The long way to the Kästeklippen
After a long time, I’m visiting Bad Harzburg again. Alongside what was supposed to be a short hike, a concert at the Bad Harzburg Stud Farm in Bündheim is on the agenda. However, we only catch the closing credits of the musical event. The original 14.9-kilometer tour extends to over 20 kilometers. And the only thing to blame for that is the poor signage on the way to the Kästeklippen. Well, maybe also a bit of our time spent in the charming small garden allotment in Bündheim and the magnificent view from the terrace of Café Goldberg.
Bündheim Stud Farm
Under the mistaken impression that I know every corner of the spa town in the Harz, we end up in Bündheim. It’s completely crazy because the district is only 1.5 kilometers from downtown Bad Harzburg. We turn onto Gestütstraße. A sign catches my eye, “Bündheimer Schloss.” Wow, a castle near Bad Harzburg. This is totally new to me. Susanne quickly puts it into perspective: “Well, it’s not exactly a castle,” she says. True, it’s not a typical grand structure, but still. The building can be rented for weddings and events of all kinds. With foresight for the later concert at the Bad Harzburg Stud Farm, we park the car here.
An Entertaining Horse Named Holger
We enter the castle garden. At the end of the green area, a few tombstones catch our eye. Names like Blasius and Emilius are inscribed on them. Susanne guesses that these might be deceased horses. And indeed, an information board confirms this assumption. However, what makes us chuckle is a Norwegian horse named Holger, which once served as an entertaining horse. I had heard of entertainers, but that animals could also fulfill this role was new to me. We follow “Am Schlosspark” street until we reach Silberbornstraße. We are looking for the entrance to the stud meadows. On our way, we pass by a small garden allotment. The limited plots are lovingly maintained and thoroughly captivate us. I believe we already waste some time here, which we actually don’t have. Nevertheless, we keep stopping and getting lost in the small details of the various parcels. We would love to pull out the grill and drink a cool white wine.
Dog Chasing Butterfly
We return to Silberbornstraße. On the right, a brown sign points the way to Café Goldberg. It’s Stadtstieg, exactly where we want to go. Now, we stroll between the stud meadows. It’s peaceful and idyllic here. When a cyclist with his dog approaches us, we witness a unique scene. Suddenly, the dog stands still and doesn’t move. Its eyes are fixed on the ground. There sits a butterfly. Is the four-legged friend focused on the butterfly? Indeed. Its owner explains that it is a hunting dog whose instinct has now been awakened. By a butterfly? But the brown-haired dog is serious. Like in slow motion, it lifts one paw and doesn’t take its eyes off the butterfly for a second. Gently, it places its paw down and lifts the other. While the insect remains motionless, the dog makes a bold leap but is far too slow for the butterfly.
We turn left and follow a narrow path up to Café Goldberg. The beautiful terrace high above Bündheim and Bad Harzburg is already well-visited. The view is simply too tempting to pass by. So, we take a break, which again lasts a bit longer. Keeping an eye on the time, we finally tear ourselves away and head to the 48-Pfenning-Weg, which should lead us to Kästeklippe. First, we follow a wide forest path, then we encounter a narrow trail and push through the underbrush. This is actually quite challenging as the path is very overgrown. Heather, ragwort, and foxglove grow everywhere, turning the western Harz into a colorful flower meadow. In some places, nature has already rid itself of dead trees and replaced them with a colorful mix of wildflowers.
We head uphill towards Kästeklippen. Higher up, we must have misinterpreted a direction sign because suddenly the signs indicate a longer distance again. We are confused. Hmm, it’s still 3.8 kilometers to the rocks? We’ve already been walking for quite a while. Well, no choice but to try again. But somehow, the distance indications don’t seem to decrease. By now, we are on Goldbergstraße. A while later, we reach Goslarschen Weg with the Stiefmutterplatz. It really can’t be much farther now. It’s already 5 PM.
The Old Man of the Mountain
Shortly before we reach our destination, Susanne tells me that the inn at Kästeklippen has been gone for years. I’m surprised. Okay, it has been a long time since I was here collecting stamps. At any rate, only a few foundation walls remain, hinting at the former building. The property apparently belongs to the Lower Saxony State Forests. It reads that the rebuilding of the inn is still pending. Adventurous as I am, I climb over the rocks to the viewpoint at the edge of the cliff. Oh yes, the panorama in the Harz is just fantastic. I can’t help myself; I have to take a few more pictures. Meanwhile, Susanne is already looking for me. We still want to get to the concert.
For the return trip, we choose the supposedly shortest route. However, a red-and-white-striped plastic band hangs across the path. Normally a sign that the path is closed. A sign on the ground indicates that the closure does not apply to cyclists and hikers. Phew, lucky us. Passing by fragrant orchid and ragwort, we make our way back. The path to Café Goldberg becomes quite steep again. We have to push through tall grass, thorns, and nettles. A small stream happily babbles next to us. Then we are back on the 48-Pfennig-Weg and thus back at the excursion restaurant, which has since closed for the day. We follow the same route back to Bündheim, again passing by the stud meadows.
Missed Concert
When we finally reach the Bad Harzburg Stud Farm, it is suspiciously quiet. No music, no noise, nothing at all. Then we hear applause. We turn into the courtyard and just catch the final words of the organizers. Two more encore songs are played, and then it’s over. In the meantime, I’ve learned via the internet that my train to Braunschweig has been canceled. Great. I look for an alternative route through Salzgitter-Ringelheim. That could work. By chance, we hear from a man at the station that there is supposedly a rail replacement service to Vienenburg. It works out. At 9:30 PM, I am in Braunschweig, reflecting on a wonderful day in the Harz. Back home, I see that Susanne has sent me the results of today’s tour: 22 kilometers. I estimate the elevation gain to be around 400 meters. Quite a workout for an afternoon.
