Up until the 16C, Goslar owed its prosperity to its silver and lead mines. Nowadays, the altstadt (old town) features a happy mix of handsome medieval properties and Renaissance buildings which bear witness to the town's former wealth. Half-timbere..

The Hall of Allegiance was converted into a municipal council room in 1450, and magnificently decorated in around 1510. On the walls above the sculpted woodwork can be seen effigies of Roman emperors and Sybils in Renaissance costume. On the ceiling,..

The Schuhhof is surrounded by half-timbered houses, some of which are supported by galleries. Note the old inn Am Weissen Schwann and the former Mint in the narrow Münzstrasse. Opposite the Marktkirche, you can see the pointed roof of the Brustt..

The mountainous woodland of the Harz rises in the middle of the German-Polish plain. Plentifully supplied with waterways and numerous dams, it has become a reservoir for the surrounding regions. The highest point of the range, the Brocken (1 142m),..

Following medieval custom, the town hall, built during the 15C, has its ground floor entirely taken up with a hall that opens out onto the market place through broken-arch arcades. An outer staircase leads to the first floor and the big reception ro..

The market place is surrounded by houses with slate-covered façades. The Gothic Kaiserworth and town hall are the most impressive buildings. In the centre of the square stands a fountain with large two bronze basins, surmounted by a crowned imperia..

The whole palace (11C), which was remodelled during the 19C, gives an idea of the prestige of imperial power in former times. The Reichssaal contains historical paintings of Goslar. In the adjacent Palatine Chapel of St Ulrich can be found the to..

This Museum of Modern Art occupies an old half-timbered house (1528). It contains works by Beuys, Hundert-Wasser, Serra and de Kooning, among others. In the garden there are sculptures by Ernst and Rennertz, and an interesting mobile by Calder.

This former Cistercian church (12C-13C) lies in the garden of a convent. The high polygonal towers of the façade are among the most elegant ever found in a Romanesque building. The decoration for the apse is especially fine.

This church dates from the 12C. A Baroque lantern was added during the 18C. Inside, note the west gallery with its decorative arcading. On the north and south walls can be found the remains of fine murals dating from the 13C.

The Augustinian monks of the Grauhof convent (1527) had this church built by an Italian architect between 1701 and 1717. It has a huge interior, impressive for the highly restrained use of colour. Note the pulpit in the form of a ship, the splendid o..

This Gothic building (1494) is decorated by an oriel with towers and Baroque statues of emperors surmounted by baldaquins. Note the Ducat Man on the gable ridge, illustrating Goslar's right to mint coins.

This imposing half-timbered house was built in 1693 by Hans Siemens, ancestor of the founder of the modern firm of the same name. It has a fine entrance hall, which served as a sitting room in summer.

The mine with its numerous minerals ensured Goslar's prosperity for many centuries (at least 1000 years of exploitation). The various mining facilities can be visited either on foot or using the mine's railway.