Upper Harz Mountains

Upper Harz is the higher, western section of the Harz mountain range in Germany, historically distinguished by concentrated metal mining and associated infrastructure. The area is known for its upland forests, reservoir systems, and former mining towns.

Hikers and visitors follow a dense network of trails that pass former mining sites, historic reservoir ponds and timbered towns; the landscape features a mosaic of small dammed ponds and engineered channels. Interpretive sites and visitor trails explain the region’s mining and water-management heritage.

Mining for silver, lead and other metals shaped the Upper Harz economy from the medieval period into the 19th century, prompting construction of engineered reservoirs and channels to supply water to water wheels and mining works. Many of those hydraulic features remain visible and were retained for forestry and recreational use.

Geographically the Upper Harz occupies the higher elevations of the Harz massif in central Germany, principally within the state of Lower Saxony, and includes towns that historically administered mining operations.

• Mining heritage: Regionally important for several centuries of metal mining and for pre-industrial hydraulic engineering systems that supplied power and water to mines.
• Landscape and recreation: Extensive small reservoirs and channels (the ‘teiche’ and ditches) provide distinctive hiking routes and viewpoints, especially in forested upland terrain.

What to See#

• Upper Harz Water Regale: Historic water management system consisting of dams, reservoirs, channels and wheelhouses that supplied energy to mines and was developed from the medieval period through the early modern era.
• Clausthal-Zellerfeld: Clausthal-Zellerfeld - a mining town that served as an administrative and technical centre for the region’s historic mining activities.

Well connected by regional roads and rail. The towns of Goslar, Bad Harzburg and Clausthal-Zellerfeld serve as common gateways; local buses and the Harz narrow-gauge railway provide access to trailheads and higher areas.

• Use the Harz narrow-gauge steam railway (Brockenbahn) for a scenic approach to the higher areas around Brocken and the Upper Harz.
• Visit the Upper Harz Water Management System sites (dams, ditches, and reservoirs) with a local guide to understand the engineering that sustained mining.