Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen) is a network of narrow-gauge railway lines in the Harz Mountains, in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, unique on aglobal scale. Scheduled vintage trains comprised of steam locomotives and vintage wagons run every day on routes with a total length of 140.1 km. According to the operator’s website, the railways have 25 active steam locomotives.
Harz Narrow Gauge Railways run trains on the following routes:
Harzquerbahn – a railway line between Wernigerode and Nordhausen in Thuringia. 61 km through mountains and forests. The route runs along the north-south axis, and in Schierke, you can change trains to the Brockenbahn line. Wernigerode is a charming town famous for the castle, quaint old houses and a fine town hall with a timber facade from 1498.
Selketalbahn – the oldest narrow-gauge line in the Harz Mountains. The first section was opened in 1887. The name of the line comes from the Selke River, as a large part of the railway tracks run along its riverbed. The line connects Eisfelder with Quedlinburg. The length of the line is 53 km. It’s worth visiting the town of Quedlinburg – tourists can see a wide selection of half-timbered buildings from at least five different centuries and the castle. The old town of Quedlinburg is among the largest in Germany.
Brockenbahn – a railway connecting Wernigerode with the summit of the Brocken. The train climbs to the summit (1142 m above sea level); the most beautiful part of the route begins after Schierke when the train seems to encircle the summit. The first trains started operating on the Brockenbahn route in 1899. According to the map on the Harzer Schmalspurbahnhen website, the length of the line is 34 kilometers. The train covers it in approximately an hour and 40 minutes. The area around Schierke is criss-crossed by numerous trails, several leading up to the top of the Brocken.
Tickets for the Harzer Schmalspurbahnen network are NOT valid for Deutsche Bahn tickets for federal states, nor for network and weekend tickets. Ticket prices for narrow-gauge railways are relatively high, and I also did not find information about passes for the entire network. For railway enthusiasts, it is certainly an attraction worth its price, while others may be disappointed. Deutschlandticket and Interrail are not accepted.
Harz Narrow Gauge Railways – official website
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