Stamp Hunt near Schierke: Leistenklippen, Ahrensklint, and Trudenstein
It’s October 26, 2024, a day before the switch to winter time. It’s a Saturday, and the sun is shining from a blue sky, warming the air to 20 degrees. What a day! The Harz Mountains are calling, that’s for sure. We park the car at the Schierke train station. First, we head to Hohnehof (HWN17). From there, we continue steeply up the Beerenstieg towards Leistenklippe. The sun is quite intense. The path becomes rockier and more crowded. Some fellow hikers seem to want to take advantage of the beautiful weather as well. Similar to the Hillary Step on Mount Everest, there’s a traffic jam at the iron rungs for the ascent. At the top, it’s quite windy, and while the view is nice, it’s not spectacular.
Sun Stop
We keep our stop brief and hike over the Moorstieg to Ahrensklint. However, we pause on a lovely meadow along the way. Here, two inviting benches are bathed in sunlight. We can’t pass up this opportunity. After a good while, we finally reach Ahrensklint. It’s much quieter here. At that moment, we even have the ascent to ourselves! Once we’re up, we first enjoy the view of Schierke. Then we hear the whistle of the Harzer narrow-gauge railway. After smoke rises above the bare fir trees, we finally spot the steam locomotive between the trees.
Our next destination is Trudenstein. The still-warm evening sun casts a beautiful orange light over the scene. We encounter a family from Eisenach. The two children show us their beautifully crafted stamp books. No, not the Harzer Wandernadel, but a self-stickered book of their destinations, including some in the Czech Republic. I admire the book. I certainly would have loved to have one like it as a child.
Wonderful Evening Atmosphere
On the way back to Schierke, we walk along the Wormsgraben for a bit. The sun is slowly setting, bathing the landscape in amazing autumn colors with all imaginable shades of red and orange. A glance to the right reveals the beautiful Hohne Oak, which would make a great photo opportunity. Right next to it, we discover a special stamp: the Löwenzahn Discovery Trail. Of course, we can’t say no to that.
Back at the car, we crave coffee. We decide on Wernigerode and manage to find a parking spot quite close to the city center. We’re drawn to the café at the market. It’s a bit chilly to sit outside now, but it’s cozy inside. We order three different coffees and a Baileys. The Southeast Asian waitress seems a bit confused. Unfortunately, I have to wait quite a while for the Baileys. Still, it’s a lovely conclusion. We treat ourselves to a little stroll through the illuminated city center of Wernigerode before wrapping up this fantastic hiking trip.
