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A romantic valley with magnificent rocky scenery and the Romkerhall Falls, it is considered by nature and trekking enthusiasts as the most beautiful valley in the Harz Mountains. The River Oker runs through this stunning valley, starting in the middle of the Harz National Park, at over 900 m elevation and runs in a general northerly direction, for 105 km until it joins with the River Aller at Müden/Örtze near Celle. Historically, the River Oker has formed an important political boundary. It flows through deep rocky ravines and over waterfalls. This is the Oker Valley at its best. Since 1956 the Oker Valley Dam (Okertalsperre) has stopped the river from overflowing. This was an issue in the late-1940s when the towns of Brunswick (Braunschweig) and Wolfenbüttel were flooded. The dam stopped this happening again. However the small hamlet of Schulenburg was destined to be inundated by the dam's construction. So the town was removed in 1954 and rebuilt above the dam. The dam provides drinking water for towns as far away as Hildesheim and Hanover, as well as being a very efficient hydro-electric site that provides over 4 megawatts of power to the surrounding area.