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Harz Mountains and Rhine Gorge

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4.4 stars(53 reviews)
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Small Group

Germany's Mountains and heritage railways

10 days From £1,795 per person
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Save up to £150pp on selected European holidays when traveling in 2023, for new bookings made before 31st March 2023. 

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2023 Tour code: HRJ23

About the tour

We immerse ourselves in the history and scenery of two of Germany's most picturesque regions. We explore the half-timbered houses and peaks of the Harz Mountains by railway before discovering the natural beauty of the Rhine Gorge, where the legendary Lorelei Rock still casts its spell.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London and Cologne

We meet at London St Pancras for the Eurostar to Brussels before continuing to Cologne for the night.

Includes
  • Dinner
  • Eurostar Meal
Day 2 – Goslar and Wernigerode

We make our way to Hanover before journeying through the Harz Mountains by coach. We stop in the scenic mountain town of Goslar enroute, where there's free time to look around. Goslar has almost 1,500 buildings dating from the 15th to 19th centuries so you may like to wander these historic streets, admiring the fantastic range or architecture. Alternatively, on the edge of town you'll find the Rammelsberg mountain, a former UNESCO-protected mining site that is now an informative museum. From Goslar we make our way to Wernigerode, a quaint, colourful town dating back to the 9th century, and check into our hotel for four nights.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - The Brocken Railway

We discover the dense forests and clear lakes of the Harz Mountains today as we travel along the Brocken Railway. On board, we enjoy an exclusive experience in our private carriage - a refurbished 1920s affair - celebrating with a welcome drink before the train steams towards Brocken, the highest mountain in the area. We're accompanied by a specialist guide who'll talk to us about the area's fascinating Cold War background and, at the summit, we visit the Brocken House Museum. Detailing the surprising history of Brocken - once rife with espionage - you can learn about, and see, GDR bugging devices and can also take an interactive flight over the mountain.

Please Note: For some departures, these will have the regular Brocken Steam train.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 4 - Quedlinburg and the Selketal Railway

We travel by coach to Alexisbad, boarding the Selketal Railway to Gernrode for a nostalgic, steam-hauled journey through dense forests and brooding mountains, following the course of the winding River Selke. On arrival, we continue by coach to Quedlinburg, a town with a peaceful Romanesque church and preserved red-roofed houses. With free time, you may want to walk from the Old Town up to Quedlinburg Castle, which has a superb vantage point overlooking the Harz Mountains and surrounding enchanting forests.

Please Note: For departures 24/25/2023, 07/06/2023, 05/07/2023, 19/07/2023, 26/07/2023, 09/08/2023, 30/08/2023 and 11/10/2023 Days 4 and 3 have swapped around.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 5 – Wernigerode

Enjoy a free day to see the local sights, such as Wernigerode's beautiful 'schloss', or castle, perched on a forested hill above the town. The 16th-century town hall is also worth visiting, with its attractive half-timbered façade looking out over the colourful townhouses that line the cobbles of the main square. You could also take a ride on the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railway, a section of the longest narrow gauge railway in the country or visit the Museum für Luftfahrt und Technik, a popular aviation museum housing about 45 aircraft and more than 1,000 aerospace-related exhibits.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 6 – Assmannhausen

We bid farewell to the Harz Mountains and make our way to Assmannshausen, by coach and rail, a picture-postcard destination nestled among the vineyards of the Rhine Valley. Here, we check into our historic hotel for a four-night stay.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 – Rhine Gorge cruise

We drive to Boppard and have time to look around this riverside town before a relaxing Rhine cruise to St Goar. Here, we enjoy some free time before returning by boat to Assmannshausen, sailing through the most celebrated section of the UNESCO-listed Rhine Gorge. Sheer banks rise up, towering over the river below, draped in deep forests and miles of lush vineyards, lending an almost fairytale feel to the waterway. Along the way, we admire scenic views of ancient castles and pass the legendary Lorelei Rock, once said to be home to a beautiful nymph who would lure sailors to their watery grave with her heavenly voice.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 8 – Assmannhausen

Enjoy a free day to explore Assmannhausen and the surrounding area. The village centre is remarkably well-preserved, crammed with timber-framed houses and crooked narrow streets. One of Assmannshausen's best-known sights is the quirky Painted House. Here, windows, doors and people have all been painted very realistically on a flat wall, fooling a number of passers-by with its startling detail. Another popular option for the day is to take a ride on the Sesselbahn, a chairlift which rises high above the threadlike vineyards. Or, you could visit one of the nearby wine estates, which produce some of Germany's most popular red wines, for a tasting.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 9 – Rüdesheim

The final full day of our holiday takes us by train to charming Rüdesheim, a traditional half-timbered town renowned for its wine production. We begin with a fascinating guided tour of Siegfried's Mechanical Music Museum to experience one of the world's largest collections of self-playing instruments. With free time afterwards, you might like to stroll along the Drösselgasse to find a cosy spot to sample the town's signature drink, the Rüdesheimer Kaffee. We end our day with a visit to RheinWeinWelt for dinner, and a unique opportunity to sample the region's famous wines.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 10 - London

Following breakfast, we transfer to Cologne by coach where we board the train to Brussels. From here, we travel on the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast
  • Eurostar Meal

Additional information

Special Events

Our late 23rd June departure coincides with the spectacular 'Rhine in Flames' festival, which includes firework displays and a light boat parade.

Departure times

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.

Mobility information

Due to the nature of our tours they are generally unsuitable for those with restricted mobility. If you’d like to discuss any particular holiday with us in this respect, then please don’t hesitate to call us.

Hotels

Alte Bauernschänke Hotel, Assmannshausen

Alte Bauernschänke Hotel, Assmannshausen

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HKK Hotel Wernigerode, Wernigerode

HKK Hotel Wernigerode, Wernigerode

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Trains

Brocken Railway
Eurostar
ICE Train
InterCity
Selke Valley Railway
Thalys

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Extending your European holiday in Cologne
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

4.4 stars4.4 / 5 · 53 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (29)
  2. 4 stars
    (16)
  3. 3 stars
    (7)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

C Kear

4 stars

Submitted 19 Oct 2022

Two very different areas each beautiful in its own way. Assmannshausen has no shops apart from one which only sells wine and ice cream. If you need water you need to go to the boat office on the river. Be aware that the chair lift is cash only. Stunning scenery on the Rhine and very relaxing just watching the world go by. Overall a very good holiday but Assmannshausen hotel not up to GRJ's usual standard.

Collected by Trustpilot

John Moore

3 stars

Submitted 14 Oct 2022

Facilities and catering at last hotel barely adequate. Poor choice of food. Last two days of holiday basically free time, only a one hour wine tasting included on one of the days. Tour manager very hard working and excellent organiser with a group who were not the easiest to organise. Harz mountains and Rhine cruise most enjoyable.

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Brian Cooper

5 stars

Submitted 10 Oct 2022

Itinery was brilliant (despite the fact that we couldn't travel on the Brocken Line because of a fire in the area due to the heat wave!!! Despite this, Graham, our guide, made alternative arrangements which meant that we really didn't miss out - he was brilliant and cant thank him enough. Had a fantastic trip.

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Bryn Tootell

3 stars

Submitted 23 Sep 2022

Affected by v poor service from German railways. Hotels not up to usual grj standards. Excellent tour manager.

Collected by Trustpilot

peter appleby

2 stars

Submitted 08 Aug 2022

Late trains, cancelled trains and very over growded trains

Collected by Trustpilot

hugh gingell

5 stars

Submitted 06 Aug 2022

Excellent and N amazing experience.

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Harz Mountains and Rhine Gorge

Germany's Mountains and heritage railways

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