Brauhaus Goslar & Gose Beer Culture
The historic imperial city of Goslar, 25 km north of Altenau, is the nearest place to taste Gose — the tart, coriander-and-salt-spiced wheat beer that originated in the Harz and is now one of Germany's most fashionable craft styles. The Brauhaus Goslar on Marktkirchhof brews it fresh on-site in a gleaming copper kettle visible through the restaurant window.
What to Order
Start with the house-brewed Gose on draught — pale gold, lightly hazy, with a refreshing sour-saline finish that makes it dangerously easy to drink. Pair it with a plate of Harzer Käse, the pungent local hand-cheese rolled in caraway seeds, or the slow-braised Harzer Sauerbraten served with red cabbage and potato dumplings.
The menu changes seasonally and leans hard into regional produce: wild boar from Harz forests, trout from mountain streams, and lingonberry sauces that cut through rich game. Portions are generous and prices are very reasonable by German city standards.
Goslar's Old Town While You're There
Goslar's Altstadt is a UNESCO World Heritage Site — the same inscription that covers the Oberharzer water system — and its half-timbered streetscapes around the Marktplatz are among the best-preserved in northern Germany. The Kaiserhaus imperial palace on the southern edge of the old town is a monumental 11th-century structure worth at least an hour inside.
The Rammelsberg mine museum on the hill above town (also UNESCO-listed) can be combined with a Goslar day-trip into a full immersion in Harz history, from medieval silver wealth to imperial politics.
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