To some it's just another German town. But to me it's home so I got to say something about it. Nordhausen (NDH) has an exciting history. It was founded in 927 AD and became imperial city. Since 1500 Liqour and tobacco became major businesses of NDH. It is said that Tsar Peter (founder of St. Petersburg) ordered liquor craftsmen from NDH to Russia to increase the quality of Vodka. In the early 20th century it was reffered to as the world capital of chewing tobacco. During the Napolonean Wars NDH lost its free status but continued to prosper. The darkest capital of German history didn't left out NDH. During the Nazi-Rule the KZ Mittelbau Dora was established in a mountain close to the city, where W.v.Braun built the Wonderweapon-rockets-. Thousands of innocent people lost their lifes there and NDH paid a terrible prize - it was destroyed by allied bombers in Apr 45. After the war NDH was part of Eastern Germany and becomes now (hopefully) once more the proud city it has been.
Favourite spots:
The Oldtown with its historic houses and pubs. The tower of the Meyenburg Museum from where you can look over the town. The numerous parks.
Nordhausen hosted Thuringia's "Landesgartenschau" (State Garden Show) in 2004. The town took the chance and reclaimed the historic Petersberg quarter (destroyed during WWII) as its new green center. Especially interesting is the integration of the old city walls into the park. Because of the elevated position you have a good view over the Goldene Aue and two other new landmarks - the original size Mammut-sculpture and the giant liquor bottles of Nordbrand (well-known Liquor Producer).
What's really great:
New Landmark - two giant Korn-bottles (Nordhäuser Doppelkorn is Germany's most sold grain-liqour)
Entering NDH from the south in the evening and seeing the city lights. The Rolandsfest when actors from the theater resemble the towns orginals (Roland, Brocken-Witch, Prof. Zwanziger and Old Ebersberg).
Sights:
Old Town with its historical houses,
Tabakspeicher (Tobacco storage) - with a tobacco-museum
Museumsbrennerei (Historic Liquor Production)
The Roland - very rare made out of wood - symbol of the towns status as free imperial city
The Memorial Mittelbau-Dora to commemorate the victims of the Nazi-Terror, parts of the artifical rocket-factory caves can be visited.
The Harz Mountains with the poetic Mt. Brocken (Goethe's Faust) - can be reached from Nordhausen by the Harzquerbahn - historic steam engine railway - the ride with it is a must.
Accommodations:
Some Pension (e.g. Pension Christa) and a Youth hostel.
Nightlife:
Klubhaus is the place to go on Saturday Nights, often with life-miusic.
Hangouts:
Concentrated in the Old Town:
Felix (Chancellor Schröder ordered his famous bottle of beer here), CK3, Mecklenburg's Hof, Schabernack, Best Biergarten at the Schöne Aussicht at the north end of the town.
Restaurants:
Klosterstübchen in Old Town and Rolandstuben at August-Bebel-Platz offer good regional food.
Other recommendations:
Close by Nordhausen: Neustadt with the Festung Hohenstein which was home to the town's mediaeval antagonist Earl of Hohenstein.
Most interesting. I was in the Harz at Christmas 1957, though not at Nordhausen. We ate local cheese at midday on Christmas Day and we had goose in the evening at a pub. Great.
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