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TravelTips24 : Europe : Central Europe : Germany : Saxony-Anhalt : Harz

Harz

Harz is a region, more exactly a low mountain range in Germany. The region Harz covers parts of the federal states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.

Regions

Towns

Other destinations

  • Brocken is the highest mountain in the Harz range. The fastest way to get to its 1142 metre high summit is the steam powered train. Walking is also easily possible. On the summit, one should visit the observation deck of the old TV Tower, which is one of the oldest TV towers in the world.

Culture and History

Prior to 1989 the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt used to be the border between East and West Germany. The Brocken was a military outpost used to spy on any possibly military-relevant activity in Western Europe. From the East German side access to many villages was heavily restricted. Roads and train tracks were closed and demolished, thus later enabling the establishment of the Harz National Park. The small part of the Harz that was located in Western Germany was considered to be at "the arse of the world". The division of the Harz by the Iron Curtain can still be felt in the marketing of the Harz as a tourist destination.

Tourism is the main source of income for the region. Unemployment is high, especially after the collapse of the industrial complexes in former Eastern Germany. The number of tourists visiting a town is politically important. Goslar and sourounding villages compete against the cluster of Wernigerode [1], Quedlinburg [2] and Blankenburg and the Southern Harz regions in attracting tourists. The competition is not always friendly.

It is important to note that recommendation on where to go in the region are coloured by a person's (East German or West German) origin. Each of the regions tries to pass itself of as the "ultimate Harz experience".

Talk

Travel to Harz & Visa Requirements

by train

The access point for the Northern part is Goslar, which can be reached from Hannover and Halle(Saale), while the southern part is reached by train from Göttingen and Erfurt.

Buses to Harz

From Berlin, BerlinLinienBus [3] runs daily to the Harz from Berlin ZOB.

by car

The A 38 runs south of the Harz from Halle to Göttingen and the A 395 connects Goslar and Bad Harzburg in the northwest with Braunschweig and Hannover. The B 6 is an important connection along the northern range.

Tours & Getting around Harz

The most well-known form of transport is with the historic narrow-gauge steam train line, the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB) [4]. Other, normal-gauge train lines run by Deutsche Bahn are also available. Local buses connect cities which are not on the train line. Having your own car is recommended if you want to travel extensively in the regin. Inside the national park the only available transport is by steam train, your own feet and by bike.

Harz attractions and sightseeing

  • more ... (The region Harz on 30.000 photos) [5]

Itineraries

Harz city tours

Harz Restaurants: cheap, moderate and expensive

Harz nightlife, bars, clubs & pubs

Stay safe

Get out

This page was last edited at 20:08, on 25 February 2008 by Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel. Based on work by Nick Roux, David, Ian Kirk, Ravikiran Rao and Evan Prodromou, Wikitravel user(s) HaJo, Kris and Atlas and Anonymous user(s) of Wikitravel.

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