Description
The adventure land of the Thale gondolas offers a whole range of attractions for visitors young and old in the Bode Valley:
Gondola Hexentanzplatz
The gondola takes you up to the famous Hexentanzplatz. In addition to the ride to the top, the Doppelmayr cable car includes a special highlight: all cabins with a green exterior colour have a transparent floor. So when you look down into the Bode Valley, amazement is guaranteed.
Once you reach the top, you will find a number of attractions on the plateau: The eerie group of figures laid out in a circle on the Hexentanzplatz show the devil. At his feet you can see a humunculus sitting, a figure from Goethe's Faust. Witch grandmother Wadelinde - not really an aesthetic sight - tries to close the circle of evil with a stone.
The Hexentanzplatz is also home to the Harzer Bergtheater Thale, the Walpurgishalle (Walpurgis Hall), which houses a museum dedicated to the legends of the Harz region, especially in connection with Goethe's Faust, as well as the Hexentanzplatz Animal Park and the Harzbob Alpine Coaster, which takes visitors down a kilometre into the valley on fast-paced curves.
Rosstrappe Chairlift
The 2-seater chairlift, on the other hand, takes you up to the so-called Rosstrappe, a 403-metre-high granite rock. Once you reach the top, you can visit the Legends Pavilion to find out how this place got its name: According to legend, the king's daughter Brunhilde was pursued here by the giant Bodo, who wanted to marry her and ended up guarding the princess's crown as a transformed dog.
Mountain bikers can use the only official bike park in Saxony-Anhalt from here. Those looking for that extra kick should try the "Rosstrappendownhill", on which daring mountain bikers chase over hill and dale from the Rosstrappe into the Bode Valley with lots of speed and great stunts. Beginners and families in particular can enjoy absolute biking fun on the new "Harzer Roller" route.
Fun island, mini-golf and refreshments in Hexenkessel
On the fun island, 20 pieces of play and fun equipment await families and kids on, above and beside the water. Minigolf is fun for the whole family. With the unique landscape of the Bode Valley as a backdrop, the aim here is to get the golf ball into the target faster than the opponents. If you get hungry after all the action, the best place to go is the Hexenkessel (the witches' cauldron). Here you'll find delicious food and sweet treats. In summer, sausages are also cooked on the charcoal grill.
HarzCard is valid
The Gondola Thale Adventure Land is a partner of the "HarzCard". This can be purchased by Harz travellers and is available for 48 hours or 4 days. HarzCard holders enjoy free admission or discounts at destinations and attractions that are partners of the project. In Thale, the HarzCard entitles holders to a free uphill and downhill ride on the chairlift to the Rosstrappe, free admission to the zoo and to the Walpurgis Hall on the Hexentanzplatz.
Historical Information
As early as 1886, the idea of installing a cable railway between the Hexentanzplatz and the Rosstrappe matured. In 1926, the cableway project was then submitted for approval by the Halberstadt-Blankenburg Railway Company. However, the application was rejected.
In 1964, the first negotiations were held with the company TRANSPORTA in Chrudim in the Czech Republic. In 1968, the contract was finally signed and one year later, construction began on the cable car to Hexentanzplatz, which was opened in 1970. In 1980, the chairlift to the Rosstrappe was also opened.
In 1993, the gondola and chairlift were privatised. In the following years, the toboggan run, the fun parks and all the other attractions were opened and the chairlift and the cable car were also renovated.
How to get there
By public transport:
The Gondola Thale Adventure Land is easy to reach by public transport. Overnight guests of the district of Harz receive the Harz holiday ticket HATIX when checking into the hotel. This allows you to use all public buses free of charge.
The bus station in Thale is only a few minutes' walk from the entrance to the gondolas. From Wernigerode and Blankenburg, for example, the bus line 250 goes to Thale.
