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First stop in
Wernigerode
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Medieval
town, close to the Harz National Park.
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Trip to Mount
Brocken with steam train
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Since
1992 trains have been once again been running along the Mount
Brocken; at 1'142 meters, this mountain which is steeped in
legend is the highest peak in northern Germany. This is hard
work for the 700 h.p. steam locomotives, which have to travel
purely by adhesion, without the benefit of gears or any similar
equipment.
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Mount Brocken Railway Station, which stands at 1'125 m above sea level, is
the highest train station on any narrow-gauge railway network in
Germany, which makes it an absolute must for all visitors to the
Harz mountains and railway enthusiasts alike. Trains travel
there regularly from Nordhausen and Wernigerode. However, you
can also get on at all of the other stations and stops along the
way.
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The
Mount Brocken Railway takes about 50 minutes to climb the
steepest part of the line from the Drei-Annen-Hohne Railway
Station, offering visitors an overwhelming panoramic view of the
Upper Harz National Park. Upper Harz is heavily blanketed in
snow in the winter months and makes for an exciting trip by rail
then as well. Visitors can sit back and enjoy the sight of the
heavily snow-covered forests of fir trees and snowbound
highlands; on a clear day, Mount Brocken provides a fantastic
view over the white countryside below.
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Free time in
Wernigerode
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After returning from Mount Brocken, participants will have about
90 min of free time in Wernigerode.
Wernigerode
centre consists mainly of timber-framed houses of
Lower Saxon style. The neo-Gothic castle in its prominent
location way above the town can be seen by approaching visitors
even from a great distance. The surroundings of our town are
also quite appealing. The Harzer Schmalspurbahn (narrow-gauge
railway) has its starting point here. It goes via Schierke way
up to the Brocken; another line crosses the Harz and goes to
Nordhausen in Thuringia.
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Second stop:
Goslar
World Cultural Heritage Site
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The former Free Imperial Town of Goslar has an over-1000-year
history. Probably the discovery of silver and copper ore
deposits induced the Saxon and Salic emperors to establish their
largest and most secure palatinate here in the 11th century. For
centuries it was the favoured seat of government in northern
Germany and at the same time a centre of Christianity. The
spires of the 47 churches, chapels and monasteries delineated
the town’s unique silhouette. It was referred to as the “Rome of
the North”.
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Still
today the view of the townscape with the steeples of the five
large parish churches is impressive when viewed from the knoll
upon which the Imperial Palace stands. The many crooked, narrow,
cobble-stoned streets in the Old Town are an adventure of their
own, where each house tells its own story and secret nooks and
crannies await discovery.
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For
visitors it is best to drive to the large “Kaiserpfalz Nord”
carpark at the foot of the Imperial Palace (Kaiserpfalz). From
here the impressive Romanesque Imperial Palace opens up to view.
In the naturally scenic background the over 600-metre-high
Rammelsberg Mountain rises. In it are the ore mines, which
closed down only as recently as 1988. Since 1992, the mine and
the Old Town of Goslar have been entered on the UNESCO World
Cultural and Natural Heritage List for all Mankind.
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Dinner at the
Great Holy Cross
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Dinner will take
place at
Great Holy Cross |
