Goslar Harz Heritage Weekend
💜 A winter story in the Harz: fairytale towns, UNESCO heritage, mountain calm, and Christmas markets.
This is more than an overnight trip — it’s a shared adventure with friends (old and new).
A postcard from the Harz
On Saturday–Sunday, 29–30 November 2025, we’re heading deep into the Harz mountains — a weekend of fairytale towns, forest calm, and warm lights:
- The colorful half-timbered beauty of Wernigerode and its castle
- The mountain air and lakeside quiet of Hahnenklee (Goslar) — gateway to one of Europe’s largest UNESCO heritage landscapes, with exceptional Christmas markets at this time of year
- The festive city glow of Hanover and its Christmas markets before returning home
It’s history, hills, and heritage — a short escape that feels like a timeless story shared with friends old and new.
Goslar: imperial town, mining power, and Christmas magic
Goslar is a UNESCO puzzle where everything connects: the Historic Town, the thousand-year Rammelsberg Mine, and the Upper Harz Water Management System that powered it all which is the World's biggest pre-industrial Water system Together they form one of Europe’s largest heritage landscapes; technology, trade, and town life woven into one story.
Worthy of mentioning is that Goslar as town is one of the very few places that were not affected by the war. It still has the true German heritage and soul.
- Marktplatz & Weihnachtswald: the square glows with stalls and fir trees — a cozy “Christmas Forest” atmosphere.
- Kaiserpfalz (Imperial Palace): a symbol of medieval power with murals and sweeping lawns.
- Siemens House (Siemenshaus): a grand patrician townhouse linked to the Siemens family — timbered elegance and merchant history.
- Rammelsberg (optional): tours into historic tunnels and machinery that ran for centuries.
- Upper Harz Water System: quiet dams, channels, and ponds — today scenic walking loops, once the energy grid of the mines.
We’ll give you a short orientation (best lanes, viewpoints, where to warm up) and then you can choose: palace + square, mine tour, or just let the old town carry you.
Hanover lights
A short city pause on Sunday brings a different mood: grand squares, a lakeshore, and elegant streets. Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall) is the star; a lakeside palace from the outside, a city panorama from the dome. In winter, the area around the Marktkirche and Kröpcke glows with Christmas stalls.
- Neues Rathaus & Maschpark: classic photo line — dome, lake, and willows in one frame.
- Altstadt lanes: timbered corners, cafés, and the Market Church.
- Herrenhausen Gardens (optional quick peek): baroque symmetry if you want calm geometry before the bus.
- Food stop: Markthalle for fast, good bites from all over.
The castle in the mountains: A balcony over the Harz
Built on a ridge with sweeping views, the castle mixes medieval roots and later romantic styles. Inside, stately rooms and exhibits; outside, terraces and forest paths where the town falls away below you. It’s the kind of place where your camera stays out.
- Views: Agnesberg and Schlossberg paths give the best angles over the roofs.
- Access: gentle uphill walk, shuttle/road train from the market, or a short local bus hop.
- Town loop: drop back through Breite Straße for shops and bakeries.
For more information about the castle check: Wernigerode Castle .
And the information from German Sights
Meeting Point Map (Kamp-Lintfort)
Main meeting point at HSRW.
- Departure Date: 29.11.2025 06:00
- Return Date: 30.11.2025 21:15
Please be 15 minutes early to your pick-up. We leave on time.
A second pick-up is at Duisburg on both departure and return. Exact locations are shared with registered students in the WhatsApp group. Please arrive a little early so we can leave as one crew.
Duisburg is our OTW pickup to make it easier for students from the Ruhr area and nearby to join — and to get home easily at our return hour.
The main meeting point:
The return time may vary depending on traffic, boarding, and other external factors.
What not to miss out on
- Three destinations in one weekend: Wernigerode, Goslar (Hahnenklee) & Hanover
- UNESCO heritage, Christmas markets, and mountain calm
- Travel together with other HSRW students
- A relaxed, guided start to help you feel at home in each place
- Plenty of time to make the weekend your own
- Simple student-friendly price with everything organized for you
The plan
- Morning departure from Kamp-Lintfort with a pick-up in Duisburg
- First stop: Wernigerode for old-town colors and castle views
- Up to Hahnenklee (Goslar) for check-in, lakeside walk, and cozy evening
- Sunday: Goslar & Hanover (Christmas markets) before evening return
(We’ll share the exact timetable with registered students by WhatsApp — what matters is, you’ll get a stress-free rhythm and generous time in each place.)
What’s included
Included
- Transport by private bus (Kamp-Lintfort & Duisburg pick-ups)
- 1-night accommodation in shared rooms (Hahnenklee/Goslar area)
- Breakfast at the accommodation
- Study & Chill Staff and WhatsApp coordination
- Cultural orientation & flexible free time
Not included
- Optional entries or activities
Why Hahnenklee?
Hahnenklee sits right above Goslar in the heart of the Harz. A peaceful village ringed by forests and lakes, with views that open to the horizon. A local bus runs regularly between Hahnenklee and Goslar, making it easy to drop down to the old town and back up into the mountains.
We chose it for its calm atmosphere — and because it gives our freshers and first-snow dreamers a real chance to see snow, something rare in our region. ❄️ Even if the weather doesn’t bring snow, the scenery will be phenomenal, and the Hiking routes are exceptional.
Optional add-ons
If we secure discounts (e.g., museum entries or special tours), you’ll be able to purchase them later as Pretix add-ons after buying your seat.
FAQ
Refunds?
Tickets are non-refundable once the trip is confirmed.
You can easily transfer your ticket to another student up to 48h before departure in Pretix.
However: all payments are collected first. If the minimum number of students is not reached, the trip will be cancelled and 100% of your payment is automatically refunded through Pretix.
Miss the bus?
We leave on time and can’t wait. Please be 15 minutes early at your pick-up.
Alcohol?
No glass on the coach; be respectful to everyone.
Price
€99 – student price
Covers bus, accommodation, and coordination. This is a non-profit student trip — organized by students, for students.
Tickets are listed as €0 online.
After reserving your seat, please bring €99 in cash to one of our Lounge Tuesday meetings to confirm your place.
We’ve set it up this way to keep things simple, fair, and transparent — no hidden fees, no business middlemen, just us organizing a shared trip together.
You’ll have up to one week after reserving to complete your payment.
Reservations that are still pending after that time will be automatically cancelled to free up seats for others.
If you’re joining us from further away and can’t attend a Lounge meeting, don’t worry — we’re flexible.
You can contact us through:
Instagram
WhatsApp group
studyandchilllounge@gmail.com
We’ll help you arrange another time or payment method that works for you.
Why register early?
Trips only go ahead if enough students book in time. The earlier you register, the safer the trip is confirmed — and the less chance you miss out on seats.
Book nowPhoto Credits
- Goslar Christmas Forest — © GOSLAR marketing GmbH / Michael Abid (via 9 Städte)
- Photo by Deep Radadia on Unsplash
- Photo by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Anastasia S on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Joshua Kettle on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Manou Azadi on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Manou Azadi on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Manou Azadi on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Ries Bosch on Unsplash
- Gallery: Photo by Amina Javadova on Unsplash
Go show some LOVE and appreciate the Artists💟.