Holiday with dog in the Harz
In the Harz Mountains, guests with dogs will find plenty of beautiful dog-friendly accommodation.
The Oberharz has plenty of variety to offer: Magnificent lakes, breathtaking nature and kilometres of hiking trails lead you and your companion through the Harz landscape and have many an adventure in store for you. The Oberharz is a wonderful holiday region for guests with dogs. Many landlords are happy to welcome your faithful companion and provide you with a pet-friendly holiday home. Your hosts often also offer large outdoor areas where you can train with dogs, for example.
The tours along the Oberharz ponds are particularly worthwhile for long walks in the area. Your dog can cool off in the water here in summer. Dogs are also allowed to swim in almost all of the Oberharz ponds, with the exception of the drinking water ponds (Pfauenteiche, Hirschler Teich and Kellerhalsteiche). However, out of consideration for bathers, we recommend taking dogs to the ponds that are rarely used by bathers.
Good to know - compulsory use of a lead
During the breeding season, from 1 April to 15 July each year, a general leash requirement applies throughout the Harz Mountains to protect wildlife. During the rest of the time, there is nothing to stop you going off-leash on the hiking trails outside the national park.
For advice on specific accommodation for you and your dog, the staff at the Tourist Information Oberharz will be happy to assist you.
NEW! - The paw classification
Together with the local service providers, the tourist information centres in the Upper Harz region are launching a new quality campaign with the first star award for dog-friendly accommodation, the so-called Paws classification. The nationwide award for dog-friendly accommodation picks up on the trend towards holidays with dogs and signals to guests the pet-friendliness and specialisation of the respective holiday accommodation.
The so-called Paws classification is an addition to an existing DTV classification. This ensures that only quality-tested accommodation can receive an award. In the Pfoten classification, an inspector uses 32 criteria to assess whether the holiday home or holiday flat has dog-friendly facilities and a tailored range of information. One to five paws can be awarded.
Since 2021, the tourist information centres in the Oberharz have been able to test and rate five properties as part of the Pfoten classification. The "Ferienhaus Georgenhöhe" in Wildemann achieved the top score of five paws, the "Ferienhaus Bussmann" in Clausthal-Zellerfeld four paws and the "Ferienlodge" in Schulenberg passed the quality check with four paws. 30 holiday homes of the "Torfhaus HARZRESORT" also passed the quality check with four paws and 11 houses of the "Urlaubsalm" in Buntenbock with 4 paws.
Hosts who are interested in a paw classification can contact the Oberharz tourist information centre on 05328 8020 for advice on their property.
Holiday tip for dog owners
The first dog forest in the Harz Mountains opened in Wildemann in April 2009.
The first Harz dog forest in Wildemann offers you a fenced-in area of approx. 5,000 m² for romping and running without a lead. Here your four-legged friend can let off steam and you can enjoy the surrounding nature while socialising with other dog owners. Meeting other dogs also offers you a good opportunity to train your four-legged friend's social behaviour. information at www.harzer-hundewald.de.
