The Harz is the highest mountain range in northern Germany, spread across Saxony-Anhalt, Lower Saxony and Thuringia, roughly between Hanover, Magdeburg and Göttingen. Its summit, the Brocken (1,141 m), was a sealed Soviet and East German listening post on the inner-German border from 1961 until crowds forced it open in December 1989; today it is part of Harz National Park and reached by a steam railway. The mountains are also witch country: Goethe set the Walpurgis Night scene of Faust on the Brocken, and 30 April is still celebrated across the region. This guide covers four towns on the northern edge: Wernigerode with its castle and the Brocken railway, Quedlinburg, Thale with the Bode Gorge, and Goslar, whose old town and Rammelsberg mine became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1992.
Below are the seven places we recommend, a one-day route from Quedlinburg via Thale to Wernigerode, a two-day plan with the Brocken and Goslar, and practical notes on trains from Hanover, Berlin and Leipzig. Opening hours and prices are on each attraction page (checked October 2026). For late 2026, note that the cable car at Thale pauses from 2 November to 24 December and that Wernigerode Castle switches to winter hours, closed on Mondays.
Our picks for a first visit — each with a short reason why.
Mountains & peaks
Wernigerode
The Brocken is the highest mountain in northern Germany at 1,141 meters (3,743 feet) and the best-known peak of the Harz Mountains in Saxony-Anhalt. Most visitors ride a historic steam train to the summit, where wild granite moorland, swee…
1. The highest peak in northern Germany, by steam train (return €65) or on foot from Torfhaus (about 8 km, three hours up). The summit museum opens daily 9:30 am–5 pm.
Old towns & squares
Quedlinburg
The old town of Quedlinburg is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Germany and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. More than 2,100 half-timbered houses spanning eight centuries line its cobbled lanes, watched over by a castle…
2. One of Germany's largest ensembles of half-timbered houses, with the castle hill where King Henry I is buried. The castle museum was due to reopen on 3 October 2026 after renovation.
Palaces
Wernigerode
Wernigerode Castle (Schloss Wernigerode) rises above the half-timbered town of Wernigerode on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains, and it looks like it was lifted from a fairy tale. Its towers and steep roofs date largely from a lavish…
3. A fairy-tale castle rebuilt in the 1860s–80s, with almost 40 furnished rooms and views to the Brocken. Winter hours from 2 November 2026; closed Mondays and on 6 and 9 November.
Nature parks
Thale
The Bode Gorge (Bodetal) near Thale is the most dramatic canyon in Germany's Harz Mountains and one of the country's classic hikes. Over roughly 6 miles (10 km) between Thale and Treseburg, the Bode River has carved deep into granite, leav…
4. A 10 km granite gorge between Thale and Treseburg, protected since 1937. Walk to the Königsruhe inn for a short outing or all the way to Treseburg; the riverside path fully reopened in 2025.
Viewpoints
Thale
The Hexentanzplatz ("Witches' Dance Floor") near Thale is a rocky plateau 454 meters (about 1,490 feet) above sea level, perched high over the Bode Gorge in Germany's Harz Mountains. It is one of the most popular things to do in the Harz:…
5. The Witches' Dance Floor: a plateau 454 m above the gorge with witch sculptures, a small zoo, a toboggan run and an open-air theatre. The cable car takes five minutes; closed 2 Nov–24 Dec 2026.
Old towns & squares
Goslar
The old town of Goslar on the northern edge of the Harz mountains has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1992, together with the Rammelsberg mine and the Upper Harz water management system. More than 1,500 half-timbered houses, slate-…
6. An imperial town with more than 1,500 half-timbered houses, the Romanesque Imperial Palace and a mining-themed carillon on the market square at 9 am, noon, 3 pm and 6 pm.
Industrial heritage
Goslar
The Rammelsberg Mine in Goslar is one of the most remarkable industrial sites in Germany: a mountain that was mined for more than a thousand years and is now a UNESCO World Heritage museum and show mine. You can ride a mine train into the…
7. A mine worked for over 1,000 years, now a museum where you ride a mine train and see underground water wheels. Museum plus one guided tour €21; open daily, 9 am–5 pm in winter.
Start on the market square by the ivy-covered town hall, then wander the cobbled lanes up to the castle hill and St Servatius' church. Early morning is the quietest time. Allow three to four hours and wear comfortable shoes.
Places: Quedlinburg Old Town
Thale is about 10 km away, a short ride on the RE11 train. Walk into the gorge as far as the Königsruhe, then take the cable car up to the Witches' Dance Floor. Between 2 November and 24 December 2026 the cable car does not run, but you can drive to the car park on top.
Drive about 45 minutes to Wernigerode. From the old town car park it is a 20-minute uphill walk, or take the little castle train that starts behind the town hall. Last entry is 30 minutes before closing.
Places: Wernigerode Castle
Board an early train in Wernigerode or Drei Annen Hohne and book online, as trains sell out on sunny weekends. The Deutschlandticket is not valid between Drei Annen Hohne and the Brocken. Bring a warm, windproof jacket even in summer.
Places: Brocken
The visitor centre covers the division of Germany, the old listening station and the summit's weather, with a 360-degree viewing deck. Walk the loop around the summit; fit hikers can descend on foot to Schierke instead of taking the train.
Places: Brocken
Back in town, ride the castle train up from behind the town hall. One to two hours is enough for the rooms and terraces, from where you can see the summit you stood on that morning.
Places: Wernigerode Castle
Goslar is about 40 minutes' drive from Wernigerode. Combine the museum with one guided tour, such as the Roeder tunnel or the mine train, and allow at least three hours; it is cool underground. Bus 803 runs from Goslar station.
Places: Rammelsberg Mine
See the market square and the carillon, the late-Gothic council chamber in the town hall (€6) and the Schuhhof square, then walk up to the Imperial Palace. In Advent a lit-up forest of fir trees fills the Schuhhof.
Places: Goslar Old Town
By train. Goslar has hourly regional trains from Hanover, Brunswick, Göttingen and Halle. Thale and Quedlinburg are on the RE11 line from Magdeburg via Halberstadt, and Wernigerode has regional trains plus the narrow-gauge Harz railways to the Brocken. From Berlin, travel via Magdeburg; from Frankfurt or Munich, change to regional trains at Hanover, Göttingen or Halle. The Deutschlandticket covers regional trains but not the final Brocken section.
By air and car. The nearest airports are Hanover and Leipzig/Halle; from there a hire car or the train takes you to the northern Harz. Wernigerode lies on the A36 motorway, and Goslar is about an hour from Hanover. There is no public road to the Brocken: park in Wernigerode, Schierke or Torfhaus.
Getting around. Quedlinburg and Thale are about 10 km apart. Guests staying overnight in Goslar receive a visitor card with the HATIX logo that works as a free ticket on Harz bus routes.
Spring and autumn are the best seasons for hiking: the Bode Gorge turns green in May and the beech woods glow in October. The Brocken summit is in fog on more than 300 days a year, with average temperatures of around 4 °C, so clear autumn and winter days give the best views. On 30 April (Walpurgis Night) Thale and the Brocken are packed.
Winter 2026/27. The steam trains keep running through the winter, and frost and snow make the ride memorable; the summit is cold and very windy. Wernigerode Castle opens Tuesday to Sunday from 2 November, the Rammelsberg mine daily 9 am–5 pm. The cable car in Thale pauses from 2 November to 24 December 2026. Christmas markets in Quedlinburg and Goslar make Advent a good time for an overnight stay.
On a rainy day choose the Rammelsberg mine, Wernigerode Castle, the Brockenhaus or Quedlinburg's museums.
Take the Brocken railway, a steam-hauled narrow-gauge train from Wernigerode, Drei Annen Hohne or Schierke (about 50 minutes from Drei Annen Hohne), or hike. The Goethe Trail from Torfhaus is about 8 km and takes around three hours uphill. There is no public road for cars.
A return ticket costs €65 and a single €43; children aged 6–14 pay €39 and €26 (October 2026). Prices are the same from any station. The Deutschlandticket is not valid on the Drei Annen Hohne to Brocken section.
It is possible by train via Magdeburg, but the main sights are spread out. One night in Wernigerode or Quedlinburg lets you combine the Brocken with a half-timbered town; a weekend adds Goslar.
Yes. Children love the steam train to the Brocken, the mine train at Rammelsberg (with a dedicated family tour), the zoo, toboggan run and witches' village at the Witches' Dance Floor and a short walk into the Bode Gorge. Children under six go free at Wernigerode Castle.
Wernigerode is handiest for the Brocken railway and the castle, Quedlinburg for Thale and the Bode Gorge, and Goslar for the Rammelsberg mine and the western Harz. All three have railway stations and historic centres.
Walpurgis Night on 30 April is when, according to legend, witches gather on the Brocken. Towns such as Thale celebrate with large festivals, especially at the Witches' Dance Floor, so expect crowds and book accommodation early.
The region brings together attractions from these towns. Open a town guide or its list of attractions.
Old towns & squares
Quedlinburg
The old town of Quedlinburg is one of the best-preserved medieval towns in Germany and a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. More than 2,100 half-timbered houses spanning eight centuries line its cobbled lanes, watched over by a castle…
Churches & monasteries
Quedlinburg
St. Servatius Collegiate Church in Quedlinburg sits on a castle hill above one of Germany's best-preserved medieval towns and is among the country's finest Romanesque churches. King Henry I and his wife Mathilde are buried in its crypt, an…