The Harz is part of the German medium-sized mountains with a peak just over 1000 metres, Brocken, and the particularity of straddling three regions. The border between East and West used to pass through this massif and traces of this can still be seen.

The valley towns and villages are charming, Goslar, Quedlinburg, Wernigerode … it is the reign of the timber frame houses and one of them is a UNESCO cultural heritage site.

Their wealth has been based since the Middle Ages on the extraction of minerals from the massif, mainly silver, copper and lead.

One of the largest concentrations of half-timbered houses in Europe can be found in the Harz, with a wide variety of colours and patterns.

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This is a part of Germany that is somewhat overlooked in travel guides and is well worth a visit.

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The mines have closed but there is still one site to visit, also on the UNESCO list: Rammelsberg. This will be the subject of another post https://wherever-it-is.com/2021/04/09/harz-interesting-industrial-architecture/