Altenbrak: Bode River, Open-Air Stage and Local History Museum

Altenbrak stretches along the Bode and is surrounded by meadows and forests. The open-air stage and local history museum add cultural highlights, while numerous trails complement the landscape. When planning a stay, you can choose between different focuses: stage performances, local history and time outdoors.

Summer Festival Performances at the Forest Stage

The Altenbrak Forest Stage was established in 1951 and is an open-air venue designed in the style of an ancient amphitheatre. Summer festival performances take place there annually from June to September. The programme includes family theatre, open-air concerts and a yodelling competition, among other things. If you would like to include the summer festival performances in your plans, use this recurring period as a guide.

Collection and Local History

The Altenbrak Local History Museum displays historic household items, farming equipment and traditional regional costumes. It also features minerals and taxidermy specimens from the Bode Valley between Altenbrak and Treseburg. Since 1999, visitors have been able to admire more than 25 handcrafted dollhouses there. The museum documents historic local customs through clothing, objects and photographs. This brings together several ways of exploring local history: everyday objects, clothing and photographs sit alongside natural history specimens and dollhouses.

The Bode, Landscape and Trails

Altenbrak lies 300 to 350 metres above sea level and stretches for almost two kilometres along the Bode; meadows and forests surround the village. Leisure activities include numerous hiking, therapeutic exercise and walking trails. The Three Valleys circular hike starts in Allrode, passes Windenhütte Hunting Lodge, and goes through Altenbrak and Treseburg. For route planning, it is useful to distinguish between the start and the route: the starting point is in Allrode, while Altenbrak is one of the places along the way.

More Cultural and Hiking Destinations in Thale

Thale is also worth exploring to get a broader sense of the region. Wendhusen Abbey was founded in Wendhusen in 825 and is now located in Thale’s old town. The Thale Myth Trail is a themed walking route from the exit of the Bode Valley to the old town; it features thirteen sculptures created by different artists. The Harz Mountain Theatre is an open-air theatre on the Hexentanzplatz. Its programme includes mystical stories, legendary fairy tales, operettas, musicals, plays and concerts; the programme changes with the seasons.

Thale also offers its own landmarks for hikes: the Devil’s Wall themed hiking trail runs through Thale and passes all the distinctive rock formations of the Devil’s Wall. Thale is also a starting point for hikes into the Bode Valley and the starting point of the Harz Witch Trail. Take the chairlift operated by the Thale Adventure World cable cars to reach the Rosstrappe, or the cable car to the Hexentanzplatz. Check the seasonal timetables before you travel. The Thale GDR Museum focuses on home and everyday culture in the GDR. The Myth Trail features thirteen sculptures created by artists; the Devil’s Wall trail passes distinctive rock formations.

Discover more destinations: Friedrichsbrunn, Allrode, Treseburg, Westerhausen, Stecklenberg, Neinstedt, Weddersleben

For the broader travel overview: Thale.