Everything about Harz totally explained
The
Harz is a mountain range in central Germany. It is the highest mountain chain in northern Germany occupying parts of the German states of
Lower Saxony,
Saxony-Anhalt and
Thuringia. The name
Harz derives from the
Middle High German word
Hardt or
Hart (mountain forest).
Geography
The Harz has a length of (southeast to northwest) and a width of . It occupies an area of, and reaches its highest point at
The Brocken, situated in
Saxony-Anhalt. The Wurmberg is the highest peak in the portion located in the state of
Lower Saxony. Approximately 600,000 people live in towns and villages of the Harz mountains.
Image:Harzgipfel.jpg|Harz
Image:Bodetal.jpg|Bode
Image:Bodetal2.jpg|Bode Gorge
Image:Rappbode3.jpeg|Rappbode Stausee in the Harz region, Germany
The Harz is divided into the
Upper Harz (
Oberharz) in the northwest and the
Lower Harz (
Unterharz) in the southeast.
The Upper Harz has a higher elevation and features
fir forests, while the Lower Harz gradually descends towards the surrounding land and has deciduous forests mingled with meadows.
The
Harz National Park is located in the Harz; it covers the Brocken and surrounding wilderness areas.
History
The settlement of the Harz began only 1000 years ago. In ancient times dense forests made the region inaccessible. 968 saw the discovery of
silver deposits near the town of
Goslar, and
mines became established in the following centuries throughout the mountains. During the
Middle Ages ore from this region was exported along trade routes to far flung places such as
Mesopotamia. The wealth of the region declined after these mines became exhausted in the early 19th century. People abandoned the towns for a short time, but prosperity eventually returned with tourism. Between 1945 and 1990 an international border ran through the Harz, the west belonging to the
Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the east to the
German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Today the Harz forms a popular tourist destination for summer hiking as well as winter sports.
Towns in the Harz and near the Harz
Transport in the Harz
The
Harz Narrow Gauge Railway is a very popular mode of transport, especially with tourists. Many people come to the Harz mountains just for this old fashioned
steam train. Many cities around the Harz are also served by standard-gauge rail, including
Halberstadt,
Wernigerode,
Thale, and
Quedlinburg.
Aside from that, the Harz is connected to the rest of Germany by motorway A7 from
Hamburg,
Hanover or
Kassel to
Seesen/Rhüden and
Lautenthal, A395 from
Braunschweig to
Bad Harzburg, the national roads B6, B 27, B 234 and many others. The motorway A 38 south of the Harz mountains connecting
Leipzig and
Göttingen is currently partly finished, partly under construction.
Rivers originating in the Harz
Bode,
Grane,
Holtemme,
Ilse,
Innerste,
Laute,
Oder,
Oker,
Rhume,
Selke,
Söse,
Thyra,
Wipper,
Zorge.
Further Information
Get more info on 'Harz'.
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