This article serves as a marker for a town that I think is worth visiting since I cannot combine Wernigerode into an area guide yet (there are other destinations in the Harz Mountains region – for instance, Quedlingburg – that could offer a future expansion of the guide).
Wernigerode ♥♥ is certainly worth a few hours of exploration on an intraday visit. Its center is nothing short of picture-perfect, with superbly preserved Fachwerk houses everywhere. The variety of ornaments provides an unending spot-that-detail activity. Splendid Rathaus presides over the main town square, Marktplatz ♥, but there are many visual delights in various corners of the mostly pedestrian city center.
A fairy-tale Schloss Wernigerode ♥♥ sits high above the town, reachable by a mini-train. It houses the art collection of local erstwhile rulers and offers great views of the surrounding area from its ramparts.