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Braunlage

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Overview

Braunlage is a town in the Harz National Park in South Lower Saxony.

Facts

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Source

WBP almanac

External sources

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From Wikipedia938 words

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Winter sport beyond the resort lifts

The slopes around Braunlage are well‑served, but the real draw for keen skiers is the network of cross‑country trails that wind through the Harz forest. When the snow settles, you can lace up and follow routes that link the town to the historic mining villages of the Upper Harz, offering a glimpse of 19th‑century engineering amid quiet firs. The longer loops are punctuated by simple wooden huts where locals serve mulled glühwein and a slice of rye cake, perfect for a warm pause. Because the area is less commercialised than the Alps, you’ll find fewer crowds and more opportunities to improvise your own path, especially after a fresh snowfall when the tracks are freshly imprinted.

Summer beyond the ski season

While Braunlage’s reputation rests on winter sports, summer transforms the surrounding hills into a hub for hikers and mountain bikers. The Wurmberg, standing above the town, offers a well‑marked summit trail that rewards climbers with far‑reaching views toward the Brocken and, on clear days, toward the North Sea coast. For cyclists, the Harz’s gentle gradients and low‑traffic country roads provide a pleasant contrast to the steep Alpine climbs, and the town’s bike‑rental shops often organise guided rides that include stops at historic charcoal kilns. Pair the exertion with a visit to the local Kurpark, where therapeutic springs have been used since the town’s early days as a health resort.

A taste of local hospitality

Braunlage’s dining scene is anchored in its mining heritage; many eateries serve dishes that once sustained workers in the underground shafts. Seek out a traditional Sauerbraten cooked in a cast‑iron pot, accompanied by red cabbage and potato dumplings—a hearty plate that reflects the region’s cold climate. For a lighter option, try the smoked trout from the nearby Oderteich, seasoned with juniper berries harvested from the surrounding hills. The town’s modest size means that many restaurants are family‑run, allowing you to chat with the chef about seasonal foraging trips and the subtle differences between locally sourced herbs and those found further north in Lower Saxony.

Introduction

Place in Lower Saxony, Germany Town in Lower Saxony, GermanyBraunlage TownBraunlage with the Wurmberg mountain behind Coat of armsLocation of Braunlage within Goslar district Location of BraunlageBraunlage Show map of GermanyBraunlage Show map of Lower SaxonyCoordinates: 51°43′37″N 10°36′43″E / 51.72694°N 10.61194°E / 51.72694; 10.61194CountryGermanyStateLower SaxonyDistrictGoslar Subdivisions3 districtsGovernment • Mayor (2019–24) Wolfgang LangerArea • Total31.65 km2 (12.22 sq mi)Elevation560 m (1,840 ft)Population (2024-12-31) • Total4,839 • Density152.9/km2 (396.0/sq mi)Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET) • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)Postal codes38700Dialling codes05520Vehicle registrationGS, BRL, CLZWebsitewww.braunlage.org Braunlage (German pronunciation: [bʁaʊnˈlaːɡə] ⓘ) is a town and health resort in the Goslar district of Lower Saxony in Germany. Situated within the Harz mountain range, south of the Brocken massif, Braunlage's main business is tourism, particularly skiing. Nearby ski resorts include the Sonnenberg and the slopes on the Wurmberg.

Geography

[edit] Braunlage is located on the Warme Bode, a headstream of the river Bode, close to the border with Elend in the state of Saxony-Anhalt. The municipal area stretches along the south-eastern rim of the Harz National Park from an elevation of 550 m (1,800 ft) up to 971 m (3,186 ft) at the summit of the Wurmberg. Other peaks in the vicinity include the Achtermannshöhe and the Hahnenklee Crags. Districts[edit] The town consists of three districts: Braunlage proper Hohegeiß*, incorporated on 1 July 1972 Sankt Andreasberg**, incorporated on 1 November 2011 * with the village of Königskrug ** with the villages of Sonnenberg, Oderhaus, Oderbrück, Oderberg, Odertaler Sägemühle and Silberhütte Transportation[edit] Braunlage is on the Bundesstraße B4 between Braunschweig and Nordhausen and the B27 from Blankenburg to Göttingen. Local buses run between Braunlage and the nearby communities of Bad Harzburg, Sankt Andreasberg, Schierke, Wernigerode, Hohegeiß, Bad Sachsa, Nordhausen, Bad Lauterberg, Herzberg and Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Braunlage used to be served by the South Harz Railway Company, which provided a link to the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways via Sorge, but service ceased in 1958.

Climate

[edit] Climate data for Braunlage, (elevation 607 m (1,991 ft) (1991−2020 normals) Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year Record high °C (°F) 13.9(57.0) 15.1(59.2) 19.8(67.6) 25.9(78.6) 28.1(82.6) 30.8(87.4) 32.6(90.7) 32.8(91.0) 30.3(86.5) 24.3(75.7) 18.8(65.8) 14.1(57.4) 32.8(91.0) Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 1.2(34.2) 2.0(35.6) 5.5(41.9) 11.2(52.2) 15.0(59.0) 18.2(64.8) 20.5(68.9) 20.2(68.4) 15.5(59.9) 10.4(50.7) 5.4(41.7) 2.0(35.6) 10.6(51.1) Daily mean °C (°F) −1.2(29.8) −0.8(30.6) 1.9(35.4) 6.3(43.3) 10.4(50.7) 13.5(56.3) 15.7(60.3) 15.3(59.5) 11.3(52.3) 7.0(44.6) 2.8(37.0) −0.3(31.5) 6.8(44.2) Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −3.5(25.7) −3.5(25.7) −1.4(29.5) 2.0(35.6) 5.8(42.4) 8.9(48.0) 11.1(52.0) 10.9(51.6) 7.6(45.7) 4.0(39.2) 0.5(32.9) −2.4(27.7) 3.3(37.9) Record low °C (°F) −23.9(−11.0) −25.6(−14.1) −18.0(−0.4) −11.0(12.2) −4.1(24.6) −0.6(30.9) 2.7(36.9) 2.6(36.7) −0.4(31.3) −8.2(17.2) −14.0(6.8) −22.8(−9.0) −25.6(−14.1) Average precipitation mm (inches) 158.4(6.24) 104.1(4.10) 114.5(4.51) 65.5(2.58) 88.4(3.48) 84.8(3.34) 105.9(4.17) 94.4(3.72) 104.8(4.13) 123.1(4.85) 123.9(4.88) 155.9(6.14) 1,303.4(51.31) Average precipitation days (≥ 0.1 mm) 19.6 18.2 18.3 13.8 15.4 15.5 16.9 15.5 15.3 17.8 19.5 21.6 205.2 Average relative humidity (%) 90.0 86.0 82.4 74.8 74.1 75.3 75.0 76.1 82.2 87.6 90.8 91.2 82.3 Mean monthly sunshine hours 48.0 66.5 113.6 162.8 187.3 190.7 197.7 185.3 131.1 94.8 46.8 38.3 1,447.8 Source 1: NOAA Source 2:

History

[edit] Braunlage ironworks, 1654 engraving by Matthäus Merian First mentioned as Brunla in 1227, the town started out as a pit settlement in the Harz forests. It appeared as Brunenlo in a 1253 register of the Saxon counts of Regenstein and was revived when their successors, the Counts of Blankenburg, established an ironworks here in 1561. With the extinction of the Blankenburg dynasty in 1599 Braunlage fell to the Dukes of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel. In the 17th century it was a small Brunswick market town in the west corner of the former Blankenburg lands. Tourism developed from the late 19th century onwards and other branches of business were forestry and a large granite quarry on the Wurmberg. Around 1910 one of the first interurban bus lines ran from Bad Harzburg up to Braunlage, served by Büssing vehicles. The Wurmberg Ski Jumps were erected in 1922 (demolished in 2014). In 1934 Braunlage received town privileges and municipal status as a health resort. After World War II Braunlage was close to the fortified inner German border through the Harz mountains. In 1963 it became the location of the Wurmberg Gondola Lift, today with a length of 2.8 kilometres (1.7 mi) and a height difference of 400 m (1,300 ft) to the summit station the longest in Northern Germany. On 7 May 1964 Gerhard Zucker demonstrated a flight of mail rockets on the Hasselkopf hill. One of them exploded, killing two spectators. Since German reunification in 1990 Braunlage has again been in the centre of the Harz tourist region but it has had to cope with growing competition from the neighbouring resorts in Saxony-Anhalt. Demographics[edit] Population statistics Year Inhabitants 1821 1,691 1848 2,473 1871 2,288 1885 2,489 1905 3,408 1925 4,520 Year Inhabitants 1933 4,893 1939 4,981 1946 9,489 1950 9,334 1956 7,523 Year Inhabitants 1961 7,163 1968 7,716 1970 7,249 1975 7,266 1980 7,140 Year Inhabitants 1985 6,776 1990 6,148 1995 5,998 2000 5,476 2005 5,142

Culture and sights

[edit] A museum of local history covers Braunlage's tradition as a health resort and official venue of the International Ski Federation (FIS). The townscape includes extensive spa gardens Sports[edit] The local ice-hockey team Harzer Wölfe is an important part of the north German ice-hockey culture. There used to be several ski jumps on the Wurmberg, which hosted international competitions such as the FIS Ski Jumping Continental Cup until 2011. Between 2009 and 2012 the Braunlage Nude Sledging World Championships were held. Sights[edit] The Silberteich and the Hahnenkleeklippen on the way to Sankt Andreasberg are popular tourist destinations[citation needed]. The Dicke Tannen is a protected landscape of giant spruce trees near Hohegeiß.