Quedlinburg - town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany

Quedlinburg is a town in the Harz Mountains, of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is one of Europe's best preserved medieval renaissance towns. It features a rare combination of ancient and modern historical treasures. In 2020, it was home to 24,000 people.

Understand

Quedlinburg is on the northern boundary of the Harz Mountains National Park. It was once at the centre of the German Empire. In 1992 it was placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list. Almost all of the buildings in the town centre are timber framed, some dating back to the 16th century. It is a sight not to be missed, walking through the narrow alleys and streets around the town square and seeing all the colourful painted old houses. In the innermost parts of the town a wide selection of timber framed buildings from at least five different centuries are to be found, including a 14th-century structure, one of Germany's oldest. Fortunately Quedlinburg did not suffer too much damage during World War II, and preservation orders were put on a large number of these properties. If you wish to learn more about the timber framed buildings of the region, a trip to the Fachwerkmuseum Standebau in one of Germany's oldest half-timbered houses (1310) is a must.

A highlight of Quedlinburg is the castle (schlossberg) perched above the city, of which the centre piece is the restored baroque Blue Hall (blue Halle).

Get in

By plane

The nearest main airport is Hanover International Airport (IATA: HAJ) (57 km). You could also use Berlin's new airport (IATA: BER) (216 km).

By train

Quedlinburg can best be accessed by regional trains from Hanover or Berlin. From Hanover the train will go via Halberstadt, taking approximately 3 hr 20 min. From Berlin you will go via Madgeburg, taking approximately 4 hr. There are other routes with differing changes, but these are the simplest.

By road

Quedlinburg is located on the B6n dual carriageway that runs along the northern edge of the Harz from west to east. The B6n branches off the A7 motorway near Goslar and the A395 motorway (branches off the A2) from Braunschweig to Vienenburg.

By bus

The local bus services offer various routes around the local area. Various long distance buses also serve the city.

Get around

• Surrounding area - Quedlingburg is an ideal point of departure to reach the nearby Harz, with dramatic gorges and mountainous landscapes waiting to be explored in a hiker's paradise. The 'Romanesque Road' recounts dynasties and events from German and European history up to a thousand years ago. Numerous Romanesque edifices in the immediate vicinity of Quedlinburg bear witness to this history.
• The Harz Narrow Gauge Railway - More than a million passengers a year and not only for the railway enthusiasts, enjoy this steam railway. Anyone who likes train travel, beautiful scenery and history will love the Harz Narrow Gauge Railways. It takes you through the beautiful picturesque scenery of the Harz: it's hills and mountains, forests and meadows. A trip on a steam train is a delightful experience. The railway connects the principal cities of Wernigerode, Nordhausen and Quedlinburg and several smaller towns in the area. Although opened in 1898, it has only been accessible to Quedliburg since 2006. There are three services:
  • The Trans-Harz Railway Line: Crosses the Harz Mountains from north to south. On the 60-km track passengers are treated to a kaleidoscopic journey through nature.
  • The Selke Valley Railway Line: Is the most romantic track of the whole narrow gauge network and has long been an open secret among nature lovers.
  • The Brocken Railway Line: In July 1992 public rail service was resumed to the legendary Brocken. Climbing up there is a hard work for the 700 HP steam-powered locomotives. (It is worth buying the HarzCard if you plan to do the Brocken trip combined with other activities).
  • The Brocken trip uses carriages that have a feel of times gone by. There are wooden platforms between the carriages, which enable you to admire the views which are breathtaking, steep slopes, and twists and turns. The climb from Schierke, 685 m above sea level, to the Brocken, 1142 m above sea level, is hard and you can listen to the train puffing its way up. Once near the top, the fir trees gave way to the Brocken plateau. it can be very windy on top so do make sure you pack approriate clothing . The summit has the Brocken House, the Brocken Hotel and the TV tower as well as the Brocken-plateau, a great place to get your picture taken. There is a free viewing point on the 8th floor of the Brocken Hotel, which is all glassed in and commands excellent views. There is a restaurant on the 7th floor. The museum is in the Brocken House with exhibitions on four floors that cover witches, the use of the Brocken as a former military base and border post. There is a cafe on the 2nd floor and another viewing platform on the 3rd floor. Entrance is €4 for adults and €2 for kids (6-16). If you have the time, than the walk down is possible and well sign posted. For further information go to www.hsb-wr.de.

TIP: The HarzTourCard enables you to travel by bus, train and narrow gauge train (only Schierke–Brocken) as much as you like within three days. It costs €18, family €34.50. Go to www.insa.de (dead link: January 2023) or the local tourist information.

See

Relatively untouched by World War II, the old town and the castle mount and collegiate church in Quedlinburg are listed on UNESCO's register of World Heritage Sites, and the town is one of Germany's best-preserved medieval and Renaissance towns. The town's medieval buildings are worth a visit: its half-timbered buildings represent at least five different centuries (including one of Germany's oldest, from the 14th century). Around the edges of the old town are late 19th- and 20th-century examples of Jugendstil buildings.

The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen Selketal branch of the historic steam narrow gauge railway was extended into Quedlinburg from Gernrode in 2006, giving access to Alexisbad and the high Harz plateau.

Churches

• Stiftskirche St Servatii und Domschatz (The Collegiate Church and its Treasure), Schlossberg 1, +49 3946 709000. Apr - Oct: Tu-Sa 10:00 - 17:30, Su & holidays 12:00 - 17:30; Nov - Mar: Tu-Sa 10:00 - 15:30, Su & holidays 12:00 - 15:30; closed 24-25 Dec & 1 Jan. This is an excellent example of the German Romanesque style. The Domschatz (the treasury), inside the church, containing many ancient artefacts and books, many of which are on display.
• Blasii Church, Blasiistraße, 51.7886°, 11.1403°. As well as normal visitations, you can also see theatrical and musical performances here. These events are run from Apr - Oct and include jazz, classical, cabaret, dance, and organ concerts.

Museums

• Schloss Museum, Schlossberg 1, +49 3946 905681. Apr - Oct: Tu-Su 10:00 - 18:00; Nov - Mar: Tu-Su 10:00 - 16:00, closed: 24, 25, 31 Dec & 1 Jan.
• Klopstock Museum, Schlossberg 12, +49 3946 2610. W-M 10:00 - 17:00, closed: 25, 25, 31 Dec & 1 Jan.
• Fachwerk Museum Standerbau (Half Timbered Architecture Museum), Wordgasse 3, +49 3946 3828. Apr - Oct: F-W 10:00 - 17:00; Nov - Mar: F- W 10:00 - 16:00; closed: 24, 25, 31 Dec & 1 Jan.
• Museum fur Glasmalerei und Kunsthandwerk (Museum of Glass Painting and Handcraft), Word 28, +49 3946 810653. Tu-F 10:00 - 18:00; Sa Su 11:00 - 16:00; closed M.
• Mitteldeutsches Eisenbahn-und Spielzeug-Museum (Central German Model-Train and Toy Museum), Blasiistraße 22, +49 3946 3751. Apr-Oct & Dec: daily 10:00-17:00; Nov Jan-Mar: M-Sa 10:00-16:00, Su holidays 11:00-16:00.
• Munzenberg Museum (The Mariencloister), Munzenberg 16. M-W F 10:00-12:00, 14:00 - 17:00; Sa Su holidays 09:00-12:00, 14:00 - 17:00; Th closed.

Galleries

• Lyonel-Feininger Galerie, Finkenherd 5a, +49 3946 6895930. Apr - Oct: Tu-Su 10:00 - 18:00; Nov - Mar: Tu-Su 10:00 - 17:00. A trip to the Lyonel-Feininger Galerie is recommended where the works of this important Bauhaus artist who was born in Germany but became an American citizen are displayed. Most of the works were hidden from the Nazis by a resident of Quedlinburg.

Do

• Guided Tours of the City. Tours in German: All year round tours at 14:00 (Apr - Oct additional tours at 10:00); tours in English: Available upon request in advance to Quedlinburg Information Center. ; Individual City Guides: Audio guides available in English and Japanese from the Quedlinburg information Center
• NordHarzer Stadtebundtheater (Quedlinburg Theatre). Drama, ballet, musical theatre and concerts

Events

• Spring Awakening - held around the Castle Hill the weekend before Easter.
• Kaiserfruhling (Spring Assembly of the Emperor) - an Ottonian Medieval Spectacle held at Pentecost.
• Summer Music - held at Stiftskirche St Servatii from Jun - Sep.
• Dixieland and Swing Weekend - held in Jun.
• Enchantment of the trees - held in Jun at the Romantic Park, Bruhl.
• Plants and Monuments - held in Sep.
• ProVinz Arts Festival - held in Sep/Oct.
• Christmas Market - held throughout Dec for 4 weeks.
• Stars around the Castle - held 1st weekend of Advent.
• Advent in the Courtyards - held 2nd & 3rd weekend of Advent.
• The Magic of Christmas Exhibition

Buy

There are no big shopping centres in the immediate vicinity of Quedlinburg. Instead they pride themselves on the numerous little curio shops selling everything from arts and handicraft, to antique shops, offering a wide choice of objects to suit every taste. Visitors looking for attractive articles, small gifts and unique home accessories will be able to discover what they are looking for in Quedlinburg. Many of these shops are housed in beautiful medieval properties, dotted all over the city centre. Alongside this historical ambience, there are any number of new shops too with items representing the latest in modern shopping tastes.

Eat

Budget

• Muenzenberger Klause, Polle 22, +49 3946 2928. Tavern style, very relaxed with a beautiful summer terrace to enjoy in the warm weather. €10-16
• Schlosshotel Zum Markgrafen, Weingartenstraße 30, +49 3946 81140. International cuisine, including a good selection of vegetarian food. The hotel has its own parking and when the weather is fine, you can enjoy the terrace and garden. €10-19
• Bistrorant im Hotel Theophano, Markt 13/14, 51.789116°, 11.141311°, +49 3946 96300, info@Hotel-Theophano.de. 12:00-14:30 and 18:00-21:30. Italian and local cuisine, with seasonal specialties. Parking, beer garden, non-smoking area, dogs allowed. Reviews suggest service is below par when very full. €14-19 2017-07-07
• Kartoffelhaus No1, Breite str 37. International cuisine: a rustic, warm atmosphere, with a lovely beer garden and seating outside the front which overlooks a beautiful quiet street. €5-10
• Wispel Pub, Steinweg 81, 51.789116°, 11.141311°, +49 3946 702254. 11:00 - 01:00. Advertises "Essenpreise wie in den 80er Jahren" ("food prices like in the 1980s") and lives up to the promise. Non-touristy Ostalgie, which does however mean that the interior is rather smoky and that a lot of the food comes out of cans. 2017-07-07

Mid-range

• Prinz Heinrich, Polle 29, +49 3946 3707. Bistro style. Decor from the turn of the century. Very cosy. Unfortunately they do not take credit cards. €12-20
• Himmel & Holle, Holle 5, +49 3946 974 210. German cuisine: delicious food in a beautiful setting. The antipasta is highly recommended, but many other dishes to choose from. The restaurant cover two floors and outside. €15-22
• Perlis Pasta Mia, Steinbruecke 23, +49 3946 2122. Italian cuisine. Bright and clean corner restaurant, just off the old market square. Warm welcome to all and accommodating with languages. €12-20
• Kasekuchenbackerei Vincent, Schlossberg 13, +49 3946 81. Cafe, bakery: beautiful cheesecakes, slightly pricey but the large portions make up for this. €15-24

Splurge

• Pension St. Nikolai, Polkenstraße 22, +49 3946 528093. Steakhouse: there are not many steakhouses in Germany, but this is one of the better ones. succulent steaks, cooked to your tastes, highly recommended. €18-28
• Weinstube im Hotel am Bruhl, Billungstraße 11, +49 3946 961 80. German cuisine. Clean, spacious, a la carte restaurant. €18-25
• Restaurant Benedikt, Marktkirchhof 18, +49 3946 526652. Traditional German cuisine presented in a modern style. Beautiful setting behind a church. €20-35
• Brauhaus Ludde, +49 3946 901481. Located between the market place and the castle. It is set in the heart of the medieval city centre. Traditional German cuisine, next to a working brewery. €20-30

Drink

Interspersed among all the numerous shops and boutiques are any number of small cafes and bars. Many of these in the summer, spill out onto the cobbled streets, allowing their customers the opportunity to soak up the amazing historical atmosphere and watch the world go by. In contrast there are also modern bars to cater for the younger members of the Quedlinburg society.

• Bier-Pub Nase, Carl-Ritter-Str 18, +49 3946 514255. Irish pub
• Brauhaus Ludde, Blastiistr 14, +49 3946 705206. Beer house, restaurant and bar combined

Sleep

Budget

• Gaestehaus Toepke, Weststraße 13, +49 3946 708166. In the town centre. from €35
• Hotel Pension Weingart, Friedrich Jahnstr 27, +49 3946 8617. This family-run guest house is in a quiet part of town, a 15-minute walk from Quedlinburg town centre. It offers large country-style rooms and apartments. On-site parking is free. from €35
• Hotel Garni Am Dippeplatz, Breite Str 16, +49 3946 77140. The Am Dippelplatz is a beautiful half-timbered building, in the centre of the Old Town and in one of the oldest streets of Quedlinburg, which leads directly to the lively market square. Many sights, restaurants and cafès are in walking distance. from €35

Mid-range

• Quedlinburgerhof Hotel, Harzweg 1, +49 3946 77870. This family-run hotel offers 31 rooms with 3-star comfort, a conference and banqueting room for 60 people, an elevator plus wireless internet access in the whole house. from €39
• Hotel Domschatz, Muhlenstr 20, +49 3946 705270. This 3-star hotel occupies an over 200-year-old, timber-framed house at the foot of the Burgberg hill in Quedlinburg. It offers free Wi-Fi, free parking and free, large breakfast buffets. from €45
• Kunsthaus, Blasiistr 16, +49 3946 528662. The Kunsthaus offers spacious rooms and free Wi-Fi internet access within a historic Baroque building. It is located in Quedlinburg’s Old Town, 300 m from the Medieval Quedlingburg Abbey. from €40

Splurge

• Schlosshotel Zum Markgrafen, Wallstraße 96 / Weingarten 30, +49 3946 81140. This traditional 250-year-old family-style hotel is picturesquely integrated into the old Market Square with an attention to detail, and a unique charm blend with clever new ideas and developments. from €105
• Hotel Schlossmuehle, Kaiser Otto Straße 28, +49 3946 7870. This hotel offers stylish in a quiet location near the center of the historic city of Quedlinburg in the Harz Mountains. From €75
• Hotel Dorothea Christiane Erxleben, Steinweg 51, +49 3946 770214. A small cosy and very nice hotel in the centre of the old town. The historic ambience and the modern furnished rooms make a great combination and give this 300-year-old building a beautiful atmosphere, where you can relax and feel comfortable. from €70
• Hotel Zum Bar, Markt 8/9, +49 3946 7770. Set in a peaceful location in historic and picturesque Quedlinburg, this romantic castle hotel offers elegant 4-star superior accommodation just a short stroll from the old town centre. from €50

Connect

For further information on Quedlinburg go to www.thisisharz.com/quedlinburg

Go next

Quedlinburg is on the edge of the Harz Mountains, with its dramatic gorges and mountainous landscapes, waiting to be explored by hikers and bikers alike. The 'Romanesque Road' (dead link: January 2023) recounts dynasties and events from German and European history going back over a thousand years. Many Romanesque edificies can be found in the immediate vicinity of Quedlinburg, which bear witness to this history.

• Harzer Schmalspurbahn – A narrow gauge tourist railway runs from Quedlinburg through the Selke Valley (parallel with the River Selke), to the top of the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains.
• Thale Hexentanzplatz (Witches Dance Floor)is reputedly an Old Saxon cult site, at which, celebrations were held in honour of the so-called Hagedisen (forest and mountain goddesses), particularly on the night of 1 May. The place did not become known as the Hexentanzplatz until the cult was banned by the invading Christian Franks. According to tradition the site was guarded by Frankish soldiers in order to enforce the ban and they were chased off by Saxons dressed as witches and riding on broomsticks. On this plateau is the Thale Mountain Theatre (Bergtheater Thale), one of the oldest open-air theatres in Germany with 1,350 seats, which was founded in 1903 by Ernst Wachler. A gondola lift runs from Thale up to the Hexentanzplatz, where today, the plateau resembles a small Theme Park aimed at families. It includes various rides, small gift and craft shops and a Wildlife Park, illustrating the wide variety of different species of animal who can be found in the Harz region. While there are relatively unspoiled forests nearby with plenty of hiking trails, the immediate area of the Hexentanzplatz has become fairly commercialized.
• Bode Valley lies below the Hexentanplatz. This trail follows the Bode River deep into the Bode Valley gorge. Take in the spectacular scenery and rich flora as the stream tumbles over granite boulders. The walk starts next to Thale gondola station, where the path follows the river, taking you through dense forest and then into open meadows filled with wildflowers, ending in the village of Treseburg near a ruined castle. The walk along the Bode Valley takes about three hours (covering about 10 km), and is mostly gentle, with one short, somewhat steep climb that takes you to a great vantage point above the river. You can take the bus from Treseburg back to Thale. From the same starting point, you can also branch off this trail and hike up to the Hexentanzplatz or the Rosstrappe, the two rocky outcrops that surround the opening of the Bode Valley (shorter but much steeper routes).
• Halberstadt
• Nordhausen