Quedlinburg and Goslar are Teutonic treasures, quintessentially German. Surprisingly, neither was mentioned by Rick Steves in Rick Steves Germany, though both are World Heritage sites. Quedlinburg is in the former East Germany (we seem to be straddling the old border in the Harz Mountains) and dates from the end of the 1st Millennium. Its “half-timbered” houses were built by wealthy merchants in the 11th and 12th Centuries when the king granted Quedlinburg duty-free trade privileges from the North Sea to the Alps.
Slate-sided home in Goslar
Goslar-Rammelsberg was the largest and longest-lived mining complex in Central Europe, producing silver and lead from the 3rd Century BC. Also a favorite of the royals, Henry II built and imperial residence in Goslar. Like Quedlinburg, Goslar is chock-a-block with half-timbered buildings, mixed in with slate-sided homes, Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Both towns were members of the Hanseatic League, which came as a surprise to us. We thought all of the League members were port towns. Live and learn.
Funky but modern
Hotels in Goslar are understandably expensive - cuteness comes at a price - so we found a funky lodge a few kilometers away. Harz Lodge looks like a hostel from the outside but the rooms are modern and the breakfast buffet is all you could ask for.
