Day Trip to Harz and Brocken railways

Could anybody please advise....

Is it possible to enjoy a day out on the Harz and Brocken system traveling by Train from Berlin.

I have a free day in Berlin next week and would like to visit the Harz network.

Regards

Ian

 

Ian

It should be possible to travel on part of the system from Wernigerode to Brocken and return based on DB and HSB Timetables. The stations are next to each other at Wernigerode. links to both : -
http://www.bahn.com/i/view/GBR/en/services/index.shtml and http://www.hsb-wr.de/hsb_barrierefrei/lib/download/fahrplan/hsb_s325.pdf

Paul

 

It's roughly 3 hours by train from Berlin to Wernigerode. If you get there early enough, Wernigerode - Brocken - Drei Annen Hohne - Eisfelder Talmühle - Wernigerode is possible with steam.

 

Hi Ian,
I'm in Wernigerode at the moment and it's pi--ing down! Definitely do-able from Berlin but I suggest doing Eisfelder first (11.55 ex Wern) and do Brocken on the way back(15.51 ex Drei Annen).If you aren't too bothered about the last few k.m. get a Harz Tour Card 18 euros from HSB shop nr. westerntor for 3 days unlimited as far as Schierke rather than 33 for just a Brocken return.Hope this helps.Ray

 

Ian,

you have probably been and gone, but maybe someone else had similar ideas.

If you don't mind a later finish, I suggest/would have suggested the following:

8:31 ICE from Berlin Hbf., change at Braunschweig and Vienenburg to arrive at Wernigerode 11:37
11:55 from Wernigerode to Brocken, changing at Drei Annen Hohne. There will be three steam trains at Drei Annen Hohne then!
Arrive Brocken 13:44. Either return with the 13:59 to Drei Annen Hohne to spend some time there or take the direct 14:51 to Nordhausen as far as Eisfelder Talmühle which you will catch at Drei Annen Hohne if you leave Brocken earlier. Again three steam trains at drei Annen Hohne to be seen.
Arrive Eisfelder Talmühle 16:50 to catch the 16:59 to Gernrode which might have a Mallet 99 590x at the front or the unique 99 6001.
Arrive Gernrode 19:25. Depart at 19:33 changing at Halberstadt, Vienenburg and Braunschweig to arrive Berlin Hbf. at 23:25.
In total you will have 135 km behind steam including the Selketal to Gernrode which is frequently overlooked but nevertheless very attractive.

Regards

Christoph

 

Perfect timing..

just arrived in Berlin...Technical Museum first. looks like i will be able to try out your suggestion on Friday.. at least the weathers reasonable currently.

What sort of DB and HSB ticket would be best?

 

Hi Ian,

glad I could help.

Tickets are a bit tricky. On the HSB it is a flat fare of 32,- Euro to the Brocken and return from all stations. I am not sure, if this includes the return to a different station than the one you started from. If it does, you are okay. If it does not, try to get a ticket from Quedlinburg to Brocken and back at Wernigerode plus a single ticket from Wernigerode to Drei Annen Hohne at 7,- Euros. If that does not work either, get a BrockenCard which, at 42,- Euros, gives you one return trip to the Brocken plus another on the reminder of the network within seven days or the same day.

As for DB, it is even more complicated.

It is 62,- Euros Berlin to Wernigerode and 67,- Euros Quedlinburg to Berlin using the ICE via Braunschweig. It is 41,- Euros for the IC leaving at 7:20 going via Magdeburg and Aschersleben. There are Saver Tickets (Sparpreis) at 44,- Euros or 49,- Euros Berlin to Wernigerode but for two earlier ICEs only. The saver for the IC costs 19,- Euros. The return is 34,- Euros Quedlinburg to Berlin via Braunschweig. Those savers have to be purchased three days in advance, i.e. today, Tuesday, for travel on Friday and they do allow travel only on the booked train!

The cheapest option without advance purchase is as follows:

IC Berlin to Magdeburg leaving Berlin Hauptbahnhof at 7:20 (Ostbahnhof at 7:08), price 29,- Euros. In addition to that buy a "Quer durchs Land" ticket costing 42,- Euros which will give you unlimited travel on all regional trains. Use that for the 9:12 Magdeburg to Aschersleben and the 10:35 Aschersleben to Hannover which you will use as far as Wernigerode, arriving at 11:17. The return form Quedlinburg will be 19:33 changing at Halberstadt, Aschersleben, Güsten and Magdeburg to arrive in Berlin at 23:59. You can leave Quedlinburg one hour later if you trust a rail replacement bus. See reiseauskunft.bahn.de/bin/query2.exe/en for the Deutsche Bahn timetable planner for details. For the cheap options make sure you tick the box "all without ICE"! You can use that in the UK as well, BTW!

Hope you have a nice time. Feel free to ask, if you like to know more.

Kind regards

Christoph