Welcome to Goslar at the beautiful edge of the Harz. We’re glad you are visiting our GeoTour.
(this Cache) Adelhard and the Secret of the Padlocks
Are you ready to tackle this cache? If so, you’ll need to activate your 5 senses and read this listing at least 1 time. You could take maybe 5 paths, but only 1 will lead to the ultimate goal.
It should be obvious that for one of my multis, you need to take more than 253 steps.
At least you don’t have to wander 10 kilometers and face 21 stations.
And now if you’ve activated at least 895 of your brain cells, you’ll know where you can park your coach.
That’s exactly what the hero of our little story, Adelhard of Goslar, Dodo Over the Market and Fountain, did.

One day, when he was still a Dodo-in-Training, he was given a hobbyhorse.
He loved it and spent whole days on end playing with it at the marketplace in Goslar.
He didn’t want to risk having it swiped while he was away on other business, so he locked it up in the colonnade under the City Hall.
A master locksmith from Goslar had made him a special lock for this purpose. Since Adelhard was known to be slightly scatterbrained, the locksmith didn’t make an ordinary key for this lock, but equipped it with a very special mechanism.
To open the lock, Adelhard only needed to remember 3 numbers.
So that he couldn’t forget them, the locksmith stressed upon him the following:
If you come from the Pfalz to the market, never forget to look in at the *G* reat Holy Cross.
In front of the *B* reastcloth, turn right.
And if you pass by *B* utterhanne, then you have everything you need.
Many years passed, and Adelhard became a popular dodo.
So popular, that Goslar’s citizens decided to give him something. A game.
And since they knew that Adelhard liked to go out riding, in the meantime with his faithful steed Navi, they placed the game outside the city.

That’s why Adelhard came to be standing here at the coach-parking facility.
The people from Goslar who came along gave him a piece of paper, remarking that he can use it to play a game. They explained that the paper would prove to serve him well. In addition, he should be sure to take along his little notebook that has lots of information on the secrets of encryption. He’ll know when the time comes to make use of it.
In order that the people of Goslar could later on see that he had indeed successfully completed the game, he should sign the little booklet that is stored in the final destination. And maybe even write something about his experiences along the way as well.
Adelhard thanked the Goslar citizens, took the paper, and read:
Simplified translation from Old High German:
******************************************************************************
To our beloved Dodo over the Market and Fountain we dedicate the following game.
When you leave the carriage-parking place, you must first pass over the gray band. Proceed until you reach a big letter. Here is where your journey actually begins.
On it you’ll find a reference to your excursion destination and information about how high it is. Don’t forget that.
Up there, not only will the final goal of this game await you, but even more. It’s then up to you if you decide to use it or not.
This is where your journey begins.
Now follow the inconspicuous path that will take you past the information sign for the Geopark to another gray band. Turn left there.
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Adelhard understood the description up to this point, and he rode onward.
However, when he reached the second gray band, he hesitated.
Had the Goslar citizens played a joke on him?
He knew his steed Navi well enough to sense that something was wrong.
Oh, yes… when he inspected the area closer, he saw three curious marks that seemed strange to him, maybe even Greek. He decided to look in his notebook later to see what they meant.
But first he concentrated on his piece of paper again.
******************************************************************************
Follow the gray band until a path branches off to the left, leading upward.
Navi will be happy with you for not following the gray band any further.
******************************************************************************
Okay, Adelhard thought, then we’ll follow the instructions. But hardly had he reached the branch, when Navi planted his hooves firmly and wouldn’t take another step.
Something must be here, Adelhard thought, so he dismounted and looked around.
He was already familiar with the old Harz street in Goslar. But he didn’t expect to run across it here, too. Curiosity got the better of him, and a glance behind it made him smile: an old game that he could never resist.
He had just never understood why the colors were numbered that way.
Just when he took out his notebook and wrote down the colors, Navi started to move again. Navi seemed to know exactly where he wanted to go. And Adelhard knew it, too. They rode up the left-hand forest trail. But first Adelhard took another look at the paper.
******************************************************************************
When you reach the top of the trail, turn right.
You’ll know that you’re on the right path because you’ll meet the gray band once again.
You’ll see information here that will help you find the next stage of your journey. You can’t overlook the information-support, unless you’re still in the saddle.
Now that you have all the necessary data to guide you to your first goal, here is one more piece of information.
Again follow the gray band to the left for a short time. If you come across another route plan that doesn’t show the path that heads off to the right, then you’re absolutely correct. Follow this unsightly path to your next goal.
And later on follow this same path back again, to reach your excursion destination.
The reason is that evil spirits on strange wire donkeys use the other paths, and you certainly don’t want to encounter them.
******************************************************************************
Adelhard smiled and followed the final instructions. When he reached the first destination he looked around, incredulous. Here? Shabby.
He started to inspect everything more thoroughly, and suddenly he discovered something. Something that he recognized.
Oh no, he sighed, not more puzzles.
His Goslar friends knew very well how they could keep him far away from the busy marketplace.
However, Adelhard really appreciated the game they had given him.
He racked his brain, and, without damaging anything, he finally reached the guestbook that the Goslar citizens had left for him.
Because he liked the idea so much, Adelhard decreed that henceforth everybody who was inclined to do so should be allowed to dedicate themselves to solving the tasks. And to immortalize themselves by signing the guestbook.
Goslar uniquely combines history, landscape, and technology. The historic old town, the Rammelsberg ore mine, and the Upper Harz Water Management System together form a unique ensemble, recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and still reveal the development of the region today.
This GeoTour originated from the geocaching community. It was designed, developed, and supported by dedicated cachers, with the goal of showcasing Goslar’s special features in an engaging way and connecting both well-known and lesser-known locations. And our mascot Adelhard will accompany you along the way.
Goslar is always worth a visit, because it is a place where many paths meet.
If you like, feel free to share your favorite Goslar moments on social media: #meingoslar #geocachinggoslar