Smokin'... A Harz Railway 2-10-2 tank engine about to leave Wernigerode terminus with an express to the Brocken...
	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...

  The Harz Railway

  The Brocken

  How to visit the Harz Railway

  Harz railway timetable, prices & tickets

  Nordhausen to Brocken in pictures

  Brocken to Wernigerode in pictures

  Watch the video

  How to get there

  Where to stay

  Escorted tours

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:

• Option 1, stay in Nordhausen and 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.

• Option 2, stay in Wernigerode and 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.

• Option 3, stay in Nordhausen, take the Harz Railway to the Brocken, then from the Brocken to Wernigerode, 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.

• Option 4, if you've more time, make a 2-day circuit covering both the Harz Railway and the Selke Valley Railway.

  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...

• 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.

• 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.

• 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, but you must print them out, so only do this if you have access to a printer. 

  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.

Nordhausen to Brocken in pictures...

Nordhausen Nord station, on the west side of the Bahnhofsplatz, 100m from the Nordhausen mainline station & Hotel Fürstenhof.		Nordhausen Nord travel centre:  Just inside the station entrance on the right.  Buy tickets at the counter.

The 10:33 train to Brocken at Nordhausen Nord.  The locomotive is decorated as it's the driver's last run before he retires...

Ready to leave Nordhausen...		On board.  Several cars in each train have a toilet.

The open platforms at each end of the car are great for viewing.  The train travels at only 40km/h (25 mph).		The windows open for ventilation, and can flip right open, great for photography...

Taking on water at Eisfelder Talmühle, the junction station for the Selketalbahn to Stiege & Hasselfelde.

Passing a local railcar service at Eisfelder Talmühle...		Harz Railway schnapps is sold on board - delicious!

Scenery from the train...

Elend station.  The word elend literally means misery in German, but the place name may have a different etymology!

Drei Annen Hohne, junction station for the branch line up the Brocken.  Another train arrives from Wernigerode and the two trains swap locomotives.  The Wernigerode loco attaches to what was the rear of our train from Nordhausen.  Our train then changes direction, as the junction to the Brocken is behind us.  The train now gets a lot busier with passengers joining the Brocken-bound train here.  You can read about how Drei Annen Hohne got its name here.

Scenery between Drei Annen Hohne & Schierke...		More scenery as the train begins its climb...

The Nordhausen-Brocken train calls at Schierke, the only intermediate station on the 11-mile branch line between Drei Annen Hohne and Brocken.  At the back of the train, the rear platform gives great views back along the track.

A downward train is shunted into a siding to let us pass...		For a while we run alongside the hiking trail...

The train keeps climbing, the steam locomotive working hard...

The train circles the summit and finally pulls in to Brocken station...

Brocken terminus, all change!  The platform is full of passengers waiting for train back down.  The locomotive quickly runs around and attaches to the other end for the return trip...

The Brocken...

TV former TV tower is now a restaurant and hotel...

Rock marking the summit of the Brocken		The botanic garden...

Wernigerode is visible from the station platform, when the Brocken isn't shrouded in fog...

Brocken to Wernigerode in pictures...

Brocken station...		The ticket office...

A diesel is substituting for a steam locomotive on the 15:40 to Wernigerode today, so I decide to wait for the 16:22.

The steam-hauled 16:22 from Brocken to Wernigerode is good to go...

The view on the descent...

The view on the descent...

Passing a railcar at Drei Annen Hohne...		Drei Annen Hohne...

Scenery between Drei Annen Hohne & Wernigerode...

More scenery between Drei Annen Hohne & Wernigerode...

Wernigerode castle, on the right as the train approaches Wernigerode.  It's open to the public, see www.schloss-wernigerode.de.

The train passes Wernigerode Harz Railway depot on the approach to Wernigerode station

Journey's end:  The 16:22 train from Brocken, arrived at Wernigerode HSB terminus.

Wernigerode HSB station...		HSB ticket office:  Buy your tickets at the counter...

Wernigerode Bahnhofsplatz, HSB station on the left. mainline DB station on the right.  It's just 5 minutes walk into the town.

There's a raised observation deck at the end of Wernigerode platform, overlooking the depot, pictured above right.  The Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel is in the background on the far left.  Pictured above left, Harz railway steam locomotives on shed at Wernigerode...

A morning train from Wernigerode to Brocken about to leave.  The depot observation deck is on the left.

Wernigerode depot at night, taken just across the road from the Hotel Altora. The observation deck is on the right.

Video: Nordhausen to Brocken...

Video: Brocken to Wernigerode...

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How to get there...

• 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 www.bahn.de.

• www.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.

• 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 class, £115 one-way, £199 return standard premier (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.

  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...

• 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/ferry-to-holland/rail-and-sail.

  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 www.bahn.de.

Changing trains at Goslar on the way back, with the Wernigerode to Goslar train on the left, the Goslar to Hannover train on the right.

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.

Nordhausen Bahnhofsplatz from my hotel window, DB station clock tower on the left, HSB station on the right behind the tram.

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.

The Altora Eisenbahn Themenhotel.  It faces across the road to the Harz Railway depot.

In the restaurant at dinner, my beer arrives by train.  You can send the empty glasses back on the train, too..

...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.

Wernigerode's distinctive town hall...		Main square, Ringhotel Weißer Hirsch in the background.

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.

The former TV tower is now a hotel & restaurant...

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Escorted tours...

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