The Maaßener Gaipel above Lautenthal was built in 1924 by the Lautenthal branch of the Harzklub and modernized and extended in 1978.
Many decades before the restaurant was built, the Gaipelhaus (winding house) next to the shaft and winding tower of the „Maaßen“ ore mine was a popular hiking and excursion destination for visitors to the mining town of Lautenthal.
The fantastic distant view over Lautenthal, which lies at your feet, and the beautiful Harz mountain landscape make a visit to the Maaßener Gaipel well worthwhile.
The name „Gaipel“ is reminiscent of the earlier hoisting equipment (göpel wheels), which used horse power to lift the silver-bearing non-ferrous metal ores out of the shaft. Witnesses from the mining era can still be found today on the mining adventure trail in the immediate vicinity of the Maaßener Gaipel.
Access to the site is on the road from Lautental to Bockswiese.
