Early Booking Offer
Harz Mountains & Rhine Gorge
10 Days from £1,495per
person
person
Save up to £80 per booking on 2020 departures when you book on or before 15/10/2019
The Award Winning Leader in Escorted Worldwide Rail Holidays
Save up to £80 per booking on 2020 departures when you book on or before 15/10/2019
You are viewing the 2020 itinerary
Itineraries and pricing may vary by departure year
Discover two of Germany's most picturesque regions on this fantastic two-centre holiday. We explore the halftimbered villages and stunning peaks of the Harz Mountains by heritage railway before visiting the stunning Rhine Gorge, where the legendary Lorelei Rock still casts its spell.
Our journey to Germany begins at our dedicated Departure Office in St Pancras, 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 high-speed rail in First Class to Cologne for an overnight stay.
Today we continue across Germany by high-speed rail, 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 rivercarved 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, a similarly attractive town which sits nicely within the dark green scenery of the picturesque Harz region.
Wernigerode was formerly the capital of the medieval County of Wernigerode, following the Napoleonic Wars it became part of Saxony. We spend four nights at the HKK Hotel Wernigerode.
This morning we begin a full-day excursion on the narrow forests and crystal-clear lakes of the Harz Mountain region creating a terrain ideally suited to narrow-gauge railways. The terrific Brocken Railway connects the small towns and villages of the Harz region. 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 (1,128 metres). After some free time for lunch and to enjoy the views, we return by train to Wernigerode.
Today we travel by coach to Alexisbad in order to board the excellent Selketal Railway to Gernrode. This charming train makes its way through the dense forests and past the gentle streams, granting special views of mysterious fairytale landscapes.
On arrival into Gernrode, we continue 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.
Winding up from the old town is a road which leads to Quedlinburg castle. From this vantage point, the distant Harz Mountains can be seen peeking out over green meadows and dusky forests.
Explore Wernigerode at leisure. There are various attractions here, unique to the region, including a beautiful 'schloss' on a forested hill high above the town. Built on the ruins of older buildings, Wernigerode's castle today bares a similarity to the other fairytale castles of Bavaria and Germany, including Neuschwanstein and Hohenschwangau. The town hall is also worth visiting, with its attractive half-timbered façade looking out at the colourful townhouses which line the cobbles of Wernigerode's main square.
Bidding farewell to the peaceful Harz mountains, we take a short coach transfer to Hildesheim where we join the train to Frankfurt (Standard Class). We then continue to Assmannshausen where we stay for the rest of our holiday. A picture-postcard town nestled among the vineyards of the Rhine's valley walls, Assmannshausen is a charming base for us to explore this verdant region.
We enjoy a short walk to the river, boarding a boat for the journey along the Rhine. We sail through the prettiest and most celebrated section of the Rhine Gorge, where ancient castles peer from the top of the green banks. We pass the imposing Lorelei Rock, a legendary rocky outcrop that soars 492 feet above the water line. The timeless natural beauty and cultural importance of the Rhine Gorge has granted this destination UNESCO World Heritage status, and our time here gives us a glimpse of just what makes this gorgeous and peaceful valley so special.
We arrive in the attractive riverside resort of Boppard, where we enjoy free time and a chance to sample the fantastic local wines. Rejoining the boat further upstream, we cruise back to Assmannshausen.
Day 8 is at leisure. There are a number of sights and attractions you may wish to visit. For the best views and unique experience, you may wish to take a ride on the Sesselbahn, a chairlift which scales the foothills and valley walls, rising high above the threadlike vineyards.
Today we visit charming Rüdesheim, famous for its excellent viticulture, for a visit to a winery which includes tastings. On Day 10 after transferring to Cologne by coach, where we travel back by rail to London via Brussels.
This tour also has Standard Class departures available. For more information about these options, please call us.
Provisional departure and return times, where available, can be found together with our dates and prices by clicking on the 'Prices & Availability' button. We write to all booked customers approximately 10 weeks prior to the start of their tour to advise the exact departure and return time for their particular group.
An escorted experience and all travel arrangements
Comfortable accommodation in your destination
Delicious meals included
Exciting excursions and free time to explore
NEW FOR 2020: Inclusive Luggage Transfer
Please note: This tour may be suitable for reduced mobility passengers, please call for further information.
of travellers would recommend this tour
Tour Rating
based on 11 verified reviews
excellent overall . good accommodation
Great holiday. Tour manager, trains ,hotels food end excursions
We had a brilliant time.thoroughly enjoyed the areas we stayed at- especially the steam trains .
Well organised comfortable train travel and good quality food/hotels.
Interesting locations to discover
Almost everything went according to plan. When it did not, it was sorted out quickly and well
Very good, hotels lovely.
I have already completed this form and have written to Great Rail about the holiday.
A lovely holiday. However the final day - a tour of Heidelburg - spoiled the holiday. Nearly 2 hours to get there. A moderately interesting guided tour on the bus by a city guide (1hr), followed by a walking tour of the city(1 hr.). Many people dropped off the walking tour. Another long journey back to Assmannhaussen. People wanted to do last minute shopping and did not have time. We felt all the hotels were excellent. The staff provided a professional and well-organised service. Some people had problems with the air-conditioning at Wernigerode. However, our room was more than satisfactory. One of the coaches provided was rather ancient - at least 15 years old - and not suitable for a long journey. Most of the trains were good although the one from Frankfurt to Assmannhaussen only had one WC at our end and that was out of order. The river trip to Boppard was quicker going downstream than on return due to river flow. This left little time for people to view the town, especially if they went on the chair-lift. Some information about this would have enabled people to arrange their eating plans accordingly.
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Germany's Mountains and heritage railways
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