Nordhausen looks back on over a thousand years of urban history and is considered the economic and cultural centre of northern Thuringia, as well as Thuringia’s gateway to the Harz Mountains. The surrounding area with its diverse landscapes and the wide range of leisure, art and cultural activities shape the city’s character.
When you walk through Nordhausen, you’ll find traces of the city’s history in many places. Tobacco processing and grain distilling have made Nordhausen famous. In the Original Nordhäuser Traditional Distillery you can learn more about the history and technique of grain distilling – and even taste the result.
Museums tell stories of the past, the art of distilling, and industrial culture. The jazz festival, the Rolandsfest as the region’s largest fair and numerous cabaret events offer plenty of encounters with music, theatre and community. The Theatre Nordhausen and the Meyenburg Art House attract visitors from all over the region. A special experience awaits you with the Harz narrow-gauge railways. From Nordhausen, the steam-powered trains set off into the Harz Mountains and up to the Brocken.
Leisure, exercise and adventure can be found in many different ways in Nordhausen. In the Nordhausen gravel lakes you can even explore the underwater world in the diving area “Nordhusia”. Numerous hiking and cycling tours take you from here through the karst landscape of the southern Harz.
For your visit on site or for inspiration beforehand, we recommend having a look at the free digital city tour, including an introduction to the Nordhausen stair beetles, which make a city stroll especially colourful for families.
