Harz Mountains

No, witches don’t exist. Nowhere in the world. But witches and wizards appear in our fairy tales, for example in “Hansel and Gretel.” In the past, people really did believe that some people were “bewitched,” that they could harm others or were in league with spirits or even the devil. Others were thought to be good fairies with special powers. People told stories about witches’ kitchens and the magical multiplication table. And men and women believed to be witches were cruelly persecuted.

People also believed that witches met at certain places to dance wildly and make plans. Witches were said to gather at particular spots on the night of 30 April to 1 May to hold great celebrations. One such place was said to be the Blocksberg. This was the name given to the Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz Mountains.

The Harz is the largest and highest mountain range in northern Germany. It lies in the states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia, and is about 110 km long and 30 to 40 km wide.

The summit of the Brocken is 1,141 meters high. It is in Saxony-Anhalt, as are three other peaks that also reach heights of over 1,000 meters: Heinrichshöhe (1,045 m), Königsberg (1,033 m) and Kleiner Brocken (1,018 m).

At 971 metres, the Wurmberg is the highest mountain in the Lower Saxony part of the Harz and in the state of Lower Saxony as a whole. In addition to high mountains, the Harz has plateaus and raised bogs. Its rocky outcrops, known as the Harz cliffs, are impressive. Rivers and waterfalls have carved deep valleys.

The Harz Mountains are home to forests of deciduous and coniferous trees, as well as many rare animal and plant species. A national park and three nature parks have been established to protect them. For example, the lynx has been successfully reintroduced to the Harz. Alongside this rare wild cat, endangered bird species such as capercaillies and eagle owls can also be found there.

By the way, it can get very stormy in the Harz Mountains. The Brocken is considered one of the windiest places in Germany, with wind speeds of over 260 km/h having been recorded here.

The Harz is one of the rainiest regions in Germany. As a result, many streams and rivers begin in the Harz, including the Innerste, Oker, Bode, Wipper and Oder. After leaving the Harz, they flow into the larger rivers Leine, Aller and Saale.

Water power has been harnessed in the Harz Mountains since early times. To date, 16 reservoirs have been built. T hey provide drinking water, generate electricity and help protect against flooding.

The Rappbode Dam in Saxony-Anhalt holds back the Rappbode River. The reservoir covers about 3.9 square kilometers. At 106 meters, the dam is the tallest in Germany. All the Harz reservoirs together can hold around 113 million cubic meters of water.

The Oker River is dammed by the Okertalsperre reservoir, near the city of Goslar. When the dam was built, the residents of Unter- and Mittelschulenburg were resettled. The remains of the settlements reappear when water levels are low.

The Oderteich is a reservoir built as early as the 18th century. Its dam is 22 metres high and up to 11 metres wide, holding back the River Oder. Other reservoirs in the Harz Mountains include the Granetalsperre, Innerstetalsperre, Sösetalsperre and Eckertalsperre.

The largest town in the Harz is Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Its residents have to cope with major differences in elevation, as the town's districts lie between 390 and 821 meters above sea level. The town has about 15,700 inhabitants and is best known for its Technical University, where 5,000 students study.

On the edge of the Harz Mountains lie the Lower Saxon towns of Goslar, Bad Harzburg, Osterode, Seesen, Bad Sachsa, and Bad Lauterberg. 

Wernigerode and Blankenburg are the largest towns near the Harz Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt. These towns have developed over many centuries. They have old half-timbered buildings and many other sights.

In Goslar, for example, you can visit an old imperial palace and the former Rammelsberg mine. Ore was mined here for over 1,000 years. In Wernigerode, there is a house that is only 2.95 metres wide. The Harz Narrow Gauge Railway starts in this town and runs to the Brocken and across the Harz Mountains to Nordhausen in Thuringia.

Mining in the Harz Mountains began as early as the Bronze Age, 3,000 years ago. The main minerals mined here were silver, copper, lead and zinc. Mining led to the founding of the towns of Clausthal, Zellerfeld, Bad Grund, Sankt Andreasberg, Lautenthal, Altenau and Wildemann.

Since the Middle Ages, people have also used technology for this. Water was stored in numerous small ponds in the Upper Harz reservoirs, most of which are located around the mining town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld. The water powered waterwheels, which operated pumps and mining equipment.

Mining once caused serious environmental problems in the Harz Mountains. Processing the ores released many toxic residues into the soil. Huge quantities of wood were needed for mining and ore processing. As a result, large parts of the Harz were deforested. 

Today, the Harz Mountains attract many tourists. In winter, you can ski here; in summer, you can hike, climb, go boating on the reservoirs, mountain bike and visit the many sights. Some towns also have spa facilities where people can relax.