Goslar and the Hartz Mountains

The arrival of Erin and John in Germany kicked off a new round of touring with Anne as our host, guide, and driver. We started with a massive breakfast at the Stein house in the Harz mountains of Niedersachsen (Lower Saxony).

What a spread! (Erin's photo)

 From Clausthal we visited the Iberger Tropfsteinhöhle (drip stone cave). Because of bats in the cave, we were unable to take pictures of the cool stalagmite and stalactite formations. In any case, it was worth the visit to see the early bronze age relics and see the fossilized pre-ammonite remains embedded in the ancient reef.

After a brief stop at home, Anne took us to Goslar to see the town. We had ice cream (hey, we hadn't eaten since brunch!) And then wandered through beautiful stone, half-timbered, and slate sided buildings.

 My civil engineering and wood carving self went a little crazy over the constructions, which often included intricate detailing dating back to the high middle ages. Many of the buildings have the date carved into them. The oldest I saw were from the late 1400's.

Dovetailed columns, chip carved detailing, medieval build.
Squeee!

The highlight in Goslar is the Kaiserpfalz, the Imperial Palace of Goslar. It was founded just after 1000 as a sort of mountain retreat/hinting lodge. Holy Roman Emperors and Saxon kings expanded it over the next several hundred years with a cathedral, chapels, and other structures.

The Kaiserhaus

I climbed up one of the Braunschweig lions but couldn't get on top...

On a bridge over the mill stream that runs through town