Nikolausfahrten — Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn

The Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn e.V. runs a museum railway in the Mansfeld Land, in the former copper-slate mining district of Saxony-Anhalt. The Nikolausfahrten have been, in the operator's words, a fixed part of its yearly programme for many years; on such a weekend it normally carries almost 2,000 passengers, more than a third of them children.

The Nikolaus climbs aboard along the way and hands out the children's presents in the train. Depending on age, children first sing a little song, recite a poem or solve a small sum, and parents or grandparents may help. The presents are not supplied by the railway: each family brings its own gift with a name tag, hands it in at the luggage counter of the station and is told its carriage number when buying the ticket, so that every carriage has the right sacks.

The operator also provides a small refreshment service with Stollen, mulled wine and grilled food, and says the historic waiting room at the station can be used for coffee, mulled wine and Stollen before or after the ride.

A round trip in a museum-railway train with a visit from the Nikolaus, who boards on the way and gives each child the gift brought by its family; children are asked for a song, poem or small sum first. Refreshments such as Stollen, mulled wine and grilled food are on offer, and the historic waiting room serves coffee, mulled wine and Stollen.

Departs from the station labelled Benndorf by the operator, which is the Klostermansfeld station building at Hauptstraße 15, Benndorf, where tickets are collected. Tickets are only sold as round-trip tickets and there is no family ticket. The operator says early ordering is essential because of high demand: by phone (Monday to Friday, 7 am to 2 pm) or by e-mail. Tickets are collected half an hour before departure at the counter in the station building, where you also learn your carriage number and hand in the child's gift with a name tag (not too big, no chocolate figures stuck on the outside). Please cancel by phone if you cannot come. Pets are not allowed.