Clausthal-Zellerfeld

Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the western part of the Harz mountains. Population: 16,000.

Actually there are two towns: Clausthal and Zellerfeld were merged in 1924 to form an administrative unit, but they are still separate towns. Clausthal is well known for its old university and its magnificent buildings, while Zellerfeld is a typical tourist resort for hikers and winter sportsmen. Clausthal-Zellerfeld is the largest town, that is situated rather in the mountains than on their edge.

Mining in the area began in the 16th century. It was stopped in 1930, because no ore was found anymore. Today there are large remains of mines, which are now museums. The university of Clausthal was established in 1763 in order to educate mining engineers. Today it is a technical university for teaching engineering.