It’s not the Orient Express
Our journey to the Harz Mountains in December (a photo story)
Our journey to the Harz Mountains in December (a photo story)
I blame it on Greg, my son-in-law. He sent me the link to some YouTube videos which mentioned the Harz Mountains and Harz Narrow Gauges Railways (HSB). As a closet rail fan, how could I not jump at an opportunity to take a trip on a train, pulled by a steam locomotive, running on a narrow-gauge line up to the top of a mountain in Germany?
Fortunately, it wasn’t hard to get the rest of the family on board, a BnB was booked near Wernigerode and the day after Christmas, we were off.
Wernigerode is a great place to visit on its own. There is a castle high on a mountain above the town which we left for a future visit. The city itself is a wonderful place to wander as the streets are narrow and there are lots of places to shop — another post — this one is about our trip up to the Brocken.
Tickets are not unreasonable, when we traveled, adults were 51€ round trip each. Liddy was another 15€. Don’t expect first-class accommodation for this fare although the HSB does run special trains with lunch service, or murder mystery themes.
At one of the stops along the way, I captured this shot of our train while the engineer was inspecting the locomotive.
At the same stop, I gave Liddy an opportunity to also inspect the locomotive. She didn’t appreciate the hisses and pops as valves opened and closed.
Atop the Brocken, the locomotive is detached from the train and runs around to the opposite end. What was the back end on the way up, becomes the front on the way down.
As you can see from these photos, we had a spectacular view of the clouds and snow that the wind was blowing across the platform. It wasn’t cold if you could find a windbreak.
I like this classic locomotive portrait. If there had been a better light…
Liddy was more concerned with the hissing monster coming towards her than the lousy weather conditions. At this point, it was time to retreat into the cafeteria for lunch. Several dogs were hanging out with their families so Liddy was not alone.
It being during the Christmas holidays, there were lots of people exploring the Brocken and its surrounding area. The Harz Mountains are a favorite hiking and camping area — even in winter it seems.
One thing I found disturbing was the large number of dead and down trees along the route. I hope the authorities get this cleaned up soon as it seems like a wildfire waiting to happen. I asked our BnB hostess about this later and she thought it was due to the lack of rain in the region. Another victim of climate change.
This last photo was taken as we descended back down to Wernigerode. Liddy and I were standing on the platform between the rail cars. I like the fir trees alongside the track as the locomotive powers along with a plume of steam venting from its stack.
My headline photo was also taken on the way down from the Brocken, but on the other side of the train. Better light. Also, you can see some of the dead debris off to the side of the track.
If you are in the area, make the opportunity to ride the HSB to the Brocken. Better — take a day pack and explore the surrounding forest before returning. You won’t regret the adventure.