Kleiner Knollen

The Kleiner Knollen is a 631-metre mountain in the Harz range of Lower Saxony. It stands east of Herzberg am Harz and south of Sieber, with the larger Großen Knollen just one kilometre to the northeast. The slopes are mostly covered by spruce, though the lower parts now hold beech trees instead. In the 16th century the entire mountain was beech forest, and by 1630 sycamore had also appeared. The mountain’s changing woodland tells the story of centuries of forest management. Beech once dominated the slopes, but spruce now covers the upper reaches. The shift from beech to spruce reflects wider changes in how the Harz forests have been organised over time. Visitors walk through mixed woodland where beech and spruce grow side by side. The path to the summit passes through quiet forest before opening onto views of the surrounding Harz hills. On clear days the Brocken, the range’s highest peak, can be seen to the north. The summit itself is a small clearing with a wooden cross marking the highest point.