A Walk in the Harz around the Historic Oder Lake Dam.

Our red marked route around the lake dam.

Fortunately it didn't rain, a warm sun shone through the patchy cloud, and a very cold wind almost blew our brunch of wholesome food from the table.  However the weather failed to affect our enjoyment of this wonderful area in the Harz National Park, and the map shows our route around this historic lake and dam.  We started at  bottom middle, on the red line near the blue car park sign, and walked the circular path around the lake, through nature reserves, the site of the stone boulders used to construct the dam,  and then back to the modern water control sluices and the little old control hut.

The Oder Lake Dam was constructed of local granite, and built by miners from the local St Andreasberg coal mine in the years 1715 to 1722. Today it forms an important part of the water supply in the Upper Harz Area.  For 170 years from the time of its completion at the end of the 18th cent, it was the largest dam in Germany.  It was built to deliver a reliable souce of water to the water wheels in the St Andreasberg coal mine further down the valley, even in times of drought. 

A full history, more than I can write here,  can be read on the Wikipedia website below:

Oderteich - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia   en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oderteich

Eating brunch, with the dam to the right in the background.

Eating in the fresh air is guaranteed to make you consume more than you'd normally would, and with a cold wind blowing,  we all did just that.   With tasty bread, and rolls filled with cheese, eggs and assorted salads, we tucked in before we started our wander around the lake.  In the photo, to the right  is the dam, now crossed by a modern road, with a little hut which was the former control room.  Out of sight, behind the hut, are the modern sluices, used to control the water  level during times of melting  snow, when the lake fills to overflowing.   Several photos of the lake in various seasons can be seen on the Wikipedia website.

A scene typical in the Harz National Park

Our path varied from uneven, root strewn tracks, as above,  where you really had to keep an eye on the track, to walkways constructed of wood, and built to take us over areas of protected rare flora.  The birds sang, the sun mostly shone, and the entire walk was wonderful.  To breathe fresh air, with only the sound of birds and with good friends, was a most enjoyable way to spend the day. 

Later we visited a village museum for afternoon tea, went on to Edgar and Gudrun's house and sat in their  beautiful garden, and then in the evening to a restaurant in Herzberg for a meal.   Watch this space tomorrow for news of the above activities.

From left: Hans, Edgar, Monika, Ralph and Gudrun in red.

The granite boulders in the foreground, give you an idea of those used to build the dam.  Stone for the construction was on hand, but moving these mighty boulders must have taken some ingenuity and effort.