Hanskühnenburg

Last updated • 3 min readFrom Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia
Mountain hut and tower HanskuehnenburgTurm.jpg
Mountain hut and tower
Hanskuhnenburg Rocks HansKuehnenburgFelsen.jpg
Hanskühnenburg Rocks
The crag from the south HanskuehnenburgKlippenSued.jpg
The crag from the south
The crag from the west HanskuehnenburgOst.jpg
The crag from the west
Information boards by the hut HanskuehnenburgInfo.jpg
Information boards by the hut

The Hanskühnenburg is a mountain hut (German : Bergbaude) in the Harz mountains. It is located at a height of 811 m (2,661 ft) above sea level in fields known as Auf dem Acker, or simply Acker, in the middle of the Harz National Park and has its own observation tower. Its name comes from the legendary Hanskühnenburg Crag (Hanskühnenburg Klippe) 300 metres to the northwest, which was visited on 14 August 1784 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. Opposite the tower are the Hanskühnenburg Rocks (Hanskühnenburg Felsen) that are relatively small by comparison with the Klippe. A bronze plaque was mounted on these rocks in 1999 to commemorate Goethe's visit. In front of the Hanskühnenburg Rocks, a monument was erected in 1924 to Albert Leo Schlageter. It has since fallen over and is rather weathered.

Contents

History

At the end of the 19th century, the Osterode branch of the Harz Club built the first wooden observation tower and a supervised refuge hut on the densely forested Acker crest, with the hut opening its doors in 1889. However, the tower proved insufficient to withstand the weather conditions, and by 1912, it had deteriorated to such an extent that it had to be dismantled One year later, the Hanover branch began the construction of a stone tower on the same spot, which was completed in 1914.

The outbreak of the First World War halted tourism, leading to the closure of the hut, which had been operated as an inn, especially since it was situated far from any other settlements. In 1922, the guest house reopened, only to close again with the onset of the Second World War.

In 1947, the hut, which had become quite dilapidated over time, reopened. However, it had to be closed again in 1957 when both the hut and tower were deemed off-limits by the police due to their deteriorating condition. By 1958, enough refurbishment had been completed to lift the ban, but the necessary fundamental overhaul was not undertaken. In 1971 the damage to the Hanskühnenburg was once again so serious, that the structure was closed again. After emergency repairs the tower and hut re-opened in 1972.

The Harz Club did not have the necessary means to restore the structure and transferred ownership in 1974 to the district of Osterode, which took on the conversion and upgrade of the Hanskühnenburg. In 1975 this was completed at a cost of 500,000 DM and the operation of the hut started up again.

In 1976, a 13.5 km (8.4 mi) long cross-country skiing trail, the Ackerloipe, was completed and, as a result, the Hanskühnenburg became a popular stop for langlauf skiers.

Since the 1960s, the forest on the Acker crest has steadily retreated. At one time, the hut was hidden in thick forest; today, it is visible from a long way off. The tower offers a good all-round view over the mountains of the Upper Harz. It is also the only spot from where the two former centres of the Upper Harz mining industry, Clausthal and Sankt Andreasberg, can be seen at the same time.

Walking trails

The Hanskühnenburg may be reached from all directions on numerous walking trails. There are longer walks from Osterode via the town forest (Stadtwald) and crest path (Kammweg) or along the Söse Reservoir. From Herzberg a path climbs from Lonau through the valleys of the Großer Lonau (metalled road) and the Sieber. The height difference is markedly less on the route from Riefensbeek-Kamschlacken to the hut. The easiest way to get to the hut, however, is from Stieglitzecke on the Harz High Road. Here there is a large car park and a bus stop. From the Stieglitzecke there are two routes to the Hanskühnenburg. The path on the eastern side is a wide walking track with only one steep section shortly before the hut. Considerably better views, especially in the morning, are offered by the path on the west side of the Acker. This path is however very hard going and rather boggy because the rain gutters have not been replaced for some time.

The tower is only accessible when the restaurant is open.

The Hahnskühnenburg is checkpoint no. 144 in the Harzer Wandernadel system, a popular network of walking trails.

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harz</span> Low mountain range in northern Germany

The Harz, also called the Harz Mountains, is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name Harz derives from the Middle High German word Hardt or Hart. The name Hercynia derives from a Celtic name and could refer to other mountain forests, but has also been applied to the geology of the Harz. The Brocken is the highest summit in the Harz with an elevation of 1,141.1 metres (3,744 ft) above sea level. The Wurmberg is the highest peak located entirely within the state of Lower Saxony.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brocken</span> Highest peak of the Harz mountain range in Northern Germany

The Brocken, also sometimes referred to as the Blocksberg, is the highest peak in the Harz mountain range and also the highest peak in Northern Germany; it is near Schierke in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt between the rivers Weser and Elbe. Although its elevation of 1,141 metres (3,743 ft) is below alpine dimensions, its microclimate resembles that of mountains of about 2,000 m (6,600 ft). The peak above the tree line tends to have a snow cover from September to May, and mists and fogs shroud it up to 300 days of the year. The mean annual temperature is only 2.9 °C (37.2 °F). It is the easternmost mountain in northern Germany; travelling east in a straight line, the next prominent elevation would be in the Ural Mountains in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lonau</span>

Lonau is a small village with a population of about 345 situated at an elevation of about 400m in the Harz Mountains of Northern Germany. Besides the clean air and lush forests, it is famous for the capercaillie. It belongs to the city of Herzberg am Harz which is about 4 km to the south. The rivers Große Lonau and Kleine Lonau join here.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wurmberg (Harz)</span> German mountain

At 971 m above sea level (NN) the Wurmberg is the second highest mountain in the Harz and the highest in Lower Saxony (Germany).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bruchberg</span>

At 927 m above sea level (NN), the Bruchberg in the Upper Harz is the second highest mountain in Lower Saxony and the third highest in the Harz mountains in North Germany. It lies between Altenau and Torfhaus in the middle of the Harz National Park. The Bruchberg is more like a plateau and has no real summit. This plateau is partly covered with trees, but on the sunny southern slopes the trees have largely died as a result of bark beetle infestation. Following this insect destruction, a new natural forest, rich in its variety of species, is now growing in the heart of the Harz National Park.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Schalke (Harz)</span>

The Schalke is a mountain, 762 m above sea level (NN), in the Upper Harz in the German state of Lower Saxony. It lies in Goslar district north of Clausthal-Zellerfeld and west of Schulenberg.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Söse</span> River in Germany

Söse is a river of Lower Saxony, Germany. It is a right tributary of the river Rhume and 38 kilometres (24 mi) long.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Auf dem Acker</span> Mountain in Lower Saxony, Germany

Auf dem Acker is a mountain ridge up to 865.1 m (2,838 ft) high, which is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains in Lower Saxony (Germany).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Großer Knollen</span>

The Großer Knollen is a 687.4-metre-high (2,255 ft) mountain in the southwestern part of the Harz in Lower Saxony, Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roßtrappe</span> Granite crag in the Harz mountains of central Germany

The Roßtrappe is a 403-metre-high (1,322 ft) granite crag in the Harz mountains of central Germany.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harzer Hexenstieg</span>

The Harz Witches' Trail is a footpath, just under 100 km long, in Germany that runs from Osterode through the Harz mountains and over its highest peak, the Brocken, to Thale. It is a project by the Harz Transport Association and Harz Club and is part of the system of trails known as the Harzer Wandernadel.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Romkerhall</span>

Romkerhall is a popular tourist destination on the River Oker in the Harz Mountains of Germany. There is a public car park here as well as a hotel and restaurant opposite the Romkerhall Waterfall. Romkerhall lies within the unincorporated area of Harz in the Lower Saxon county of Goslar in the Harz Mountains. The hotel and waterfall form a small tourist attraction which is marketed as the "Kingdom of Romkerhall - the smallest kingdom in the world!"

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bode Gorge</span> Ravine that forms part of the Bode valley in central Germany

The Bode Gorge is a 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) long ravine that forms part of the Bode valley between Treseburg and Thale in the Harz Mountains of central Germany. The German term, Bodetal, is also used in a wider sense to refer to the valleys of the Warme and Kalte Bode rivers that feed the River Bode.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kahle Klippe</span>

The Kahle Klippe is a rock formation in the High Harz in central Germany on the eastern slope of the Brocken above the valley of the Ecker.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rabenklippe</span> Rock formation

The Rabenklippe is a granite rock formation in the Harz National Park. The name means "Raven Crag" and is very apt as ravens live in the vicinity.

The Braakberg is a 645.5 metre high mountain in the Harz in central Germany, in the unincorporated area of Harz in the district of Göttingen in the state of Lower Saxony.

Goethe Way is the name given to a number of footpaths or trails that run through various regions in Germany and the Alps as well as a railway station on the Brocken Railway. They are all named after the German poet, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.

The Schindelkopf in the Harz Mountains of central Germany is a southwestern outlier of the mountain ridge known as Auf dem Acker (865.1 m). It is located near the town of Osterode am Harz within the unincorporated area of Harz which is in the district of Göttingen in the state of Lower Saxony.

The Jagdkopf a hill, 603.1 m above sea level (NN) high, in the Harz Mountains of Germany. It is located between the villages of Wieda and Zorge in the unincorporated area of Harz in the district of Göttingen in the state of Lower Saxony.

References

    51°43′41″N10°24′11″E / 51.72806°N 10.40306°E / 51.72806; 10.40306