On the market square, overlooked by the 15th century town hall and surrounded by lovingly restored half-timbered houses, a number of stalls offer a variety of traditional food and drink as well as local craftsmanship.

The centrepiece of the Wernigerode Christmas market is a 10 m tall Christmas tree lighting up the square right in front of the town hall.

Above the town towers the Castle, dating back to the 12th century which is now open as a museum with rooms displaying the furniture of the last occupant, Earl Stolberg-Wernigerode, and an impressive dinner hall.

The castle Wernigerode towers impressively over the town and can be reached by a short but steep climb up the Agnesberg. Alternatively you can take a trip on the 'Bimmelbahn', a little motorised train going between the market square and the castle. Once at the castle you have a beautiful view of Wernigerode, the Harz Mountains and the Brocken, the highest peak in the North of Germany, from the castle fore court. You can then enter the actual castle which is a museum and has a lovely collection of furniture and dressed rooms to see how the Earl of Stolberg-Wernigerode lived.

There is a lot to keep little adventurers amused, an outdoor and indoor leisure pool, adventure playgrounds, a miniature park showing tiny versions of famous buildings in the region, complete with mini railways going around, the deer park 'Christianental' with deer, goats, sheep, badgers and birds of prey and of course the steam railway Harzer Schmalspurbahn which starts in Wernigerode and can take visitors all the way up to the Brocken, a 1142 metre high peak which used to be a symbol of the German - German border. A museum on the Brocken stills shows the old Russian military operation on the peak.

The surrounding mountains offer well sign-posted hiking trails and are popular for mountain biking as well. In the winter months, there is a small lift operating in Wernigerode itself but it is also a short trip to the ski resorts of Braunlage and St Andreasberg and to Schierke for kilometres of well prepared loipe for the cross country skier. Wernigerode has a variety of festivals and markets on offer throughout the year, the 'Rathausfest' town hall festival with live music and stalls, the wine fest and the 'Schloss Festspiele' a castle festival with concerts and firework display to name a few.