Haus Hirschmann

The quiet setting and free parking were a real plus, and we did have a few nice days in the Harz Mountains. Still, we’ll choose somewhere else next time. The photos showed modern rooms and lovely new bathrooms, but ours looked worn and dusty, and the bathroom felt straight out of the 70s. It was clean apart from the dust, but disappointing. Maybe the pictures gave the wrong impression, or perhaps we got the worst room. Since we only slept and showered there, it didn’t ruin the stay. The bed was comfortable and we slept well. We were surprised by the little kitchenette tucked into a cupboard. It was old but worked. Breakfast was okay for the short time we were there, though the room was small and the choices limited. The coffee was very good. The owner seemed to run the place alone and was friendly and personable, even if his sweatpants weren’t much of a look. Outside needs attention too: the concrete slabs on the way to the house wobbled underfoot. The balcony was very dirty, with pine needles and dried paint bits that we kept bringing inside. Its door stuck, and sometimes we couldn’t get back in from outside.

The host was very friendly and helpful, and the price felt excellent for what we got. We’d come back. We spent three days over New Year’s with two families, and Mr. Hirschmann arranged an extra room across from ours for the children. That let us adults sit together in the evenings while still keeping an eye on them. Breakfast was small but enough, and the Wi-Fi had good reception everywhere. A few parts of the rooms could use renovation, but nothing serious.

The room was quiet, the Wi-Fi worked well, and we felt fairly comfortable for the price. We only wanted somewhere peaceful, not a big hotel, so it was okay overall. The breakfast was very sparse, which is why we took off two stars: dark rolls, a few cold cuts, boiled eggs, cornflakes and yogurt, plus coffee, milk and apple juice. The room itself was fine, with a clean double bed and no gap between the mattresses, thankfully, along with a TV, sofa, armchair, table, kitchenette and balcony. The bathroom was clean but old-fashioned, and there was no hairdryer. We booked two nights online and weren’t impressed by the first look.

Bocksberg was within walking distance and kept us busy all day, with a cable car, summer toboggan run, playground and places to eat. It was definitely worth the trip. We stayed at the guesthouse with our one-year-old son. It was okay, though a bit dated and not as clean as we’d have liked, with cobwebs around. Our basic needs were met reasonably well, and they provided a travel cot and highchair. Breakfast was adequate.