The Harz narrow-gauge railways operate a 140 km long network of narrow-gauge railways with meter gauge between the cities Wernigerode, Quedlinburg and Nordhausen in the German federal states Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia. The highlight is the w: Brocken Railway to the summit of the highest mountain in northern Germany, the Chunks. The touristic operation takes place on all routes with steam locomotive-hauled trains, the rest also with diesel traction and tram cars with two-power drive. The stations are the junctions for the three routes w: Three Annen Hohne and Eisfelder Talmühle.
background
Today, the narrow-gauge railways are mainly used for tourist purposes, but there is also a significant amount of local public transport in the Nordhausen area.
history
The narrow-gauge railways in the Harz go back to 1887. The first line was also known as the Anhaltische Harzbahn and Selketalbahn. The Brocken Railway from Wernigerode to the Chunks and the line to Nordhausen opened in 1898 and 1899. During the GDR era, the lines were operated by the Deutsche Reichsbahn, but the Brocken was in the restricted border area and was not accessible. The non-federally owned Harzer Schmalspurbahnen GmbH has been the operator since February 1st, 1993. The former standard-gauge section Gernrode-Quedlinburg was re-gauged to narrow gauge by 2006 and included in the network.
Fares / ticket purchase
Outside the route on the Brocken, the fare (one way) for adults, for example, from Wernigerode to Nordhausen Nord or Quedlinburg is 26 EUR, to Drei Annen Hohne 9 EUR and to Schierke 12 EUR, for a return trip 50% more. Children aged 6 to 14 pay EUR 15.50, EUR 5.50 or EUR 7. From Nordhausen Nord to the Eisfelder Talmühle it costs just 3.50 EUR for adults, 2.00 EUR for children, and after Drei Annen Hohne 21.50 EUR or 13 EUR. There is also a reduced family rate and group discounts (all information, including about limited seat reservations, can be found at https://www.hsb-wr.de/mehr-erfahren/tarife/fahrpreise/preise-ausserhalb-brocken/It gets a little more expensive on the Brocken: Here it costs 29 EUR for adults from all stations of the Harz narrow-gauge railways, for children up to 14 years 17.50 EUR, and back and forth 45/27 EUR. There is a reduced afternoon tariff for 39 EUR (fares as of April 2019).
language
getting there
By plane
The next international airports are in Leipzig / Halle and in Hanover.
By train
The Harz narrow-gauge railways are linked to the Deutsche Bahn network in Wernigerode, Quedlinburg and Nordhausen Nord.
By bus
Car
The resin is motorized quickly over the Federal motorway 36 (from the Braunschweig area), the Federal motorway 38 (from Göttingen and Halle or Leipzig) and the Federal motorway 7 reached. Netzkater is on Bundesstraße 4. Drei Annen Hohne can be approached from Wernigerode.
Here we go
Lines
They are served w: Harzquerbahn of Wernigerode on the w: Drei Annen Hohne train station (the Brocken Railway branches off here), Benneckenstein, the w: Eisfelder Talmühle station (Branch of the Selketalbahn) to Nordhausen Nord, the w: Selketalbahnfrom Eisfelder Talmühle station via Stiege / Hasselfelde, Alexisbad / Harzgerode Quedlinburg wrong, and probably the most significant for tourism, that Brocken Railway by Drei Annen Hohne to the summit of the Chunks.
Classes
Only one unit class is offered.
Timetables
- Timetables for the Harz narrow-gauge railways are available here: https://www.hsb-wr.de/mehr-erfahren/streckennetz/
Accommodation and catering
eat
There is a restaurant in the station on the Brocken. Further on in the Drei Annen Hohne station, the restaurant "Zur Harzquerbahn". There is also a restaurant in the Eisfelder Talmühle train station. In Netzkater the restaurant "Zur Harzbahn".
Drink
- Herbal liqueur is a high-proof specialty w: Schierker Feuerstein.
Sleep
It is not forbidden to take a nap on the train. But you'd better look out!
Regulations and Security
security
health
trips
literature
- Klaus-Jürgen Kühne: Everything about narrow-gauge railways in the Harz Mountains. Transpress Verlag, Stuttgart 2008, ISBN 978-3-613-71344-4 .
