Nordhausen was once known for its tobacco industry and is still known for its distilled spirit, "". Industrialization accompanied railway construction that linked the cities to major markets in the mid-19th century. In the late 19th century, narrow-gauge railways were constructed in this region through the Harz mountains. In December 1898 the Nordhausen-Wernigerode Railway Company ("Nordhausen-Wernigeroder Eisenbahn-Gesellschaft") or NWE added a line, with the full network operating by 1899. The Harz Narrow Gauge Railways are maintained today by local authorities and frequented primarily by tourists.