Vitalhotel Schulenberg · Upper Harz
Schulenberg im Oberharz —
a village that had to make way for the lake.
Schulenberg is one of the smallest villages in the Upper Harz: a good 260 people, a ridge above the Oker reservoir, forest all around and the Harz National Park. The place is young and old at once — the mining settlement reaches back to the 16th century, yet the village standing on the slope today was only rebuilt in the 1950s, because the old village had to make way for the reservoir. The Vitalhotel stands right in the middle of it. This page tells what makes Schulenberg — and where you can go deeper.
The village today
A mountain village above the water
Schulenberg im Oberharz lies at around 490 metres, above the Oker reservoir and on the edge of the national park. Administratively the village is a district of the mining and university town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the district of Goslar; since 2015 it has formed a joint local community with neighbouring Altenau. It is a quiet place: a few streets on the slope, holiday flats, a motorhome pitch with a view over the lake — and the Vitalhotel as a house with 25 rooms right in the middle of it.
Anyone staying overnight in Schulenberg has the Upper Harz at its most peaceful on the doorstep: forest, water and altitude, without the bustle of the larger Harz towns. The well-known destinations of the region — reservoir, waterfall, national park — are only a few minutes away from here.
The lake and the sunken village
When the old village had to make way for the reservoir
The defining history of Schulenberg is that of the Oker reservoir. In the 1950s one of the great dams of the western Harz was built in the Oker valley. The lower-lying old village of Unterschulenberg lay within the future reservoir basin — it was abandoned in 1954 and demolished down to its foundations. The residents moved up the slope to the Kleiner Wiesenberg, where the present-day Schulenberg was newly planned and built, around 60 metres above the later water level. From 1956 the reservoir filled.
Since then the village looks out over the water beneath which its predecessor lies. Around the lake you can today hike, sail, surf, paddle and, on warm days, swim. The dam itself — with its mighty wall, the circular path and the highest man-made waterfall in the Harz a little further down the valley — we have described in more detail on a page of its own:
→ Lake Oker, the Oker Dam & waterfall · for the backstory also Bramke bridge at the Oker reservoir
Where the village comes from
Silver, copper, lead — a mining settlement
Long before the reservoir existed, Schulenberg was a mining and smelting settlement. From the 16th century, silver, copper and lead were mined above the village in the Schulenberg district. The last and most productive pit, the Juliane Sophia, was abandoned in 1904; afterwards forest and timber shaped the economy. This mining is part of the long mining history of the whole Upper Harz.
All year round
Hiking, cycling, water and snow
Schulenberg is a place for the outdoors. On the Großer Wiesenberg above the village lie the Ski-Alpinum with two drag lifts for winter and — in summer, on the same slope — the Bike-Alpinum for mountain bikers. There are also the stone and sculpture trail laid out in 2014, with a view over the Oker reservoir, and a dense network of walking paths through the forest and along the water.
→ Bikepark & mountain biking in Schulenberg · Attractions in the area · the HarzCard as a guest card
Right in the middle
The Vitalhotel in the heart of Schulenberg
The Vitalhotel Schulenberg stands at Unter den Birken 6, in the middle of the village — not on the edge, not on a greenfield site, but where Schulenberg is Schulenberg. 25 rooms and suites, breakfast every morning, and with the Harzer Stube a restaurant that also serves day guests and walkers. From the front door it is a few minutes to the shore of the Oker reservoir and to the trails into the national park.
Schulenberg in figures
Facts & figures
- Location
- western Upper Harz, around 490 m above sea level, on the edge of the Harz National Park
- Administration
- district of the mountain town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld, district of Goslar, Lower Saxony (since 2015)
- Inhabitants
- a good 260 (as of 2023)
- By the water
- above the Oker reservoir, around 60 metres above the lake
- History
- old village abandoned in 1954 for the dam, rebuilt on the slope; flooded from 1956
- Mining
- silver, copper and lead until 1904 (Juliane Sophia mine)
Sources: municipal and local data per Wikipedia (article “Schulenberg im Oberharz”, as of 2023) and the official Harz tourism portal harzinfo.de.
Frequently asked questions
What is Schulenberg im Oberharz?
What is Schulenberg im Oberharz?
Schulenberg im Oberharz is a small mountain village in the western Harz — a district of the mining and university town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld in the district of Goslar (Lower Saxony). It lies at around 490 metres above sea level at the upper end of the Oker reservoir, on the edge of the Harz National Park, and has a good 260 inhabitants (as of 2023). The Vitalhotel stands in the middle of the village.
Why does Schulenberg lie so high above the lake — was the village relocated?
Yes. The lower-lying old village of Unterschulenberg was abandoned in 1954 and demolished down to its foundations to make way for the newly built Oker reservoir. The residents moved to the slope of the Kleiner Wiesenberg, where the present-day Schulenberg arose around 60 metres above the reservoir. From 1956 onwards the dam was flooded.
Does Schulenberg belong to Clausthal-Zellerfeld?
Yes. Since the merger in 2015, Schulenberg im Oberharz has been a district of the mountain town of Clausthal-Zellerfeld and, together with Altenau, forms a joint local community. The postal code is 38707.
What can you do in Schulenberg im Oberharz?
Around the Oker reservoir you can hike, and on the lake sailing, surfing, canoeing, swimming and pedal-boating are possible. On the Großer Wiesenberg lies the Ski-Alpinum (two drag lifts) for winter and the Bike-Alpinum for mountain bikers in summer. There are also the stone and sculpture trail and the walking circuits around the village.
How far is the Oker reservoir from the Vitalhotel?
The Oker reservoir lies directly below the village — from the Vitalhotel you reach the shore in a few minutes. We have gathered figures and excursion destinations around the dam on our page about Lake Oker.
Was Schulenberg a climatic health resort?
From 1972 until the end of 2010, Schulenberg im Oberharz was a state-recognised climatic health resort (Luftkurort). The village no longer holds this status today; the clear mountain air at the edge of the national park has remained.
What is the hotel in Schulenberg im Oberharz called?
The Vitalhotel Schulenberg, Unter den Birken 6, lies in the middle of the village. It has 25 rooms and suites, serves breakfast daily and runs its own restaurant, the Harzer Stube.