#HistoricMiningCity #CityInHarz #InnovationCity

CLAUSTHAL-ZELLERFELD
THE UNIVERSITY CITY WITH TWO WINTER SEMESTERS

Picturesque old house facades are encountered by students in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. © Sebastian Rothe
Clausthal-Zellerfeld© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption

Clausthal-Zellerfeld used to be a mining town. But times have changed and so has the city. Thanks to its University of Technology (TU), it has become known for innovation, openness and internationality.

Living in Germany
Discover university cities
Clausthal-Zellerfeld

WELCOME TO CLAUSTHAL-ZELLERFELD

The mining and university town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld is situated on a high plateau in the Harz region, a place where the weather plays a significant role. You will often encounter a blustery wind and there will be many rainy days. Because the winter is so long and snowy, students often joke about it. They say that the is the only university that has two winter semesters!

  • The main building of the Technical University in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, which many international students attend. © Sebastian Rothe
    The main building of the Technical University in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, which many international students attend.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • The yellow Dennert fir serves as a sign for historically important places in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. © Sebastian Rothe
    The yellow Dennert fir serves as a sign for historically important places in Clausthal-Zellerfeld.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • The annex building of the Technical University in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, which houses the Mineralogical collections. © Sebastian Rothe
    The annex building of the Technical University in Clausthal-Zellerfeld, which houses the Mineralogical collections.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • The chairs and tables of a café in front of the Marktkirche © Sebastian Rothe
    Marktkirche "Zum Heiligen Geist": The chairs and tables of a café in front of the market church© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • Adolph-Roemer-Straße in Clausthal-Zellerfeld is popular with students because of its gastronomy. © Sebastian Rothe
    Adolph-Roemer-Straße in Clausthal-Zellerfeld is popular with students because of its gastronomy.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • Außenansicht der Aula Academica der Technischen Universität Clausthal-Zellerfeld. © Sebastian Rothe
    Außenansicht der Aula Academica der Technischen Universität Clausthal-Zellerfeld.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • Mining symbols can still be seen on some houses in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. © Saebastian Rothe
    Mining symbols can still be seen on some houses in Clausthal-Zellerfeld.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • An old steel mill as a relic of the past in Clausthal-Zellerfeld. © Sebastian Rothe
    An old steel mill as a relic of the past in Clausthal-Zellerfeld.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption
  • View from Clausthal-Zellerfeld to the plateau of the Harz mountains. © Sebastian Rothe
    View from Clausthal-Zellerfeld to the plateau of the Harz mountains.© Sebastian Rothe Open fig caption

But don’t be daunted by the weather statistics. There are plenty of sunny, warm days in summer and autumn when you can take a swim in one of some 60 lakes in and around Clausthal-Zellerfeld. Or take a walk through the two parts of town, Clausthal and Zellerfeld, and discover the history of this once divided city. The historically important sites are marked by the so-called Dennert Pine. On these signs you’ll find information about the city’s past and its famous residents.

Even beyond the borders of Lower Saxony, Clausthal-Zellerfeld played an important role in history. The town was known for its mining operations for several centuries. Although the heydays of coal mining are over, the city still has a close relationship to mining. For example, there is the Oberharzer Mining Museum where visitors can go down into former mine shafts.

The TU Clausthal plays an important role in the city’s future. Each year hundreds of students from around the world study at the university. Some decide to remain after graduation and have started their own companies or research institutes which work closely with the university. Many companies located at the Innovationspark Tannenhöhe and Am Pulverhaus were founded by university graduates in the past 20 to 30 years.

LIFE IN CLAUSTHAL-ZELLERFELD

Life revolves around the university. Many students enjoy taking a stroll down the shopping street (Adolph-Roemer-Strasse) during their breaks, meeting for coffee or getting a bite to eat. And many see it as an advantage that the city isn’t very large – it makes it easy to start a conversation and arrange to meet up later. The city is also a popular destination for tourists who start their hiking and cycling tours from here.

There is an extensive system of bike paths in the region surrounding Clausthal-Zellerfeld. There are paths for casual bikers who like to take it easy, and there are specific routes suited to mountains bikers. Inquire at the Tourist Information office or local bookshops for bike touring maps of the region.

You can easily reach many of the nearby lakes by bike. Most of them look very natural and pristine and are perfect for taking a dip. You can find a supervised sunbathing area and boat rental shop at the Oberer Hausherzberger Teich. And if you suffer from asthma or allergies, you’ll be happy to know that because of its clean air and numerous lakes, Clausthal-Zellerfeld is an official climatic health resort.

Summer isn’t the only time of year you can play outdoor sports: In the winter you can take advantage of a large network of cross-country ski trails in the region. There is a small slope in Zellerfeld where you can even go downhill skiing and sledding.

How to find a room in Clausthal-Zellerfeld

Many university and college towns have dormitories or student halls, and a room there is often the most affordable accommodation. To obtain a room in a dormitory or student hall, you have to apply to your college or university’s student union (). Our ‘Find Student Hall’ function can be of practical help. You only need to make a few mouse clicks to get to the online application form. Find a room and more information about dormitories and student halls in Clausthal-Zellerfeld.

Sources
¹
²

Cities similar to Clausthal-Zellerfeld

  • Statue in the courtyard of the Veste Coburg. © Sophie Nagel
    Courtyard Veste Statue© Sophie Nagel Open fig caption
    Central Germany+15
    Central Germany+15

    Coburg

    #CastleComplexVeste #BavarianCulture #FranconianSmallTown

  • Valhalla © Mijozi/wikicommons
    Valhalla in the Danube Valley near Regensburg© Mijozi/wikicommons Open fig caption
    City+4
    City+4

    Regensburg

    #RomanCityOnTheDanube #MedievalOldTown #UNESCOWorldHeritageSite

  • Hotel Knight © Schubert/DAAD
    Hotel Knight© Schubert/DAAD Open fig caption
    City+3
    City+3

    Heidelberg

    #CityByTheNeckar #PhilosophersPath #RuinsOfTheHeidelbergCastle

  • Dortmund U © Tüch/DAAD
    Dortmund U© Tüch/DAAD Open fig caption
    Cities of culture+7
    Cities of culture+7

    Dortmund

    #ModernCityOfCulture #BVBDortmund

  • Unitower © Brüggemann/DAAD
    Leipzig Unitower© Brüggemann/DAAD Open fig caption
    Eastern Germany+3
    Eastern Germany+3

    Leipzig

    #JohannSebastianBach #AuerbachsCellar #ArtistCity

  • Marktplatz © Quersus/wikicommons
    Osnabrück Marktplatz© Quersus/wikicommons Open fig caption
    City+3
    City+3

    Osnabrück

    #SouthOfLowerSaxony #DiverseCulturalOffer #TownHallOfThePeaceOfWestphalia

  • Trossingen College of Music
    Trossingen College of Music© Janine Funke Open fig caption
    Federal State Baden-Württemberg+4
    Federal State Baden-Württemberg+4

    Trossingen

    #MusicCityInTheBlackForest #SwabianAlb #HarmonicaIndustry

  • Münster cycle path © Horschig/DAAD
    Münster cycle path© Horschig/DAAD Open fig caption
    City+3
    City+3

    Münster

    #BicycleCity #Münsterland #PeaceHallHistoricTownHall

  • German Mining Museum in Bochum during the day
    German Mining Museum in Bochum during the day© Schlutius/Ruhr Tourismus Open fig caption
    Bochum+9
    Bochum+9

    Bochum

    #RuhrRegion #IndustrialRegion #CapitalOfCulture

  • Museum Fridericianum Kassel© leafnode/wikicommons
    Museum Fridericianum Kassel© leafnode/wikicommons Open fig caption
    City+3
    City+3

    Kassel

    #Art #Documenta #InTheHeartOfGermany

#CastleComplexVeste #BavarianCulture #FranconianSmallTown

Coburg
BAVARIAN CITY, SAUSAGES AND SAMBA

Statue in the courtyard of the Veste Coburg. © Sophie Nagel
Courtyard Veste Statue© Sophie Nagel Open fig caption