The highest density in castles. Five Unesco World Heritage sites bearing witness to medieval Germany, one National Park and four Nature Reserves. Caves, Old crafts. The longest pedestrians´ suspension bridge in the world. Sports and holiday fun. All crammed into just 110 * 40 km and surrounded by further historical sites – but apart from the regional population, hardly anybody seems to know about it!?
Follow this link to my post on some other scenic landscapes in Germany that you may not know yet.
Before I tell you about the historic and natural sights to visit in the Harz mountains, let me give you a brief and incomplete list of the holiday activities that the Harz region offers today!
- The obvious: Hiking and sightseeing of castles, monasteries, caves, mines, old crafts like glass manufacturing…
- Winter sports: Cross-country skiing, ice skating, tobogganing (amongst others a 2 km toboggan run!)
- dining from high class restaurants offering the best of regional German cuisine to rustic inns; and of course cafés and bakeries for your afternoon Coffee And Cake
- museums on mining, crafts, local history, medieval history, military history… (secret highlight: The former stove factory in Mägdesprung! Those who are into military history: Do not miss the peak of Brocken.)
- Swimming in lakes, indoor and outdoor pools
- Fun activities like Germany´s oldest fairytale forest (completely renewed in 2024), riding steam trains and cable cars, railed summer tobogganing (please tell me the correct English term!), the Walpurgisnacht and other festivals and markets, and much more.
Let me introduce you to the Harz Mountains, the (almost) forgotten heart of medieval Germany.
You might like to make yourself some coffee – this will be long!
Why the Harz is so special
If you want to learn about German history, culture and nature, there is no way past the Harz mountains. This region, rural as it seems today, was actually the political and industrial center of Germany for more than 1000 years, and a major battlesite in WWII because of its outstanding strategic value.
History – What made the Harz mountains the heart of medieval Germany
The Harz mountains show traces of very early population by numerous prehistoric cultures. Several Germanic tribes followed them. The natural ressources of wood, water and several metals attracted them, but also the fact that the dense woods, rocks and crevices were perfect for self-defense, for hiding and breaking out in an avalanche just about anywhere.
After their time was over, Franks with the emperor Charlemagne followed, and Germans under the rule of the Ottonians made the Harz mountains the industrial and political center of their empires.
Traces of greatness – Henry II. (AD 1050)
Today a dreamy smalltown, Goslar´s crooked medieval houses and narrow lanes saw emperors and elective dukes go to the empire´s government hall, the Kaiserpfalz. Back in the day, it was impossible to keep control over an empire from one place – a ruler could only reign where he was personally present, so he had to have several government halls throughout his realm. Goslar was one of them, and for some time the main one.
The late 19th century “rediscovered” the Kaiserpfalz, following the foundation of the second Reich in 1871. Monumental paintings in it now aimed to stir national sentiments. The 68 huge wall paintings are definitely worth a visit, they are very fine examples of 19th century painting in the style of the Nazarenes, and also interesting if you want to learn about late 19th century nationalism and national protestantism in Germany. Hermann Wislicenus and Franz Weinack depicted the history of this place and of the German empire from a prussian-Lutheran point of view which was at the time the officially desirable perspective. For more detail (in German) and a look on all 68 paintings, see this wikipedia article. Add in your imagination their impressive size!
The art of secret subversion – the heart of medieval Germany in contrast to industrialism and militarism of the second Reich
It is worth noting that despite their nationalism, the style and content of the paintings did spur debates since the Nazarene style with its symbolism and romanticism was considered outdated. The second Reich preferred realism, modernity and technicism – it was, after all, the time of the second industrialisation. In a way, the paintings that were to hail a new and glorious episode arising with the founding of the second empire actually came to be an Abgesang, a dirge to pre-industrial society and values. And the artists may well have known it. So what is on the surface fine, but blatantly affirmative art, may be in secret a harsh and radical criticism of industrialised society, loss of “soul” and therefore loss of a deeper meaning and identity (which was perceived by many in the years to come, depicted and criticised by several of Germany´s most remarkable novelists) and the political setup that went with it. This way, the monumental paintings of Goslar´s Kaiserpfalz are also a perfect example of secretly subversive art.
Architecture of medieval Germany – tour the Harz mountains to see castles, towns and monasteries
Caves and mines in the Harz mountains
Natural ressources were a key factor for the Harz mountains to become the heart of medieval Germany. Due to their geological conditions, there are not only a great number of natural caves, but also numerous iron ore, quartz, coal and silver mines. This, combined with the outstanding soil as well as salt ressources nearby, made the Harz mountains the industrial and political center of Germany and at times, of Europe. Their military value (overlooking the lowlands while offering hiding places) contributed to this.
For you, this means you have a choice of various mines and caves to visit, including a stalactite cave, a castle that was built into the rock, the cave houses I showed you above, and many more.
Towns and villages shaped by the culture of medieval Germany
Goslar
Let me get back to Goslar. Even without the Kaiserpfalz, Goslar is one of the most beautiful and ancient German small towns. Instead of writing a lot, let me show you some impressions:
Unfortunately, I do not have any photos from Goslar of my own currently. Here is a website that will show you the most beautiful places in Goslar, please follow this link.
If you are interested in German beer, you should know that you can get a local beer in Goslar, the Gose. The taste is similar to Bavarian wheat beer, which is rather unique in a northern German context.
Quedlinburg and Wernigerode – walk through medieval Germany today
Most Harz tourists interested in the architecture of medieval Germany visit Quedlinburg and Wernigerode. Both have impressive castles, Quedlingburg also has a large and ancient church, But besides that, both are colorful “toy towns” due to their many half timbered houses: Quedlinburg is an outstandingly well preserved example of a medieval German town, with over 1300 half timbered buildings from six centuries.
Eisleben – Martin Luther´s birthplace
There are many reasons why the Harz is worth visiting. One of them is that the history of the reformation is tightly linked to Europe´s economic history. It was no coincidence that the person who sparked the fire was born in the Harz town of Eisleben, his father being a mining entrepreneur. You can visit Eisleben and walk around the streets (many of the late medieval/reanaissance buildings are still there) on which Martin Luther took his first steps. The family soon moved to Mansfeld, which in itself is not necessarily a tourist destination, but Mansfeld castle is worth a visit if you happen to be anywhere near! And while you are there, you could also visit another castle, the Rammelburg.
I can, of course, not give you a full list of places to visit – besides the medieval small towns, there are also many towns and villages that are worth visiting for reasons other than history and architecture. For example, because they are great starting points for hikes. Because they offer particularly good or many sports and wellness facilities. Because they are particularly good places to stay with children. And so on. – And I won´t get started on the cities that surround the Harz mountains like Magdeburg, Halle, Braunschweig, Hildesheim, Göttingen…
The Harz mountains in winter
The northern German plain does not get to see a lot of snow. But the low mountain ranges can expect some snow every winter. The Harz mountains are the highest low mountain range of northern Germany. So it is no surprise that people from all over northern Germany and even the Netherlands come to the Harz mountains to enjoy snow hikes, skiing and toboggan rides. There are also several ice skating rinks, indoors and outdoors.
The Harz mountains are incredibly picturesque and fairytale-like in the snow. Besides the sporty activities, you can ride on one of the historic trains, visit Christmas markets (e.g. in Goslar or Wernigerode) and of course enjoy restaurants, cafés, castles and cathedrals.
Food and drinks
Let me say one thing in advance: If you hope (or fear) to find Haxn, Sauerbraten, Spätzle, Weißwurst, and Weißbier – you will not find them here. The Harz mountains are part of Northern Germany. And like every German region, there are regional specialties.
Besides the Gose, the local beer from Goslar, you will find a variety of other local beers. You will most certainly come across Schierker Feuerstein, which is a digestive liquor (bitter). The region around Hildesheim, on the western side of the Harz mountains, is known for fruit wines.
As for food, specialties from the Harz mountains include:
Baumkuchen – see above.
Windbeutel, a pastry filled with a vast amount of whipped cream.
Smoked ham.
Trout.
Harzer roller – a rather smelly cheese.
Have a look at this article on traditional regional food from a local newspaper.
You can easily see that these specialties, though tasty, reflect the poverty of the regular population – if you did not happen to be a king, bishop, or mine owner, life in this cold mountain region was so hard that one of the small towns is called “Elend” (“Misery”) and two “Sorge/Zorge” (“Sorrow”).
But if you are looking for a high quality restaurant that serves German cuisine, you will find it in the Harz mountains. Please be aware of the difference between a restaurant and an inn or diner – many tourists are disappointed because they do not heed this! Besides trout, a restaurant in the Harz mountains is likely to offer venison, wild boar, creative potato dishes and of course the staples of international cuisine.
I hope you enjoyed this introduction to the Harz mountains – the heart of medieval Germany, and at the same time an enjoyable holiday destination. Please leave a comment for any questions or remarks on this post!
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