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-timbered façades around the Schuhhof, slate cladding in the market square, a magnificently decorated Chamber of Allegiance (1510), a Gothic town hall and many other architectural treasures await the discerning visitor.