The Brocken mountain at 1141 metres is the highest mountain in the Harz National Park. Due to its exposed location, the Brocken can, in good weather, be seen from the plains below from a distance of about 100 kilometres. This popular destination in the Harz National Park can in good weather offer panoramic views to Thuringen, Weser Hills and Peters Mountain near Halle.
The weather on the Brocken is peculiar to it's prominent position. It has an above-average rainfall and an average temperature of nearly 3° C over the year. With an average of 330 foggy days per year, short summers and long winters the Brocken summit is in the sub-alpine vegetation zone. One can expect this treeless peak to achieve a number of weather records.
This harsh climate is, however, home to some rare plants which can be seen with the rangers of the Harz National Park in the Brocken garden, which was established in 1890. The Brocken features in many literary works of both Goethe and Heinrich Heine. Cloud Cottage, Devil's Pulpit, Walpurgis, Cloud's Ghost, and witches altar are just some of the terms that are connected to the Brocken in the Harz Mountains.
On the summit itself you will find the Brocken Hotel and the caretaker's cottage. There is a viewing platform at the hotel and dining options are available at most tourist facilities and at the railway station. There is an exhibition on the division of Germany and its borderland passing through the Harz.