Wernigerode likes to call itself the colourful town of the Harz, and it earns the title. The old town, at the foot of the mountains, has half-timbered houses in every shade of red, yellow, blue and green, carved with figures and inscriptions, and a Gothic town hall with two slim towers that looks like a toy. One of the houses is among the smallest in Germany, squeezed into a gap between two larger buildings, and visitors queue to look at it.
Above the town stands the castle, a Romantic fantasy of towers and turrets, rebuilt in the nineteenth century by the counts of Stolberg-Wernigerode, with rooms furnished in the style of the period. The castle looks out over the roofs of the old town and the forested hills beyond. Wernigerode is also the terminus of the narrow-gauge Harz railway, whose steam locomotives climb to the summit of the Brocken, the highest mountain in northern Germany at 1,141 metres, and run on regular schedules.
With about thirty-four thousand people, the town has fuel, supermarkets, cafes and hotels, and is a good base for riding in the Harz. The mountain roads from here are tight and enjoyable, climbing through spruce forest, with long views from the ridges. The old border between East and West Germany ran through the Harz, and you can find traces of it on the hills. The Brocken, once a restricted military zone, is now a place of walks and views.
The weather in the Harz is variable, with fog and rain common, and snow from October to April. Summer is the best time, but the roads are busy at weekends. Autumn brings colour, with golden beech woods, and the first snow dusts the peaks in November. For a meal, try the Harz specialities, such as the hearty stews, game dishes and local sausage, with a glass of beer, and the cafes in the old town are good for coffee and cake.