Harz Map of attractions. Part 1 – from Goslar to Bad Sachsa

Last Updated on 27/08/2024

Harz offers a lot of attractions. All of them you will not be able to visit even in two trips. Let’s look what can you visit on the Harz map. In the first part – West Harz from Goslar to Bad Sachsa and from Einbeck to Brocken.

Among Harz attractions:

• old cities, two of which are included in the UNESCO list,
• stalactite caves,
• old mines,
• a narrow gauge railway network operated by steam locomotives
• Mount Brocken (the most famous meeting place for witches),
• castles and palaces,
• system of mountain reservoirs for mines,
• various mountain activities and hiking.

Harz map. Center and East – from Wernigerode to Tilleda
Cuxhaven. 1. Center
Luneburg Heath

Everything important that you can see in the region – with notes and links.

• 1 – top
• 2 – very good, although not so well known
• 3 – good for a short vacation or a layover. Several medium-level interesting places
• 4 – local or specific, not for everyone

Marks without brackets – I was there (there are links to the posts). With brackets – I wasn’t there. Of course, the notes are subjective

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1. Göttingen

Old town, a couple of churches from the 14th century.
Old Botanical Garden, University.
City Museum. Zoo museum. Large geological museum.

Ice rink. Trampoline park. Pool Badeparadies Eisweise (cold and crowded).

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2. Ebergötzen

European Bread Museum (small, link).
Wilhelm Busch Mill Museum (this is the author of Max and Moritz, link).

Lake Seeburg.

(3)
3. Duderstadt

Half-timbered town, one of the oldest town halls in Germany (1302). Glockenspiel several times a day.

Former GDR / FRG Border Museum Grenzlandmuseum.

(3)
4. Bad Sachsa

Resort town. Natural History Museum NatUrzeit (link).
Salztal Paradies pool.
Ice rink. Indoor playground Regenbogenland.

Routes to the nearest mountain Ravensberg with an observation tower (60 m), the ruins of the Sachsenstein fortress.

Nearby:
bird of prey center Harzfalkenhof, fairy tale park Märchengrund Cistercian monastery (partly ruins) in Walkenried (link)
Wieda – glass production Glashütte
Zorge – production of liqueur and whiskey Hammerschmiede Link

(3)
5. Bad Lauterberg

Pools Vitamar and Kirchberg Therme. Small chairlift Burgseilbahn.
Königshütte – museum of old mechanisms (under renovation, visits limited).

Reservoir Oderstausee. Possibility to rent Trabant.

Nearby:
Sonnenstein Skywalk (glass observation platform).
Further down the Autobahn, Alternatver Bärenpark Worbis Bear Park Link

Rhumequelle spring and small lake with ice cold blue water

Mine Scholmzeche.
Cave (one large hall) Einhornhöhle
Welfenschloss Castle in Herzberg

(4)
6. Osterode

Old city. Ruins of Alte Burg. Ritterhaus Museum

Small park with birds Wald Vogelstation.
Swimming pool Aloha Aqualand Osterode.

(4)
7. Northeim

Half-timbered town. City wall.

Lakes Northeimer Seeplatte.

2-3
8. Einbeck

Half-timbered town.

Oldtimer museum P.S. Speicher (link).

Read more about Einbeck.

(4)
9. Seesen

Thermal pool Sehusa Therme

Nearby: Römerschlacht Harzhorn – Roman-German battlefield (small museum and information trail)

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10. Bad Grund

Stalactite cave Iberger Tropfensteinhöhle (link). The cave is not big, but quite interesting. If you choose between it and those near Wernigerode, then the latter are better. But this cave has one peculiarity: the remains of prehistoric people were discovered in it, and their DNA was compared with the DNA of local residents. It turned out that a number of local residents are direct descendants of prehistoric people. The exhibition at the cave is dedicated to this.

Arboretum (forest botanical garden) WeltWald. Do not approach the park following the official sign on the left of the city if you have a weak car – it is a very steep climb.
The park is large and located on a steep slope. Trees are planted according to geography. One part is occupied by a ravine with entertainment for children (log bridge, wooden puzzles, information about the forest, tipi).
Not a bad park for a walk, although not a must see. The main visitors group are families. In spring, it makes sense to walk in the alley of rhododendrons.

Observation deck in the park. This ridge separates the hilly plain at the foot of the Harz from the lake plateau around Clausthal-Zellerfeld. It contains a stalactite cave and the mines.

Mine Schacht Knebeseck (link).

Clock museum.
Glockenspiel at the town hall every hour.

Park of fairy tales Märchental.

Nearby:
Wildеmann: mine 19 Lachter Stollen (link).
Neon golf (link)
Lautenthal: one more mine Historische Silbergrube Lautenthals Glück Link

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11. Clausthal-Zellerfeld

The city is located in the center of the Oberharzer Wasserwirtschaft – a region included in UNESCO, where a system of ponds, dams and mines developed over the centuries (from the 16th century). Description here: link

In the city itself there is a cascade of ponds Pfauenteichkaskade. Glassblowing studio Glashütte (link).
Mining Museum Oberharzer Bergwerkmuseum (Link)

We were late to the museums, but we looked at a small part of the water facilities at the resort park. There are information boards explaining how it all worked. Unfortunately, without a detailed guide, it is difficult to find the most interesting route along the lakes. There might be a good brochure at the visitor center, but that was also closed.

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12. Goslar

More details about Goslar.
Mines – in more detail.

The Rammelsberg mines with different mine tours (link).
Half-timbered town. The mines and the city are included in UNESCO.

Painted hall in the Huldigungssaal town hall (long renovation).
Museum Kaiserpfalz (main interest outside).
City walls. Zwinger – museum in the tower (knights, torture instruments).

Lohmühle Mill Museum.
Historical Museum Goslarer Museum.
Mönchehaus Museum (contemporary art).
Tin Soldier Museum.

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12а. Hahnenklee

Hahnenklee – a village in the mountains (a part of Goslar), a climatic health resort.
Lakes
Cable car to Bocksberg (gondolas), above Bocksbergbob coaster (link), Bikepark, sail park, playgrounds.

Liebesbankweg panoramic trail.

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13. Bad Harzburg

Bad Harzburg located halfway from Wernigerode to Goslar. This is a fairly old settlement, which subsequently lost its historical significance. In the city, on the Burgberg mountain, as early as the 11th century was built a large royal castle Harzburg. By the middle of the 17th century the castle was finally abandoned and turned into ruins, to which the cable car rises.

Nowadays Bad Harzburg is better known for its salty waters and is a resort town (which is clearly indicated by the word Bad).

Treetop road Baumwipfelpfad Harz (link). Cable car Burgberg Seilbahn (old gondolas). Walk to the lynx paddock (link)
Adventure golf (link). Rope park (ropes on poles, not in trees) Skyrope.

Sole-Therme pool (cold outside, small warm inside part) (www.sole-therme-bad-harzburg.de)

Krodoland Park (indoor playground, outdoor playground, water playground).

(3-4)
14. Altenau

Scenic Okerstausee reservoir with boat rides (link).
In Altenau – SaunaTherme Heißer Brocken. Herb garden Kräutergarten. DiscoGolf (throw frisbee into the basket).

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15. Torfhaus

Natural Park Visitor Center. View of Brocken. Starting point for different hiking routes. For example, the Goethe Trail is one of the most famous and shortest routes to Brocken.

(3)
16. Sankt-Andreasberg

Mine Grube Samson (link)
Chairlift and summer toboggan. Observatory (lectures and observations on specific days).

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17. Braunlage

Read more about Wurmberg.

From Braunlage, the gondola cable car rises to Wurmberg (link). Wurmberg is a mountain of almost the same size next to Brocken. Upstairs there is a good playground, two restaurants, an observation tower.
Adventure golf (link). Ice rink.

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18. Schierke

Coaster – not bad, but short (in Thale is better). Coaster is very much below the station.
The last stop of the steam railway before Brocken. If you want to take a train to Brocken, choose Drei Annen Hohne – parking is cheaper and more accessible.

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19. Brocken

More about Brocken

On the one hand, Brocken is the most famous place in Harz and therefore a sort of must see. On the other hand, the price for the train not match to entertainment above. Upstairs there is a small museum and a small botanical garden. Therefore, in principle, it is quite possible to replace it with Wurmberg, and drive the other part of the route (or example from Wernigerode to Schierke) with a steam locomotive – then it will be much, much cheaper.
Also look out for cheaper evening tickets.

To be continued – Harz map. Center and East – from Wernigerode to Tilleda
All attractions of Harz – #Harz.
About the Harz Card discount card – here.