The Braunseck, called “Buntenbocker Bahnhof” by many locals, is a crossroads between Buntenbock and Riefensbeek, where you will look in vain for a train station.
At the beginning of the 20th century, there were big plans to improve the infrastructure of Buntenbock and other Harz towns with a new railroad line. This was intended to improve the poor economic situation of the mining towns of Clausthal, Zellerfeld and Altenau.
Within two years, the plans became so concrete that by the beginning of 1914, the 20-kilometre route from Clausthal Ostbahnhof via Buntenbock, Lerbach and Freiheit to Osterode had been marked out and tracks had already been cut through the forest.
Despite the enormous construction costs, the railroad line was considered profitable by many of those involved, which is hardly conceivable today. The large difference in altitude between Buntenbock and Lerbach required three tunnels with lengths of 150, 300 and 550 meters, nine viaducts up to 150 meters long and 30 meters high and eleven overpasses and underpasses along the tracks. The villages of Buntenbock, Lerbach and Freiheit were to have railroad stations. From Clausthal-Ost station, the line could have continued north to Hahnenklee if required.
The First World War put an end to the realization of this planned railroad line, which would have been comparable to the Höllentalbahn in the Black Forest. Source: Hildebrandt, Werner: The planned railroad construction Clausthal-Buntenbock-Osterode. General Harz Mountain Calendar 1987, Clausthal-Zellerfeld
From the hiking parking lot “An der Trift” in Buntenbock, follow the Harzer Försterstieg to Braunseck, from where you can continue the hike to the Kuckholzklippe HWN 139. The stamp box at Braunseck is located in the refuge.
