Nordhausen is one of the main gateways to the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways, the metre-gauge network that climbs through the Harz and connects with the Brocken line. Steam is not just decoration here; it is part of the region's travel culture, with mountain curves and forest stations that make the journey the point.
The town's tram system also links into the network, including hybrid tram-trains that run under city wires and then continue over non-electrified track. For rail travellers, this is Nordhausen's most cheerful counterweight to the darker Dora visit.