Trains of the Harz Mountains

Local departure by coach or Home Connect service, then to Belgium for an overnight stay.

We head east across Germany to our hotel in the Harz region for a four-night stay.

This morning, we head to Wernigerode, where we include a guided walking tour of the town, known as the ‘colourful town in the Harz’. Discover the narrow streets with its half-timbered houses and see the famous Town Hall as well as the stunning palace above the old town.

Later, we board the Brockenbahn for our rail journey to the Brocken summit. With over 130km of track, this is the longest unbroken narrow-gauge railway network in Germany. With its valuable fleet of 25 steam engines, 6 railcars, 16 diesel engines and numerous historic railway carriages, the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railway, which operates the Harzquer, Selketal and Brocken railway services, is one of the most interesting narrow-gauge railway services in Germany.

We head to Goslar, where we include a guided sightseeing tour of Kaiserstadt & Kaiserpfalz.

The imperial city of Goslar was founded in 922 by Henry I. Goslar gained its wealth mainly by silver mining from the Rammelsberg or Mountain of Fate. The old Emperors moved their seat of power from Werla to Goslar. This later strengthened Goslar's position as the 'secret capital' of the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation. Goslar was not only considered as one of the most important political centres, but it also became a centre of the Christian faith.

Forty-seven churches, chapels and monasteries earned the city the title ‘Rome of the North’. When walking through Goslar, you will find many half-timbered houses and other relics of the town’s ancestors' architectural achievements.

This morning, we include a train journey on the Selketalbahn from Quedlinburg to Alexisbad. The Selketal Railway is a romantic section of this narrow-gauge railway and has long been a well-kept secret among nature lovers. The railway winds its way through tight bends and natural landscape creating a feeling of adventure. Steep rock faces emerge suddenly on either side of the track, covered in blooming meadows and picturesque ponds with expansive forests of beech and oak trees.

Upon arrival in Alexisbad, we head by coach to the town of Thale in the Bode River Valley. We include the funicular from Thale to the Hexentanzplatz, over the ‘most exciting canyon north of the Alps’, as described by Goethe. Enjoy the ever-changing views of a fascinating panorama: cliffs, green meadows, white water and the Brocken Mountain with the ‘Teufelsmauer’ (the devil's wall) in the distance.

We return by coach to Quedlinburg, where we include a guided walking tour. This historic town boasts well-preserved Romanesque and timber-framed buildings and has been classified by the UNESCO as a unique example of a European medieval town. The collegiate church of St. Servatius, situated on a hill above the old town, is an architectural masterpiece.

We leave the Harz Mountains and head to Belgium for an overnight stay.

Return home.