Enjoy a ride on the Harle along the promenade from Carolinensiel to Harlesiel, spring is fast approaching, something like this could be the advertising slogan for the holiday resorts of Carolinensiel – Harlesiel.

Harle Bay was originally a bay about 15 kilometres wide and about 10 kilometres inland, into which the Harle River of the same name drained.

Towards evening we had first come to the city centre and the pedestrian area of the second largest city in the district of Goslar, so the beautiful lighting of the Heilbad am Harz especially caught our eye in the run-up to Christmas.

Once again, the glorious sunshine lured us onto our bikes and the decision was quickly made to drive down to the Sösetalsperre and circle it today.

Our first city tour in Goslar initially came to a surprising end at the market church of St. Cosmas and Damian, because no sooner had we climbed the 226 steps to the viewing platform than the bells caused a more than violent shock: deafening noise when you stand directly underneath!

After a good 90-minute e-bike ride from the Prahljust campsite with a few photo stops along the way, we reached Goslar city centre after 22.6 kilometres. The Harz has been an important ore mining area since Roman times.

Another interesting encounter along the way on the way to Goslar: The wooden stave church in Hahnenklee was built entirely without screws and nails. We were on our way from the Prahljust campsite near Clausthal-Zellerfeld when the cycle route led us to the edge of Hahnenklee-Bockswiese, where we came across the stave church.

Our early spring tour high in the cold north of Germany was finished and we decided for a short trip to the Harz Nature Park on the way back, a small stopover, which should interrupt the journey and at the same time convey further impressions.

During our hike around the center of Altenau (Altenauer Runde) we came across the Okerteich, built in 1714 in the valley of the "Kleine Oker", which once served as an artificial pond to supply the mining mills along the "Schatzkammerzug" with water to power the machines.

We had already reported on the large number of artificially dammed ponds, which are so different in size, for use as backwater to operate the ancient mines in the Harz Mountains in the first article “Pixhaier & Schwarzenbacher Teich am Prahljust Campsite”.

The town of Altenau is quite centrally located in the Upper Harz, only about 10 kilometers from Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the west, Goslar is about 15 km to the north and Osterode am Harz is about 25 km to the south-west.

How well can I remember my childhood, when there was a lot of life and hustle and bustle at and on the Okertalsperre, the water level so high that you could “board” the big round trip on the MS Aquamarin at many points along the lake shore, the at that time it took almost 1.5 hours and could be started from any landing stage.

After driving along the Oker Reservoir we had driven up to the mountain town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld, where we wanted to look at the now fully restored Market Church of the Holy Spirit.

Traveling regionally again, this time we ended up in the Upper Harz near Clausthal-Zellerfeld at the Prahljust campsite, where we not only wanted to explore the cycling and hiking trails of the Harz, but also specifically the water supply for driving water wheels to generate energy for the former wanted to take a look at the Upper Harz ore mines.

We were coming back from Neuharlingersiel on the North Sea when Jochen chose county road 89 via Middoge, Tettens, Pievens and Oldorf for the way back.

It really was pure coincidence that our trip to the North Sea, which we had planned together with Brita and Gerda, fell on the weekend when the old town festival, which is well known far beyond the city limits of Jever, was being celebrated.

Our stay in Friesland had extended more than originally planned due to the extended visiting program, but there were many really interesting encounters with the local culture, which let the time flying by.

We discovered a strange-looking vehicle on the Pilsum dyke during our tour with Laura von Emden along the coast: a mudflat or mud sled, which is also called Kreier here in the region.

The following day brought us another wonderful excursion, this time through the Ammerland to Barßel. During our hearty breakfast with Mariechen and Jochen, we decided to go on a day trip along the Fehn canals through the peat areas of East Friesland and Ammerland, which are hardly used any more today.

For the following Sunday morning we had decided to take a short trip to Dangast, which is known far beyond the national borders and well attended due to the Kurhaus with its cultural events and the almost legendary rhubarb cake available there.