Wernigerode Travel Guide
A detailed destination guide for your next Germany vacation
Wernigerode Overview
Wernigerode contains several interesting Gothic buildings, including a fine town hall with a timber facade of 1498. Some of the quaint old houses which have escaped the numerous fires that have visited the town are elaborately adorned with wood-carving. The Gerhart-Hauptmann Gymnasium, occupying a modern Gothic building, is the successor of an ancient grammar school, which existed until 1825. Brandy, Hasseröder lager, cigars and dyes are among the products manufactured in Wernigerode. Above the town rises the castle (Schloß Wernigerode) of the princes of Stolberg-Wernigerode; the original was built in the 12th century. The present castle was built between 1862 and 1893 by Karl Frühling and includes parts of the medieval building.
Where to stay in Wernigerode?
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Things to See in Wernigerode
The Harzer Schmalspurbahn is a narrow gauge railway that leads from Wernigerode to The Brocken (1141 m), the highest peak in the Harz Mountains, and then goes to Nordhausen to the south of the Harz mountains. The second highest peak, Wurmberg (971 m), is accessible by cable car from Braunlage which is connected by bus to Wernigerode. Wernigerode has numerous museums, galleries, libraries, monuments and parks.
Wernigerode is the home of the Rundfunk-Jugendchor Wernigerode.
[ source: wikipedia ]
Maps and Driving Directions to Wernigerode
Travel Insider Tips for Wernigerode
A tip for the Quedlinburg area I'd say is to go see the nearby smaller town of Wernigerode. That town is also full of old buildings, but it has an awesome castle on a hill in the middle of the town. VERY picturesque.
Shared by Sascha Tobias Poeschl, Sep 2009
Rathaus Wenigerode
[ source: Flickr]
Popular Points of Interest in and near Wernigerode
Wernigerode Castle
[ source: Wikipedia ]
Wernigerode Castle is located in the Harz mountains above the town of Wernigerode. The present-day building, finished in the late 19th century, is similar in style to Neuschwanstein Castle, though its foundations are much older. The castle is one of the most frequently visited in Saxony-Anhalt.
The original Romanesque castle dating from the 12th century, extensively altered over the years, was until 1945 the residential palace of the Earls of Stolberg, who took the name von Stolberg-Wernigerode
from their principality, the earldom of Wernigerode. The grand turreted stone and half-timber castle with magnificent views over the medieval town of Wernigerode today ranks as a major example of the North German Historismus
building style. The remarkable rise to political power of Earl Otto, who became Vice Chancellor of Germany under Bismarck, gave impetus to the sumptuous late 19th century remodelling seen today, including the original state rooms once hosting Europe's highest ranking nobility of that day. Changing exhibits, a variety of events and scientific symposiums fulfill the castle museum's aim to become a center for artistic and cultural history of the 19th century.
Hours: May - October open daily 10am - 6pm, last admission 5:30 pm; November - April: closed Mondays.
Admission: Adults 5 €, Concessions 2 €.
Harz Narrow Gauge Railways
[ source: Wikimedia ]
The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways (Harzer Schmalspurbahnen), or HSB is a network of narrow gauge railways in the Harz mountains. It connects the principal cities of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg and several smaller towns in the area with about 140 kilometers of track, much of which is steeply graded and picturesque. The most popular destination on the network is the Brocken, an old Soviet listening post on top of the tallest peak in the Harz mountains, accessed by a spiral railway line, the Brocken Railway. The railway is notable for running a significant number of its trains with steam haulage, mostly employing 1950's vintage 2-10-2 tank locomotives, hauling traditional open-platform bogie carriages.
Fares range from 8 € to 23 € depending on age and length of journey. Check the website for time tables.
Related Sites
We collected some useful links related to Wernigerode. If you know a few more sites not listed here, or also know some insider tips or point of interests for this destination? Please share and submit your Germany travel tip. If approved it will be shown on this page!
- Homepage of Wernigerode: Wernigerode (official home page)
- Wikipedia: Wernigerode
More about the History of Wernigerode
Wernigerode was the capital of the medieval County of Wernigerode and Stolberg-Wernigerode. In 1815 after the Napoleonic Wars it became part of the Prussian Province of Saxony. The Hasseröder brewery was founded in Wernigerode in 1872.
After World War II, Wernigerode was briefly included in the new state Saxony-Anhalt. During the time of Communist East Germany, the town was very close to the inner German border. Wernigerode was made part of a restored Saxony-Anhalt in 1990 after German reunification.
[ source: wikipedia ]
What makes this Live Like a German Wernigerode Travel Guide special...
This Wernigerode travel guide provides you with an overview of Wernigerode, Wernigerode pictures, and a local travel guide that suggests many special trips, unique activities, and vacation ideas, that you can't find in a typical Germany travel guide.
Some of this information is compiled from popular and well-known sources (e.g., such as Wikipedia, Wikitravel, and great pictures from Flickr). However, what makes this Germany travel guide special is that most of the travel suggestions and insider tips are provided by local residents, property owners, and our readers, who share and submit their travel tips with us. All submissions are then editorially reviewed to ensure high quality. All this information is logically organized within this destination guide to make it easy for you to find things quickly.
In addition, the Wernigerode destination guide features restaurant recommendations, restaurant reviews, where to go for grocery shopping, sports activities, getting around, cultural events and highlights, entertainment, and health related information - so you are informed for your travel to Germany, and you can learn about all the cool things you can do during your Germany vacation!
