I was supposed to jump down THERE? Half an hour ago I had been all cocky and thought it wasn’t so bad. But now that I was supposed to take the leap of faith during the first of my many outdoor adventures on this press trip, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t do it.
Repeating it in my head didn’t make it better. And I was making such a fool of myself. I slowly started hyperventilating. And then I stepped forward. And I did it wrong, but it was too late. Ooops.
This post came to be through an unpaid press trip by Reiseland Niedersachsen but contains affiliate links (marked with an asterisk *). If you buy/book anything after clicking on them, this doesn t cost you anything but gives me a little commission from qualifying purchases to help keep uploading free travel tips for you on to this blog.

Taking the Big Jump
With a loud poof, I landed on my feet and the ground beneath me gave way. The giant blue pillow had cushioned my fall and I was crouching in a heap. Then I let myself fall again. A few centimetres wouldn’t make a difference. “Are you alright?” I think I was. I counted my limbs and tried to locate any possible pain. Nope, I was perfectly fine.
With a somewhat wet slide towards the edge, I tumbled down onto solid ground, which, however, took a while to fully stand still after my landing. My view focused on the distant forests and a slow misty cloud was tumbled over the tree tops. It took a while to readjust myself. It was the food that lured me back into the here and now and into the house. It had been an adventurous day and it was just morning.
I woke up to bright sunshine but by the time I was conscious enough to heave myself to the breakfast, it was raining cats and dogs. Or maybe full farmyards full of animals. Roads were turning into giant puddles and our drive up the mountain was more reminiscent of an overland drive over mud and streams. What a good start for outdoor adventures.

I particularly loved the hike around the TorfHaus, the high moors with a fabulous view all the way over to the legendary mountain Brocken. The paths are even and you can really see the wonderful nature in the moors. Fun fact: wild carnivorous plants like Venus fly traps are growing here too. Keep a lookout for them!
Slope Sliding at Full Speed
We miraculously made it up and after climbing up the viewing tower for more rain sightings across the whole national park of Harz in Niedersachsen, we got ready to speed down the slopes at full speed. I boarded the summer toboggan ride with slightly anxious thoughts and left with the thrill of wanting more.
Since I stupidly deleted my SD card instead of clearing out old photos, I indeed had to take another ride (gotta show you those vids and pics). I didn’t mind. We then had a little chat with the resident mountain biker from South Africa, who, within the short span of only a year, had set up a biker park and established the Bocksberg as a biker’s paradise. There’s even a small dirt track for the little ones.
In fact, the whole Bocksberg has been turned into an adventure fest for absolutely all levels of thrill seekers. From scaredy cowards like me to serious adrenaline junkies, there is quite a lot of adrenaline to be gotten for the daring. The toboggan ride is open all year round, come rain, hail or shine. You can race down the mud slopes with monster rollers, mountain bikes, jump from 9 metres height into a massive pillow, use children’s slides… and the park is still growing.

Like Spider-Man in Outdoor Adventures
While we were still on a high, the sun came out and put some more stars in our eyes and before we knew it, we were tied up and stood at 8 metres high in a climbing park. Go!, they said and we were left with the decision of where to take our next risky steps. Ok, we were safely attached to wires and checked each other’s safety whenever we transferred from one part to the next, but it still took a lot of courage. Or crazy.
I fancied myself Spider Man or Lara Croft (it was hard to choose) and chose one of the most difficult tracks straightaway. It was much harder than I had anticipated – of course – but I made it back in one piece and was still elated. But that was nothing to the next part that awaited us. We didn’t know what hit us when we were pulled up eight and a half metres and then let go.
With a piercing shriek I plummeted straight down to the ground and towards the shrubbery. It all happened so fast and I was still busy screaming my lungs out when I flitted back up again. I was on a giant swing! And it was the most fun thing that day. Back and forth I went high up above the tiny staring faces.

A Quiet Ending to An Eventful Day
After all this craziness, the next thing on the agenda was a quiet walk above the Harz tree tops and seeing the world from above without hanging by a thread. I was recapitulating the day when I heard that there are so many other crazy things you can do in the region: ziplining (which I already loved in Costa Rica and New Zealand) and canyoning, to name just a few. But I was most certainly done for the day and would feel it for the days to come.
It was most definitely a very active day in the Harz with many outdoor adventures, a popular mountain region in Germany’ Lower Saxony, and if you haven’t been here, now you know why you should! Whether it’s casual hiking in Torfhaus, adventuring or simply relaxing in the midst of nature – this might seem like a picture perfect ad, but it’s real life.
Have made you curious about the Harz now? Have you ever heard of this place? Have you even been? Let’s discuss!
More tips for a holiday in Germany
Lünz says
Thank you for the great article! Best regards, the team of Erlebnisbocksberg Hahnenklee
Annemarie Strehl says
Thank you as well for your nice comment. I have t ocome back one day! (hopefully with better weather^^)
Annika says
That looks really fun – I didn’t know they had cool things like that in Germany. I must admit that I don’t travel much in my own country, but if I am ever in the area, I will definitely check it out!
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Annika, it was super fun! You should travel more within Germany. We have so many cool places and I am currently checking out more of those. We have a wonderful country.^^
Rachel Pearson says
Love your writing style. Sounds like an epic day! And congrats on taking part in things you didn’t think you could!
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Rachel, thank for your sweet comment. It certainly was an epic day! :)
Chloe says
I can’t decide if I’d be brave enough to do this stuff! The slope looks insane. Would love to give it a go though… so long as there’s a big glass of wine waiting at the end :)
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Chloe, the best thing to do is not think about it and just do it. When I stood at 3m above the giant pillow it didn’t really look that scary but once I started thinking about it, I became paralysed. And to motiviate you, there is a restaurant right next to it that serves beer and wine.^^
Prasad Np says
Some fabulous fun activities here and the greenery all around makes it such a wonderful outdoor action adventure area
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Prasad, you are right, there is so much greenery. Even if you don’t want to participate in all the activities, there is still the option of hiking, taking a stroll or having a picnic in nature. And it’s so beautiful there!
Luca says
I want to go there! My inner child would be ecstatic! :D
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Luca, I bet it would be. You gotta come over and give it a try!
Kathi says
Oh my God I need to try this – this looks like so much fun! I’ve been to a high rope course before and tried ziplining, but this looks like even more adrenaline! Thanks for sharing!
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Kathi, it’s so much fun! I’ve done ziplining as well but there is so much to do in the Harz, I had no idea. I hope you get to try it!
Maria says
After reading your post. I am eagerly waiting for the day when i will get a chance to go for a toboggan ride. Never thought Germany would have this much to offer. Thanks for sharing the post Annemarie.
Annemarie Strehl says
Hi Maria, I am glad I could excite you for a toboggan ride. We do have a lot to offer, I hope you come over and check it out soon. :)
Geetika says
Hii Annemarie, I Love your post. We are planning to go Germany and spend my time for do some adventures activities.
Annemarie Strehl says
Hey Geetika, that sounds awesome! I hope you have lots of fun in Germany. There are many adventures you can have. By the sea, in the forests, up in the mountains or with lots of culture and festivities. What are you most looking forward to?