The gravel road continues to climb steeply as I turn the corner on my old 7-speed mountainbike. My heart is pounding and I’m short of breath and it’s only 15 minutes since we started.

The selected mountainbike route was supposed to be one of the easiest, and I’m seriously considering the state of my health. 5 minutes later, we reach an intersection in the forest with no indication of, which road to take. At this point we are quite sure, that we took a wrong turn somewhere down the road.

2 minutes downhill racing later, we connect to the right route and the rest of the tour we can focus on the breath-taking nature and the spectacular views. Through dark fir forests and alongside green mountain lakes, the different mountainbike routes cover 1.800 km (1.118 miles) of gravel, dirt and asphalt roads in the Harz.

This, the highest mountain range in northern Germany, is a 2.226 km2 (859 sq. miles) playground for bikers, hikers and mountainbikers in all Europe. The area is centrally located in the middle of Germany and can be reached by no more than 4 hours of driving from most parts of Germany. While the area around Mosel river is also a haven for hikers and mountainbikers, this area is more concentrated and offers many different hiking and biking experiences within a smaller area.

Just as we finish our 35 km (22 miles) bike ride, it starts to drizzle. We pack the bikes on the car and replenish with water inside the car. Back at our hotel, the charming former convent of Wöltingerode, we get out of our dirty, damp clothes, get under the hot shower and dress more appropriately for a leisure stroll through the charming streets of Goslar.

As we walk the cobblestoned streets of the Unesco World Heritage protected, old town of Goslar, the sun shines again and the weather is nice and warm. Perfect to just sit in one of the cosy cafes, looking at the medieval Marktkirche and the charming surroundings.

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