I really enjoyed Goslar, though I must admit it was approaching tipping point as its central streets filled up with large groups of tourists moving en mass between Glühwein stands.

A visit between Christmas and New Year meant that it was only possible/ practical to visit one part of this inscription, however the centre of Goslar proved to be a very worthwhile destination all by itself. The streets of half timbered buildings and grander civic edifices left no doubt as to which part of Europe you were in. My first stop was the Rathaus; its steps provided a nice overview of the stalls clustered on the main square; however the real highlight was the magnificent painted hall where council meeting used to take place. It was a real treat that I wasn’t expecting and because I wasn’t in the German language film screening, it meant I had a fair bit of time to explore it by myself from the odd glass bubble erected to protect its fragile decorations. After exiting I watched the glockenspiel, which deserves special mention for containing miners in contemporary dress, which added a nice touch to something that are normally viciously underwhelming. After nipping in for a quick Kaffee und Kuchen to escape a brief sleety shower, I ventured off to the Kaiserpfalz and again was impressed by a painted interior. This time it wasn’t a delicate medieval display of civic and religious pride, but instead a full-on Wagnerian interpretation of the myths and events around birth of the German nation; A really interesting if relentlessly bombastic history lesson.

Aimless wandering led me back to the city centre which in the festive period housed the finest Christmas market I have ever been to (I have been to a lot of them, every British settlement of any size seems to trade pedestrian spaces between chain stores for a German market from mid November every year. I was a little surprised that there were still enough German merchants left in their homeland to set up and run them there). As well as the usual array of wooden toys and Bratwursts they managed to squeeze in a fairly sizeable copse of pine trees and couple of llamas circling the infant Christ in his manger (must have missed those bible verses).

So I only got to visit one of the three main parts of the site, however it was so enjoyable I would have no problem dragging myself and others back in future for further exploration. Whilst the groups of older locals flocking through the Christmas market were a touch inconvenient at times; it really added to the atmosphere, especially when a group distributed festive treats to the passengers on the train into the city. A lovely city and I would happily return to explore the industrial infrastructure which is also included in this inscription.

[Site 7: Experience 7]