Discover Goslar and the Harz Mountains

Year	Event
922	Founding of the town by King Henry I according to a medieval chronicle.
10th cent.	Intensification of mining at Rammelsberg, which has been in operation for centuries.
around 1015	Goslar becomes an imperial city, one of the most important centres of power in the empire. History is "written" at numerous imperial assemblies and court days, with emperors and kings visiting the town.
13th & 14th century.	Goslar is a member of the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading organisation that opens up an economic area of unprecedented size, and a Free Imperial City.
around 1450	New heyday of mining and the town. Transformation of the townscape with imposing guild houses into the form it still has today.
16th century	Start of a downturn phase due to the loss of ownership and rights to the Rammelsberg mine. A new revitalisation of the economy is only achieved in the second half of the 19th century.
1988	Ore mining at Rammelsberg ceases after more than 1000 years of mining activity. One of the largest and most original industrial museums in Europe is created.
1992	UNESCO adds the Rammelsberg ensemble and the historic centre of Goslar to the list of World Heritage Sites.
2010	Extension of the UNESCO World Heritage Site to include the "Upper Harz Water Management"

Old Town Goslar

 

The old town of Goslar was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992 due to its special state of preservation with over 1500 half-timbered houses from different eras. Numerous exciting themed tours, for example with merchant Berthold or monk Wilfried, bring medieval history to life.

The Rammelsbergwhere ore was mined for over 1000 years, is one of the most outstanding industrial monuments in Europe and has also been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992. The mine was closed in 1988 and is now a museum and visitor mine. It provides a unique insight into the history of mining from its beginnings to (almost) the present day.

Imperial palace and cathedral vestibule

The majestic imperial palace, built between 1040 and 1050, is a must-see for every visitor to Goslar. For over 200 years, German history was written here at numerous imperial assemblies and court meetings. Almost at the same time as the imperial palace, Henry III had the collegiate church of St Simon and St Judas built at its feet.

In 1820, the dilapidated church was demolished and only the entrance hall remained. The Kaiserpfalz also hosts numerous concerts and high-calibre events such as the Kaiserring ceremony.

The Hall of Homage in Goslar's town hall was set up as a council chamber between 1505 and 1520. It is a unique gem of late Gothic interior art, each individual painting is a work of art of the highest quality that blends in with the overwhelming overall impression. The Hall of Homage can be experienced in an original replica, where visitors can take a seat on the benches of the honourable councillors.

The ten lumps of ore each represent a century of the closest connection between mining and the town of Goslar and form a bridge from the past to the present. A handprint is carved into each of the boulders scattered around the town as a metaphor for the work of the miners.