Saxony & Harz Winter Steam Extravaganza

DAY 1

Morning departure by Eurostar to Brussels, continuing by fast train to Frankfurt and onwards to Gotha. Overnight stay with evening meal at the Am Tierpark Hotel.

DAY 2

Direct ICE train to Dresden arriving late morning. After dropping off our luggage at the hotel we spend the afternoon with steam on the Radebeul Ost to Radeburg line in the suburbs of Dresden. The line is operated by 2-10-2T locomotives and the steam trains run every day on the 16.6 km track. We then spend six nights at the InterCity Hotel, Dresden, situated right by the station. Tonight, we enjoy a three course evening meal.

DAY 3

After breakfast we travel by private coach from the hotel to the village of Johstadt for the winter steam trains on the 7 km long Pressnitztalbahn. This is a lovely line that follows a stream to Steinbach which was opened in 1892 and dismantled but revived in 1992 by the Museumsbahn members.

DAY 4

We take a main line train to Oschatz, crossing over to the little bay platform there for Winter Steam with Saxon Meyers on the Döllnitzbahn. The Döllnitzbahn narrow-gauge railway in Saxony, Germany has been operating for more than 130 years. The train travels through the town then open fields to their depot at Mugeln continuing onwards to Glossen. We then return later in the day to Oschatz and main line train to Dresden.

DAY 5

Travel by regular railcar from Dresden via Floha to Cranzahl for steam on the Fichtelbergbahn, a steeply graded line that climbs for 11 miles into the mountains and over a high viaduct to the ski resort of Oberwiesental situated at 3,000ft altitude. The railway is a narrow-gauge railway that leads from the standard gauge line at Cranzahl.

DAY 6

A short local train ride takes us to Freital Hainsberg. Here we board our steam train for a ride over the 16 mile long Weisseritztalbahn through woodland, past a lake and small villages to Kurort Kipsdorf and return. A wonderful narrow-gauge railway in Saxony which runs for nearly 14 km.

Day 7

We travel by train along the banks of the River Elbe to Bad Schandau, then a ferry across the Elbe to ride the bucolic tramway through country lanes to Lichtenhain and return. On return to Dresden, we have an exclusive visit to the railway museum at Altstadt roundhouse housing main line steam locomotives. This is one of the oldest railway roundhouses in Germany, dating 1847. Our evening meal is at the hotel.

DAY 8

Depart on the morning train via Halle to Wernigerode arriving early afternoon, followed by a guided visit to the Wernigerode Steam Loco works where the locomotives are overhauled. It was founded in 1993 and is located at the former Harz Narrow Gauge Railways depot. We have three nights at the Hotel HKK with buffet evening meal.

DAY 9

Experience the thrilling climb behind steam from Wernigerode through the snow to the summit of the Brocken Mountain. Afterwards spend time at the junction of Drei Annen Hohne, perhaps enjoying a warming soup in the little café on the platform while watching the steam activity, before returning to Wernigerode for our buffet evening meal at the Hotel HKK.

DAY 10

Travelling by local train to Quedlingburg for the morning steam working over the rural Selketalbahn line to Alexisbad, The Selke Valley Railway is a narrow-gauge railway owned by the HSB and runs for 43.3 km, changing there for the railcar onwards to Eisfelder Talmulhe. Here we connect with the afternoon steam working from Nordhausen to Wernigerode. We then have our final buffet evening meal at our hotel.

DAY 11

Departing Wernigerode after breakfast travelling via Goslar, Hannover, Koln, and Brussels to London arriving late afternoon.

B=Breakfast, D=Dinner