Churches and monasteries
The Upper Harz is characterised by the deep religiousness of the locals. This can still be seen today in the churches, which are well worth a visit to pause and contemplate. Many God-fearing miners from the Ore Mountains were recruited in the middle of the 16th century and settled in the Upper Harz.
They were granted the documented right to practise their Protestant-Lutheran faith. But the monasteries and their grounds also bear witness to the valuable religious cultural history of the Upper Harz and the surrounding area. The Cistercian monastery in Walkenried is impressive, but the Wöltingerode monastery estate is also more than impressive, showing the monastic life of the time.
Churches in Clausthal Zellerfeld
In Clausthal-Zellerfeld, two Protestant-Lutheran churches make an impressive presence. In the district of Clausthal, the baroque market church "Zum Heiligen Geist" is bright blue in colour. It is considered to be the largest wooden church in Germany. The "St Salvatoris Church" is located in the Zellerfeld district. It is a so-called hall church built in the Renaissance style.
Churches and monasteries in the surrounding area
The wooden stave church in nearby Hahnenklee-Bockswiese is unique in Germany for its construction, as it is built in the style of a Norwegian stave church. Today, Wöltingerode Abbey is a monastery, distillery, hotel, restaurant and more. The Cistercian monastery in Walkenried is a "hands-on monastery" - there is a lot to discover here, and not just for children.
