The summation of today is that the views are not always better the higher you go.
As teased by Amber yesterday, our hotel in Wernigerode continues the good views from the room theme by overlooking the station and engine shed of the Harzer Schmalspur Bahn (HSB), the metre gauge primarily steam railway that runs all across the Harz region, including up to the summit of Brocken, 1,125m above sea level. The hotel doesn't only offer good views, there are many railway themed touches, including a small train delivering drinks in the hotel restaurant, where we ate last night!
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| The view from our room at the Wernigerode Altora Hotel. |
We've typically avoided hotel breakfasts on this trip preferring to get something out and about, but the Wernigerode Altora hotel only offered an inclusive B&B option so Forrest in particular enjoyed a plate of different "German" sausages, cucumber and bread as we watched the first trains depart from Wernigerode station whilst the steam locos in the yard were prepared for later departures. After returning to the hotel room for the now customary sun cream application, we made our way over to the station for the 10:25 departure up to Brocken.
Our train, like most on the line, was hauled by a 1950s East German designed DR Class 99.23 steam locomotive. As the train powers up the often very step incline, raising almost 1,000 metres from Wernigerode to Brocken, it's easy to forget that the loco doing all the work is approaching its 70th anniversary in service.
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| Waiting to leave Wernigerode station. |
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| Winding the way up to the summit at Brocken. |
The journey takes just over an hour and half. Progress isn't the quickest with a couple of longer station stops to take on water, although this does give the opportunity for more photos!
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Forrest taking a nice photo of Mamma, Paloma and Cub,
with Daddy outside taking some more photos! |
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| Taking on water on the way up to Brocken at Drei Annen station. |
If you read the guide books or look online the views from Brocken of the Harz region are breathtaking. Unfortunately having left nice weather behind in Wernigerode and for most of the journey up, Brocken itself was a near white-out of cloud with visibility down to a couple of metres in places. We decided to have lunch to see if things would improve, but it wasn't to be so we had a quick walk getting wet from the clouds before catching the train back down to Wernigerode.
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| A walk in the clouds. |
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| Brocken Transmitter or a UFO landing? |
The return journey had an unexpected twist with a diesel locomotive substituting for the steam from Drei Annen back down to Wernigerode. It was all a bit too much for Forrest and eventually Paloma who both had a little doze on the train back down to Wernigerode.
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| Heading back down the mountain to Wernigerode. |
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| Letting the steam train take the strain up a mountain is hard work! |
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| Letting the steam train take the strain up a mountain is hard work! |
We decided to leave the train one station earlier in Wernigerode and have an explore of the pedestrianised town centre which had a very similar feel to that of Quedlinburg yesterday. Having gone traditional German at lunch, we found a pizza restaurant and enjoyed a quick dinner before heading back to the hotel. We've really liked the Harz region and would love to come back here one day for a further explore on the expansive HSB network.
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| The picturesque Market Square in Wernigerode. |
Early start tomorrow for the long drive to the Czech Republic!
Blogged by Matt.
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