The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen narrow-gauge steam railway runs from Wernigerode Hauptbahnhof to the Brocken summit, the highest point in northern Germany at 1,141 metres. The journey takes about 90 minutes each way, climbing through mixed forest and emerging onto the open heath near the top, where the locomotive whistles through cloud and fog on most days of the year. The round trip can be done as a half-day excursion from Wernigerode.
The Brocken summit has a museum in the former East German listening station, and the views — when they are clear — extend across the whole of northern Germany. But the summit is often in cloud; many visitors find the railway journey itself more memorable than the view at the top. Steam engines are used on most services; diesel takes over when steam is unavailable. Tickets can be booked at Wernigerode station; day return fares are reasonable, and the trains run year-round.