Talsperre Neustadt

To this day, the inhabitants of Neustadt and Nordhausen in Thuringia cannot agree on whether it is the Neustadt dam, the Neustädter dam or even the Nordhäuser dam. So you shouldn't be surprised when you make your way to this impressive structure. Built between 1904 and 1905 due to the lack of drinking water in the region, the impressive dam still stands in the imperial architectural style and is now a popular destination for hikers in the Thuringian Harz. Not only stamp 218 of the Harz hiking pin awaits you here, but also an impressive building with an interesting history.

The construction of the Neustadt dam

At the end of the 19th century, when the Nordhausen region realised that there were still bottlenecks in the water supply, the decision was made to build a dam to remedy the situation. Construction of the curved gravity dam made of quarrystone began as early as 1904. Numerous Italian specialists were brought to Nordhausen especially for this construction, who had already gained experience with the construction of such projects in their home country. After just under a year, construction was completed and work began on flooding the reservoir.

By 1922, the demand for water in the surrounding area had increased so much due to industrialisation that the wall was raised by a further 6.25 metres to increase its volume. Today, the top of the wall is around 134 metres long, while the wall itself is an impressive 32 metres high. As the reservoir, which covers an area of around 14 hectares, is still used for Nordhausen's drinking water supply, swimming trips and bathing in the lake are prohibited. However, this should not stop you from taking a walk along the hiking trail around the artificial lake.

Conversions, extensions and power supply - the Neustadt dam today

Fortunately, the dam survived the war completely unscathed and in the years that followed, the GDR carried out extensive renovations to the structure time and again. The most recent restoration was carried out after reunification between 1997 and 2001. This also took into account the protection of historical monuments and two of the extraction towers that had been removed over the years were restored. Another important innovation was the introduction of a hydroelectric power station. With the difference in height of around 180 metres between Nordhausen and the reservoir itself, the run-off water can be used to generate electricity. This supplies Nordhausen's trams during the day and at night the electricity generated is used to light the town.

The Nordhausen dam is now one of the most popular hiking destinations in the Harz Mountains in Thuringia. While the dam wall unfortunately cannot be entered, the hiking trail around the lake offers a beautiful view of nature and a great view of this achievement from the century before last.