I'm off up the Brocken, Germany next Saturday

[stuartmoss]

I haven't booked my ticket up the Brocken yet, I'm hoping to fathom it out when I get there.

I'm staying in Wernigerode from Friday afternoon until Sunday mid-morning. Then heading down to Ilmenau for work.

Does anyone have any tips or advice about the Brocken?

Cheers!

 

[blackfive460]

If you are lucky and the weather is good on Saturday, expect trains to be very busy especially since the Winter timetable will have started making the first train off Wernigerode later.
On the way back stop off at Schierke and Drei Annen Hohne. Both stations have reasonable restaurants.
Tickets aren't cheap but if you are going to be in Wernigerode in time for a ride to the Brocken and back on the last train on Friday (14:55 in the Winter timetable) you could consider buying a three day Mehrtagskarte at 64€. A single round trip to the Brocken costs 32€ so it's only equivalent to two trips and would also give you more flexibility on Saturday to have a couple of very noisy rides to the top.
If the weather isn't too good and you don't want to spend time on the Brocken, consider getting the first train to the Brocken, come straight back to Drei Annen Hohne where you can catch the steam hauled train to Eisfelder Talmühle and back and still be able to get the last round trip to the Brocken at Drei Annen Hohne to finish off the day.

 

[30907]

What a shame that the rest of the network is closed for engineering work from 4-29 November, otherwise you could have got halfway to Ilmenau by steam - as it is, Eisfelder Talmuehle is sadly off!

Rather than the 3-day ticket, I'd suggest the HarzTourCard http://www.nasa.de/index.php?id=66, which for EUR18.- gives you 3 days unlimited travel as far as Schierke, plus local buses across the Harz (on the Sunday it would take you to Hasselfelde for a connecting bus to Berga on the Halle-Nordhausen line - the bit I've done is a pleasant ride).
BTW Schierke-Brocken is still EUR 32.-

You can buy the ticket at the HSB booking office or (I think) the tourist office, but it's still not very well known. This is also valid on the Halberstadt trams, which have a tram/rail crossing and on Sundays only potter down the decrepit rural section to Klus - though they now use new trams normally. 2 hours between trains in HBS should do it (there were lockers at the station when I did this a few years back)

Back to the Brocken: the only time I did the trip - starting from Erfurt behind a class 232 (well it was 1996!) - the weather changed dramatically while I was there, from mist and rain to cold and clear (you could easily see as far as the Thueringer Wald), so don't be put off by November weather, unless it's really awful (in which case just use your HarzTourCard). Of course the proper way up the Brocken is on foot, like Goethe!

Enjoy St Martin's Eve too (I think we've had this conversation?)

 

[reb0118]

My boss is just back from there I'll pump him for some info.

 

[gordonthemoron]

it will probably be very cold, so dress up warm.

 

[davetheguard]

it will probably be very cold, so dress up warm.

Or you can buy a small bottle of Nassdampf (wet steam) a schnaps-style spirit in the HSB shop at Wernigerode station.

"Recommended for drivers and firemen" according to the bottle!

 

[ChiefPlanner]

It will be very cold ...(did it last December pre-Xmas) - a metre of snow and killer winds / fog on top. The bar at Drei Anne Hohne is a godsend. Take anti-freeze (brandy) and food.

Previous attempts failed due to deep snow (despite the plough out) , a failure and a rescue by the southbound 2 -10-2- and a suspension of the Brocken due to weather conditions. Good luck,

Wernigerode is a nice little town - much smarter than it was.

 

[Gordon]

.


Was certainly chilly in April:

http://gwizz.piwigo.com/index?/category/78-14_april_2013_harz_steam

Note I have inserted an October 1989 pic into the April 2013 gallerty for comparison.



.

 

[stuartmoss]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies:

I will arrive in Wernigerode by midday on Friday, so in light and in response to your replies:
Blackfive460 - The Mehrtagskarte at 64€ is a bit more than I wanted to spend, but it sounds like it could be the correct ticket for me. I need to leave early on Sunday, but I'll be able to use it Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, and I'm guessing I can hop on and off as necessary, so that sounds like it could be a plan.
30907 - The card you have suggested also sounds good, but would it take me all the way up the Brocken? I'm guessing not. Sunday I'm tied to certain trains as I have to be in Ilmenau for 16:00. I may or may not get chance to go back into Erfurt that evening, it will depend on the people i'm working for.
Gordon - I have multiple layers packed including long johns!
Davetheguard - Nassdampf is now on my list.
Chiefplanner - bar noted!

The weather currently looks fairly cold and wet, but not snow yet. I realise that can change quickly and easily there. I've been in Ilmenau before in early November and it has snowed.

I'm really looking forward to this. I'll post some video of my trip afterwards.

 

[blackfive460]

They have had a little snow already this year but most of it appears to have gone.

But have a look for yourself!

 

[gordonthemoron]

7.1 C, it's not even that cold

 

[davetheguard]

Thanks everyone for your very helpful replies:

I will arrive in Wernigerode by midday on Friday, so in light and in response to your replies:
Blackfive460 - The Mehrtagskarte at 64€ is a bit more than I wanted to spend, but it sounds like it could be the correct ticket for me. I need to leave early on Sunday, but I'll be able to use it Friday afternoon and all day Saturday, and I'm guessing I can hop on and off as necessary, so that sounds like it could be a plan.
30907 - The card you have suggested also sounds good, but would it take me all the way up the Brocken? I'm guessing not. Sunday I'm tied to certain trains as I have to be in Ilmenau for 16:00. I may or may not get chance to go back into Erfurt that evening, it will depend on the people i'm working for.
Gordon - I have multiple layers packed including long johns!
Davetheguard - Nassdampf is now on my list.
Chiefplanner - bar noted!

The weather currently looks fairly cold and wet, but not snow yet. I realise that can change quickly and easily there. I've been in Ilmenau before in early November and it has snowed.

I'm really looking forward to this. I'll post some video of my trip afterwards.

For good quality typical German food I can recommend the Hotel Post's restaurant at 17 Marktstrasse, but if you feel like a change from pork & sausage, the Casa Vita in the same street at 35 Markstrasse is really very good - and not too expensive either....

It's not really a wine area, but if you like beer try the local Dunkel (dark beer) or Hefeweizen (cloudy wheat beer) for a change from Pils (lager).

 

[30907]

30907 - The card you have suggested also sounds good, but would it take me all the way up the Brocken? I'm guessing not.

No, sorry if I didn't make it clear, you'd have to buy a return to Brocken as well, which is EUR32 rtn 21 single wherever you start, but it would give you unlimited rides as far as Schierke. The 257 bus usefully fills in gaps in the train timetable, specially useful in the early afternoons!

But if you want multiple trips on the Brocken section, then the 3-day ticket is definitely better.

Good luck with the weather, you might get snow on Saturday it seems, but also winds gusting force 12 (it says)

 

[davetheguard]

No, sorry if I didn't make it clear, you'd have to buy a return to Brocken as well, which is EUR32 rtn 21 single wherever you start, but it would give you unlimited rides as far as Schierke. The 257 bus usefully fills in gaps in the train timetable, specially useful in the early afternoons!

But if you want multiple trips on the Brocken section, then the 3-day ticket is definitely better.

Good luck with the weather, you might get snow on Saturday it seems, but also winds gusting force 12 (it says)

By the way, I assume you're staying in Wernigerode itself?

The mention of buses in the post above reminds me that when we stayed there in June 2012, we were given a free bus ticket for the area by our hotel - valid for the duration of our stay. I believe all Wenigerode hotels do this. You just show it to the bus driver.

But it's not just valid within the town, but over the whole Harz area: we used in on trips from Wernigerode to both Thale & Quedlinburg and back (the later is a really beautiful town). We also caught a bus back from Drei Annen Hohne station to Wernigerode. The pass is, of course, not valid on TRAINS (unfortunately).

Finally, the poster above mentions Schierke: be aware that the station and the village are some distance apart (vertically!) and it is very, very stiff walk up through the trees from the village to the station.

 

[stuartmoss]

Hello Everyone from Wernigerode, where I've just polished off a delicious frushtuck in the Hotel Zur Post (yes the food is EXCELLENT here).

I went up the Brocken yesterday, I made the 14:55 train, and boy with the wind chill was it cold at the top, there was only a very little bit of snow in small patches though. I'm impressed with the size of the HSB, I had no idea as to the extent of the network. Now I have a network map and am educated as to this, I have decided to return next Spring when I'm working in Ilmenau next, and bash the network proper!

With that in mind I just took a 32 Euro return train ride yesterday. I've decided today to make use of the free bus ticket I get from my hotel today, and go to Thale, where there is a cable car ride up a mountain, I love cable cars and views so that's right up my strasse.

If you'd like to follow my progress so far (in reverse chronological order) then I've posted my photos along with brief narratives both here: http://instagram.com/stumoss and here: http://stuartmoss.tumblr.com .

Once again thanks all for your advice, I will eventually put videos at www.mosstravel.tv but that might not be for a couple of weeks, as I have quite a backlog of editing to get through.

Auf Wiedersehen!

 

[eastwestdivide]

...http://stuartmoss.tumblr.com ...

Far too many pictures of beer, schnapps, food and trains. Nah, not really!

 

[stuartmoss]

Cheers!

 

[30907]

Your bus ticket might well cover the Halberstadt trams (sorry to bang on about them, but their future is a bit uncertain...). Or you could stay in the town next time (Cathedral is worth visiting), or in Quedlinburg (another UNESCO World Heritage Site), and do the Brocken via the Selketalbahn.

BTW I fear you are right re the Leeds/Bradford-Berlin flight being discontinued. You'll just have to go by rail (or the Duesseldorf flight, which is the only one to Germany that Jet2 have made work.)

 

[stuartmoss]

Hi 30907, disappointingly I didn't get out of Wernigerode today. I missed my bus by seconds, the next wasn't for another hour and with limited daylight left I decided to stay in the town and go to the castle. It was worth doing so for the views over Wernigerode, and now I've seen the town in good detail, rather than just scratching the surface.

Next time I will probably stay in Halberstadt, as it does seem like a decent little place.

As for Jet2, my local and most used airline, I don't know why Berlin isn't working for them. The planes are nearly always full. The Dusseldorf route is my most flown route into Germany, but as it is at night, it's not so good for connecting trains East, without stopping over.

There is always Leeds to Prague, which gives me an excuse to spend a day or two in lovely Dresden.

GermanWings from Manchester also gives me a few options with Cologne transfers.

 

[30907]

Shame about the bus!

Next time I will probably stay in Halberstadt, as it does seem like a decent little place.

Much less touristy than either Wernigerode or Quedlinburg, and potentially easier access to the Ruebelandbahn. All I remember apart from the trams and the cathedral was that on a June Sunday afternoon the place was dead.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Once the armed forces complete their withdrawal from Germany, I wonder if the Leeds-Dusseldorf route will survive?

 

[stuartmoss]

Once the armed forces complete their withdrawal from Germany, I wonder if the Leeds-Dusseldorf route will survive?

Thats a good point Gordon, my experience of the Dusseldorf flight, is that there is usually some military personnel on them. At certain times of year e.g. Christmas the flights are often majorly occupied by them. I would hope that the combination of business traffic and tourists for Dusseldorf / Cologne / Dortmund / Koblenz might be enough to sustain this route.
___________________________________________________________________

Anyway I finally arrived back home late last night. My trip went as follows: Leeds - Berlin - Wernigerode - Ilmenau - Leipzig - Dresden - London - Leeds.

I've taken a fair few photos along the way, planes, trains, food, beer, buildings, art, stations, city views etc. They are all here in reverse chronological order: http://stuartmoss.tumblr.com or http://instagram.com/stumoss

Enjoy!

 

[stuartmoss]

FINALLY I've got my Wernigerode / Brocken videos edited....

The Brocken Railway and the journey up the mountain:

[youtube]QIJd6gdzuCE[/youtube]


Views around Wernigerode including the Castle, and some more views of the Brocken Railway from around the town, as well as the main railway station:

[youtube]nMEofeLrtX8[/youtube]


Hotel Zur Post - a review of the hotel in which I stayed:

[youtube]e3MnCXEUWG8[/youtube]