Güntersberge: Model Railway, School History and Ponds

When looking for a hotel in Güntersberge, you can get a sense of the destination through specific cultural and landscape themes. These include an H0 model railway featuring routes from the region, insights into everyday school life and local history, as well as a nature trail and ponds with a history of use. The different highlights can help you decide before your trip which topics interest you most.

Culture, Technology and School History

Since 2003, the “Alte Schule” experience centre has served the Förderkreis Güntersberge e.V. as a museum and clubhouse. It features an H0 model railway covering more than 40 square metres, with routes from the region; visitors can operate parts of the layout themselves. The routes on display are therefore not the only focus—the opportunity to operate sections yourself is also part of the experience.

The school museum in Güntersberge offers a different perspective on everyday life: there, you can write with a slate and stylus. Photo albums and old student work illustrate life at school and in after-school care. While the model railway focuses on regional routes, the museum foregrounds writing practices and everyday school life.

St. Martini Church also preserves older architectural features. It contains the Baroque north portal and the gravestone of the last Catholic pastor before the Reformation. Both features survived the town fire of 1856 from the earlier building and were incorporated into the present-day church.

The Mousetrap and Curiosities Museum displays mousetraps of all kinds, old and rare kitchen utensils, and other curiosities. It also includes the “Gallery of Quiet Places,” a picture gallery on this subject that is considered unique in Germany. This collection has a distinctly different focus from the model railway, school and church architecture exhibits.

Nature Trail and Ponds

The approximately 3.5-kilometre Güntersberge Nature Trail starts at the Selke bridge. Its stations feature puzzles and games and explain connections between the area and its plant and animal life. Other topics include forestry, landscape conservation and nature protection. The trail also provides information about the “Teichdamm” geological outcrop at Bergsee, also known as Mühlteich, and the “Güntersburg” archaeological monument. In this way, it combines activities and games with natural history, landscape and historical topics.

The names of the bodies of water and their former uses also offer a distinctive perspective on the landscape. Bergsee, also called Mühlenteich, was created as a mining pond in 1752 and was also used to power a watermill until the late 1970s. Katzsohlteich is a reservoir pond on the outskirts of Güntersberge, slightly uphill from Mühlteich. Bergsee and Mühlteich refer to the same body of water; Katzsohlteich is a separate pond. This distinction clarifies the different names and the ponds’ locations in relation to each other.

Harzgerode as the Wider Destination

Harzgerode is the wider destination. The following examples are about Harzgerode, not Güntersberge. Harzgerode Castle was rebuilt between 1549 and 1552 and is a Renaissance building with a stair tower and a round tower. From 1635 to 1709, it served as the residence of the Harzgerode branch of the Anhalt princely house. At the castle, a beechwood ball in the HARZKUGELEUM guides visitors through various themed worlds. Through its shape and weight, it conveys information about the Lower Harz, mining, nature, and local and regional history across the ages.

The nature trails also have different focuses: the Harzgerode Nature Trail includes a quiz, a barefoot path and a sound organ. The Güntersberge Nature Trail offers, among other things, puzzles and games, as well as topics covering plant and animal life, forestry, landscape conservation and nature protection.

Another example from Harzgerode is the 1,100-metre-long natural toboggan run. It descends from the Harzgerode plateau in several curves into the Selke Valley, ending at the promenade in Alexisbad, and covers around 75 metres in elevation. Sledging depends on sufficient snow; when there is too little snow, the route is also suitable for a winter walk. Check snow conditions before planning your visit.

Discover more destinations: Harzgerode, Osterwieck, Wernigerode, Selke-Aue, Nordharz, Wegeleben, Oberharz Am Brocken, Halberstadt.

Return to the wider travel overview: Harz.