UNESCO-World-Heritage-Site in the Harz region

Rammelsberg mine, the old town of Goslar and the Upper Harz water management system – they’re witnesses to the earliest industrial history. Rammelsberg documents around 1,000 years of mining on the outskirts of the beautiful old town of Goslar, once the largest interconnected copper, lead and zinc ore deposit in the world. The Upper Harz water management, the world’s most important preindustrial water management system for mining, generated energy for the mining industry. 

World Heritage Site in the Harz region

The UNESCO-World-Heritage-Site »Rammelsberg mine, the old town of Goslar and Upper Harz water management« spans more than 200 square kilometers above and below ground. It’s a witness to what was once the largest and oldest mining region for silver, copper, lead and zinc in Europe. This is where the heart of the European financial economy beat in the Middle Ages. Important architectural buildings were created, from simple housing for miners to the imperial palace. Kilometer-long tunnel systems and the world’s biggest, preindustrial integrated energy network – the Upper Harz water management with numerous ponds characterize the Harz mountain landscape above and below ground. The landscape, architectural monuments and city ensembles as well as the industrial plants and objects in the wide array of museums all store the knowledge gained over 3,000 years of mining culture, power and technology in Europe.

UNIQUE HARMONY BETWEEN CULTURE AND NATURE

Rammelsberg mine

Coal and steel monuments spanning nine centuries

For well over 1,000 years, ore was continuously extracted at Rammelsberg in one of the world’s largest interlinked ore deposits. The related historical, tangible coal and steel witnesses have rightly become Germany’s first UNESCO-World-Cultural-Heritage-Site of Technology. During visitor tours above and below ground, you’ll see impressive coal and steel monuments stretching over nine centuries and exciting testimonies to human labor.  >>> more

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Upper Harz water management system

Power source for the Harz mining industry

The Upper Harz water management system has been a UNESCO-World-Heritage-Site of humanity since 2010. A dense network of paths in a stunning forest and meadow landscape connects the water-bearing ditches with cascades of dammed ponds – including some of the oldest dams in Europe. >>> more

Old town of Goslar

One of the most important historical cities in the world

1,500 half-timbered buildings from the 15th to 19th centuries are preserved on a medieval ground plan on just one square kilometer. The Romanesque churches’ mighty towers dominate the skyline of the charming townscape with its narrow streets. 
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