This led to the now widespread spruce monocultures. in association with View You don't have to only like mountain climbing to visit the Harz Mountains. The mines have often been turned into show mines. In comparison with the other natural regions of Lower Saxony, they are still very natural and varied, and the water is very clean. It is classified in the Federal Republic of Germany as seriously endangered. Unlike "Harz pine", the pines introduced from other regions cope less well with snow and ice conditions in the Harz and are thus more prone to bark beetle infestation. Article last updated on July 13, 2023 A Complete Travel Guide to the Harz Mountains: 16 Best Things to Do in Germany's Secret Adventure Wonderland Everything you need to know including the best attractions, when to visit, where to stay and how to get around Hi! Between 1945 and 1990, the Inner German border ran through the Harz, the west belonging to the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) and the east to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany). Its survival has however been especially endangered since German reunification by the onset of tourism. Roads in the Harz are used by racing bikes and touring bikes, despite their sometimes heavy use by lorries, because in the whole of North Germany there is no other region with such long, and in places very steep, descents and ascents. Main line railways serve the major towns around the Harz including Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Thale, Quedlinburg and Nordhausen. At heights above 700 m it is usually adjacent to spruce-beech mixed woodland. The Hercynian orogeny was a mountain-building event that culminated in the continental collision between Euramerica and Gondwana. It prefers the diverse wooded areas, which offer a rich variety of food. The peregrine, which is threatened with extinction here, needs steep rock outcrops with little vegetation. It was formed contemporaneously with the adjacent . The flarks (Schlenken) and the hummocks (Bulten) are home to different species of flora. Jens Schlueter. It breeds almost exclusively in black woodpecker holes in old beeches, and needs, unlike the spruce woods, more open beech forest with its higher population of small mammals in its search for food. As a result of the increasingly continental climate on the eastern edge of the Harz, the common beech gives way to mixed forests of sessile oak. Only a few species, such as fish, swim actively against the stream. In historical times, high ridges and spurs were used as sites for fortified castles (Burgen). Those operating regular passenger services are the HalberstadtBlankenburg, QuedlinburgThale, KlostermansfeldWippra and Berga-KelbraStolberg lines. What is special is that the top is above the tree line and has an alpine climate. But in the national park this area has shrunk to just a few residual stands and has been largely replaced by spruce. The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (Harz Narrow Gauge Railways), colloquially known as the Harzquerbahn (Trans-Harz Railway), a narrow (metre)-gauge steam and diesel-powered railway network is a very popular mode of transport, especially with tourists. [1] Through specific conservation measures in past years, the retreat of the bat population in the Harz has been halted. The Wipper is fed by the Eine. Hlawatsch's successor was Peter Gaffert, who ran the eastern park from 1995 until its merger with the Harz National Park in the western Harz on 1January 2006. [3], The varied vegetation includes wet eucalypt forests, mixed forests dominated by stringybark (Eucalyptus obliqua), rainforests, sub-alpine and alpine forests. The Harz granites are part of the Brocken Granite complex (Fig. Ravine (Schluchtwald), riparian (Auwald) and river source (Quellwald) woods only occur in small areas. In the middle of the 14th century, the settlements in the Harz became heavily depopulated as a result of the Black Death, and a systematic resettlement of mining villages in the Upper Harz did not take place until the first half of the 16th century. Well-known and economically important are the limestone deposits around Elbingerode and the Gabbro of Bad Harzburg. The reforestation with relatively easily managed and undemanding spruce trees since the middle of the 18th century was mainly due to the proposals of the Senior Forester and Master Hunter, Johann Georg von Langen. In 1777, Goethe climbed the Brocken, departing from Torfhaus. It can dive and run under water along the stream bed. Its habitat is very fast-flowing, clear mountain streams with wooded banks. The National Park management came under fire from the local communities as a result of the bark beetle measures that were subsequently needed. The Harz is grazed by the A 7 motorway in the west and the A 38 in the south. Goethe described his feelings on the summit later, as follows: So lonely, I say to myself, while looking down at this peak, will it feel to the person, who only wants to open his soul to the oldest, first, deepest feelings of truth. The former imperial town of Goslar, too, whose splendour depended on the ore treasures of the Rammelsberg, mined argentiferous lead ore for centuries. Currently the National Park Service is having these areas reforested to encourage the original beech and maple, that used to dominate them, to resettle. International winter sport competitions take place on the Wurmberg ski jump near Braunlage and the biathlon facility at Sonnenberg. The most important uplift movements were during the sub-Hercynian phase (83mya), when the northern edge was steeply tilted. The Harz Mountains consist of Paleozoic rocks, mainly Devonian and Carboniferous rock formations. In 1800, a new guest house was built on the Brocken to replace it. In the first millennium AD, hardwood trees (mainly common beech) were predominant on the higher ground typical of a natural highland forest. The backbone of rock in the park is dolerite, while the southern areas at lower altitudes are constituted from sedimentary rocks formed from sediments deposited by marine, glacial and freshwater sources between 355 and 180 million years ago. In addition to these defensive structures, palatial castles (Schlsser) were also built, such as Herzberg Castle, Blankenburg Castle, Stolberg Castle and Wernigerode Castle. They were formed at the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago. The last report of a successful lynx hunt in the Harz dates to 1818. In February/March 1945 the SS Reichsfhrer, Heinrich Himmler, established the Harz Fortress to defend central Germany from the western allies. It turns stones over in its search for food. Later, his observations of the rocks on the Brocken led to his geological research. The Harz range consists of an irregular series of terraced plateaus (primarily of slates, sandstones, and limestones) that rise in places into rounded summits and are intersected by narrow, deep valleys. Sycamore trees (Acer pseudoplatanus) may be found growing in wetter places. The Innerste merges into the Leine and its tributaries are the Nette and the Grane. These woods are also home to some deciduous trees such as rowan, silver and downy birches (Betula pendula and Betula pubescens) and willows (Salix spec.). North and South Germany have their heath and alpine parks. The Harz Run (German: Harzquerung) is a fun run and walking event in the Harz mountains of Germany organised by the Wernigerode Skiing Club (Skiklub Wernigerode 1911) which takes place on the last Saturday of April. They include many species that help to decompose leaves and work them into the soil and ground cover, including springtails, oribatid mites, woodlice, roundworms, millipedes, earthworms and snails. The southern and western rim of the Harz Mountains were exhumed at a much slower rate over a longer period of time, and the southern margin may record a phase of Late . It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. Albert Peter laid out the Brocken Garden in 1890. This covers areas that are important for tourism or are historico-culturally significant, such as the Brocken summit or mountain meadows. The Brocken Garden, a botanical garden on the summit of the Brocken, deals mainly with the protection of plant species and restoration of the summit area. In Hahnenklee there is a wooden stave church, the Gustav Adolf Stave Church which was consecrated in 1908. The formation and geological folding of the Harz hills began during a prominent phase of the Palaeozoic era, in the course of the Hercynian mountain building of the Carboniferous period, about 350 to 250 million years ago. The area of the park was once inhabited by the Mellukerdee aboriginal people. The early beginnings of this industry were first mentioned in 1199, and it was considered in its heyday, at the end of the 15th century, as the most important in Europe. There are various vegetation zones in the Harz National Park. In 1736, Christian Ernest also built the Wolkenhuschen ("Little House in the Clouds") on the Brocken. Around the Harz a number of railway lines form a ring. The Harz National Park is located in the Harz; the protected area covers the Brocken and surrounding wilderness area. The Wurmberg (971 metres (3,186ft)) is the highest peak located entirely within the state of Lower Saxony. The last mine in the Upper Harz the Wolkenhgel Pit in Bad Lauterberg closed its operations in June 2007 for economic reasons. Finds of birch pitch near Aschersleben on the northern edge of the Harz point to the use of this prehistoric adhesive by Neanderthals about 50,000 years ago. One unusual species is the Carpathian birch (Betula pubescens subsp. History [ edit] The present, pan-state Nationalpark Harz was formed on 1 January 2006 from the merger of the old park of the same name in Lower Saxony and the High Harz National Park ( Nationalpark Hochharz) in Saxony-Anhalt. Since 2002, there have been several instances of kittens born in the wild. Due to the high altitude and length of their runs, Nordic skiing is very popular. They are, clockwise from the north, the HeudeberDanstedtVienenburg, the HalberstadtVienenburg railway, the HalleHalberstadt railway, the Berlin-Blankenheim Railway, the Halle-Kassel Railway, the South Harz Line, the HerzbergSeesen railway, the GoslarSeesen railway and the VienenburgGoslar railway. It also stated that nothing should be spoiled or destroyed, and that groups of ordinary strangers should not be allowed to enter without prior arrangement. To achieve that, according to the rules, at least 75per cent of the area must be set aside as a natural biodiversity zone (core zone). The North Harz Foreland benefits from the newly built B6n. Corrections? Boulders and stone runs occur in the areas of weather-resistant rock in the high (alti-)montane and montane zones these are extreme habitats for vegetation. On 1 January 1991 a national park headquarters in Wernigerode was set up under the leadership of Hubertus Hlawatsch. From that it can be deduced that there was already a shortage of wood then. See List of hills in the Harz The highest elevations are the Brocken, the Bruchberg and the Achtermann. As a result of the northern fault zone and the vertical or, sometimes even overfolded, geological strata, the geology of the Harz sometimes changes frequently within a relatively small area of just a few square kilometres. Since the merger the head of this major nature conservation area has been Andreas Pusch. Several rivers have their sources in the national park, including the Bode, the Oder and the Ilse, a tributary of the Oker. The Harz Mountains is a beautiful highland area in Northern Germany, famous for its well-preserved medieval towns, stories of magic and witches, regal castles, and immersive forest hikes through the 247 km 2 (95 sq mi) Harz National Park. Their quality and features are ensured by the land owners, particularly in the Harz National Park, where snow is still relatively guaranteed during the winter months, and also by individual communities and societies. Modern dam-building began in the Harz with the construction of the Sse Valley Dam, which was built between 1928 and 1931. The Upper Harz is generally higher and features fir forests, whilst the Lower Harz gradually descends into the surrounding area and has deciduous forests interspersed with meadows. The Harz Mountains are some of the main outcropping Palaeozoic massifs of northern Germany. In 1588, the Nordhausen doctor, Johannes Thal, published the first book on regional flora in the world, Silva hercynia, in which he described the flowers specific to the Harz. Many factories, important to the war effort, were located there and, as the war neared its conclusion, they were increasingly staffed with slave labour. Over the years about 1,000 birds have been reared and set free. They prefer spruce woods for breeding, but feed in more open stands of trees or on open moorland. The Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus) may also be found here. In 2000, the lynx was successfully reintroduced by the Harz National Park, and it has since fitted well into the ecology of the region. Brocken is the highest mountain in the Harz at 1141.1 meters. The dividing line between Upper and Lower Harz follows approximately a line from Ilsenburg to Bad Lauterberg, which roughly separates the catchment areas for the Weser (Upper Harz) and Elbe (Lower Harz). Two large lenses of ore were formed which were later caught up in the folding of the rocks during the Variscon or Hercynian orogeny and now lie overturned at an angle to the mountain. In these places the common beech gives way to hardier deciduous species such as sycamore, large-leaved lime (Tilia platyphyllos), Scots elm or ash. The Upper Harz dialect was used only in a few places. The Harz National Park counts as a developing national park. In the 1840s early settlers including the Geeves family founded the township of Geeveston, and laid the first track to the Hartz Mountains. The slave labourers at the Dora camp were subjected to brutal conditions, which led to more than 20,000 deaths. But the internal structure runs variscian. In spite of the near-natural habitat there are only a few, indigenous, genetically adapted (autochthonous) spruce trees. 486 Reviews Want to find the best trails in Hartz Mountains National Park for an adventurous hike or a family trip? For decades, the narrow gauge railways of Germany's Harz mountains were locked away behind the Iron Curtain, a minor part of the East German State Railway, the Deutsche Reichsbahn, Starved of investment, these lines were never fully modernised with diesels.Which is lucky for us, because travelling on the Harz railway behind a magnificent steam . Other dams and lakes within or bordering on the national park include the Ecker Dam and the Silberteich. Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree. This ban did not last forever. In addition, there were the climatic changes of the so-called Little Ice Age. Homepage Destinations Regions Harz Mountains Harz Mountains The Harz Mountains - rugged mountains, protected animals and plants - a natural paradise. Occasionally the golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltoni) and beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo), a type of damselfly, can be seen by streams in the Harz. The Brocken (3,747 feet [1,142 metres]) and Viktorshhe (1,909 feet [582 metres]) are of granite. The conditions are favorable for this, as the bogs in the park are less impacted by human use than the bogs of the Lower Saxony plain. Human history The area of the park was once inhabited by the Mellukerdee aboriginal people. The Upper Harz National Park was established as part of GDR's national park programme on 1October 1990, two days before the reunification of Germany, on the basis of a ministerial decision by the East German government. The Oberharz forms a rolling plateau, 3,300 feet (1,000 metres) high in the west and 1,600 feet (500 metres) in the centre. The characteristic species of fungi in natural spruce woods are Phellinus viticola and prunes and custard (Tricholomopsis decora). The most common rocks lying on the surface are argillaceous shales, slaty (geschieferte) greywackes and granite intrusions in the shape of two large igneous rock masses or plutons. Fault-block mountains or block mountains are mountains that form when faults or cracks form in the earth's crust. The mining industry in the Harz has its origins about 3,000 years ago during the Bronze Age. Human history The area of the park was once inhabited by the Mellukerdee aboriginal people. The dipper (Cinclus cinclus), which is found everywhere on Harz streams, occurs almost exclusively in the highlands. These wet, moorland woods have a high proportion of peat mosses (Sphagnum spec.). In 1852, the district administrator of Quedlinburg placed the Teufelsmauer, "a rock outcrop famous as an object of folklore and as a rare natural curiosity", near Thale under protection, because the inhabitants of neighbouring districts were using the rocks as a quarry. The Hahnenkleeklippen, near Knigskrug, above the Oder Valley. A significant proportion of the vegetation on these raised bogs is made up of peat mosses (Sphagnum spec.). Here it is not uncommon to find trees over 250 years old and bent into bizarre shapes by the wind. Important mining districts in the Upper Harz Mountains are Bad Grund, Clausthal, and Lautenthal. Due to the lack of soil material, only weak, straggly, very open spruce woods thrive here. The count's guest house on the Heinrichshhe had become too small and suffered from overcrowding; in 1799 it burned down. Between 2000 and 2004 alone, 19 were released from zoo breeding programmes. 38,5per cent of the park area is currently still a nature development zone. This is due to the extreme weather such as storms. The increasing popularity of the area for recreation led to it being declared a scenic reserve in 1939. The B4 crosses the Harz from Bad Harzburg on a northsouth axis running through Torfhaus and Braunlage as far as Ilfeld on the edge of the South Harz. Around 1920, the capercaillie population in the Harz died out. Some of the common birds in the park include the eastern spinebill, green rosella, forest raven and several honeyeaters.[3]. It is dissected by numerous deep valleys. Because of the heavy rainfall in the region the rivers of the Harz Mountains were dammed from an early date. Today it attracts millions of visitors every year. In the German Democratic Republic era, the Brocken was accessible until 1961 with an easily obtained pass. They write new content and verify and edit content received from contributors. Of particular note are the villages and towns of Altenau (including Torfhaus), Benneckenstein, Braunlage (including Hohegei), Goslar-Hahnenklee, Hasselfelde, Sankt Andreasberg (including Sonnenberg and Oderbrck) and Schierke. The Harz (German: [hats] (listen)) is a highland area in northern Germany. AllTrails has 7 great trails for walking and hiking and more. In the region of Ilsenburg spruce monoculture occurs even down to 230maboveNN. BERLIN, Germany The Harz mountains have a problem. The Bumlersklippe, on the Meineberg. Nature enthusiasts come across mesmerisingly beautiful wilderness in unspoilt forests, deep valleys, wild rivers and blossoming mountain meadows on over 9,000 kilometres of signposted hiking trails. Several hills provide a base for airborne activities, such as gliding and hang-gliding, notably the Rammelsberg near Goslar. The mountains of the Harz were used in former times for long walks (e.g. by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Heinrich Heine and Hans Christian Andersen). The suffix -rode (from German: roden, to stub) denotes a place where woodland had been cleared to develop a settlement. The rivers Radau, Ecker and Ilse all discharge into the Oker. The project team receives information via SMS from the transmitter. The Harz Mountains offer a vast array of adventures at any time of the year and thus delight every age group unlike any other region. About 700,000 to 350,000 years ago Homo erectus hunted in and around the Harz near Bilzingsleben (Thuringia), Hildesheim and Schningen (Lower Saxony). So there's no question that we have to introduce you to the best Harz sights. Having formerly had 1,000 workers, the mine employed just 14 people towards the end, using the most modern technology to extract barite. For cover, however, it prefers the darker, denser spruce trees. Among the wild-game animals, bear, lynx, and wolf have been hunted to extinction; deer, fox, wildcat, and badger remain, however. As a result of the high water velocity of the Harz streams, flowers rarely gain a foothold in the water. Solution Verified by Toppr Correct option is A) The Vindhyas belong to Block mountains. The Harz was first mentioned as Hartingowe in an 814 deed by the Carolingian King Louis the Pious. Two species will be mentioned here as examples. In 1707, an order by Count Ernst of Stolberg forbade Brocken guides to take strangers or local folk to the Brocken without special permission, and the lighting of fires was forbidden. [3], Most of the park is over 600metres above sea level, with altitudes ranging from 160m at the Picton River to 1,255m at Hartz Peak. Climatically a hill range has lower temperatures and higher levels of precipitation than the surrounding land. Introduction Despite the tremendous amount of geological and geophysical research that has been carried out on the Harz Mountains in northern Germany (Fig. Sycamore trees are also found in these woods. The aim is to cross the 75per cent threshold by 2020. Bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia) is a relict of the ice age.
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