In the Nordhausen area, different interests in discovery come together: the Karst Hiking Trail takes you through a distinctive landscape, while the Rabenstein Visitor Mine offers insights into hard-coal mining. Museums, an interactive exhibition and regional cuisine add further highlights. You can tailor your trip to focus on landscapes, mining history or culture.
Discover gypsum karst on foot
The Karst Hiking Trail runs through the South Harz gypsum karst landscape, from Lower Saxony via northern Thuringia to Saxony-Anhalt. In the district of Nordhausen, it crosses the area from east to west over 56 kilometres. The Feuersalamander Trail is part of this route and passes below and above the Mühlberg in the nature reserve. Along the way, you’ll pass through a gypsum karst uvala and by sinkholes, spoil heaps, caves and traces of the past.
The two hiking routes offer different perspectives: the Karst Hiking Trail highlights the regional scale of the gypsum karst landscape, while the Feuersalamander Trail focuses on specific landforms and traces around the Mühlberg. If you’re choosing nature and landscape experiences for your trip, you’ll find both the trail’s longer route and this path’s distinctive features here.
Mining history and local history
The Rabenstein Mine is the only hard-coal visitor mine in Central Germany. A guided tour introduces the almost 300-year history of hard-coal mining in the Harz and passes by the last remaining coal, fossils, authentic workplaces, worked-out seams and mining galleries that are often only 60 centimetres high. The visit also includes a ride on the “Rabenstein-Express” mine train: it first travels 500 metres into the mountain, after which the route continues into 18th-century mining areas. Check the current tour arrangements before your visit.
The Ilfeld Local History Museum offers another perspective on the region, bringing the history of Ilfeld and Wiegersdorf to life. Together with the visitor mine, it lets you distinguish between the history of a place and that of a particular working tradition.
Nature park exhibition and seasonal activities
The South Harz Nature Park Information Centre in Neustadt has an interactive exhibition about the gypsum karst landscape and the distinctive features of the South Harz. It places the landscape in an explanatory context, while the Feuersalamander Trail passes through a gypsum karst uvala and by individual landforms.
The seasonal Neustadt Forest Pool has a water slide, a paddling pool and a diving platform with one- and three-metre boards. Facilities also include a playground and football, volleyball and table tennis courts. Check current opening times and facilities before your visit. Activities for children in Harztor also include the “Harztor Hiking Kids”; programme details may vary, so check what’s currently on offer.
Regional cuisine and special places
In Nordhausen, the “From Grain to Spirits” tour at the Echter Nordhäuser Traditional Distillery takes you through a historic complex, from the mill room to the distilling room, brandy warehouse, office and cask cellar, and on to the Henriette Bar. There, you can sample the distillery’s own premium spirits and liqueurs. The tour is available on selected dates; check whether it is offered on the date you want.
The Hohnstein Castle Inn serves upscale traditional German cuisine and regional specialities amid the historic ruins of Hohnstein Castle. Its terrace offers views across Neustadt and the South Harz. Terrace visits are subject to restaurant opening; check before your trip.
Regional connections
Another regional connection is the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway, linking Wernigerode in the northern Harz with Nordhausen in the southern Harz foothills. When planning your trip, you can weigh up the options: the Feuersalamander Trail focuses on gypsum karst and landscape features, the guided tour at the Rabenstein Mine on mining history, and the traditional distillery on a tour with a tasting. This gives you different options for your trip without combining them into a single day-out itinerary.
Discover more destinations: Ilfeld, Neustadt/Harz, Nordhausen, Hesserode, Hohenstein, Rodishain, SĂĽlzhayn, Niedersachswerfen, Werther, Windehausen, Hainrode/Hainleite, Ellrich, Hainleite, Wolkramshausen, Heringen/Helme, Niedergebra, Bleicherode, Auleben, Harztor, Harzungen, Hamma.
Return to the overview of destinations: Thuringia.
