Clausthal-Zellerfeld

Understand

Clausthal-Zellerfeld consists of two towns: Clausthal and Zellerfeld. The towns were merged in 1924, and had about 16,000 residents in 2019. Buntenbock, about 3 km south of Clausthal, was added to the town in 1972. It has about 700 residents. Wildemann and its 800 residents were added in 2015. The university was opened in 1775 and used to be a school for children and a centre for mining apprentices. In 1864 it was established as a mining academy, and also taught physics, chemistry, mathematics and engineering. Today the university has about 3000 students. Clausthal's focus is on university life and the business world, whereas Zellerfeld is the tourist centre of the town. The "culture mile" is worth a visit: St. Salvatoris church with a famous altarpiece by Werner Tübke, the Upper Harz Mining Museum, and the former mint (Kunsthandwerkerhof). Every Thursday evening from May to October there is the Zellerfeld popular farmers' market. The town offers free parking on Adolph-Roemer-Straße in Clausthal. The picturesque houses in the town are built in the style of the typical Upper Harz. In the town you can buy various local specialities, such as meat and sausages. Why not try the Harzer witch bread (from the Meier confectionery), which is produced only in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, or the Clausthal Elixir. Both parts of the town have some beautiful historic buildings. In Clausthal is the Market Church "To the Holy Spirit". The original church was destroyed by fire in 1634. It was replaced with a wooden church, which was completed in 1642. It is now the largest wooden church in Germany and can seat up to 2200 people and boasts a massive organ and a great altar. In the south-western corner you can find an alabaster carving of the story of Christ. In Zellerfeld, you can find many craftsmen's houses, which were rebuilt after the fire in 1672. One of the main industries was the production of silver and gold coins. In 1978 the former mint was converted into a glass-blower. Today you

Getting there

By plane Hanover Airport is the closest and is 112 km away and will take 1 hr 10 min. Paderborn Airport is 203 km away and will take 1 hr 51 min. Of those, two Hanover has more connections by far.

By car Clausthal-Zellerfeld is in the middle of the Harz, and the roads leading to the town have breathtaking views. From the north, south and west take the A7, leave at exit 67 for B243 towards Osterode, then take the 242 to Clausthal-Zellerfeld From the east, take the A38 to exit 11 (Nordhausen). Take the B4 through Nordhausen and Braunlage, then the B242 follow all the way to Clausthal-Zellerfeld.

By train The nearest railway station is in the District of Goslar, some 20 km away. From there you can catch a bus, which run frequently. The Kreiensen and Northeim stops are also within easy reach of Clausthal-Zellerfeld.

By bus Clausthal-Zellerfeld has a 1 major bus station. From there you can catch buses to many other towns within the Harz and the surrounding area. There are good links from Goslar and other local towns. Goslar train station has a direct connection with the bus 830 or 831 of the station forecourt to Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Bus 440 runs from the train station at Northeim. From Clausthall use the Kronplatz bus stop. From Zellerfeld use the Thomas-Merten-Platz stop. Bus routes and timetables are available here..

Getting around

Clausthall-Zellerfeld is situated just off the B242.

By bus The bus station is found between the districts of Clausthal and Zellerfeld, next to the municipal library. The stop in the centre of the village of Clausthal is Kronplatz, in the centre of Zellerfeld Thomas-Merten-Platz. The buses are operated by the RBB, a subsidiary of DBRegio AG.

By taxi There are taxi ranks at the Kronplatz and the Bornhardstraße in Zellerfeld in Clausthal-Zellerfeld.

Auto Gärtner GmbH, rolling road 13, ☏ +49 53 23 22 29. Taxi Küster, Schalke way 11, ☏ +49 53 23 83 364.

By bike There are many bike routes around Clausthall Zellerfeld. Mountain biking is very popular in this area. The Volksbank Arena sponsors a huge network of signposted routes for mountain bikers in three difficulty levels (62 routes, 1,800-km circuit). Seven MTB circular routes start directly at the tourist information in Zellerfeld.

See

Clausthall Zellerfeld is surrounded by wonderful countryside and provides many local mountain activities.

1 The Upper Harz Mining Museum (Oberharzer Bergwerksmuseum), Bornhardtstr. 16, ☏ +49 53 23-98 950, fax: +49 53 23-98 95 69. Daily 10:00-17:00. The Upper Harz Mining Museum in the Zellerfeld district is one of the oldest museums in Germany dedicated to the history of engineering. You can go back in time and discover the development of ore mining in the Harz, the hard working conditions and the ingenuity of the miners in various exhibitions and you can look at the original mining installations outdoors. One of the highlights is the famous man engine, an adventurous but effective method to get quickly into great depths. 2 Geo Museum (Geosammlung der Technischen Universität Clausthal), Adolph-Römer-Str. 2 A (housed in the main building of the Technical University). The collections of the Technical University are among the largest in Germany. 3 The Upper Harz Water Regale (Oberharzer Wasserregal). This is a system of dams, reservoirs, ditches and other structures, much of which was built from the 16th to 19th centuries to divert and store the water that drove the water wheels of the mines in the Upper Harz. The word Regale stands for the granting of royal privileges or rights in this case to permit the use of water for mining operations in the Harz Mountains. The Upper Harz Water Regale is one of the largest and most important historic mining water management systems in the world. In the system of the Upper Harz Water Regale there are over 35 such tunnels with a total length of about 30 km. It has been listed as a UNESCO world heritage since 1992. 4 Market Church To the Holy Spirit (Marktkirche zum Heiligen Geist), Marktkirche 9 (in the centre of Clausthal), ☏ +49 5323-72-3201, +49 5323-72-3203, fax: +49 5323 72-3573. The original church was destroyed in the great fire in 1634. It was decided to replace it with a wooden church, which was completed in 1642. It is

Do

1 Clausthal-Zellerfeld/Buntenbock Ski Resort. A tiny ski resort with just one ski lift with only 50 m (164 feet) of vertical descent, and some cross-country skiing tracks. 300 m (1000 ft) of pistes. Adults €15, children €12.50. 2 Freizeitbad Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Hallenbad Swimming Pool), Berliner Straße 14, ☏ +49 5323-715 ext 230. Check website for specific opening times. Indoor swimming pool, with sauna, solarium and bikini bar. Hiking Trails, Bergstraße 31 (contact the Tourist Information Office), ☏ +49 5323 81024. There is a large network of hiking trails (Harz Club) which is very well signposted. Nordic walking routes are also well signposted. For the more adventurous you can walk from Clausthal Zellerfeld to Goslar. This is a