Worth seeing in Goslar and the Harz Mountains

Goslar – world cultural heritage and natural paradise

Goslar – the city with two UNESCO World Heritage Sites: the historic old town and the impressive Rammelsberg mine.
The old town with over 1,500 well-preserved half-timbered houses was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 and invites you to stroll, explore and shop. Located on the edge of the Harz Mountains, Goslar is the perfect starting point for numerous outdoor leisure activities – from hiking and mountain biking to skiing.

Sights in & around Goslar

Goslar

Goslar – the town that is home to two World Heritage Sites: the cozy and beautiful old town and the impressive disused Rammelsberg mine.

Goslar’s old town was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

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Due to its special state of preservation with over 1500 half-timbered houses from different eras, which are located in the old town center within the former city wall, the old town of Goslar has been awarded UNESCO status.

The city center itself invites you to stroll and shop.

The town, which lies on the edge of the Harz Mountains, is the perfect starting point for all kinds of leisure activities. As the highest mountain range in northern Germany, bordering the three federal states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, it has plenty to offer in addition to the classic activities of hiking, mountain biking and skiing.

The imperial palace

The imperial palace and the cathedral vestibule, which was built between 1040 and 1050, is almost a must-see for every visitor.

The Palatine Chapel of St. Ulrich to the south contains the heart of the emperor, who died in 1056, under a tombstone with a figurative representation of Henry III.

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German history was written here at numerous imperial assemblies and court meetings. The history of the Holy Roman Empire is told on painted murals in the great hall.

In 1820, the dilapidated church was demolished, with only the entrance hall remaining.

Hall of homage

The Hall of Homage in Goslar Town Hall is a unique gem of late Gothic interior design. As a visitor, you can take a virtual seat on the venerable benches of the aldermen.

Rammelsberg World Heritage Site

The Rammelsberg, where ore was mined for over 1000 years, has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. The mine was shut down in 1988 and is now a museum and visitor mine.

In the Rammelsberg, traces of mining from several centuries have been preserved in a very small space. The Rammelsberg is one of the largest museums and visitor mines in northern Germany. The various guided tours, exhibitions, lectures and educational museum programs bring the working world of miners in the past to life.

Maltermeister tower

Built in the 14th century, the round tower on the Rammelsberg above Goslar is the oldest building in the surface facilities of the nearby mine. Today, the Maltermeister Tower is home to a restaurant with a unique panoramic terrace offering a breathtaking view of Goslar.

Highlights in the Harz Mountains and surrounding area

Wöltingerode Monastery in Vienenburg

Wöltingerode Monastery was founded in 1174 and was one of the most important monasteries in northern Germany.

In addition to the books and codices highly valued by experts, Wöltingerode was famous for its excellent liqueurs and Klosteredelkorn from 1683!

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Wöltingerode Monastery is located in Vienenburg, a district of Goslar.

Since its foundation in 1174, it served as a Benedictine monastery until 1188. Today, the historic building still houses a distillery.

Distilling schnapps has a long tradition here, as the monastery has been producing schnapps and liqueurs since 1682. The original monastery brewery existed until 1803 and this tradition was resumed in 2004.

Wöltingerode Monastery is located directly on the Harz Monastery Hiking Trail.

High up on the treetop walk in Bad Harzburg

Barrier-free and accessible to all age groups, this special hiking trail offers a unique view of the Bad Harzburg countryside.

On the 18 platforms of the approximately 1,000m-long path, visitors will find almost 50 different adventure elements, rest stations and interesting facts. Themed tours on insects, nature or sunrise and sunset tours are just a small part of the program.

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NEW on the Großer Burgberg is the BaumSchwebeBahn

From the 483-meter-high Burgberg, the BaumSchwebeBahn Harz levitates at a maximum speed of 12-15 km/h through the changing tree population of the Burgberg and the Kalten Tal to the far end of the treetop walk.

Spectacular heights alternate with a real experience of nature. The forest is close enough to touch.

Liebesbankweg & ErlebnisBocksBerg in Hahnenklee

Hikers can look forward to an individual circular hiking trail with “loving” benches and rest areas, adventure opportunities for the whole family. The 7 km long Liebesbankweg is the first premium hiking trail in the Harz Mountains and Lower Saxony.

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You will also find our Erlebnisbocksberg at an altitude of 727 meters in the spa town of Hahnenklee. This pretty town is located in the middle of the beautiful Harz Mountains, only about 15 kilometers from the historic town of Goslar. Our nostalgic cable car starts in the Hahnenklee pedestrian zone. It will take you to the summit in just a few minutes. Our chairlift also starts at the foot of the Erlebnisbocksberg, which our mountain bikers use to ride up. Up there you can expect fun and relaxation for the whole family with our attractions such as Bocksbergbob, fun park, Bocksbergcarts, bike park, Bocksberghütte and hiking trails.

Also discover the unique stave church

The Hahnenklee Stave Church is a popular destination for many visitors from Germany and abroad and is unique among German churches in terms of its construction and furnishings. In keeping with the timber construction methods typical of the Upper Harz region, the client of the Hanoverian regional church, Prof. Karl Mohrmann, opted for a stave church based on the Norwegian model.

Wild and romantic Oker valley and the Oker reservoir

Although the Oker Valley stretches from Altenau in the Upper Harz to the Harz foreland, it is the section between the Oker Dam and the Goslar district of Oker that exudes this special fascination, which is often described in travel guides as “wild and romantic”.

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Over the course of millions of years, the Oker has worked its way over 350 meters deep into the rock here, which is why steep and bizarre cliffs, some of which are overgrown by dense forest, leave an awe-inspiring impression on hikers today. There are few places in the Harz Mountains where nature is so varied and exciting.

Climbing rocks challenge the intrepid to scale the sometimes vertical walls, while below them the Oker flows down the valley in its stony, natural streambed with an enormous current. In the picturesque course of the river, there is an “engagement island” that can only be reached via a wooden staircase, the waterfall at Romkerhall, several smaller waterworks nestled in the narrow valley and the equalizing reservoir of the Oker dam.

Above the valley, several viewing cliffs made of huge granite blocks – such as the Ziegenrückenklippen, the Feigenbaumklippe or the Treppenstein – offer impressive views. The same naturally also applies to the 75-metre-high, enormous dam wall of the Oker reservoir.

Cultural monument Upper Harz Water Shelf

What appears to us today as a tranquil and romantic landscape of lakes and ponds with historic buildings along the way is by far the largest and most important pre-industrial energy supply system in the world.

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The water management system consists of 107 historic ponds, 310 kilometers of ditches and 31 kilometers of watercourses. Water is collected, stored and discharged here – for example into one of the drinking water reservoirs in the Harz.

The paths along the trenches are popular with hikers and walkers. In 2010, the Upper Harz Water Management was added to the UNESCO World Heritage List and has since completed the trio of Goslar’s Old Town, the Rammelsberg ore mine and the Upper Harz Water Management.

Harz National Park – legendary mountain wilderness

Many untouched natural elements such as boulder dumps, raised bogs, rivers and forests are preserved here.

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The Harz National Park is particularly impressive due to the diversity of its natural features. On its northern and southern edges we find extensive beech forests, which are particularly inviting for a hike in spring and fall. Moors, spruce forests and rocks dominate the landscape in the higher areas of the Harz. The Upper Harz moors are among the best preserved and most impressive in Germany. Numerous animal and plant species that have become rare elsewhere can be found here.

Since January 1, 2006, this protected area has been the first transnationally merged national park in Germany.

In the middle of it all lies the legendary Brocken.

The Brocken the highest in the north

1,141 meters above sea level and an impressive view.

  • The magical mountain landscape rises out of the North German plain, visible from afar. The eye-catcher here is the striking Brocken peak, often shrouded in mist and always shrouded in legend.
  • 300 foggy days per year
  • 10.3 degrees Celsius is the average daily maximum temperature in July
  • 178 days with snow cover on the summit
  • 263 km/h highest measured wind speed
  • Storms have always raged around the lonely summit plateau. Wafts of mist often lend the Brocken a mystical glow. Optical illusions, such as the Brocken ghost, used to terrify visitors to the Brocken. Even today, the Brocken still exudes a magical attraction to its visitors. And even today, witches, devils and other mystical figures can still be found here.
  • The most comfortable way up is with the Brockenbahn.
  • There are various attractive routes for hikers and mountain bikers also use the summit as a challenge.

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    Brockenbahn – It hisses, it steams, it stomps…

    • Climb aboard and experience Germany’s most popular low mountain range on a historic steam train! Experience the Harz all year round with its countless beauties and breathtaking landscapes – your adventure track starts at one of over 40 stations.
    • You won’t find 25 steam locomotives in one place, up to ten of them in service at the same time, anywhere else – except in the Harz Mountains!
    • Since July 1992, our guests have once again been able to climb the highest peak in northern Germany with our 700 HP steam locomotives. As pure adhesion railroads, i.e. without cogwheels or similar aids, our steam locomotives manage this several times a day.
    • Before you reach the Brocken station, which at 1125 meters above sea level is the highest station of all German narrow-gauge railroads, you will be treated to a breathtaking panorama of the surrounding national park.