The Harz Mountains - Quiz
  • 1. Where are the Harz Mountains located?
A) Spain
B) France
C) Germany
D) Italy
  • 2. What is the highest peak in the Harz Mountains?
A) Brocken
B) Rosstrappe
C) Wurmberg
D) Hexentanzplatz
  • 3. Which forest is primarily located in the Harz Mountains?
A) Bialowieza Forest
B) Amazon Rainforest
C) Black Forest
D) Harz National Park
  • 4. What popular outdoor activity can visitors enjoy in the Harz Mountains?
A) Skiing
B) Hiking
C) Rock climbing
D) Surfing
  • 5. Which famous fairytale by the Brothers Grimm is set in the Harz Mountains?
A) Snow White
B) Hansel and Gretel
C) Little Red Riding Hood
D) Rapunzel
  • 6. Which notable German writer and philosopher took inspiration from the Harz Mountains for some of his works?
A) Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
B) Friedrich Nietzsche
C) Karl Marx
D) Heinrich Heine
  • 7. What type of rock formations are common in the Harz Mountains?
A) Basalt
B) Granite
C) Limestone
D) Sandstone
  • 8. What unique natural phenomena can be observed in the Harz Mountains on misty days?
A) Rainbows
B) Northern Lights
C) Brocken spectre
D) Double rainbows
  • 9. Which town in the Harz Mountains is famous for its half-timbered houses?
A) Goslar
B) Halberstadt
C) Erfurt
D) Quedlinburg
  • 10. What does the name Harz derive from?
A) A Latin word meaning 'highland'
B) A Celtic name
C) An Old English term for mountain
D) The Middle High German word Hardt or Hart (hill forest)
  • 11. Which state contains the highest peak located entirely within its territory in the Harz?
A) Lower Saxony, with Wurmberg as the highest peak at 971 metres
B) Nordhausen, with Achtermannshöhe as the highest peak
C) Saxony-Anhalt, with Brocken as the highest peak
D) Thuringia, with Acker-Bruchberg ridge as the highest peak
  • 12. What is the approximate length of the Harz?
A) 50 kilometres (31 mi)
B) 110 kilometres (68 mi)
C) 200 kilometres (124 mi)
D) 75 kilometres (47 mi)
  • 13. What is the approximate width of the Harz?
A) 20 kilometres (12 mi)
B) 45 kilometres (28 mi)
C) 35 kilometres (22 mi)
D) 50 kilometres (31 mi)
  • 14. How is the Upper Harz generally characterized?
A) It supports arable farming on its plateaus
B) It has deciduous forests interspersed with meadows
C) It is higher and features fir forests
D) It gradually descends into the surrounding area
  • 15. How many people approximately live in towns and villages of the Harz Mountains?
A) Approximately 600,000 people
B) Less than 100,000 people
C) Approximately 300,000 people
D) Over 1 million people
  • 16. Which district is part of the Upper Harz?
A) Goslar and Göttingen
B) Nordhausen
C) Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz
D) Salzgitter
  • 17. What is the highest subsidiary peak of the Brocken?
A) Acker-Bruchberg ridge (927 m)
B) Wurmberg (971 m)
C) Königsberg (1,023 m)
D) Heinrichshöhe (1,044 m)
  • 18. What type of forests are found in the Lower Harz?
A) Coniferous forests
B) Rainforests
C) Fir forests
D) Deciduous forests interspersed with meadows
  • 19. What is the approximate area of the Harz?
A) 2,226 square kilometres (859 sq mi)
B) 3,000 square kilometres (1,160 sq mi)
C) 1,500 square kilometres (580 sq mi)
D) 4,500 square kilometres (1,740 sq mi)
  • 20. How many rivers are blocked by dams in the Harz?
A) Twelve rivers
B) Eight rivers
C) Ten rivers
D) Fifteen rivers
  • 21. What was one of the earliest uses for damming water in the Harz Mountains?
A) To create artificial lakes
B) For recreational fishing
C) As tourist attractions
D) To form mountain ponds like the Oderteich
  • 22. Which river is the largest in the north of the Harz?
A) The Innerste
B) The Wipper
C) The Bode
D) The Oker
  • 23. Into which river does the Innerste merge?
A) The Wipper
B) The Leine
C) The Oker
D) The Bode
  • 24. Which river is fed by the Eine?
A) The Innerste
B) The Bode
C) The Wipper
D) The Oker
  • 25. Into which river does the Rhume discharge?
A) The Oder
B) The Bode
C) The Leine
D) The Wipper
  • 26. Which side of the Harz mountains receives up to 1,600 mm of rain annually?
A) The eastern side
B) The windward side
C) The southern side
D) The leeward side
  • 27. What type of climate does the Harz experience throughout the year?
A) Dry and arid
B) Cold with heavy snowfall
C) Regular precipitation
D) Hot and humid
  • 28. Which geological era marks the beginning of the formation of the Harz hills?
A) Palaeozoic era
B) Mesozoic era
C) Precambrian era
D) Cenozoic era
  • 29. What is the dominant rock type in the Harz?
A) Sandstone
B) Base-poor rocks
C) Marble
D) Limestone
  • 30. Which of the following valleys is not mentioned as a well-known valley in the Harz?
A) Weser Valley
B) Bode Gorge
C) Oker Valley
D) Selke Valley
  • 31. During which period were the younger overlying strata eroded, leaving the base rock as low mountains?
A) Quaternary period
B) Jurassic period
C) Tertiary period
D) Cretaceous period
  • 32. Which rock type is commonly found on the surface in the Harz?
A) Marble
B) Granite
C) Limestone
D) Argillaceous shales
  • 33. What significant geological event occurred around 83 million years ago in the Harz?
A) The most important uplift movements during the sub-Hercynian phase
B) The extinction of marine life
C) The appearance of the first dinosaurs
D) The formation of the first mountain range
  • 34. Which type of rock is economically important around Elbingerode?
A) Sandstone deposits
B) Marble deposits
C) Granite deposits
D) Limestone deposits
  • 35. Which geological zone's surface layer is widespread in the Harz and consists mainly of flysch?
A) Baltic Shield
B) Scandinavian Plateau
C) Gießen-Harz surface layer of the Rhenohercynian zone
D) Alpine Fault Zone
  • 36. What type of valleys are characteristic of the Harz landscape?
A) Flat-bottomed valleys
B) Long, narrow V-shaped valleys
C) Wide U-shaped valleys
D) Circular basins
  • 37. Which tree species dominates the beech woods from the edge of the Harz to 700 m above sea level?
A) English oak (Quercus robur)
B) Scots elm (Ulmus glabra)
C) Common beech (Fagus sylvatica)
D) Sycamore trees (Acer pseudoplatanus)
  • 38. What type of beech woods are found in nutrient-rich areas over dolerite and gneiss formations?
A) Spruce woods
B) Wood-rush beech woods
C) Melic grass beech woods
D) Mixed woods
  • 39. What type of trees thrive in the highest locations from about 800 m to the tree line at around 1,000 m above sea level?
A) Beech woods
B) Mixed woods
C) Oak woods
D) Spruce woods
  • 40. Which unusual species is found in the spruce woods of the Harz mountains?
A) Scots elm (Ulmus glabra)
B) English oak (Quercus robur)
C) Carpathian birch (Betula pubescens subsp. carpatica)
D) Ash (Fraxinus excelsior)
  • 41. What color are the fruit clusters of deergrass in autumn?
A) Purple
B) Green
C) Rust-red
D) Bright yellow
  • 42. Which bird species prefers fast-flowing, clear mountain streams with wooded banks in the Harz?
A) The ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
B) The grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
C) The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
D) The dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
  • 43. What is the main summer activity in the Harz?
A) Walking
B) Swimming
C) Cycling
D) Skiing
  • 44. Which mammal prefers diverse wooded areas in the Harz?
A) The red deer
B) The mouflon
C) The roe deer
D) The European wildcat (Felis silvestris)
  • 45. What is a characteristic species of fungi in natural spruce woods?
A) Melic grass
B) Sphagnum spec.
C) Tricholomopsis decora
D) Phellinus viticola
  • 46. Which ancient human species is known to have hunted in the Harz region around 250,000 years ago?
A) Homo sapiens
B) Homo erectus
C) Neanderthals
D) Celts
  • 47. Which law book described the Harz as a place where wild animals were protected?
A) The Saxon Mirror (Sachsenspiegel)
B) The Magna Carta
C) The Code of Hammurabi
D) The Roman Twelve Tables
  • 48. Which plant is a relict of the ice age found in the Harz raised bogs?
A) Bog-rosemary (Andromeda polifolia)
B) Cowberry
C) Blueberry
D) Common heather
  • 49. Which plant is known as a fascinating moorland plant?
A) Cross-leaved heath
B) Round-leaved sundew (Drosera rotundifolia)
C) Cowberry
D) Blueberry
  • 50. Which activity has become increasingly popular in summer alongside walking?
A) Nordic walking
B) Skiing
C) Cycling
D) Hiking
  • 51. What type of skiing is particularly popular due to the high altitude and length of runs in the Harz?
A) Nordic skiing
B) Alpine skiing
C) Cross-country skiing
D) Freestyle skiing
  • 52. Which dragonfly species is endangered in Germany and found only in the Harz?
A) The Alpine emerald dragonfly (Somatochlora alpestris)
B) The beautiful demoiselle (Calopteryx virgo)
C) The Subarctic darner (Aeshna subarctica)
D) The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltoni)
  • 53. What was extracted using modern technology at the Wolkenhügel Pit before it closed?
A) Silver
B) Lead
C) Copper schist
D) Barite
  • 54. Which mine was known as the deepest in the world for a long time?
A) Lange Wand Mine
B) Samson Pit
C) Rammelsberg Mine
D) Büchenberg Mine
  • 55. Which of these towns offers lift facilities for mountain biking?
A) Hahnenklee
B) Torfhaus
C) Wernigerode
D) Goslar
  • 56. Which tree species give way to hardier deciduous species in ravine, riparian, and river source woods?
A) Scots elm
B) Spruce
C) Common beech
D) Sycamore
  • 57. Which concentration camp in the Harz area became particularly infamous?
A) Mittelbau-Dora near Blankenburg.
B) KZ Dora near Nordhausen.
C) Ellrich concentration camp.
D) Buchenwald near Ilfeld.
  • 58. In what year was the first conservation order for Baumann's Cave issued?
A) 1705
B) 1668
C) 1588
D) 1718
  • 59. Which bird species is an indication of the natural state of the beech woods in the Harz?
A) The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
B) The European wildcat (Felis silvestris)
C) The black stork (Ciconia nigra)
D) The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
  • 60. Who published the first book on regional flora of the Harz and what was its title?
A) Johannes Thal, Silva hercynia
B) Rudolph Augustus, Brocken's Flora
C) Albert Peter, Alpine Flowers
D) Hermann Löns, Harz Nature
  • 61. Which area continues to have important copper workings today?
A) Bad Grund
B) Elbingerode
C) Mansfeld
D) Goslar
  • 62. Which large butterfly species is found in old, open wood-reed spruce forest?
A) Enthephria caesiata
B) Cordulegaster boltoni
C) Gnophos sordarius
D) Calopteryx virgo
  • 63. When did the last formations of the 11th Army and Waffen SS in the Harz surrender?
A) 8 May 1945.
B) 15 June 1945.
C) 1 April 1945.
D) 7 May 1945.
  • 64. When did the capercaillie population in the Harz die out?
A) In 1798
B) In 1852
C) Around 1920
D) In 1668
  • 65. Who was entrusted to oversee Baumann's Cave after the 1668 conservation order?
A) Count Christian Ernest
B) A resident mine worker
C) Rudolph Augustus
D) Albert Peter
  • 66. Which bird species prefers semi-open stone runs and lightly wooded transition zones in the Harz?
A) The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
B) The black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
C) The ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
D) The dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
  • 67. Which event takes place on the Wurmberg ski jump near Braunlage?
A) Rock climbing contests
B) International winter sport competitions
C) National hiking events
D) Mountain biking races
  • 68. Which bird species is a typical resident of deciduous woods in the Harz?
A) The black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
B) The Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus)
C) The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
D) The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
  • 69. When was the Rammelsberg mine near Goslar closed?
A) 2010
B) 2007
C) 1988
D) 1992
  • 70. Which bird species is characterized by breeding almost exclusively in black woodpecker holes?
A) The European wildcat (Felis silvestris)
B) The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
C) The Tengmalm's owl (Aegolius funereus)
D) The black stork (Ciconia nigra)
  • 71. Which bird species has returned to the Harz due to habitat improvements?
A) The grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
B) The golden-ringed dragonfly (Cordulegaster boltoni)
C) The ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
D) The pygmy owl (Glaucidium passerinum)
  • 72. Which bird species uses the Harz streams for its rich food supplies?
A) The grey wagtail (Motacilla cinerea)
B) The European wildcat (Felis silvestris)
C) The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
D) The red deer
  • 73. What type of sports are permitted on several reservoirs in the Harz?
A) Water sports
B) Winter sports
C) Mountain biking
D) Rock climbing
  • 74. Which rock formation near Thale is popular among climbers?
A) Brocken
B) Wurmberg
C) Hexentanzplatz
D) Roßtrappe
  • 75. Which species of Sphagnum prefers the hummocks?
A) Sphagnum magellanicum
B) Sphagnum cuspidatum
C) Sphagnum fallax
D) Sphagnum papillosum
  • 76. How many signed mountain bike routes are there in the Harz?
A) 75
B) 40
C) 50
D) 62
  • 77. What type of habitat does the Tengmalm's owl prefer for breeding?
A) Open moorland
B) Black woodpecker holes in old beeches
C) Spruce woods with dense cover
D) Bog spruce forests
  • 78. Which bird species needs steep rock outcrops with little vegetation in the Harz?
A) The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
B) The black stork (Ciconia nigra)
C) The ring ouzel (Turdus torquatus)
D) The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
  • 79. Who declared the Harz a restricted imperial forest?
A) Frederick Barbarossa
B) Charlemagne
C) Louis the Pious
D) Eike von Repkow
  • 80. How many walkers were recorded on the Brocken in 1779?
A) 1000
B) 200
C) 750
D) 421
  • 81. Which bird species is typical of the mixed beech and spruce woods in the Harz?
A) The European wildcat (Felis silvestris)
B) The capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus)
C) The black woodpecker (Dryocopus martius)
D) The peregrine falcon (Falco peregrinus)
  • 82. What was mined at the Rammelsberg for centuries?
A) Copper schist.
B) Argentiferous lead ore.
C) Stone coal.
D) Potash.
  • 83. What was one of the economic activities controlled by the Cistercian Abbey of Walkenried in the Harz?
A) Woodland clearances.
B) Silver mining industry.
C) Cattle driving.
D) Tourism.
  • 84. In which zone do sycamore trees often grow in wetter places?
A) Colin zone
B) Beech woods
C) Mixed woods
D) Spruce woods
  • 85. Until what year did the Inner German border run through the western third of the Harz?
A) 1989
B) 1975
C) 2007
D) 1990
  • 86. Which of these places is known for using the Upper Harz dialect?
A) Nordhausen
B) Thale
C) Altenau
D) Wernigerode
  • 87. Where is limestone still mined in the Harz region?
A) Bad Lauterberg
B) Mansfeld
C) Elbingerode
D) Goslar
  • 88. What type of wood is found around raised bogs on marshy and boggy soils?
A) Colin zone woods
B) River source woods
C) Bog-spruce woods
D) Riparian woods
  • 89. Which of these towns is known for winter sports facilities in the Harz?
A) Thale
B) Wernigerode
C) Braunlage
D) Goslar
  • 90. When was the last wolf killed in the Harz?
A) 23 March 1798
B) 1705
C) 1920
D) 1818
  • 91. Which organization is responsible for marketing tourism in the Harz?
A) Harzer Verkehrsverband (HVV)
B) National Park Service
C) Bergwacht Harz
D) Förderverein Loipenverbund Harz
  • 92. What type of vegetation predominantly makes up the raised bogs in the Harz?
A) Deciduous trees
B) Coniferous shrubs
C) Tall grasses
D) Peat mosses (Sphagnum spec.)
  • 93. Where does common heather grow in the raised bogs?
A) On the bog margins
B) On the drier hummocks
C) In the flarks
D) In the waterlogged areas
  • 94. Which cave in the Harz is known as a dripstone cave?
A) Netzkater Dripstone Cave
B) Clausthal-Zellerfeld Cave
C) St. Andreasberg Cave
D) Baumann's Cave
  • 95. Which mammal was successfully reintroduced to the Harz National Park in 2000?
A) The red deer
B) The lynx
C) The European wildcat (Felis silvestris)
D) The roe deer
  • 96. Which plant blooms from May to June on the raised bogs?
A) Black crowberry
B) Cross-leaved heath
C) Cranberries (Vaccinium oxicoccus)
D) Cowberry
  • 97. Which species of Sphagnum is found in the flarks?
A) Sphagnum fallax
B) Sphagnum magellanicum
C) Sphagnum cuspidatum
D) Sphagnum papillosum
  • 98. What type of plant is the dwarf birch?
A) A flowering herb
B) An ice age plant
C) A tall tree
D) A common shrub
  • 99. In which year was the Harz first mentioned in historical records?
A) 968
B) 814
C) 852
D) 1224
  • 100. What event took place on 3 December 1989 related to the Brocken plateau?
A) Demonstrating walkers first entered a large military out-of-bounds area.
B) A new hiking trail was inaugurated.
C) Mining operations were resumed.
D) The border was officially opened for tourism.
Created with That Quiz — a math test site for students of all grade levels.