Kaiser Way
The Imperial Way ( resin ) is a thematic distance footpath, the only crossing over a total length of about 110 kilometers from the resin, and finally the Kyffhaeuser Mountains. From Goslar and Bad Harzburg on the northern edge of the Harz he leads over the resin to Walkenried in the south; and subsequently Nordhausen to Tilleda on Kyffhaeuser.
Course
Goslar Imperial Palace - Oker - Bad Harzburg - Milk House - Königskrug - Chapel spot - Helenenruh - Walk Ried - Ellrich - Chamber forestry - Woffleben - Comedy Court - Salza - Nordhausen - herring - Hamma - Badra - Kyffhaeuser Mountain - King Tilleda.
Depending on the design of Kaiserweg begins as a " way German emperors and kings of the Middle Ages in the Harz " already at the Imperial Palace of Goslar and leads on the northern edge of the Harz initially in an easterly direction over Oker to Bad Harzburg. Here the actual Kaiserweg begins. From Bad Harzburg it goes south up into the Harz National Park ( resin crossing ) over Molkenhaus to Königskrug, then down to the southern Harz Walkenried edge; he crosses the resin so on the north -south axis, compliance with the principles of mountain ridge, avoiding the valleys and then performs edge of the southern Harz Lower Saxony Thuringia. About direction of adjustment, the chamber Forestry and Woffleben it goes eastward to North camp. From there, the section is followed by the Goldene Aue ( herring - Hamma - Badra ) to Kyffhaeuser Mountains. Now he also crosses this - the walker moves from Thuringia ( KYF ) to Saxony -Anhalt ( SGH or MSH) - and reached the other side of this small mountain Tausendseelenort Tilleda including the royal palace.
The Kaiserweg has activated three states: Lower Saxony - Thuringia - Sachsen- Anhalt, as well as several counties: Goslar (GS) - Osterode am Harz ( OHA ) - Nordhausen ( NDH ) - Kyffhauserkreis ( KYF ) - Sangerhausen ( SGH, today Mansfeld- Suedharz MSH). This is the real history of the imperial path, an " early prehistoric trade route over the resin, named after fleeing Emperor Henry IV of his Harzburg in the protection of Südharzer monasteries and after Tilleda in 1074 ". Nevertheless, there are in the eastern Harz beyond a larger network of paths, which also bears the imperial crown under the name "Ways German emperors and kings of the Middle Ages in the Harz ", but should not be referred to as the Imperial Way.
Nature
This thematic trail runs on old, historic tracks - the Kaiserweg. Until the turn of the millennium the few ways through the resin only walk stairs were such as the Weidenstieg, salt Stieg and others. The historic Rose, bridle path and future infrastructure is the Kaiserweg.
As trail he leads while avoiding the deep Talschnitte with the least possible effort for the user of the resin just past the fourth highest mountain in the Harz the aft man ( 926 m above sea level. NN ), according to the Brocken, a mountain worm and Bruchberg.
The nature of the path is extremely versatile and changeable. For example, predominate in the National Park developed a broad, well-marked gravel roads. In the southern Harz and Thuringia, where the number of visitors is less, you will encounter many even on poor roads preserved. Overall, the Kaiserweg includes asphalt, gravel, and cobble stone, as well as forest and field paths with some coarse gravelly, muddy or sandy texture, as well as sections within towns and cities.
History
Existed in the prehistoric times here committed paths, as can be seen by the eye-catching cluster of Neolithic finds along the route.
In the year 744, the army of the Frankish mayor of the palace Pepin drew on these stairs.
Many great armies but also trade goods of all kinds, especially of the Rammelsberg ore from Altenau and Spitzberg were made here on the resin. Most of the emperor path is identical to the previous Heide Rose, who was called via ( route ) from 1258.
Takes its name Kaiserweg only through the successful escape Emperor Henry IV, in the night of 8 to August 9, 1073 before the Saxons from his castle on Castle Hill in Bad Harzburg on Walk Ried, Ellrich to Eschwege on the Werra, at the beginning of receive the 19th century. Later, to Henry the Lion in 1180, King Philip in 1200, Emperor Otto IV 1206/1208 and the Emperor Frederick II, who used the same way for their armies through the resin in 1219, but there is no evidence for it.
The road was never in a good condition. Although granite slabs, boulders and tree trunks to eliminate the biggest potholes were related, but because under current law all missing goods belonged to the respective sovereign, they were more interested in a bad state of the roads. All goods had in the flat land of the four-wheeled covered wagon on two-wheeled carts resin, in which you also transported the ore to be reloaded.
With six are eight, often more horses, each cart was pulled over the resin. Depth lanes in the granite slabs bear witness to between Königskrug and Oderbrück of this turbulent past of the Emperor Way.
From 1899 to 1962 was at the junction of the road with the highway Wieda - Brown position of the breakpoint Kaiserweg the narrow gauge railway Walkenried-Braunlage/Tanne. Until 1963, this timber was loaded.