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It's slowly getting warmer again and the sun is gradually replacing the constant snow. So why not get out into nature and go for a hike or a walk? I have put together a first route for you here.
The route is around seven kilometers long and leads past the Ottiliaeschacht. You can walk this route in an hour and a half. As I had a dog with me on the route (and I bought myself an ice cream :) ), it took me just over two hours.
The route starts and ends at the parking lot in Berliner Straße, next to Clausthal elementary school. From there, walk towards the train station and after a few meters you will pass the first point worth seeing, the Eulenspiegler Teich. From there, the route to Ottiliaeschacht is very easy to walk: Lots of nature and few mountains await you.
After crossing the small bridge on the other side of the pond, keep to the right. There you should already see the rails of the small day conveyor that used to transport ore. They lead through the forest towards Ottiliaeschacht. There is a path next to the tracks where you can walk safely. From May, you can even take the day train to the shaft. The ride starts at the old train station, is about two kilometers long and bumpy.
Once you arrive, the site is definitely worth a visit: you can see the huge, oldest preserved headframe in Germany and the engine room with the winding system. The Ottiliaeschacht was used to mine ore until 1930. I made a short stop there during my hike and was able to take a look inside the machine room and watch the conveyor system in operation.
After leaving the Ottiliaeschacht, you follow the path for a while and end up at the Marktkirche. The last stage of your hike takes you through the city center and past the hospital, through a pretty little park (where you can enjoy your ice cream) and finally back to the parking lot.
People have often asked if there could be blog posts about hiking and walking routes - here is the first post! Did it meet your expectations or is something missing? I would be delighted to receive feedback via blog@tu-clausthal.de.
