Upper Harz
Accommodation in Upper Harz
The Upper Harz combines impressive evidence of mining with a landscape of ponds, ditches, mountain meadows and forests. Those looking for a holiday apartment in the Upper Harz will find plenty of inspiration here for varied days: history can be discovered in the museum and at historic sites, while hiking trails vividly link the water management system with the landscape.
Experience mining history in Clausthal-Zellerfeld
The Upper Harz Mining Museum in Clausthal-Zellerfeld was founded in 1892 and presents the development of Upper Harz ore mining from the Middle Ages until its end in 1930. The history is brought particularly vividly to life in the demonstration mine: visitors can walk through above-ground and underground facilities. The iron headframe of the Ottiliae shaft, dating from 1876, is the oldest surviving structure of its kind in Europe.
You can also encounter the Upper Harz's technical history outside the museum. On the freely accessible grounds of the Kaiser Wilhelm II shaft, an exhibition provides information about the technology and history of the Upper Harz water management system. An adventure tour begins at the Ottiliae shaft World Heritage Monument and includes a guided tour of the site of the former central hoisting shaft, with machinery demonstrations. The historic character of this offering remains closely connected to the facility's former operation.
The Marktkirche “Zum Heiligen Geist” in Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also part of the cultural highlights; it is considered Germany's largest wooden church. The Robert Koch city tour leads to places associated with his youth and takes around 2.5 hours without a visit to the Upper Harz Mining Museum. This allows you to combine the museum, local history and a themed tour as different focal points of a day on holiday.
Water management, hiking trails and World Heritage
The UNESCO World Heritage Upper Harz Water Management System comprises 107 historic ponds, a total of 310 kilometres of ditches and 31 kilometres of waterways. The World Heritage hiking trails lead through a landscape of ponds, ditches, mountain meadows, forests and diverse wildlife. Information boards along the way provide information about the World Heritage site. When planning your day, you can therefore choose between cultural visits and a hike during which the traces of the water management system become visible in the landscape.
The World Heritage Visitor Centre in Clausthal-Zellerfeld offers an additional introduction. Its approximately 170 square metres of exhibition space includes, among other things, a 3D landscape model with video projection. This makes the spatial relationships between the ponds, ditches and waterways easier to understand before you explore individual impressions in the landscape.
Shared experiences for families and groups
Those travelling with children can include the Robinson adventure playground on Spiegelthaler Straße in their plans. The mining-themed play equipment is complemented by a two-storey headframe with a climbing course, slide and a 45-metre-long zip line. For a shared activity with a larger group, the BRAUakademie in Clausthal-Zellerfeld offers seminars in which groups of four or more can brew their own beer.
When choosing your accommodation, it is worth considering the focus you want for your holiday. If mining history, the city tour and the visitor centre are the main priorities, you can specifically look for offers in and around Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Those who primarily want to experience the landscape and hiking trails should compare their planned excursion destinations with the type of day they want to spend. This way, searching for a holiday apartment supports a trip that combines culture, nature and shared experiences in the right balance.
Discover more places in the Upper Harz
For further orientation, you can also explore the towns and villages directly in the Upper Harz: Altenau, Wildemann and Schulenberg Im Oberharz. Each of these place names provides its own starting point for further holiday planning in the Upper Harz.
For the overarching travel overview: Goslar.
More destinations
More places within the same destination:
