On the northern edge of the Harz lies Wernigerode, with its historic town centre and carefully restored, colourfully decorated half-timbered houses. It was nicknamed the “Colourful Town in the Harz” towards the end of the 19th century by the writer Hermann Löns. On the market square you can find the town hall, the crooked house, the smallest house, and the oldest house – buildings that reflect the town’s long craft tradition.
Among the striking buildings are the remains of the old town fortifications and the Krummel House with its completely carved wooden façade. Overlooking the town stands Wernigerode Castle®, which gives you insight into roughly 800 years of the counts’ and princes’ history of Wernigerode in its partly originally furnished living rooms. The castle gardens – terrace garden and pleasure garden – are part of the state project “Garden Dreams”. The “Garden Dreams in the Harz” circular trail connects the castle, terrace garden, and pleasure garden along a route offering views of the town and the Harz landscape.
In the Bürgerpark you’ll find the miniature park “Little Harz”, where numerous buildings from the region are reproduced on a scale. The park also includes recreation areas, themed gardens, a lakeside promenade, a pet enclosure, a viewing tower, and a mineral gorge – a destination especially suitable for families.
The Hasseröder Holiday Park offers a wide range of leisure activities with its adventure pool, sauna and wellness area, bowling and skittle alleys, and an indoor play world.
In Wernigerode you can visit numerous themed attractions: the Aviation Museum, the Krell blacksmith’s workshop from 1678, the Harz Planetarium, and the Fire Brigade Museum.
If you want to explore the surroundings of Wernigerode and the Brocken, you can combine a hike with a trip on the historic steam locomotive of the Harz Narrow-Gauge Railways. You can take a closer look at the technology of these trains in the steam locomotive workshop.
In winter, the only ski lift in the eastern Harz awaits you in a snowy setting. You can find more information about it on the winter sports page.
