Harz Mountains & Rhine Gorge - Germany‘s festival of flowers and heritage railways

A festival of flowers and some of Germany's most interesting heritage railways, all featured on a rail tour that takes us up the peaks of the Harz Mountains and through the Rhine Gorge to Germany's National Garden Show in Koblenz. Find Out More »

* Tours departing 16, 24 April and 25 May will stay at the Hotel Altora in Wernigerode. All other tours will stay at the HKK Hotel Wernigerode.

Tour highlights

• Tour highlights
• Goslar
• Wernigerode
• Quedlinburg
• Harz Mountain Railway
• 3-day Harz Mountain Rail ticket
• Brocken
• Selketal narrow-gauge railway
• Assmannshausen
• Rhine cruise to Boppard
• German National Garden Show

Day 1 - By train to Germany

We depart from St Pancras International by Eurostar to Brussels. Sit back in your comfortable Standard Premier Class seat and enjoy your complimentary meal and drinks before our arrival in the Belgian capital. Our journey continues by Thalys to Cologne for an overnight stay in the Grand City Hotel Cologne Centre. (E,D)

Day 2 - Across Germany to the Harz Mountains

After breakfast we join the InterCity train to Hanover. Here, we meet our coach which takes us on a journey through the Harz Mountains. We stop in the scenic town of Goslar en route to our base in Wernigerode, which is situated in the picturesque Harz region. We spend four nights at the HKK Hotel Wernigerode or the Hotel Altora (depending on your departure date), just a short walk away from the historic centre. This evening settle in or explore the town, noted for its fairytale castle, half-timbered houses and its charming medieval Town Hall. (B,D)

Day 3 - Brocken by steam train

A full-day excursion on the narrow-gauge, steam-hauled Harz Mountain Railway takes us to Brocken, the highest mountain in the Harz region at over 3,700 feet (1,128m). During the Cold War, Brocken was a military base used for border surveillance and, until the fall of the Berlin Wall, the mountain was off-limits to all but the Soviet army. (B,D)

Day 4 - A day at leisure

Situated alongside the Holtemme River, Wernigerode is a quintessentially German town. With elaborate half-timbered buildings, simply strolling through the town provides a feast for the eyes, not to mention the impressive Wernigerode Castle. Alternatively, use your 3-day Harz Mountain Railway ticket to explore the local network. (B)

Day 5 - Harz Mountain Railway excursion

The Harz Mountains is an undulating forested area peppered with many lakes. Such terrain is ideally suited to narrow-gauge railways. The Harz railway system offers a viable public transport service and steam-hauled tourist trains with beautifully restored vintage rolling stock. Our excursion takes us by coach to the gorgeously preserved town of Quedlinburg, a UNESCO World Heritage site with an outstanding collection of medieval timber-framed buildings. Here we join the narrow-gauge Selketal Railway for a journey through the verdant countryside of the Selke Valley. (B,D)

Day 6 - Wernigerode to Assmannshausen

Bidding farewell to the peaceful Harz mountains, we join our train from Wernigerode via Hildesheim and Frankfurt to Assmannshausen in the Rhine Gorge. In Assmannshausen we spend four nights at the Hotel Alte Bauernschänke, situated in the centre of this typical Rhineland village. (B,D)

Day 7 - Romantic Rhine Gorge

Today we take the short walk to the riverside to join a boat for the journey down the prettiest part of the Rhine Gorge. Ancient castles peer from the top of the green banks, as we pass the legendary Lorelei Rock. We arrive in the riverside resort of Boppard* for some free time and maybe a stroll along the Rhine Promenade. There is a good choice of restaurants here for lunch before we rejoin the cruise back upstream to Assmannshausen. (B,D)

*In October the Rhine Cruise will stop at St Goar instead of Boppard

Day 8 - A day at leisure in Assmannshausen

Today is free for you to explore Assmannshausen at your leisure. Our location, close to the river and railway station, allows plenty of options today for visiting towns along the river, such as nearby Rüdesheim, with its quaint Drosselgasse street and many wine taverns. (B)

Day 9 - Koblenz & German National Flower Show

Today we enjoy one of the highlights of the tour as we visit the German National Garden Show, hosted in 2011 by Koblenz, a much-loved city situated where the Rhine meets the Moselle. The German National Garden Show is Germany's largest garden festival, briefly transforming Koblenz into a sea of flowers. Our ticket includes entrance to all three exhibitions - the Blumenhof Courtyard at the Deutches Eck (German Corner), where the Rivers meet, the grounds of the Electoral Palace, and at the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress, located across the river. We experience the festival from every angle, enjoying a one-hour panoramic river cruise and a return journey on a brand-new cable car across the Rhine, specially built for the event to link two of the exhibitions. (B,D)

Day 10 - Assmannshausen to London

We transfer by coach to Cologne, where we join our train for Brussels and connect with the Eurostar service to St Pancras International. (B,E)

E = Eurostar meal, B = Breakfast, L = Lunch, D = Dinner These meals, where shown, are included in the price of your holiday

Harz Mountains - Rhine Gorge - Luxury Escorted Rail Tours - Train Holidays

Explore And Enjoy The Harz Mountains and Rhine Gorge on this luxury escorted Rail Tour. Frequent departures, find out more.
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