The Rehberger Grabenhaus is located approx. 2 km north of St. Andreasberg on the southern slope of the Rehberg (890 m above sea level).
The Rehberger Graben is part of the Upper Harz Water Regal and carries water from the Oderteich pond to St. Andreasberg. It was vital for the mining industry in St. Andreasberg because this structure allowed water to flow to the mines on a daily basis, which was urgently needed for the generation of energy and thus for the daily work on site.
Staff were needed to keep the Rehberger Graben in a proper condition at all times. In 1772, a building was erected for the servants, which served as a material store for the workers, but was also used for residential purposes.
In 1809, this office building was suddenly rebuilt within 3 days and its appearance was significantly and permanently changed. A hall-like room with a bay window was added to the previously single-storey building.
The surprising extension is closely linked to a journey by the King of Westphalia, Jérôme Bonaparte, through the Harz Mountains. A rest stop was to be made here and the king was to be entertained in a representative manner.
It was used as a servants’ dwelling by the ditch keeper or ditch climber until the second half of the 20th century, with the inn already representing an increasingly important source of additional income for the residents.
A plaque discovered in 2007 proves that the Grabenhaus was also used as a toll station for traffic on the Rehberger Grabenweg, at least for a time. This path was probably a popular route for horse-drawn vehicles, as the path along the ditch is largely free of slopes.
Today, the historic Grabenhaus is a popular excursion restaurant known for its home-style cooking. The landlord, Volker Thale, still oversees over 14 km of the Rehberger Graben, for which he was named “Honorary Graben Climber”.
It is an unforgettable experience to sign up for a game feeding in winter and see how the red deer stand a few meters in front of the “Grabenhaus” at the feeding places and carefully eat their food.
The shortest route leads barrier-free from the “Dreibrodesteine” parking lot to the Rehberger Grabenhaus and should be combined with a visit to the Dreibrodesteine HWN 154 natural monument.
