Goslar is a district in Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony

Lower Saxony is a German state situated in north-western Germany and is second in area and fourth in population among the sixteen states of Germany...

, Germany

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

. It is bounded by (from the south and clockwise) the districts of Osterode

Osterode (district)

Osterode is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Göttingen, Northeim and Goslar, and by the state of Thuringia .-History:...

, Northeim

Northeim (district)

Northeim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Holzminden, Hildesheim, Goslar, Osterode and Göttingen, and the state of Hesse .-History:...

, Hildesheim

Hildesheim (district)

Hildesheim is a district in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is bounded by the districts of Hanover, Peine, Wolfenbüttel, Goslar, Northeim, Holzminden and Hamelin-Pyrmont.-History:...

 and Wolfenbüttel

Wolfenbüttel (district)

Wolfenbüttel is a district in southeastern Lower Saxony, Germany. Neighboring districts are the district-free City of Braunschweig, the district of Helmstedt, the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt, and the districts of Goslar, Hildesheim and Peine...

, the city of Salzgitter

Salzgitter

Salzgitter is an independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitter is one of the seven Oberzentren of Lower Saxony...

, and by the states of Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...

 (district of Harz

Harz (district)

- History :The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein as part of the reform of 2007.-Towns and municipalities:...

) and Thuringia

Thuringia

The Free State of Thuringia is a state of Germany, located in the central part of the country.It has an area of and 2.29 million inhabitants, making it the sixth smallest by area and the fifth smallest by population of Germany's sixteen states....

 (Nordhausen

Nordhausen (district)

Nordhausen is a Kreis in the north of Thuringia, Germany. Neighboring districts are Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in Saxony-Anhalt, the district Kyffhäuserkreis, Eichsfeld in Thuringia and the districts Osterode and Goslar in Lower Saxony.-History:The district was created in 1815, when the Prussian...

).

History

The history of the district is linked with the city of Goslar

Goslar

Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the...

.

The district of Goslar was established in the 19th century by the Prussia

Prussia

Prussia was a German kingdom and historic state originating out of the Duchy of Prussia and the Margraviate of Brandenburg. For centuries, the House of Hohenzollern ruled Prussia, successfully expanding its size by way of an unusually well-organized and effective army. Prussia shaped the history...

n government. The city of Goslar did not belong to the district until 1972, when it was eventually incorporated into the district.

Geography

The region comprises the northwestern part of the Harz

Harz

The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart , latinized as Hercynia. The legendary Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz...

 mountains. The Harz National Park

Harz National Park

The Harz National Park is a nature reserve in the German federal states of Lower Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt. It comprises large portions of the western Harz mountain range, extending from Herzberg and Bad Lauterberg at the southern edge to Bad Harzburg and Ilsenburg on the northern slopes...

 is part of this district. The highest peak is the Wurmberg

Wurmberg (Harz)

At the Wurmberg is the second highest mountain in the Harz and the highest in Lower Saxony .- Geography :The Wurmberg lies north of Braunlage, in the district of Goslar, and west of Schierke. Its summit is located due south of the Brocken and roughly 400 m south of the state border with...

 (971 m) near Braunlage

Braunlage

Braunlage is a town and health resort in the Goslar district in Lower Saxony in Germany. It lies within the Harz mountain range, south of the Brocken.Nowadays Braunlage's main business is tourism, particularly ski tourists...

, also being the highest elevation of Lower Saxony. Above the small town of Altenau there is the source of the Oker

Oker

The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...

 river, which runs through the picturesque Oker valley to leave the Harz at Vienenburg.

Coat of arms

The eagle is the heraldic animal of the city of Goslar, while the lion symbolises the municipality of Schladen

Schladen

Schladen is a municipality in the district of Wolfenbüttel, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the river Oker, approx. 15 km south of Wolfenbüttel, and 25 km south of Braunschweig....

. Schladen is not part of the district, but the lords of Schladen ruled over major parts of the district in the early Middle Ages.

Towns and municipalities

Towns	Samtgemeinden	Free municipalities Municipality A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
Bad Harzburg Bad Harzburg Bad Harzburg is a town in central Germany, in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony. It lies on the northern edge of the Harz mountains and is a recognised saltwater spa and climatic health resort.- Location :... Braunlage Braunlage Braunlage is a town and health resort in the Goslar district in Lower Saxony in Germany. It lies within the Harz mountain range, south of the Brocken.Nowadays Braunlage's main business is tourism, particularly ski tourists... Goslar Goslar Goslar is a historic town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the administrative centre of the district of Goslar and located on the northwestern slopes of the Harz mountain range. The Old Town of Goslar and the Mines of Rammelsberg are UNESCO World Heritage Sites.-Geography:Goslar is situated at the... Langelsheim Langelsheim Langelsheim is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany.- Geography :The municipality is situated between the river Innerste and its tributary Grane, on the northern edge of the Harz mountain range and the Harz National Park, located about northwest of Goslar.- City subdivisions... Seesen Seesen Seesen is a town and municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated on the northwestern edge of the Harz mountain range, approx... Vienenburg Vienenburg Vienenburg is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the north of the Harz mountain range on the river Oker, approx. northeast of Goslar...	1. Lutter am Barenberge Lutter am Barenberge (Samtgemeinde) Lutter am Barenberge is a Samtgemeinde in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated northwest of the Harz, approx. 13 km northwest of Goslar... Hahausen Hahausen Hahausen is a municipality in the district of Goslar in Lower Saxony, Germany.It is situated northwest of the Harz mountains, between Seesen and Lutter am Barenberge. It is part of the Samtgemeinde Lutter am Barenberge.... Lutter am Barenberge Lutter am Barenberge Lutter am Barenberge is a municipality located in the district of Goslar in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated approx. 13 km northwest of Goslar.- History :... 1 Wallmoden Wallmoden Wallmoden is a town in the district of Goslar in Lower Saxony, Germany. It was the ancestral seat of the House of Wallmoden.... 2. Oberharz Altenau Altenau, Lower Saxony Altenau is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany.It is situated in the middle of the Harz mountains, between Clausthal-Zellerfeld and the Brocken... 2 Clausthal-Zellerfeld Clausthal-Zellerfeld Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is also the seat of the Samtgemeinde Oberharz.... 1, 2 Schulenberg im Oberharz Schulenberg im Oberharz Schulenberg im Oberharz is a municipality in the district of Goslar in Lower Saxony, Germany.... Wildemann Wildemann Wildemann is a town in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated in the west of the Harz, northwest of Clausthal-Zellerfeld. It is part of the Samtgemeinde Oberharz.... 2	Liebenburg Liebenburg Liebenburg is a village and a municipality in the district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is situated within the eastern Innerste Uplands, approx...
1seat of the Samtgemeinde; 2town

Transport

Road
Several federal highways cross the rural district of Goslar. These include the B 4

Bundesstraße 4

The Bundesstraße 4 is a German federal highway running in a northwesterly to southly direction from the state of Schleswig-Holstein to Bavaria...

, B 6

Bundesstraße 6

The Bundesstraße 6 runs from the North Sea coast in a southeasterly direction through the states of Lower Saxony, Bremen, Saxony-Anhalt and Saxony to the Polish border.- History :...

, B 6n

Bundesstraße 6n

The Bundesstraße 6n is a German federal road which was originally planned to be the A 36 motorway and is still currently under construction.It is intended to have four lanes running from the A 395 near Vienenburg through Wernigerode, Blankenburg, Quedlinburg, Aschersleben over the A 14 to...

, B 82, B 241

Bundesstraße 241

The B 241 is a federal road in Germany. It runs from Hohenwepel to Vienenburg.- States and districts :* North Rhine-Westphalia** Höxter district*** Hohenwepel, Borgentreich, Dalhausen, Beverungen* Lower Saxony...

, B 242

Bundesstraße 242

- Route :The B 242, also known as the Harz High Road , runs right across the Harz mountains in central Germany. From Seesen on the northwestern edge of the Harz near the A 7 motorway it runs through the Upper Harz past Clausthal-Zellerfeld, the High Harz, where it is combined for several kilometres...

 and B 498.
The district roads (Kreisstraße

Kreisstraße

A Kreisstraße is a class of road in Germany. It carries traffic between the towns and villages within a Kreis or district or between two neighbouring districts. In terms of importance, the Kreisstraße ranks below a Landesstraße , but above a Gemeindestraße or "local road"...

n) are:

No.	Route
	(AS Langelsheim-Ost) - Langelsheim - Jerstedt - Hahndorf - Sudmerberg
	Othfresen - Heißum - Dörnten -
	- Dörnten -
	(SZ Salzgitter Salzgitter is an independent city in southeast Lower Saxony, Germany, located between Hildesheim and Braunschweig. Together with Wolfsburg and Braunschweig, Salzgitter is one of the seven Oberzentren of Lower Saxony... ) - Upen -
	Klein Mahner -
	(SZ) - Klein Mahner - Liebenburg
	(WF) - Lengde -
	Vienenburg - Lochtum - (HZ)
	Ostharingen - Kunigunde Kunigunde Kunigunde, Kunigunda or Cunigunde is a European female name of German origin. It is derived from kuni and gund .People with the given name Kunigunde/Cunegunde/Kunigunda...
	Lochtum - Bettingerode - Bündheim
	- Goslar
	Lengde - Wiedelah - Vienenburg -
	Langelsheim - Wolfshagen im Harz - Lautenthal Lautenthal The formerly free mining town of Lautenthal is a state-recognised, climatic spa with around 2,000 inhabitants that has been part of the borough of Langelsheim since 1972.- Geography :...
	- Hahnenklee Hahnenklee Hahnenklee is a borough of the city of Goslar, in the German state of the Lower Saxony. It is located within the Harz mountain range between Goslar and Osterode. The district of Hahnenklee also comprises the former village of Bockswiese, both are mining settlements originating from the 16th century...
	Zellerfeld -
	Clausthal - Altenau
	Westerode - Bad Harzburg
	Westerode -
	Harlingerode - Bettingerode -
	- Bornhausen Bornhausen Bornhausen is next to Rhüden the northernmost part of the town of Seesen am Harz in the district of district of Goslar, in Lower Saxony. It has an approx. population of 1150....  -
	Langelsheim - Astfeld
	- Seesen
	Seesen - Engelade - /
	(HI) - Rhüden - Bilderlahe - Engelade - Herrhausen
	Münchehof - Fürstenhagen
	Seesen -
	- Ildehausen
	-
	Münchehof - (OHA)
	- Mechtshausen
	/ (AS Braunlage-Nord) - Braunlage
	Oker Oker The Oker is a river in Lower Saxony, Germany, that has historically formed an important political boundary. It is a left tributary of the River Aller, in length and runs in a generally northerly direction.- Course :...  - Harlingerode - Schlewecke - Bündheim
	- Schulenberg im Oberharz -

Rail
The territory of the present rural district was joined to the railway network via the Brunswick–Bad Harzburg railway as early as 1840. In 1856 the Brunswick–Kreiensen railway via Seesen was built and, in 1866, the Vienenburg–Goslar railway

Vienenburg–Goslar railway

The Vienenburg–Goslar railway is a main line between Vienenburg and Goslar on the northern edge of the Harz mountains in Germany. It was opened in 1866.- Route :...

 followed; both branching off the original line. In 1875 the Hildesheim–Goslar railway and the former Halberstadt–Vienenburg railway

Halberstadt–Vienenburg railway

The Halberstadt–Vienenburg railway is a 34 kilometre long main line north of the Harz Mountains in central Germany. The line was opened in 1869, but only the section between Halberstadt and Heudeber-Danstedt and a 3 kilometre long section of the line near Vienenburg are still worked. Both...

 (to 1945, today it has a new route along the Heudeber-Danstedt–Vienenburg railway) formed part of the link from Hanover

Hanover

Hanover or Hannover, on the river Leine, is the capital of the federal state of Lower Saxony , Germany and was once by personal union the family seat of the Hanoverian Kings of Great Britain, under their title as the dukes of Brunswick-Lüneburg...

 via the North Harz to Halle (Saale). Later the lines from Seesen to Herzberg

Herzberg–Seesen railway

The Herzberg–Seesen railway, also known as the West Harz Line , is a 32 km long railway line, that runs along the western edge of the Harz mountains and serves the town and the district of Osterode am Harz...

, Seesen to Goslar

Neuekrug-Hahausen–Goslar railway

The Neuekrug-Hahausen–Goslar railway is a double-tracked, non-electrified main line in Lower Saxony in central Germany. The line, which runs along the northern edge of the Harz mountains, begins in Goslar and forms a junction with the Brunswick–Kreiensen railway to Seesen and Kreiensen at...

 and Goslar to Bad Harzburg were added.

The railway line via Clausthal-Zellerfeld to Altenau (Innerste Valley Railway

Innerste Valley Railway

The Innerste Valley Railway was a railway line, that ran through the Upper Harz in Central Germany. It was also called the Upper Harz Railway or Harz Railway...

) and the railway branches to Braunlage (South Harz Railway

South Harz Railway Company

The South Harz Railway Company or SHE was founded in 1897 and, on 15 August 1899, opened a 24 km long, winding and hilly, narrow-gauge railway from Walkenried via Wieda and Brunnenbachsmühle to Braunlage in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. On 1 November 1899 a 3 km extension for goods...

) and St. Andreasberg (Oder Valley Railway

Oder Valley Railway

The Oder Valley Railway was a railway line from Scharzfeld via Bad Lauterberg to St. Andreasberg-Silberhütte. Its name comes from the river Oder, which flows through the West Harz mountains.-Geography:...

) have since been dismantled. Even the Derneburg–Seesen branch line is out of service. The former route from Halberstadt

Halberstadt

Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway....

via Wasserleben, Vienenburg and Grauhof to Langelsheim served East-West through trains until 1945 but has also since disappeared.

Scheduled buses
Following the widespread closure of railways in the Harz the schedule bus services have gained great importance.

External links

• Official website (German)