Wernigerode: An Old Town That Outlasted Fire, Plague and War

Wernigerode is one of Germany's best-preserved medieval towns, tucked into the northern Harz Mountains. On this walking tour, you'll explore its cobblestone streets lined with timber-framed houses dating back to the 1400s. You'll also hear how the town survived fires, plagues, witch trials, and World War II – and why a local commander was shot for saving it.

The tour starts at the Brauhaus Wernigerode on Breite Strasse, a restaurant whose oldest sections date to 1567. From there, you'll wind through Market Square, past the Gothische Haus – a building that stopped the great fire of 1847 in its tracks – and into the narrow Klintgasse alley toward the Crooked House, a timber-framed mill that leans at 7% – roughly double the angle of the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

Along the way, you'll circle the 13th-century St. Sylvestri Church, slip through Demutsgasse (Humility Alley), and pass the smallest house in Wernigerode, once home to two adults, seven children, and a subtenant. From there, the route climbs 170 meters through the forest to Wernigerode Castle, where the tour ends. Inside, a 50-room museum awaits, along with a café and panoramic views over the Harz.

On this 60-minute tour, you'll have a chance to:

• Spot a punk-style St. Nicolas and a motorcycle-riding witch on the Nicolai Square fountain
• Admire Café Wien, a Renaissance building from 1583 with ornate carved wooden supports
• Examine the historic City Hall, originally built as a playhouse in 1420
• Hear how Oberst Gustav Petri surrendered the city in 1945 to save civilian lives – and was executed the next day
• Visit the Harz Museum, covering the region's history, geology, and wildlife
• Walk a path along the Zillierbach river that once formed part of a medieval pilgrimage route to Rome
• Discover House Gadenstedt, a timber-framed manor built atop a medieval castle wall from 1265

Lace up comfortable shoes and set aside time to explore the museums, cafés, and forest paths along the way.