Steam and Christmas Markets in the Harz Mountains

This comprehensive tour encompasses steam in the whole Harz Region. As well as taking in the fabulous metre gauge Harz Mountain Railway we have many steam charter trains on the standard gauge as well. We use five different standard gauge locomotives of classes 41, 44, 50, 52 and 95, combined with all the metre gauge locomotives, making this a really impressive steam tour.

We also visit two Christmas Markets, enabling you to soak up the Magic of Christmas.

Saturday 4th December

Farewell to London

We board our morning Eurostar service to Brussels (1st class seating). Breakfast will be served at your seat on departure. At Brussels we change train on to a Thalys high speed service to Köln. You have around one hour in Köln to explore before we join our ICE service to Hannover. On arrival in Hannover we transfer to our city centre hotel.
Dinner is not included tonight giving you the opportunity to either eat at the hotel or try one of Hannover’s many restaurants. (B)

Sunday 5th December

Mainline steam to Wernigerode

After breakfast there will be a little free time before we transfer to the Central Station where our 41 class 2-8-2 No. 41096 will be waiting for us. We depart steam hauled down the main line, branch off at Hildesheim and continue through Salzgitter, Goslar and Vienenburg as we skirt the Harz Mountains. Soon we will arrive in the historic town of Wernigerode, where we check into our 4-star hotel for three nights. There will be time this evening to visit Wernigerode’s Christmas Market. (B D)

Monday 6th December

Mallet to Brocken

Today we ride a special steam train hauled by Mallet No. 99.5902 to Brocken. Before our departure we have arranged a visit to the steam depot at Wernigerode. It is a magnificent ride as we pass through the snow covered (hopefully) Harz Mountains to the summit of the railway at Brocken (1129 metres above sea level). We return to Wernigerode by around 15:00, giving you ample time to visit the Wernigerode Christmas Market. The decorated stalls fill the market place and the aroma of roasted almonds and Gluehwein (mulled wine) fill the air. (B D)

Tuesday 7th December

Wernigerode to Nordhausen and mainline steam to Thale

We return to Wernigerode Harz Narrow Gauge Railway station, where we have requested a one way charter with 2-10-2T No. 99.222. It is a very steep climb from Wernigerode to Drei Annen Hohne. We continue through forest beneath the mountain. On arrival at Eisfelder Talmuehle we reverse and tackle the steep graded line to Stiege and Hasselfelde. From Hasselfelde we continue downhill to Eisfelder Talmuehle and on to Nordhausen. On arrival at Nordhausen we walk across the road to the mainline station, here 2-10-0 No. 50.3501 will be waiting with our special steam charter. A lunch will be provided on the train. We travel north eastwards as we skirt the Harz Mountains on this very attractive line.
We pass through Walkenried, Herzberg, Hegisdorf and Frose. We continue to Quedlinburg, where we check into our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (There will be the opportunity to continue with the train to Thale before returning back to Quedlinburg). (B L D)

Wednesday 8th December

Ruebelandbahn

After breakfast we join our special train at Quedlinburg station. A very powerful tank locomotive, 2-10-2T No. 95.1027 that has only just been restored, works our special train over the very steeply graded (1-in-17) Ruebelandbahn. Our powerful tank locomotive will haul our train through Halberstadt to Blankenburg. From here the gradients are amazing, this will be one of the first steam hauled trains on the Ruebelandbahn for many years. The spectacle of steam in the 1-in-17 should be amazing. Eventually we will arrive in Konigshuette, the end of the line. Here a road coach will be waiting to transfer our group by coach to Hasselfelde. We enjoy lunch in Hasselfelde before we join our special doubleheaded train hauled by two 0-6-0 tank locomotives, Nos. 99.6101 and 99.6102.
We will continue with both locomotives to Alexisbad, where we will split our train to recreate the famous double departure spectacle.
We continue our journey to Quedlinburg at the very end of the narrow gauge system.
We transfer to our hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation in Quedlinburg. (B L D)

Thursday 9th December

Mainline steam to Klostermannsfeld and narrow gauge

After breakfast we take a short walk to Quedlinburg station where our special steam hauled train should be waiting headed by doubleheaded 50 class 2-10-0s Nos. 50.3501 and 50.3708. We depart for Klostermannsfeld via Halberstadt. On arrival we join a special narrow gauge steam train (750mm) of the Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn, enjoying a trip over their line and visiting the locomotive depot.
After a visit to the workshops No. 50.3708 takes us on a trip down the branch line to Wippra. We return to Quedlinburg by coach. Dinner and overnight accommodation in Quedlinburg. (B D)

Friday 10th December

Meinegan and Eisenach with an 01 Pacific

After breakfast we rejoin our train at Quedlinburg station hauled by an 01. Pacific. Our route takes us through Wernigerode, Vienenberg, Seesen, Gottingen, Bebra and Eisenach to Meinegen. Here we have arranged a visit to the locomotive works. We return to Eisenach steam hauled by our 01 Pacific for a short visit to the town, finally we steam into Kassel, where we check in to our 3/4-star hotel for dinner and overnight accommodation. (B D)

Saturday 11th December

Homeward Bound

We depart by intercity train to Koln, then Köln – Brussels by Thalys and finally we travel from Brussels to London St Pancras by Eurostar. A dinner with wine will be served at your seat on the train, which will arrive at London St Pancras mid evening. (B D)

Meals included each day are shown as:
B = Breakfast - L = Lunch - D= Dinner