Hike around the Spiegeltal. The Zellerfeld artificial ditch was especially important for the Zellerfeld mining industry.
The water ditches in the Upper Harz are true masterpieces of construction. This can be especially well seen on this 12 km circular route at the Zellerfeld artificial ditch. Walls made of natural stones, small bridges, and stone arches show how much effort the miners put into building the ditches.
Water was very valuable for mining in the Harz. The water wheels in the mines were needed, for example, to bring the ore mined underground to the surface. A lot of water was required for this. The water had to be directed into the mines. And there always had to be enough water, even when it rained little or not at all.
The mines near Zellerfeld were very high up on the mountain. Therefore, the water had to be led from even higher areas to the mines. These higher areas are very far away. That is why the ditch runs a long way through the Harz. It passes ponds, stony and dangerous places in the water, and a waterfall.
On your hike, you will also learn what log floating in the Harz is and how it worked.
At the end, the ditch disappears underground. There it goes directly into the Zellerfeld mining district. From here, you go down into the Spiegeltal valley and back up along the river.
