£1,298
Discover two of Germany's most picturesque regions. Explore half-timbered villages and the peaks of the Harz Mountains on heritage railways before we visit the Rhine Gorge, where the legendary Lorelei Rock still casts its spell.
- Goslar
- Wernigerode
- Quedlingburg
- Brocken Railway
- 3-day Harz Mountain Railway ticket
- Brocken
- Selketal narrow-gauge railway
- Assmannshausen
- Rhine cruise to Boppard
- Heidelberg
Our journey to Germany begins at St Pancras International in London, where we board the Eurostar to Brussels. Sit back in your comfortable Standard Premier Class seat and enjoy a light meal and drinks before our arrival in the Belgian capital. Our journey continues by train in First Class to Cologne for an overnight stay in the Grand City Hotel Cologne Centre. On Day 2 we continue across Germany by train, travelling in First Class to Hanover. Here, we meet our coach which takes us on a journey through the brooding Harz Mountains. The low-lying mountains surround a river-carved landscape, where rushing streams wind through the rich green forests and rugged rocky outcrops rise up towards the towering mountain peaks above. We stop in the foothills of the mountains to visit the scenic town of Goslar, a UNESCO World Heritage destination where intricate carvings adorn the front of picturesque timbered houses. Leaving Goslar, we continue to Wernigerode, which is situated in the picturesque Harz region. The small town is packed with medieval buildings and half-timbered houses with steep, pointed roofs and tiny windows. We spend four nights at the HKK Hotel Wernigerode, just a short walk away from the historic centre. (Day 1-E,D; Day 2-B,D)
This morning we begin a full-day excursion on the narrow-gauge, steam-hauled Brocken Railway. the undulating forests and crystal-clear lakes of the Harz Mountain region create a terrain ideally suited to narrow-gauge railways. The terrific Brocken Railway connects the small towns and villages of the Harz region and is used by commuters, shoppers and school children as well as by tourists. Today's journey takes us through the vast pine forests in the foothills of the mountains, steam from the train evaporating into the tree tops. We climb steep inclines, the mighty engine straining to tackle the gradient, as we make our way to Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz region at over 3,700 feet (1,128m). During the Cold War, Brocken was a military base used for border surveillance and, until the fall of the Berlin Wall, the mountain was off-limits to all but the Soviet army. After some free time for lunch, we return by train to Wernigerode. (B,D)
Situated alongside the Holtemme River, Wernigerode is a quintessentially German town. With elaborate half-timbered buildings, simply strolling through the steep narrow streets of the town provides a feast for the eyes, not to mention the impressive Wernigerode Castle and the charming medieval Town Hall. The peaceful riverfront is another wonderful way to pass the time and soak up the relaxed atmosphere. Alternatively, use your included 3-day Harz Mountain Railway ticket to explore the local railway network. The pass allows you unlimited travel for free on the three superb regional railways - the Brocken Railway, the Pan-Harz Railway and the Selke Valley Railway. (B)
Today travel by coach to beautiful Quedlinburg, a gorgeous town with a delightful, peaceful Romanesque church and incredibly well-preserved red-roofed houses that give the town the feel of a model village, as if it were created from children's toy bricks. Burgberg - 'castle mountain' - is a 10th century stronghold that looms imposingly over the town. Quedlinburg's rambling, haphazard street plan leads you through charming streets lined with more than 1,600 timber-framed buildings. On one street, Wordgasse, there is a building reputed to be the oldest timber-framed house in Germany. In Quedlinburg we join the narrow-gauge Selketal Railway for a journey through the glorious, verdant countryside of the Selke Valley. (B,D)
Bidding farewell to the peaceful Harz mountains, we join the train from Wernigerode, via Hildesheim and Frankfurt, to Assmannshausen, a romantic German village situated in the picturesque Rhine Gorge. We spend four nights at the Hotel Alte Bauernschänke, situated in the centre of this typical Rhineland village. The town is well-known for its red wine, Spätburgender, with a distinctive rich burgundy colour; particularly notable because the surrounding region almost exclusively produces white wine. (B,D)
Today we take the short walk to the riverside to join a boat for
the journey along the River Rhine through the prettiest and
most-celebrated section of the Rhine Gorge. Ancient castles peer
from the top of the green banks, as we pass the imposing Lorelei
Rock, a legendary rocky outcrop that soars 150 metres above the
water line. We arrive in the riverside resort of Boppard*, one of
the region's great wine producers. We enjoy some free time here;
chance to sample some of the fantastic local wines and enjoy a
stroll along Boppard's delightful riverside promenade. There is a
good choice of restaurants here for lunch before we rejoin the
cruise back upstream to Assmannshausen.
(B,D)
*In October the Rhine Cruise will stop at St Goar instead of
Boppard
Today is free for you to explore Assmannshausen at your leisure. Our location, close to the river and railway station, allows plenty of options for visiting towns along the river, such as nearby Rüdesheim, another of the region's celebrated wine towns, home to the world-renowned Drosselgasse, a street lined with traditional pubs and wine taverns. Rüdesheim's attractions also include Siegfried's Mechanical Music Cabinet, a museum dedicated to mechanical musical instruments, and a cable car that runs over the hillside and vineyards beside the town and offers wonderful views over Rüdesheim and the Rhine. (B)
A coach excursion takes us to one of Germany's best loved cities, charming and historic Heidelberg. The town lies below its protective castle on the River Neckar and is home to the oldest university in Germany, founded in 1385. The backdrop to Sigmund Romberg's operetta, 'The Student Prince', Heidelberg was the capital of the Palatinate region for many centuries. We enjoy a guided tour and some leisure time before returning to our hotel. (B,D)
We transfer by coach to Cologne, where we join our train for Brussels and connect with the Eurostar service to St Pancras International. (B,E)
B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner
Where shown, meals are included in the price of your
holiday
01904 521 936
This is a tour of the old and the new. Our stay in Wernigerode is at the modern HKK hotel overlooking some of the many buildings restored since German reunification and just a short walk away from the historic steam trains of the Harz Mountain Railways. In Quedlinburg, a UNESCO heritage site and visited on a day trip, there is an opportunity to see restored and un-restored buildings side by side, showing the amount of work carried out in recent years.
The second part of the tour stays in a historic and traditional hotel in the small riverside village of Assmannshausen renowned for its red wine - unusual in Germany with its predominance of white wine. Here the new comes with the modern boats of the KD line which cruise up and down the river along with the historic paddle steamer.
John Levick, Tour Manager