Harz, Lower Saxony · Germany
Okertalstraße
B 498Oker, Goslar to Altenau
The Harz’s twistiest valley road, cut through a 300 m rock gorge.
The B498 threads the Okertal, the deepest, most dramatic gorge in the Harz, its walls rising as much as 300 m straight off the river. From the edge of Goslar it climbs beside the water to the great curved dam of the Okertalsperre, then on through the trees to Altenau, a run of tight, rock-walled bends that has made it the region’s favourite biker road. The Romkerhall waterfall pours off the cliff halfway along, the highest in the Harz. Rockfall is a genuine hazard here and the road closes at short notice when the slopes are stabilised, so check before you set off and give the dam car park a wide berth on a sunny Sunday.
Where it runs10.2 mi · point to point
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Character
Elevation
under 4%4–8%over 8%208 – 536 mThe strip below the profile is corner density: taller, warmer ticks mean tighter bends.
Points of interest2 stops
- Romkerhaller WasserfallAlong the route4.5 mi in
- Okertalsperre dam wallLandmark4.3 mi in
Hazards
- Rockfall in the gorge, with short-notice closures for slope stabilisation
- Heavy weekend motorcycle traffic and a biker meeting point at the dam car park
- Temporary traffic lights possible during rock-stabilisation works
See the typical season and live conditions for the high passes ›
Verified route: mapped from real road geometry and fact-checked by a human editor. How roads get checked
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