The Harz Mountains and Hannover, Germany

Summer is changing into autumn dear readers and future travellers. The days are getting shorter, and the leaves are changing colour. It will soon be spooky season too. Autumn is an excellent season to travel around Europe. There’s one place in particular that is spooky all year round: Germany’s Harz Mountains. I’ve been twice, once in 2014 and again in 2017. Not by broom, but on a coach trip from the UK. Maybe you’ll be braver than me going in the cooler darker months.

Accompanying the dramatic supernatural Harz is the nearby city of Hannover. The capital of the German State of Lower Saxony, Hannover makes for a suitable and enjoyable stay as well. The Baroque Herrenhausen Gardens are glorious in the summer months, and the city’s many trees turn golden and red in autumn. Hannover and the Harz are steeped in history and mystery.

Harz Mountains

The Harz Mountains span three German states: Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The highest peak at 1,141 metres is the Brocken, rumoured to be the meeting place for witches and devils on Walpurgis Night – which falls on the last night of April every year. These legends inspired Germany’s most celebrated literary figure, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. The Brocken features in Goethe’s famous devilish work Faust. Visitors can ride the steam powered Brockenbahn railway to the mountain’s summit from Drei Annen Hohne station; the nearest town is Wernigerode.

The Harz Mountains are accessible by rail and road and feature several noteworthy towns and villages. Goslar is the best and my favourite as it features timbered houses and quaint cobbled streets. You can get the RE10 train from Hannover Hauptbahnhof station to Goslar; runs every hour as of publication. I have visited Goslar twice. It was busy with tourists in August, but when I went again in the beginning of June 2017, it was much quieter. This made it more enjoyable to take photographs and admire the historical architecture, particularly around the cobbled Marktplatz. In the centre of this square is a fountain crowned with a golden eagle. There are plenty of places to eat in and around the square should you fancy a rest, a drink and a currywurst. The medieval Rathaus (town hall) facing the square is worth a visit as it contains beautiful hand-painted murals of the Nativity. Goslar’s past is also seen with the nearby ‘Kaiserpfalz’ (Imperial Palace), a royal residence during the early days of the Holy Roman Empire. This and the surrounding silver, copper and lead mines of Rammelsberg made Goslar prosper. The town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.

On our first coach tour, we visited a small quaint village in the Harz mountains called Hahnenklee. Witches apparently gathered here in the medieval period. Walpurgis night is celebrated here every late April. The forests surrounding Goslar and Hahnenklee inspired the Brothers Grimm when they lived in the nearby university town of Gottingen. If you have read their tales, they are particularly gruesome and menacing. Hahnenklee when I visited was delightful and charming. The air was clear, and the village surrounded by towering pines and flourishing meadows. There is also a striking wooden stave church at the top of the village. It was built in 1907-08 in the manner of the famous stave churches of Norway - without any nails or screws. I was impressed by such skill and craftmanship. Hahnenklee has a picturesque lake with many walking trails leading from the village into the forests. Make sure to leave breadcrumbs to find your way back. Hahnenklee makes for a suitable stop if travelling by car. You can also board the 830 bus which connects Hahnenklee to Goslar from where you can also return to Hannover.

Hannover

Hannover is a city of manageable proportions and steeped in history. It is the capital of Lower Saxony and was the base for both of my coach trip visits to the Harz Mountains. It also has Germany’s second biggest Oktoberfest festival after Munich. Prost!

Hannover is well connected thanks to its airport and the grand Hauptbahnhof station – built in 1879 – with ICE (Inter City Express) train connections to Berlin, Munich and the cities of the Rhine/Ruhr. The city’s public transport was clean and efficient when I visited.

The city centre of Hannover is a bustling place particularly around Kropcke Plaza where there are shops aplenty. Hannover Zoo is also widely renowned. Make sure to view both the restored Old and New Town Halls; our first coach group were given an exclusive tour of the latter at night.  

On the free day of our coach itinerary, I travelled across the city on the tram to the Herrenhausen Palace and Gardens. The people in my opinion were very helpful and friendly when asking for directions. The tram skirted past the City’s University and treelined Georgengarten, which provides shade in Summer and turns into striking red and golden hues during the autumn.

The Herrenhausen Gardens are, in my opinion, one of the best Baroque gardens in Europe that I have visited. They are equal to the majestic but crowded Versailles of Paris, France. Adorned with golden statues, as well as bubbling fountains, Herrenhausen is a sight to behold. The Palace was home to the House of Hannover who became the ruling Royal Family of Britain in 1714. The Hanoverians were favoured by Britain’s Parliament, as they were both Protestant and descendants of the Stuart King James I. George I ultimately succeeded his second cousin Queen Anne, the last Stuart monarch of Britain. The modern British Royal Family descends from both the German Hanoverians and the Scottish Stuarts.

Looking at the Palace of Herrenhausen, you would think it was from the 17^th century. It was rebuilt from scratch in 2013, only 12 years ago. Remarkable! Herrenhausen was rebuilt as a museum by the City Council and the Volkswagen Foundation. The previous Palace was destroyed by air raids in 1943 during World War Two. Nearly 90% of Hannover was destroyed during the War by Allied Bombing in their bid to defeat the Nazi dictatorship. Democratic Germany has rebuilt and restored many of the town centres ruined from this period and Hannover is a great example.

Hannover’s reconstruction and the beauty of its Herrenhausen Gardens show a Germany restoring its heritage whilst looking to the future. Throughout the year, the Harz Mountains and the City of Hannover encapsulate the folklore, legends, history and beauty of Germany.