Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [202]
relaxa Hotel Harz-Wald Braunlage ( 8070; braunlage@relaxa-hotel.de; Karl-Röhrig-Strasse 5a; s €79, d €96-129; ) Located on the northern edge of town, this modern hotel has an abundance of wellness extras and free use of city bikes. All rooms have their own balcony.
Puppe Brotzeitstube ( 487; Am Brunnen 2; gourmet snacks €5-9.90; 9am-9pm Mon-Sat, 11am-9pm Sun) This unusual gourmet sandwich shop does scrumptious, German-style open sandwiches with local cuts of ham, sausage and other products for eat-in, takeaway or picnic.
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Getting There & Away
Bus 850 runs to St Andreasberg from the Von-Langen-Strasse or Eisstadion stops. For Torfhaus and Bad Harzburg, take bus 820 from the main bus station about 1km south of Elbingeröder Strasse, or Eisstadion stop, which is just north of Elbingeröder Strasse. The B4 runs north to Torfhaus and Bad Harzburg. The B27 leads southwest to the St Andreasberg turn-off and northeast to the Eastern Harz.
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ST ANDREASBERG
05582 / pop 1950
Known for its mining museums, clean air and hiking and skiing options, this resort sits on a broad ridge surrounded by wistful mountains, 10km west of Braunlage. St Andreasberg is a pleasant town that offers a quiet base for trips into the national park; it’s wonderful to visit during a warm snowless spring or a ‘golden October’.
The tourist office ( 803 36; www.sankt-andreasberg.de; Am Kurpark 9; 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, weekends during ski season) is in the split-level, wheelchair-friendly Kurverwaltung building.
Most shops close for several hours around noon.
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Sights & Activities
German-language tours of the interesting Grube Samson Mining Museum ( 1249; tours adult/concession €4.50/2.25; 8.30am-4.30pm, tours at 11am & 2.30pm) take you 20m down to view early forms of mine transportation. Follow the signs from Dr-Willi-Bergmann-Strasse.
The nearby Catharina Neufang tunnel (adult/concession €2.75/2; 1.45pm Mon-Sat) includes a mining demonstration, and the Harzer Roller Kanarien-Museum (Canary Museum; adult/child €2.75/2; 8.30am-4pm Mon-Sat, 10.30am-4.30pm Sun) is worthy of its claim of being the world’s only museum dedicated to canaries (used in the mines). The display takes you back to the 15th century, but the first miners’ ‘friends’ arrived in St Andreasberg in 1730 with workers from Tyrol.
The skiing in St Andreasberg can be excellent. The closest piste is on Mathias-Schmidt-Berg ( 265); day passes cost €17. You’ll also find pistes that have lifts out of town on Sonnenberg ( 513). One of several places renting out ski and snowboard equipment is Sport Pläschke ( 260; www.skischule-harz.de, in German; Dr-Willi-Bergmann-Strasse 10).
Cross-country skiers should pick up the Wintersportkarte map (€1) from the tourist office, because it shows both groomed and ungroomed trails as well as some good ski hikes.
The Rehberger Grabenweg is a unique hiking trail that leads into the Harz National Park and to the Rehberger Grabenhaus ( 789; www.rehberger-grabenhaus.com, in German; closed Mon), a forest cafe 3km from St Andreasberg and only accessible on foot. In the evening from late December to early March you can sit in the darkened cafe and watch wild deer feeding outside. To avoid disturbing the animals, visitors have to arrive by 5pm and aren’t let out until 7pm. Bring a torch (flashlight) to find your way back.
There are exhibits on the area’s cultural history, plus park information and a multimedia show in the Nationalparkhaus ( 923 074; www.nationalpark-harz.de, in German; Erzwäsche 1; 9am-5pm Apr-Oct, 10am-5pm Nov-Mar).
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Sleeping & Eating
Hostel ( 809 948; www.harz-herbergen.de, in German; Am Gesehr 37; dm €19) This independent hostel is popular with school and other groups but travellers can also stay here.
Pension Haus am Kurpark ( 1010; www.haus.am.kurpark.harz.de; Am Kurpark 1; s €25-32, d €44-60) Bears on scooters and skis on walls adorn this quiet, friendly and very well-run Pension