint

From an elevated position there is a very impressive view of Stolberg with the castle on the opposite side of the valley.

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11.4 km

View of Stolberg Castle and St. Martini Church

Highlight • Viewpoint

Originally built as a medieval castle in the 13th century.

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11.6 km

End point

Bus stop

Way Types & Surfaces

Way Types

7.29 km

3.24 km

1.06 km

< 100 m

Surfaces

6.17 km

3.48 km

891 m

748 m

329 m

Elevation

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

Weather

Today

Thursday 8 October

10°C

4°C

98 %

Additional weather tips

Max wind speed: 25.0 km/h

to get more detailed weather forecasts along your route

Comments

September 21, 2024,Südharz 😊 Stolberg 😊 hoch zum Josephskreuz

it went continuously from Stolberg 😊

a double cross that is said to be unique in the world, 38 m high, held together by 100,000 rivets, standing on the 580 m high Auerberg

PS: you have to see the Eiffel Tower of the South Harz 😮

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October 24, 2024,Harz - Stolberg bis Josephskreuz

Long, very long uphill. 🥵

But good paths.

And the destination is absolutely worth it -
Josephskreuz, a huge double cross made of metal, the largest in the world as you can read here: gemeinde-suedharz.de/josephskreuz

The view is fantastic! 😀
And there's a beer at the summit too.

But it's always downhill back to the 🍦

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September 19, 2022,Zum Josephskreuz

Beautiful hike with only a moderate incline. Hiking trail no. 13 from Stolberg. The rain that kept coming in ☔️ didn't really hinder us. Great cross that really reminds you a bit of the Eiffel Tower - unfortunately closed on Mondays. Otherwise the ascent costs 4 EUR. And a cafe is also right next door.

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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 …

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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.

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March 2, 2025,Von Auerberg nach Stolberg und zurück (HWN 215 und 216)

Easy to walk, but also a bit strenuous. The climb up the Lutherbuche is not for the cold (slippery) season

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September 27, 2026,...🥾 über die "Josephshöhe"🌳nach "Stolberg"🏘️ 😍...

...
...today we are out and about again for the first time in a long time for "Harzer Wandernadel" 🥾to complete our stamp booklet 🕹️😉...

...on a beautiful forest path 🌳 we hike up to the "Josephshöhe"... the Josephskreuz stands here, visible from afar... with a height of 38 m... weighing 125 tons and held together by 💯 thousand rivets, …

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February 6, 2026,Stolberg-Lutherbuche-Josephskreuz ❄️🛷❄️

A beautiful winter hike with lots of fun in the snow. A highlight was renting sleds at Josephskreuz. And the Café Alt in Stolberg provided a wonderful end to the day with its delicious treats.

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