Harz

The Harz is a low mountain range in the Central Uplands of Germany, famous for its historic silver mines that brought prosperity to the region and to the Electorate of Hanover. It lies between the river Elbe and Weser in the states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and, to a small extent, Thuringia. The range runs for 100 km from northwest to southeast and is 30 km wide. The terraced plateaus are made of limestone, sandstone, and slate and have been cut by many narrow, deep valleys. The two highest peaks in the area are the legendary and mysterious Brocken (1,141 m or 3,743 feet high), just higher than Snowdon, and the Wurmberg  (971 m  or 3,186 feet high),  both of which are made of granite. The higher, northwestern area is known as the Upper Harz (Oberharz) and the lower, southeastern area is the Lower Harz (Unterharz). The highest mountains - around the Brocken - are sometimes called the High Harz (Hochharz).

The Upper Harz plateau slopes from 1,000 m elevation in the west down to 485 m in the centre and suffers from a cold and damp climate, even in the summer, caused by its susceptibility to westerly winds. The Brocken rises above the plateau and is internationally famous for the stories and myths associated with it in local folklore and literature. The summit of the Brocken is bare and has an Alpine climate, but its lower slopes are forested and interspersed with moorlands and river beds.

The Lower Harz has a gentler climate which has enabled it to be exploited by agriculture. The area supports grain and cattle farming, and was once abundant with game, Eurasian lynx, brown bears, and wolves. They were hunted to extinction, but there are projects to reintroduce some of these native animals again. The lynx reintroduction at least has been successful, with the Harz mountains now being marketed as the Kingdom of the Lynx. The area is also famous for a number of rarer animal breeds, including the Harzer Roller canaries, bred for the mines.

Between the 10th-16th centuries, the area became immensely important for mining and metallurgy, lead, silver, iron, zinc, and copper being the main products. Easy access to water and wood helped the early settlers. Dams, however, have now been introduced to control the waters to remove the possibility of flooding or shortages in the summer. These dams generate hydroelectric power and ensure a steady supply of drinking water for the area.

Industries such as quarrying (marble, granite, and gypsum) as well as wood processing for paper and cardboard provide sources of income. The area is also heavily dependent on tourism with water sports and resorts being important, but it is its forest scenery in the Harz National Park which attracts the majority of the tourists.

Lower Saxony

 * — charming spa town, ancient cable cars, and a base for walks in the surrounding hills
 * — the main ski resort and cable car to Lower Saxony's highest peak, the Wurmberg
 * — a resort in the Harz. Its manufactures include textiles and wood products. The town was once a centre for the mining of copper, zinc, and lead
 * — former Free Imperial Town with more than 1,000 years of history
 * — former mining town
 * — the highest settlement in Lower Saxony and starting point for numerous walks
 * — old mining town with its own brewery and the Kräuterpark Altenau
 * — old mining town with its own brewery and the Kräuterpark Altenau

Saxony-Anhalt

 * — quaint former East German town and home to an imposing castle
 * — playing a piece of music that's scheduled to last for 639 years
 * — historic town on the River Ilse, north of Wernigerode
 * — its beautiful town centre is a UNESCO World Heritage Site
 * — historic border village and starting point for walks up the Brocken
 * — a health resort in the state of Saxony-Anhalt
 * — old mining town and former summer resort for Berliners; gateway to the Bode Gorge
 * — known for its impressive Romanesque castle and its timber-framed houses that have been largely preserved in their original styles

Understand
Prior to 1990, the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt was also the border between East and West Germany, complete with fence and fortified frontier. The Brocken was an East German and Soviet military surveillance post used to spy on military activity in Western Europe. From the East German side access to many villages was severely restricted. Roads and railway tracks were either closed or demolished, thus later facilitating the establishment of the Harz National Park. The division of the Harz by the Iron Curtain is still noticeable in the marketing of the Harz as a tourist destination with various sites on the old Inner German Border being preserved for historic and tourism reasons.

Tourism is the main source of income for the region. Unemployment is high, especially after the collapse of the industrial complexes in former East Germany. The number of tourists visiting a town is politically important. Goslar and surrounding villages compete against the cluster of Wernigerode, Quedlinburg, and Blankenburg and the Southern Harz regions in attracting tourists. This competition is not always friendly!

Recommendations on where to go in the region may be coloured by a person's (East German or West German) origin. Each of the regions tries to pass itself of as the "ultimate Harz experience". Try to the forget about the East/West rivalry as reunification is more and more a thing of the past (and a long term success) in people's minds at least, and just enjoy the wild and natural beauty of the area.

Orientation
The Harz is divided into 2 main regions:
 * The Upper Harz (Oberharz) in the west, in the state of Lower Saxony
 * The Lower Harz (Unterharz) in the east, in Saxony-Anhalt

In addition, the area around the Brocken with the highest peaks (1,141 m) in the range is also referred to as the High Harz (Hochharz).

By train
The access point for the northern part is Goslar, which can be reached from Hanover and Halle (Saale), while the southern part is reached by train from Göttingen and Erfurt. The lines have suffered from neglect due to lying "in the middle of nowhere" during the 40 years of German partition, but since than several investments have restored the lines to a workable state.

By bus
Flixbus is by far the biggest name in the game.

By car
The A38 runs south of the Harz from Halle to Göttingen and the A395 connects Goslar and Bad Harzburg in the northwest with Brunswick (Braunschweig). The A7 connects Göttingen in the southwest and Hanover in the north as well as Brunswick. From Hanover follow the A7 down to the "Seesen/Harz (67)" junction to follow the range from north to south, or to the junction "Rhüden Harz (66)" to follow to the north B82/B6 to Goslar, Bad Harzburg and on to Wernigerode. The B6 is an important east-west dual carriageway along the northern edge of the Harz.

Get around
The best-known mode of transport is the historic narrow-gauge steam railway network operated by the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen) or HSB. Today the HSB is the longest steam operated railway in Europe and while it also offers picturesque views and a sense of travel "as in the old times" its value for transportation should not be discounted. There are also other, standard gauge lines run by Deutsche Bahn, mainly around the margins of the Harz. Local buses connect towns which are not on the railway line. Having your own car is recommended if you want to travel extensively in the region. Inside the national park the only permissible ways of getting about are on the steam railway, on foot, or by bike.

See







 * The main route to the Brocken starts at Wernigerode with several minor stops on the way. The two main connection stops are Drei Annen Hohne and Schierke. The trip up and down will take about 1 hr 45 min. The night train journey is most beautiful in the winter months especially when snow is on the ground.


 * There are several trails to the summit of the Brocken, approaching from different sides. The most common routes are:


 * Schierke - Brocken - Schierke, approximately 15km with a 600m height difference, the return route takes approximately 5 hours not including stopovers.


 * Torfhaus - Brocken - Torfhaus (Goethe Trail), approximately 17km with a 550m height difference, route takes approximately 6 hours not including stopovers.








 * The Oker Valley branches out and can accumulate up to 47 million m³ of water in Oker Lake (Okerterrasse). Below the dam, the river flows leisurely to the Raven Crags (Rabenklippen), so-called from an old legend: a pious man was ordered by St Boniface to return the Northern Harz to Christianity. But he was ridiculed and retreated into the Harz, where he got lost. At the site of today's Raven Crags he nearly died from hunger until a flock of ravens saved him. They supposedly dropped a dead pigeon close to him, which he ate, thus saving his life. A visit here to the lynx enclosure (Luchsgehegen), part of the lynx re-integration project, is a must. This area has been made accessible to the public with steps and railings. From here, one has a wonderful view of the Harz. The River Oker and Valley continues towards Goslar, coming next to Römkerhall, the smallest kingdom of the world ever proclaimed. This settlement consists of only a few houses and the hotel "Kingdom of Romkerhall", which resembles a fairy tale castle. The area was, in the second half of the 19th century, the hunting grounds of King George V of Hanover. Also here, is the Romkerhall Waterfall, approximately 64m in height. Upstream from the waterfall the River Oker is used occasionally by canoers. Downstream where the water flows faster, the crags left and right of the Oker are popular with climbers. Also downstream of the waterfall is "Betrothal Island" (Verlobungsinsel), accessible via a small bridge. The River Oker finally arrives in the village of Oker on the outskirts of Goslar, leaving behind the beauty of the deep ravines and rocky outcrops. Instead you will find that the river has been seriously polluted from many years of metal smelting in the area.









Do






Eat


Harzer cheese contains only about one percent fat. It is made from low-fat curd cheese. It is known for its distinct strong taste.

Drink
Since 1617 Altenau has produced beer by hand. Nordhausen is famous for its Doppelkorn, that is a distilled spirit made from various grains, usually rye. It is somewhat similar to vodka, though distilled to less alcohol content (Doppelkorn being the higher alcohol variant of normal Korn) and not filtered as much, leaving it with more of a taste to its own. Korn (and not beer) is the alcoholic drink of choice in most of Northern and parts of Central Germany and is usually drunk neat. The Korn tradition of Nordhausen goes back at least five hundred years, as a tax on locally produced liquor is first mentioned in a text from 1507, thus indicating some production already prior to this point in time.

Go next

 * Bad Gandersheim — the town's origins can be traced back to the 9th century, when it was an important administrative centre
 * Einbeck – historic market place with timber-framed houses rich with ornamentation and unique medieval carvings
 * Göttingen
 * Halberstadt
 * Hildesheim
 * Nordhausen
 * Sangerhausen
 * Wolfenbüttel