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Help with our daily activities in the Harz, Germany

Profile information

  • rating

    Host rating

    100 %

  • Last replied

    Last replied

    18 Apr 2026

  • Reply rate

    Reply rate

    100.0 %

    Usually responds within 6 days

  • feedbacks

    Feedback

    73

  • Email verified

    Email verified

Country info

If you are not an EU Citizen and planning to visit Germany to volunteer, work or study you will need the correct visa. To find out more information please contact the embassy in your home country before travelling.

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Availability

  2026 

 Min stay requested: at least 2 weeks

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Details

  • Description

    Description

    Welcome WorkAwayer!

    How lovely that you’ve found your way to our profile! We are Edward (55) and Ingrid (58), two adventurous Dutchies who fell head over heels in love with an old, abandoned train station in Ballenstedt back in 2020. The history, the atmosphere, the hidden stories in the building… it grabbed us immediately. And since then, we’ve been bringing this special place back to life.

    🚂 Our Story
    We started the renovation in the summer of 2020, a huge project! Luckily, we were not alone for long: almost 100 WorkAwayers have helped us so far. Wonderful people from all over the world, which is exactly what makes WorkAway so special to us. Ingrid has also travelled as a WorkAwayer herself, so we truly understand the beauty and value of cultural exchange. That experience inspired us to become hosts and we absolutely love it.

    🔨 What’s happening now
    Inside the station, almost everything is finished. Only a few small painting and carpentry tasks remain. Most of the work now takes place outside in the garden, so if you enjoy working outdoors and breathing in fresh air all day, you’ll feel very much at home here.

    🌿 Who we are
    WorkAwayers describe us as warm, honest, adventurous, welcoming, and fun — and we happily accept all of these. We love connecting people, telling stories, sharing meals, and creating memories. A station has always been a place where people from around the world crossed paths and we love bringing that energy back. No trains anymore, but a beautiful cycle path runs right past our front door, and inside you’ll find a cosy, inviting atmosphere. We enjoy connecting people, sharing stories, and creating memories together. You’ll become part of our daily life and we often take WorkAwayers along on trips and activities, but only if you enjoy that, of course.

    🏞️ About Ballenstedt & surroundings
    Ballenstedt, right in the beautiful Harz region of eastern Germany, is a charming little town with about 5,500 inhabitants, full of character and history. The beautiful Ballenstedt Castle, which even has a historical link to our station, is just around the corner.
    Nearby highlights include: Quedlinburg (UNESCO World Heritage Site), Wernigerode, Thale & the Harz Mountains, Leipzig and Magdeburg. It’s the perfect region for hikers, cyclists, nature lovers, and anyone who enjoys peace and space.

    💛 What makes our project special
    Our project is about much more than renovating an old station. It’s about following dreams, sharing stories, and building something meaningful together. Every WorkAwayer leaves a little part of themselves here and takes a piece of our adventure back home. We’re excited to meet you, work together, laugh, build, plant, paint, share meals, and create a chapter of our crazy station story together.

    👉 Feeling inspired to join us?
    Send us a message! We’d love to schedule a video call to get to know each other and talk about the plans.

    Hope to meet you soon! Edward & Ingrid

  • Types of help and learning opportunities

    Types of help and learning opportunities

    Art Projects
    Gardening
    DIY and building projects
    Help around the house
  • Interests

    Interests

    Events & social
    Culture
    Drawing & painting
    Cooking & food
    Languages
    Music
    DIY & crafts
    Books
    Art & design
    Architecture
    Mountain
    Nature
  • Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    Cultural exchange and learning opportunities

    The Workawayers have truly become part of our lives. We love welcoming them into our daily routines and social activities. You’re welcome to join us when we explore Ballenstedt and its beautiful surroundings — but of course, you’re just as free to head out on your own.

  • Help

    Help

    We would love some help with
    -carpentry
    -painting
    -gardening
    - And more ...

  • Languages

    Languages spoken
    English: Fluent
    Dutch: Fluent
    German: Intermediate
    French: Beginner
    Italian: Beginner

    This host offers a language exchange
    This host has indicated that they are interested in sharing their own language or learning a new language.
    You can contact them directly for more information.

  • Accommodation

    Accommodation

    We are living in the station building since the end of 2022. In the large living room we have a comfortable sofa, chairs and a television, perfect for relaxing. We sleep in the basement, which is basic.There we also have small spaces for our WorkAwayers. Of course, we have a (shared) bathroom with toilet and shower. And comfortable beds.

    We make sure you lack nothing and provide plenty of breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, drinks and of course fun! Of course, we take you into account and make the shopping list for the supermarket together.

  • What else ...

    What else ...

    We have a passenger van for 8 people, so after work we can arrange nice trips to explore the natural and cultural richness of the area. Unfortunately, there is no longer a railroad line in front of our station, but there is a bus station right next to our building, with good bus connections to the various places around Ballenstedt. Train stations are located in Quedlinburg, Aschersleben and Hoym-Nachterstedt.

  • A little more information

    A little more information

    • Internet access

    • Limited internet access

      Limited internet access

    • We have pets

    • We are smokers

    • Can host families

  • Can host digital nomads

    Can host digital nomads

    We can host Digital Nomads. There is plenty of space to work online. We have stable and fast (500Mbits) Internet.

  • Space for parking camper vans

    Space for parking camper vans

    We have garden space around the station building. The bathroom with shower and toilet is in the station building.

  • How many Workawayers can stay?

    How many Workawayers can stay?

    Two

  • My animals / pets

    My animals / pets

Host ref number: 199615586232

Website Safety

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Photos

The image depicts a man and woman standing in front of a red brick building, with the man wearing a dark jacket and jeans, and the woman in a yellow cardigan and blue top.
The image depicts a hallway with a bench, luggage, and a vintage vending machine, featuring a door at the end and a window above it, set against a green and white wall.
The image depicts a room with green and white walls, featuring a doorway, window, bench, and luggage, with sunlight streaming in through the window and door.
The image depicts a room undergoing renovation, featuring a ladder, scaffolding, and various tools, with a door and window visible, set against a white wall and ceiling.
A woman sits on a metal grate, painting a brick wall with red tape, wearing a pink sweater and black pants, in a sunny outdoor setting.
The image depicts a room under construction, featuring exposed wooden beams and a partially completed wall with drywall, accompanied by tools and materials on the floor.
The image depicts a man and woman standing in front of an old brick building, both giving a thumbs-up gesture, with a serene blue sky above.

Chat with Workawayers who've visited this host

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Feedback

These are extra optional ratings when members leave feedback. The average rating left for each option is displayed.

Accuracy of profile:
(5.0)

Cultural exchange:
(5.0)

Communication:
(5.0)














































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