Nordharz

The unified municipality of Nordharz was created on 1 January 2010 through the merger of a total of eight member municipalities as part of the municipal area reform in Saxony-Anhalt. As the name implies, the municipality is located in the scenic northern Harz foreland between the Harz, Huy and Fallstein mountains.

An area of 110.66 square kilometres is home to around 7,713 inhabitants (as of 2023). The former border region uses economic and cultural traditions to increasingly combine agriculture with nature-loving and culture-orientated tourism. Initial efforts in this regard can be seen in the trail concept along the Green Belt.

The Green Belt

The region is particularly popular with nature lovers, hikers and cyclists due to its proximity to the "Green Belt", a nature reserve along the former inner-German border. There are currently six themed routes along the mountain ranges, river courses and viewpoints in the middle of the valuable biotope network that you can explore on your own. Those who are less interested in nature but all the more interested in the former inner-German border will find interesting exhibitions on the subject in the two border towns of Stapelburg and Abbenrode.

The history of the municipality of Nordharz

The Northern Harz can look back on a long history dating back to the County of Wernigerode and the Prince-Bishopric of Halberstadt, whose territories became part of Prussia over the course of time. To this day, historical symbols such as the stag and the Prussian eagle in the region's coats of arms and churches are reminders of the former rule of the Counts of Stolberg and Prussia. If you would like to gain an in-depth insight into the history of the individual member municipalities, you can find out more about the tradition and history of the towns in the so-called Heimatstuben in Abbenrode, Langeln, Stapelburg and Veckenstedt.

Good to know: The so-called "Rome Way", also known as the Via Romea, also runs through the municipality of Nordharz. In the 13th century, Abbot Albert von Stade made a pilgrimage from northern Germany to Rome along this route.

Sights and excursion destinations in the North Harz region

It is above all the church buildings, most of which have been preserved from ancient times, that characterise the image of the unified municipality. These include St Mary's Church in Langeln and St Andrew's Church in Abbenrode, which was built in 1575 and whose church windows are considered unique for their thematisation of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

The romantically situated castle ruins, the former Jungborn spa clinic in Stapelburg and the Bockwindmühle windmill in Danstedt are also among the most impressive sights. Also worth seeing are the Saßberg with a height of 256 metres and a 360° panoramic view or the baroque St. Stephani Church in Heudeber from 1833, designed by Karl Friedrich Schinkel. Recommended cultural events in the region include the Mill Day at Whitsun in Abbenrode and Danstedt, the Country Christmas and the Harvest Festival at Domäne Wasserleben or the Pond Festival in Veckenstedt organised by the Danstedt fishing enthusiasts, who have numerous fishing opportunities at the pond farm in Veckenstedt.