Call to book01904 521 936
Tour Search
#Favourites

The Harz Mountains in Winter

Save
7 days Sold out
4.6 stars(42 reviews)
Gallery
Map
Small Group

Explore timeless towns and travel on romantic winter railways.

Mobility Rating 2

2024 Tour code: HZW24

About the tour

Join us as we ride on vintage steam trains through Germany's wild landscapes and gorges to discover towns with timber-framed houses and cobbled lanes. Wernigerode, a beautiful town amidst the mountains, provides an excellent base for this stunning winter rail holiday.

Highlights

What’s included

Itinerary

Day 1 - London and Cologne

We depart London St Pancras on the Eurostar to Brussels. Our journey continues to Cologne for an overnight stay. Before dinner this evening, you might like take a stroll through Cologne's Old Town, which has been lovingly and carefully restored to its pre-war appearance. Admire the pretty pastel-coloured houses as you stroll through narrow streets that wind down towards the Rhine Promenade. Afterwards, why not visit a traditional Cologne 'brauhaus' for a 'kölsch' (beer), a lovely way to warm up on a winter's evening.

Please Note - For departures 13/01/2024 and 10/02/2024 you will overnight at the Intercity Hotel in Essen.

Includes
  • Dinner
Day 2 - Wernigerode

We board a train this morning, travelling across northern Germany to Hanover where we continue by coach into the Harz Mountains. Driving through the magnificent winter landscapes, we soak up seasonal landscapes of undulating forests peppered with pretty lakes. Such terrain is ideally suited to narrow-gauge railways, and today the Harz Mountains system offers a wonderful public transport service and steam-hauled tourist trains featuring beautifully restored vintage rolling stock. Arriving in Wernigerode, we check into our hotel for a five-night stay.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 3 - The Brocken Railway

Today takes us on a scenic rail journey aboard the Brocken Railway to the summit of Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains at 3,743 feet. We enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Upper Harz National Park as we wind our way up the snow-covered mountain to the terminus, Brockenbahnhof, the highest narrow-gauge railway station in Germany. This towering summit has long been associated with dark forces, perhaps most famously in Goethe's Faust, and during the Cold War Brocken was a military base used for border surveillance; until the fall of the Berlin Wall, the mountain was off limits to all but the Soviet army. Given its altitude, Brocken Mountain was the perfect location for the world's first television antennae and from the mountain's top, we enjoy one of Europe's most spectacular lookout points, commanding wonderful views of the sloping tree-lined hillsides below.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 4 - Goslar

We travel by rail to medieval Goslar, nestled at the foot of the Harz Mountains. Older than Berlin, this former Free Imperial city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and is crammed full of fantastic, historic architecture, including half-timbered houses dating back to the early 16th century. We take a guided tour of the picturesque town, discovering some fine examples of Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture. After the tour, you have free time to continue exploring independently. You could visit the Kaiserpfalz, built at the beginning of the 11th century. This impressive building, designed primarily as a summer residence, is now the largest Romanesque palace in all of Europe. Alternatively, stop at the Rammelsberg Mining Museum for a fascinating look into the industrial history of Goslar.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 5 - Wernigerode

You are free to explore Wernigerode today. A particular highlight of this beautiful town is the grand Wernigerode Castle. Sat on a hill overlooking the town, this is a building straight from the pages of a fairytale. Constructed on the site of an old medieval fortress, it was rebuilt into its current Neo-Romantic style in the 19th century. Just 15-20 minutes' walk away is the aviation museum, where you can view the exhibits and enjoy a flight simulation experience, while the fire brigade museum in the town centre contains an array of vintage engines. With its numerous half-timbered buildings and striking architecture, Wernigerode is packed with beautiful sights.

Includes
  • Breakfast
Day 6 - Quedlinburg and the Selke Valley Railway

Our excursion today is to the beautifully preserved town of Quedlinburg. Here, we take a guided walking tour, after which, you're free to explore at our own pace. Discover the cobbled streets, passing a fine collection of medieval, timber-framed buildings and Romanesque architecture in the Old Town, which has UNESCO World Heritage status. Considered to be one of the best-preserved medieval and Renaissance towns in Europe, it offers a wealth of history and culture, whilst also having a modern flair and fabulous examples of Art Nouveau architecture. This afternoon, we settle in for a cosy journey on the historic Selke Valley Railway. Arguably one of the region's best-kept secrets, the route ascends into the Harz Mountains through a wintry landscape of sugar-dusted forests and snow-bound mountain peaks.

Includes
  • Breakfast, Dinner
Day 7 - Wernigerode and London

We leave Wernigerode, transferring to Hanover by coach where we join the rail service to Cologne. Here, we connect with the Eurostar to London St Pancras.

Includes
  • Breakfast

Additional information

Please note

Please note that while every departure of this tour will feature the same excursions, the order may differ from that shown above.

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.

Hotel

HKK Hotel Wernigerode, Wernigerode

HKK Hotel Wernigerode, Wernigerode

View hotel

Trains

Brocken Railway
Eurostar
Selke Valley Railway

Enhance your holiday

Upgrades

Upgrade to Standard Premier Class on Eurostar
Extending your European holiday in Brussels
London Hotels
UK rail connections

Reviews

4.6 stars4.6 / 5 · 42 reviews

  1. 5 stars
    (27)
  2. 4 stars
    (14)
  3. 3 stars
    (0)
  4. 2 stars
    (1)
  5. 1 star
    (0)

Denis Horsman

5 stars

Submitted 17/Mar

A great trip with an exceptional tour manager

Collected by Trustpilot

Terence Crabbe

5 stars

Submitted 16/Mar

An absolutely fantastic trip! Lots to see but we were never rushed. Plenty of time for beer, coffee and cake! David our guide was unbelievably efficient and kind. He even carried out a reconnaissance mission to avoid the cobbles as I’m in a wheelchair. We will be booking again for this year and hoping we get David again? He is a credit to the company. 5*

Collected by Trustpilot

Ian Murdoch

5 stars

Submitted 10/Mar

Interesting venue, lots to see. Good to explore that part of Germany and learn of its history and way of life. Helped by an excellent tour manager DAVID M.

Collected by Trustpilot

Robert Carter

5 stars

Submitted 10/Mar

Stunning scenery in the snow. Great itinerary, nicely paced. Informative guides. Good hotels.

Collected by Trustpilot

B Bell

5 stars

Submitted 9/Mar

We have already submitted this report!

Collected by Trustpilot

F. TOMKINS

4 stars

Submitted 8/Mar

very good guide, great group. good hotels lovely food.interesting itinerary loved the the towns we visited. towns more interesting than the scenery.

Collected by Trustpilot

Show 6 more reviews

Tailor made for you

Customise this tour with Great Rail Journeys Independent

Related inspiration from our journey blog