The Oker Valley - the hiking destination in the Western Harz

The nearby Oker Valley is one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Harz Mountains. By car the Okertal is only a few minutes away. On foot, the 8 km from Sport Schulenberg to the Oker Valley is a very attractive and beautiful hike. Here you can experience various highlights of the Oker Valley up close:
Between the outlet of the Romkerhalle power plant and the equalizing basin of the Oker Valley dam, which is located a few kilometers below, the river is used for canoeing due to the intermittent operation of the peak power plant.

Furthermore, the highest steep slope of the Harz Mountains, the Brautstein-East Slope, is located here, at almost 350 m. Typical are numerous cliffs such as the Kästeklippen. On the Kästeklippen there is also a nice excursion restaurant.

The Kästeklippen are a group of impressive granite rocks high above the Oker valley. They rise up to 605 metres above sea level. These rock formations are one of the best known and most popular hiking destinations in the north-western Harz Mountains. From up there you have a wonderful view of the Oker river valley and the northern Harz foreland.
The Marienwand is one of the most popular climbing rocks in the Oker valley. It rises about 50 meters above the river bed of the Oker and is located about 200 meters below the dam wall of the equalizing basin of the Oker dam.

When the weather is good, climbers can almost always be seen on this rock face. You can observe them well from the hiking trail along the river Oker and from the federal road 498, which is only a few meters away. The majestic granite rock, several dozen meters wide, is therefore a special attraction even for those who otherwise show little interest in this sport.