 Smokin'... A Harz Railway 2-10-2 tank engine about to leave Wernigerode terminus with an express to the Brocken... |
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Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (HSB) = Nordhausen-Brocken-Wernigerode & Nordhausen-Hasselfelde-Harzgerode-Quedinburg. Green = scenic routes. Rail Map of Europe: Reproduced from the Rail Map of Europe courtesy of European Rail Timetable. I highly recommend buying a copy, more info here. Buy online at www.europeanrailtimetable.eu. |
Germany's famous narrow-gauge steam railway
For decades, the narrow gauge railways of Germany's Harz mountains were locked away behind the Iron Curtain, a minor part of the East German State Railway, the Deutsche Reichsbahn, Starved of investment, these lines were never fully modernised with diesels. Which is lucky for us, because travelling on the Harz railway behind a magnificent steam locomotive is a wonderful experience as this page will show.
Harz railway timetable, prices & tickets
Nordhausen to Brocken in pictures
Brocken to Wernigerode in pictures
The Harz Railway
Today, the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen (HSB, Harz Narrow Gauge Railways) operates a 140 km network of metre-gauge railways around the Harz mountains. These railways remain a means of transport as well as tourist attraction and trains run daily all year round.
The Harz main line runs 60 km (37 miles) from Nordhausen in the south to Wernigerode in the north, with a 19 km (11-mile) branch line to Brocken. However, such is the tourist traffic heading up the Brocken, you can now regard Nordhausen-Brocken and Wernigerode-Brocken as main lines. Those routes feature direct trains, a journey between Nordhausen & Wernigerode now involves at least one change of train.
Most trains including all trains to & from the Brocken are hauled by steam locomotives, usually impressive 2-10-2 tank engines built 1954-1956, the most powerful German narrow-gauge steam locomotives ever built. A few trains are hauled by 1970s centre-cab diesel locomotives, and local services are operated with diesel railcars. If you find the timetables (not the journey planner) on the HSB website www.hsb-wr.de, a symbol at the top of each column tells you what operates each train.
Wikipedia page about the Harz Railway.
The Brocken
The jewel in the Harz Railway's crown is the line to the top of the Brocken, completed in 1899. The Brocken is the highest peak in the Harz mountains, 1,141m (3,743 feet) above sea level. In fact, it's the highest peak in northern Germany, the next highest point to the east is in the Ural mountains in Russia. The Brocken is shrouded in mist for up to 300 days a year and frequently snow-capped from September to May, hardly surprising it's been the subject of myth and legend for centuries. After WW2 it was off-limits to foreigners, garrisoned by Soviet troops and bristling with Soviet & East German espionage and surveillance equipment. Today it's a major tourist hotspot, the television tower is now a hotel & restaurant, there are several cafes with open-air benches, a shop, a botanic garden and various walks. There are several daily direct trains between Nordhausen & Brocken and between Wernigerode & Brocken. Wikipedia page about the Brocken.
How to visit the Harz Railway
By all means explore the whole 140 km HSB network if you've time, but if you've only a day or two I'd stick with the Harz main line between Nordhausen & Wernigerode and the line up the Brocken. Here are 4 options which work any day of the week almost all year round:
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Option 1, stay in Nordhausen, take the Harz Railway to the Brocken as a day trip.
Nordhausen is a pleasant enough city, although not especially picturesque. It's main draw is a visit to the Nordhausen concentration camp memorial at Mittelbau-Dora, see Wikipedia page about Mittelbau-Dora. The memorial's official website is www.buchenwald.de.
Nordhausen to the Brocken takes around 3h10, as the fare is the same as from Wernigerode, you could argue you get more for your money!
There's a late morning steam-hauled train direct from Nordhausen to Brocken, running daily all year except for several weeks in November.
The place to stay in Nordhausen is the excellent Nordhäuser Fürstenhof, located on Bahnhofsplatz (station square) directly opposite the mainline DB station (plain Nordhausen) and HSB Harz Railway station (Nordhausen Nord). It's a 10 minute walk to the town centre.
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Option 2, stay in Wernigerode, take the Harz Railway to the Brocken as a day trip.
Wernigerode is a lovely picturesque town and a great place to stay, a nicer option than staying in Nordhausen.
Wernigerode to the Brocken takes around 2h05, so it's significantly quicker than going from Nordhausen, although it's the same price.
The place to stay in Wernigerode is the Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel, 3 minutes walk from the station, 5 minutes walk from the town centre, and directly opposite the Harz Railway steam depot. You can book a Railway room with steam views. In their excellent restaurant, a model railway delivers your beer. Though if you're railwayed-out, the Ringhotel Weißer Hirsch is a 4-star hotel right on the town's main square opposite Wernigerode's distinctive town hall that even boasts a free sauna for guests.
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Option 3, stay in Nordhausen, take the Harz Railway to the Brocken, go on & stay in Wernigerode (or vice versa).
This is the best of both worlds and what I did myself, staying in the Nordhäuser Fürstenhof in Nordhausen then the Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel in Wernigerode. You get to cover the whole of the Harz Railway main line from Nordhausen to Wernigerode as well as visit the Brocken. You can turn it into a 2-day trip by staying in the Brocken Hotel, brockenhotel.de, but book early, it gets booked up in the summer.
There's a late morning steam-hauled train direct from Nordhausen to Brocken, running daily all year except for several weeks in November. There's then a choice of afternoon steam-hauled trains from Brocken to Wernigerode.
There is no problem taking luggage on the trains, though there is no left luggage facility on the Brocken, perhaps ask the hotel to look after your bags for a couple of hours for a few euros.
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Option 4, make a 2-day circuit covering both the Harz Railway and the Selke Valley Railway.
If you've more time, this is the thing to do! Day 1, travel from Wernigerode to the Brocken and from the Brocken to Nordhausen on the Harz Railway, staying overnight in Nordhausen. Day 2, travel on the equally scenic Selke Valley Railway from Nordhausen to Quedlinburg. Quedlinburg is another picturesque German town, this one UNESCO-listed, another great place to stay.
How to check times, prices & buy tickets
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You can check Harz railway train times at the official HSB website, www.hsb-wr.de.
It's in German, for timetables look for Fahrplan. Or just use Google Translate.
Tip: The HSB station in Nordhausen is Nordhausen Nord, but it's only 100m from the mainline DB station across the Bahnhofsplatz, which is plain Nordhausen. The main station in Wernigerode is plain Wernigerode as HSB & mainline DB stations are side by side.
Tip: At the bottom of the page on www.hsb-wr.de there's a link to Aktuelle Fahrplanänderungen = current timetable changes. This not only tells you about any current service alterations, it will tell you if a diesel has had to substitute for a steam locomotive on specific trains, as sometimes happens.
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You can check Harz railway ticket prices at www.hsb-wr.de, look for Tarife then Fahrpreise, or use Google Translate.
For a trip up the Brocken click Brockentarif. Return tickets are valid for 3 days.
Tip: A return ticket to the Brocken is the same price from Nordhausen as from Wernigerode. If you're going from Nordhausen to Brocken then Brocken to Wernigerode, a return ticket from Nordhausen to Brocken is valid for this and cheaper than buying one-ways Nordhausen-Brocken & Brocken-Wernigerode.
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You can buy HSB tickets at the station on the day, or indeed on board the train.
You can also buy tickets online at www.hsb-wr.de, and either print them out or show them on your phone.
However, there's absolutely no advantage to buying tickets in advance as there are no reservations and tickets are available in unlimited numbers, they cannot sell out. Just buy your ticket on the day. There are no reservations, you sit where you like.
Your hotel reception desk may be able to sell you a return ticket to the Brocken, the Nordhäuser Fürstenhof & Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel certainly can.
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Tip: The Deutschland Ticket gives unlimited travel on regional trains all across Germany for a month, see the information here. A Deutschland Ticket is valid on all Harz Railway trains including steam trains, except for the branch line up the Brocken for which you will need a separate ticket. A Deutschland Ticket would also cover travel to the Harz area by regional train from a city such as Hanover.
Nordhausen to Brocken in pictures
The Brocken
Brocken to Wernigerode in pictures
Video: Nordhausen to Brocken
Video: Brocken to Wernigerode
How to get there
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Modern air-conditioned regional trains link Wernigerode & Nordhausen with the outside world. In Wernigerode, DB & HSB stations are side by side. In Nordhausen, DB's Nordhausen station is 100m across the station square from HSB's Nordhausen Nord.
Simply look up train times & buy tickets from anywhere in Germany to Wernigerode or Nordhausen at the German Railways (DB) website int.bahn.de.
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int.bahn.de also sells tickets from Belgium, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark, Paris, Poland & so on to Nordhausen or Wernigerode.
Brussels to Wernigerode from €36.90. Amsterdam to Wernigerode from €32.90. Zurich to Nordhausen from €24.90.
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From the UK, you can easily travel from London to Nordhausen or Wernigerode in a day.
Take Eurostar to Brussels & onwards ICE trains to Cologne & Hannover for regional trains to Wernigerode. Or take Eurostar to Brussels & onwards ICE trains to Frankfurt & Gottingen for a regional train to Nordhausen.
London to Brussels by Eurostar starts at £52 one-way or £78 return in Standard, £97 one-way, £140 return in Plus (1st class).
Brussels to Wernigerode starts at €36.90 each way in 2nd class or €79.90 each way in 1st class.
Buy tickets from London to Wernigerode or Nordhausen online at either www.raileurope.com or www.thetrainline.com. You print your own tickets or can show them on your phone.
Tip: Eurostar return fares are significantly cheaper than 2 one-ways, so always book a round trip as a round trip. With onward German trains, a return is simply two one-ways, it makes no difference. So if you were going from London to Nordhausen, but back from Wernigerode to London, you'd first identify the trains you wanted, then book from London to Brussels & back as a round trip, add to basket, Brussels to Nordhausen one-way, add to basket, Wernigerode to Brussels one-way, add to basket, and check out. Easy when you know how.
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Alternatively, you can travel overnight from London Liverpool Street to Amsterdam Centraal using the excellent Stena Line Rail & Sail service with a cosy private cabin with shower, toilet & satellite TV, fares from £55 one-way per person plus the cost of a cabin from £34, see the Stena Line RailSail page & buy tickets at www.stenaline.co.uk/rail-and-sail/to-holland.
Next day, take an Intercity train from Amsterdam Centraal to Hannover & regional trains to Wernigerode or Nordhausen from €32.90 each way. Check times and buy a ticket from Amsterdam to Wernigerode or Nordhausen at int.bahn.de.
Where to stay
Nordhausen: Nordhäuser Fürstenhof
In Nordhausen, the excellent Nordhäuser Fürstenhof is on Bahnhofsplatz (station square) a stone's throw from the DB and HSB stations and a 10 minute walk from the town centre. You'll instantly recognise the hotel from the remarkable 'Cabaret' murals on its exterior. The hotel serves a good buffet breakfast, but there's no restaurant. The pizzeria La Stazione on the station square adjacent to the hotel does good beer and Italian food.
Wernigerode: Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel
he Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel is just 3 minutes walk from the station, 5 minutes walk from the town's main square. It overlooks the Harz Railway steam depot across the road, you can select a Railway Room to have a view of the Harz railway. They have an excellent breakfast buffet and their restaurant serves an equally good lunch and dinner, where your beer arrives by model railway.
...or Ringhotel Weißer Hirsch
The Ringhotel Weißer Hirsch is a family-run 4-star hotel dating from 1717 right on the town's main square opposite the town hall. It has a restaurant, bar and even free sauna.
On the Brocken: Brocken Hotel
On the Brocken itself, the one and only hotel is the Brocken Hotel. It's not available on any normal hotel booking site, you have to contact them for availability via their website, brockenhotel.de. Book early, it gets booked up quickly in summer.
