'''Harz''' is a region, more exactly a low mountain range in Germany. The region Harz covers parts of the federal states of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.
Regions
Towns
Goslar The Harz hub
Blankenburg
Braunlage
Halberstadt — playing a piece of music that's scheduled to last for 639 years
Quedlinburg UNESCO world heritage site
Sankt Andreasberg
Wernigerode Known for its romantic-age castle
Other destinations
'''Brocken''' is the highest mountain in the Harz range. The fastest way to get to its 1142 metre high summit is the steam powered train. Walking is also easily possible. On the summit, one should visit the observation deck of the old TV Tower, which is one of the oldest TV towers in the world.
Understand
Prior to 1990, the border between Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt used to be the border between East and West Germany complete with wall and fortified frontier. The Brocken was a East German military outpost used to spy on any possibly military-relevant activity in Western Europe. From the East German side access to many villages were heavily restricted. Roads and train tracks were either closed or demolished, thus later enabling the establishment of the Harz National Park. The small part of the Harz that was located in West Germany was considered to be at "the arse of the world"! The division of the Harz by the Iron Curtain can still be felt in the marketing of the Harz as a tourist destination.
Tourism is the main source of income for the region. Unemployment is high, especially after the collapse of the industrial complexes in former Eastern Germany. The number of tourists visiting a town is politically important. Goslar and sourounding villages compete against the cluster of Wernigerode, Quedlinburg and Blankenburg and the Southern Harz regions in attracting tourists. This competition is not always friendly!
It is important to note that recommendation on where to go in the region are coloured by a person's (East German or West German) origin. Each of the regions tries to pass itself of as the "ultimate Harz experience". Try to forget about the East/West rivalry as reunification is more and more a thing of the past (and a long term success) in people's minds at least, and just enjoy the splendid nature.
Talk
Get in
by train
The access point for the Northern part is Goslar, which can be reached from Hannover and Halle(Saale), while the southern part is reached by train from Gottingen and Erfurt.
by bus
From Berlin, BerlinLinienBus [http://www.berlinlinienbus.de/] runs daily to the Harz from Berlin ZOB.
by car
The A 38 runs south of the Harz from Halle to Gottingen and the A 395 connects Goslar and Bad Harzburg in the northwest with Braunschweig and Hannover. The B 6 is an important connection along the northern range.
Get around
The most well-known form of transport is with the historic narrow-gauge steam train line, the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB). Other, normal-gauge train lines run by Deutsche Bahn are also available. Local buses connect cities which are not on the train line. Having your own car is recommended if you want to travel extensively in the regin. Inside the national park the only available transport is by steam train, your own feet and by bike.
See
'''more ...''' (The region Harz on 30.000 photos) [http://www.raymond-faure.com/index_de.htm]
Itineraries
Do
Eat
Sonnenberg Hotel. onnenberg 8, 37444 St. Andreasberg. ttp://www.sonnenberghotel.com. Great food and drink available all year round at the Sonnenberg Hotel located just 5km from St. Andreasberg and Braunlage. The bar and bistro serves a variety of traditional and non-traditional continental cuisine.
Drink
Stay safe
Get out
Brunswick
Gottingen
Hildesheim
Magdeburg
Erfurt