Wernigerode's attractions divide neatly between the medieval old town and the wider Harz mountains that surround it. In town: the castle on the hill, the ornate Rathaus, and the dense concentration of half-timbered buildings in the Marktplatz and surrounding lanes. Beyond town: the narrow-gauge steam railway that climbs to the Brocken summit, the forests and trails of the Harz National Park, and day trips to Quedlinburg and Goslar. The combination of a well-preserved town and serious walking country makes Wernigerode one of the better bases in the Harz.