The Railway Touring Company · Escorted tour

The Chemnitz Steam Gala

The Chemnitz Steam Gala, a rail journey with The Railway Touring Company

A tour to one of Germany's premier steam locomotive gatherings, combining main line charter steam in Central Bohemia with the Chemnitz steam festival and Saxon narrow-gauge lines.

Day by day

  1. Day 1overnight: Prague

    Arrive in Prague

    You have a direct morning flight from London to the Czech capital. After an easy transfer to your attractively located city centre hotel, you check-in and have lunch at the hotel, before having the afternoon to explore this amazing city at leisure, taking advantage of your convenient hotel location and the complimentary public transport ticket.

  2. Day 2railovernight: Prague

    Czech railway museum at Luzna and main line steam in Central Bohemia

    A real highlight of European steam awaits today as you take a train from Prague west to Luzna and first visit the magnificent museum of the Czech Railways, with its large roundhouse and additional maintenance sheds. After lunch refreshments at the museum cafe, you have a private main line steam charter with the recently refurbished tank engine 313.432 'Matylda' dating from 1904. Steaming via Rakovnik west to Blatno you pause for numerous photos and also a run-past. You return by private steam train to Luzna and from there by regular fast train back to Prague.

  3. Day 3railovernight: Chemnitz

    Free morning in Prague and afternoon train trip to Chemnitz

    Today you still have a free morning in Prague. In the mid afternoon you then take a direct EuroCity train from Prague to Dresden, travelling through the scenic Elbe Valley. In Dresden you change for the onward train to Chemnitz and arrive there in the late afternoon. You check into your centrally located hotel and have a buffet dinner.

  4. Day 4railovernight: Chemnitz

    Chemnitz Steam Festival

    This is the first day of the weekend dedicated entirely to the large steam locomotive gathering at Chemnitz Hilbersdorf, one of the most impressive steam yards in Germany with two giant, semi-circular roundhouses, large coaling towers and vast tracks for attractive engine displays. There is also a 600mm field railway on site, where a guest locomotive will also be in steam. The gathering brings large main line steam locomotives from all around Germany, offering over a dozen engines in steam, locomotive parades, turntable shows, foot-plate rides and main line excursions towards Dresden or Zwickau, including a main line steam trip with parallel running on uphill gradients. Dinner is at your hotel.

  5. Day 5railovernight: Chemnitz

    Chemnitz Steam Festival (continued)

    The second day of the Chemnitz steam gathering. You will also visit the 600mm gauge Chemnitz Park Railway, where steam will also be active. After all the action and splendid fun, dinner is again served back at your hotel.

  6. Day 6railovernight: Chemnitz

    Steam in the Ore Mountains from Cranzahl to Oberwiesenthal and Augustusburg funicular

    You begin your journey by taking a direct DB service train from Chemnitz to Cranzahl. Upon arrival you board a steam train (a type VII K 2-10-2 tank engine) and travel along the historic Fichtelbergbahn to Oberwiesenthal, known as the 'St. Moritz of Saxony'. You return to Cranzahl by steam train in the afternoon and continue by DB service trains to Chemnitz, stopping at Ermannsdorf to experience the scenic funicular dating back to 1911, which leads to the hilltop castle Augustusburg. You have an evening at leisure back in Chemnitz.

  7. Day 7railovernight: Chemnitz

    Steam at the Weisseritz Valley Railway to Kurort Kipsdorf

    A morning excursion on the recently re-opened narrow-gauge Weisseritz Valley Railway, a steam-hauled journey through the scenic 'canyon landscape' of Saxony, from Freital-Hainsberg via Dippoldiswalde to Kurort Kipsdorf along the Weisseritz River, powered by a 2-10-2 tank engine. You return to Chemnitz in the afternoon, before a farewell dinner in the hotel restaurant.

  8. Day 8rail

    Return to London

    You travel from Chemnitz by train to Berlin airport where you have a direct flight back to London.

Included

  • 7 nights hotel accommodation with breakfast
  • Flights from London to Prague and from Berlin to London
  • 2 Lunches
  • 4 Dinners
  • Public transport rover tickets for trams and trains in Prague and Chemnitz
  • All privately chartered steam trains
  • Steam excursions and visits as detailed in the itinerary
  • The services of a Tour Manager

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