The small village of Buntenbock lies on the plateau of the

Harz mountains The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

and is part of the mining and university town of

Clausthal-Zellerfeld Clausthal-Zellerfeld is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is located in the southwestern part of the Harz mountains. Its population is approximately 15,000. The City is the location of the Clausthal University of Technology. The health resort ...

. It is a state-recognised climatic

health resort A destination spa or health resort is a resort centered on a spa, such as a mineral spa. Historically, many such spas were developed at the location of natural hot springs or mineral springs; in the era before modern biochemical knowledge and p ...

and has accommodation for 200 visitors as well as 700 inhabitants. The village lies on the Innerste at a height of 550–600 m above

sea level Mean sea level (MSL, often shortened to sea level) is an average surface level of one or more among Earth's coastal bodies of water from which heights such as elevation may be measured. The global MSL is a type of vertical datuma standardised g ...

. Surrounded by meadows, woods and numerous lakes (see

Upper Harz Ponds The Upper Harz Ponds (german: Oberharzer Teiche) are found mainly around the mining town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld and the nearby villages of Buntenbock and Hahnenklee in the Upper Harz mountains of central Germany. There are around 70 ponds in to ...

), it is a base for all sorts of leisure activities such as

hiking Hiking is a long, vigorous walk, usually on trails or footpaths in the countryside. Walking for pleasure developed in Europe during the eighteenth century.AMATO, JOSEPH A. "Mind over Foot: Romantic Walking and Rambling." In ''On Foot: A Histor ...

cycling Cycling, also, when on a two-wheeled bicycle, called bicycling or biking, is the use of cycles for transport, recreation, exercise or sport. People engaged in cycling are referred to as "cyclists", "bicyclists", or "bikers". Apart from two ...

fishing Fishing is the activity of trying to catch fish. Fish are often caught as wildlife from the natural environment, but may also be caught from stocked bodies of water such as ponds, canals, park wetlands and reservoirs. Fishing techniques inclu ...

, swimming and, in winter,

cross-country skiing Cross-country skiing is a form of skiing where skiers rely on their own locomotion to move across snow-covered terrain, rather than using ski lifts or other forms of assistance. Cross-country skiing is widely practiced as a sport and recreation ...

. From the Kuckholzklippe observation tower there is an impressive view over the mountains to the Harz Foreland. In the nearby refuge hut is a checkpoint (no. 139) on the Harzer Wandernadel hiking network.

Points of interest

Regular events

* Cattle and Sheep Day (mid-August) * Buntenbock Folk Festival and

Schützenfest A Schützenfest (, '' marksmen's festival'') is a traditional festival or fair featuring a target shooting competition in the cultures of Germany, the Netherlands and Switzerland. At a Schützenfest, contestants compete based on their shooting ...

(end of August)

Tourism

Tourism has played an important role in Buntenbock for a good 100 years. In the early days it was advertised as a healthy place to recover from illness due to its mountain air. Buntenbock lay on important transport routes and was traditionally a village of carters, who mainly worked for the mines. The keeping of domestic animals, particularly horses and goats, stems from that time. In the cheese dairy of Buntenbock's goat farm (''Ziegenhof''), goat's milk is processed into products such as the aromatic ''Buntenböcker Ziegenkäse'' goat's cheese. In the area around Buntenbock are numerous lakes from the mining era, which are used for swimming in summer and skating in winter. In and around Buntenbock there are many walking trails, which include the

Harzer Hexenstieg The Harz Witches' Trail (german: Harzer Hexenstieg) is a footpath, just under 100 km long, in Germany that runs from Osterode through the Harz mountains and over its highest peak, the Brocken, to Thale. It is a project by the Harz Transpo ...

that passes nearby. The village has a small spa park where, from April to September, there is a village market every fortnight on a Wednesday. In winter there is tobogganing and cross-country skiing on Buntenbock's local mountain, the Ziegenberg.

External links

Website for Buntenbock
{{Authority control Spas in Lower Saxony Goslar (district) Clausthal-Zellerfeld