Jordanshöhe

The Jordanshöhe is a low summit rising to about 723 metres in the Harz range. It stands just north-east of Sankt Andreasberg in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. The hill is a minor peak on the flank of the nearby Kuppe, which reaches 729 metres. The two summits share a steep southern slope where the Glückauf cliffs overlook the valley. A small stream called the Sperrlutter begins on the Jordanshöhe’s western slope. The hill lies within the Harz Nature Park, a protected landscape of wooded ridges and rushing streams. A youth hostel occupies the south-western slope, offering simple accommodation for walkers. A geological trail winds across the slopes, explaining the rocks and minerals exposed here. To the east the land falls away along the Gesehrwasser and Kellwasser brooks into the Oder valley. Part of the larger Harz landscape protection area covers the Jordanshöhe and its surroundings. Visitors find open heathland and conifer woods on gentle to moderate slopes. The summit area is grassy and offers wide views across the forested Harz plateau. The geological trail has numbered posts describing granite tors and other rock formations. Below, the Oder valley appears as a green gash among the hills. The youth hostel provides a base for exploring the network of paths that criss-cross the Jordanshöhe and the neighbouring Kuppe.