Harz Mountains and Fairytale Germany
- 8 Days
- From £979
- Germany
- London to Cologne by high-speed train
- Wernigerode, with its pretty medieval centre and surrounding forested hills
- A 3-day pass covering the whole Harz Mountains Railway network
- Time to explore the Saxony region including Hamlyn and Celle from your base in Hannover
- Decide when you would like to travel
- Adapt the route to suit your plans
- Upgrade hotels and rail journeys
- Add extra nights, destinations and/or tours
- Standard Class rail travel with seat reservations
- 7 nights’ handpicked hotel accommodation with breakfast
- A three-day Harz Mountains rail pass covering all routes
- A Lower Saxony rail pass for regional travel from Hannover
- Comprehensive directions to your hotels
- Clearly-presented wallets for your rail tickets, hotel vouchers and other documentation
- All credit card surcharges and complimentary delivery of your travel documents
Suggested Itinerary
Travel this morning from London or Ebbsfleet to Brussels and make the easy transfer to the ICE/ Thalys platform where you’ll board a high-speed train to Cologne. On arrival, check in for an overnight stay at the Mondial am Dom MGallery (or similar).
Depending on the times of your trains today, there should be plenty of time for a look around the centre of this historic city on the Rhine and a leisurely dinner in the Old Town area of the city, centred around the famous twin-spired cathedral.
Leave Cologne this morning and take another ICE service to Hannover, where you’ll change onto regional services to Wernigerode via Goslar. You have ‘open’ tickets between Hannover and Wernigerode, meaning you can take any train. So, you may like to stop for a while in the pretty town of Goslar, with its medieval old town lined with half-timbered houses. There are left-luggage lockers in the station.
Alternatively, continue straight to Wernigerode and make your way to the conveniently located Hotel Altora (or similar) where you have a 4-night stay.
You have three full days in Wernigerode to explore the town and the surrounding Harz Mountains. Included in your package is a three-day Harz Mountains railway pass so you can explore the whole Harz Mountains Railway network including the famous Brocken Railway which takes you up to the highest peak in Northern Germany. The Trans-Harz Railway also starts in Wernigerode and heads right through the Harz region to historic Nordhausen.
Wernigerode itself is located on the northern slopes of the Harz Mountains, with a lovely old town and picturesque castle. Along with museums, historic monuments and shopping, there are lots of events throughout the year with the summer Castle Festival and winter Christmas markets amongst the highlights.
After breakfast in your hotel today, eave Wernigerode at your own leisure and make your return journey to Hannover. If you didn’t do so on the journey out, there’s the opportunity to stop in Goslar for a few hours. On arrival in Hannover, check in at the DoubleTree by Hilton Schweizerhof (or similar) for a 2-night stay.
Hannover is the largest city in Lower Saxony and also the regional capital, with plenty to see and do. Enjoy dinner in the lovely old town area and if the sun is shining, perhaps try a local Herrenhäuser beer in one of the city’s many beer gardens.
Enjoy a day at leisure in Hannover, with a regional train pass to visit other popular destinations in the area, such as Hamelin (home to the fictional Pied Piper) and the historic town of Celle with its half-timbered houses and fairytale castle. Also worth a visit is the city of Göttingen where brothers Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm lectured at the university and wrote some of their stories. All these destinations are accessible on the rail network.
Back in Hannover, not to be missed attractions include the elegant 17th century Royal Gardens of Herrenhausen and the Market Square in the centre of the Old Town, boasting some of the city’s most impressive Gothic structures, some of which date back to the 14th century.
It’s time to leave Hannover today and make your way back to the station for a return journey via Cologne and Brussels to London. These are all high-speed services with compulsory seat reservations, but if you would prefer, it’s possible to break your journey with overnight stops along the way. Please call for details and prices.
Typical hotels on this itinerary
Cologne
Hotel Mondial am Dom Cologne MGallery by Sofitel is located right in the centre of Cologne, close to the famous cathedral and the main station. All of the modern bedrooms feature air-conditioning, complimentary Wi-Fi, minibar and satellite TV. The hotel also boasts a restaurant overlooking the cathedral, a sauna, a steam room and a fitness room.
Wernigerode
This family-run hotel is located on the edge of the and very close to the
Hannover
The DoubleTree by Hilton Hannover Schweizerhof is a modern hotel conveniently located just 400 yards from the main train station. All 200 stylishly furnished bedrooms are non-smoking with flat-screen TVs and tea & coffee making facilities. Dine out on the on-site restaurant’s outdoor terrace during the summer months.
