The Harz Mountains in Winter

Your winter vacation starts at London St Pancras where we meet before departing on the Eurostar to Brussels. Our journey continues by rail to Cologne for an overnight stay. With free time to explore, you could stroll through the Old Town, which has been lovingly and carefully restored to its pre-war appearance. We enjoy a welcome dinner together with the group this evening.

• Dinner

We board the train this morning, traveling across northern Germany to Hanover where we continue by coach into the Harz Mountains. Driving through winter landscapes, we travel through scenes of deep pine forests peppered with pretty lakes.

We arrive in the town of Wernigerode, nestled between picturesque mountains, where we check into our hotel for a five-night stay. There is time at leisure this afternoon to relax and to explore before dinner.

• 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 Faust, and during the Cold War, Brocken was a military base used for border surveillance; until the fall of the Berlin Wall, the mountain was off-limits to all but the Soviet army. From the mountain's top, we enjoy one of Europe's most spectacular lookout points, commanding views of the sloping tree-lined hillsides below.

We rail back from Brocken to Wernigerode and return to our hotel for dinner.

• 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 is full of 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, there is 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.

• Breakfast

You are free to explore Wernigerode today. A highlight of this beautiful town 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.

A short distance from our hotel is the aviation museum, where you can view the exhibits and enjoy a flight simulation experience, 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.

• Breakfast

Our excursion today is to the preserved town of Quedlinburg. Here, we take a guided walking tour, after which, 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.

This afternoon, we set out on a journey into the scenic Selke Valley on the Selke Valley Railway. The 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. We then return to our hotel for our final dinner together this evening.

• Breakfast, Dinner

After breakfast, we say goodbye to Wernigerode and are transferred by coach to Hanover. From here we continue by rail to Cologne, then change trains to travel to Brussels, where we join the Eurostar to London. On the journey, you can look back on your wonderful winter vacation exploring quaint towns and riding scenic railways, before saying goodbye at London St Pancras and making your way home.

• Breakfast