The Harz Mountains in Winter

Your winter vacation begins at London St. Pancras, where we meet the Tour Manager before boarding the Eurostar to Brussels. Joining the German national rail service in First Class, we journey to Cologne for an overnight stay.

In a prime position on the Rhine, Cologne was originally founded as a military camp by the Romans who named it Colonia, leading to the modern term "colony." Today, the city is a charming cultural and economic hub, famous for the immense Gothic cathedral, reconstructed Old Town and beautiful river views.

On arrival, we check in to our hotel near the river and enjoy a welcome dinner. Overnight Cologne.

• Dinner

After breakfast at our hotel, we transfer to the station, where we board a train bound for Hannover. Traveling across northern Germany, we enter the snowscape of the Harz Mountains, passing scenes of deep pine forests and pristine lakes.

From Hannover, we take a coach to the fairytale town of Wernigerode, nestled between picturesque mountains, where we check into our elegant four-star hotel. With 1,100 years of history, this charming town is characterized by intricate half-timbered houses, including the medieval Town Hall and the leaning Crooked House. In winter, the pitched roofs are blanketed with snow, giving the town a magical atmosphere.

Enjoy time at leisure to soak up the ambience before we gather at our hotel for dinner. Overnight Wernigerode.

• Breakfast, Dinner

Today takes us on a scenic rail journey aboard the Brocken Railway to the summit of Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains at 3,743 feet. We enjoy stunning panoramic views of the Upper Harz National Park as we wind our way up the snow-covered mountain to the terminus, Brockenbahnhof, the highest narrow-gauge railway station in Germany.

This towering summit has long been associated with dark forces, perhaps most famously in Goethe's tragic play, Faust. During the Cold War, Brocken was a military base used for border surveillance, and the mountain was off-limits to all but the Soviet army until the fall of the Berlin Wall. From the mountaintop, we enjoy one of Europe's most spectacular lookout points, commanding views of the sloping tree-lined hillsides below.

In the afternoon, we take the Brocken Railway back to Wernigerode and return to our hotel for dinner. Overnight Wernigerode.

• Breakfast, Dinner

We travel by rail to medieval Goslar, nestled at the foot of the Harz Mountains. Older than Berlin, this former Free Imperial city is a UNESCO World Heritage site and brims with historic architecture, including half-timbered houses dating back to the early 16th century. We set out on a walking tour, discovering Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque architecture with our local guide.

After the tour, we have time to continue exploring independently. You could visit the Kaiserpfalz, built at the beginning of the 11th century. Designed primarily as a summer residence, this is the largest Romanesque palace in Europe. Alternatively, stop at the Rammelsberg Mining Museum for a fascinating look into the industrial history of Goslar.

In the afternoon, we return to our base in Wernigerode, where you're free to dine independently. Overnight Wernigerode.

• Breakfast

After breakfast, we enjoy a free day to explore Wernigerode. One of the town's many highlights is the grand Wernigerode Castle. Sat on a hill overlooking the town, this is a building straight from the pages of a fairytale. Constructed on the site of an old medieval fortress, it was rebuilt into its current Neo-Romantic style in the 19th century.

Only a short distance from our hotel, Wernigerode's aviation museum offers an impressive collection of restored aircraft and a flight simulator, while the fire brigade museum in the town center contains an array of vintage engines. With its numerous half-timbered buildings and striking architecture, Wernigerode is packed with beautiful sights.

We dine independently in town tonight. You might like to seek out the hearty local food, including dishes like game goulash, roast venison or Harz brown trout. If you're feeling adventurous, you could try Harz cheese, a sour milk cheese with a distinctive odor, once a staple food of local miners. Overnight Wernigerode.

• Breakfast

Our excursion today is to the preserved town of Quedlinburg. On arrival, we set out on a journey into the scenic Selke Valley on the Selke Valley Railway. Our route ascends along the steepest sections of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway, taking us into the Harz Mountains, through a winter landscape of snow-frosted forests and picturesque mountain peaks.

From Alexisbad, we return to Quedlinburg for a guided walking tour of this charming town. After the tour, you are free to explore at your own pace. Discover the cobbled streets, passing a collection of medieval, timber-framed buildings and Romanesque architecture in the Old Town, which has UNESCO World Heritage status.

Later, we return to our hotel for our final dinner together this evening. Overnight Wernigerode.

• Breakfast, Dinner

On this winter vacation, we experienced trips on the historic Brocken and Selke Valley railways and discovered the charming UNESCO World Heritage towns of Goslar and Quedlinburg. From our base in Wernigerode, we enjoyed guided walking tours among medieval buildings and cobbled lanes with a picturesque backdrop of snow-capped mountains.

After breakfast, we say goodbye to Wernigerode and transfer by coach to Hannover, where we continue by rail to Cologne. Changing trains in Brussels, we join the Eurostar to London St. Pancras, where your journey comes to an end.

• Breakfast