We have visited Bad Harzburg a number of times, and believe that it offers a very special experience to visitors to this part of Germany.

Bad Harzburg is a city in the state of Lower Saxony which is located on the northern slopes of the Upper Harz mountains. It is located about 40km south of Braunschweig close to the Harz National Park.

The city developed around a castle that was built around 1066 by the emperor Henry IV (this particular date is of course an important part of the history of England).

Evidence of early settlers from the early bronze age have been uncovered in the vicinity of Bad Harzburg. It was the discovery of the Harzburg mineral springs  in the late 16th century that marked the beginning of growth of the town.

The name of the town was change to Bad (Spa) Harzburg in 1892. This indicates the official recognition of the location as one of Germany’s significant health spas.

As can be seen from the satellite image of the region, the area to the north of the city is fairly well settled with farming land, whilst towards the south  the mountain range quickly takes over from the settled parts of the city.

Over the next week or two, I will provide further information about some of the things to see and experience when visiting Bad Harzburg.

Submitted by John Kumm www.onlinetravelconsultant.com