The old town of Goslar, which is still largely surrounded by former defensives and green spaces, is one of the most important closed-preserved historical cities in the world. The UNESCO World Heritage Sites: mines of Rammelsberg, historic old town of Goslar and the Upper Harz Water Management System display a thousand years of mining culture. This unique hydropower energy supply system as well as the historic old town, reflect the economic importance of mining in the region. Nowhere else in the world can you see this mutual balance of technical, social and economic developments which occurred over a period of 1,000 years of historical mining.

The rich ore deposits found at the Rammelsberg mine and those more importantly in the Upper Harz have strongly shaped the development of the old town of Goslar and reflect a particularly important period of both German and European history of the Middle Ages.

The preserved old town of Goslar, which was established on a medieval layout, is mainly characterized by the exceptionally large number of half-timbered houses; approximately 1,500 that were built between the 15th to 19th centuries. The charming townscape with its narrow streets extends beyond the mighty towers of the Romanesque church. The Imperial Palace, Town Hall and city fortifications, as well as the large number of medieval houses made of stone, which are called Bowers were built in the 12th century.

Imperial Palace of Goslar

The Imperial Palace is the symbol of Goslar and with one of the largest halls from the Middle Ages a Romanesque masterpiece.