Discover Clausthal-Zellerfeld: Mining, History and Seasonal Activities

Clausthal-Zellerfeld combines mining history with memorial sites associated with Robert Koch and activities that vary depending on the season. At the Upper Harz Mining Museum, visitors can experience mining in a reconstructed mine shaft; the Robert Koch walking tour leads to places from his youth. There is also cross-country skiing in winter, roller skiing in summer when there is no snow, and a hands-on brewing experience at the BRAUakademie. This mix of history and activities offers different ways to focus your trip. Your preferred focus can therefore also help guide your choice of where to stay.

Experience Mining History

At the Upper Harz Mining Museum in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, you can experience the town’s mining history firsthand, including by descending into a reconstructed mine shaft. The descent makes mining tangible as a spatial experience and provides a concrete way to engage with the subject. For visitors interested in the history of mining, it offers a vivid point of connection in the town.

In Robert Koch’s Footsteps

The Robert Koch walking tour leads to places that were significant during Robert Koch’s youth. It passes, among other places, his birthplace, the church where he was baptized, and his former school. The route gives the tour a biographical thread and vividly illustrates the connection between the person and the town.

Activities Throughout the Seasons

In Clausthal-Zellerfeld, you can go cross-country skiing in winter; when there is no snow, the routes can be used for roller skiing in summer. Across the year, these are two different options: cross-country skiing in winter and roller skiing in summer when there is no snow. The BRAUakademie offers a different kind of hands-on experience: groups of four or more can brew their own beer under the guidance of master brewers. While the walking tour focuses on the town and its history, this activity makes brewing itself a shared experience.

Goslar as a Distinct Historical Focus

The wider destination of Goslar offers a distinct historical focus. Goslar’s historic Old Town has been preserved as a continuous area of around one square kilometre and includes more than 1,500 half-timbered houses. One building provides a point of reference in time: St. Anne’s House on Glockengießerstraße is the oldest half-timbered house in Goslar’s Old Town to have been preserved intact, and has been standing since 1488. The Imperial Palace has stood at the foot of the Rammelsberg for nearly 1,000 years and was once the seat of power for kings and emperors.

Goslar also offers its own way to explore mining history: the former Rammelsberg ore mine is a visitor mine where visitors can see various aspects of the mining tradition. An adjoining museum explores the history of this tradition. This distinguishes the mining experiences described here: in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, visitors can descend into a reconstructed shaft at the Upper Harz Mining Museum; in Goslar, the focus is on the visitor mine and its adjoining museum.

Choose Where to Stay Based on Your Interests

If Goslar’s half-timbered Old Town, Imperial Palace, or Rammelsberg is your main interest, Goslar is the best place to focus your search. This lets you tailor your search to the themes you want to experience during your trip.

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