Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [208]
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MITTELBAU DORA
From late in 1943, thousands of slave labourers (mostly Russian, French and Polish prisoners of war) toiled under horrific conditions digging tunnels in the chalk hills north of Nordhausen. From a 20km labyrinth of tunnels, they produced the V1 and V2 rockets that rained destruction on London, Antwerp and other cities during the final stages of WWII, when Hitler’s grand plan became to conduct war from production plants below the ground.
The camp, called Mittelbau Dora, was created as a satellite of the Buchenwald concentration camp after British bombers destroyed the missile plants in Peenemünde in far northeastern Germany. During the last two years of the war, at least 20,000 prisoners died at Dora, many having survived Auschwitz only to be worked to death here.
The US army reached the gates in April 1945, cared for survivors and removed all missile equipment before turning the area over to the Russians two months later. Much of the technology was later employed in the US space program.
After years of mouldering away in the GDR period, the memorial has gradually been improved over the years to give a deeper insight into the horror of Hitler’s undertaking. Today the memorial complex includes a permanent exhibition in a modern museum building to explain the background of the camp and the experiences of those who were interned here, a multilanguage library and a cafe.
The horrible truth of the place permeates the memorial, and a visit may be among the most unforgettable experiences you have in Germany.
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Orientation & Information
Mittelbau Dora is 5km north of Nordhausen, a dull town of interest only as regards changing trains.
Visitors have independent access to the grounds, crematorium and museum ( 03631-495 820; www.dora.de; admission free; 10am-6pm Tue-Sun Apr-Sep, 10am-4pm Oct-Mar). The tunnels, which are the diameter of an aircraft hangar, are accessible by guided tour. Within the dank walls you can see partially assembled rockets that have lain untouched for over 50 years.
Free 90-minute tours operate at 11am and 2pm from Tuesday to Friday, and at 11am, 1pm and 3pm on weekends (also 4pm April to September).
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Getting There & Away
The Harzquerbahn links Nordhausen with Wernigerode (single/return €10/17, 2¾ hours). The nearest stop to Dora is Nordhausen-Krimderode, which is served by almost hourly trains from Nordhausen-Nord (11 minutes), next to the main station.
From the Krimderode stop, cross the tracks and walk south along Goetheweg, which curves and becomes Kohnsteinweg. Follow this for 1km towards the unassuming hill and you are at the camp.
Trains run to Halle (€16.70, 1¾ hours) and to Göttingen (€20, 1½ hours) from Nordhausen.
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BROCKEN & TORFHAUS
There are prettier landscapes and hikes in the Harz, but the 1142m Brocken is what draws the crowds: about 50,000 on a summer’s day. When he wasn’t exploring mines, Goethe also tested his mettle by scaling the mountain.
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Goetheweg from Torfhaus
The 8km Goetheweg trail to the Brocken from the Western Harz starts at Torfhaus. Easier than other approaches, it initially takes you through bog, follows an historic aqueduct once used to regulate water levels for the mines, then crosses the Kaiserweg, a sweaty 11km trail from Bad Harzburg. Unfortunately, your next stop will be a dead forest, though the trail becomes steep and more interesting as you walk along the former border. From 1945 to 1989 the Harz region was a frontline in the Cold War, and the Brocken was used by the Soviets as a military base. For 28 years the summit was off limits and was virtually the only mountain in the world that couldn’t be climbed. Hike along the train line above soggy moorland to reach