Discover Quedlinburg: Half-timbered houses, collegiate church and museums
Accommodation in Quedlinburg
Quedlinburg is an exceptional example of a medieval European town because of the number and high quality of its half-timbered houses. Today, around 2,100 half-timbered houses dating from eight centuries still shape the townscape within the World Heritage area. Those interested in architectural history will find not only a variety of houses here, but also a dedicated half-timbered house museum: the Half-Timbered House Museum in the Ständerbau building tells the story of Quedlinburg’s half-timbered architecture from the 14th to the 19th century and provides information about restoration and reconstruction work. Models also illustrate the development of half-timbered building styles.
Discover local history and art
The Collegiate Church of St. Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. Its treasures include a knotted carpet dating from around 1200, described as the oldest surviving knotted carpet in Europe. The church treasury is an exceptionally well-preserved collection of medieval treasures. These impressions add examples of decorative arts and sacred art to the picture of the town.
The former collegiate premises now house the Castle Museum, with exhibitions on the history of the town and the collegiate foundation. The museum rooms include elegantly designed reception and audience halls. Alongside half-timbered architecture, the history of the town and the collegiate foundation thus offer distinct themes to consider when planning a trip.
The Lyonel Feininger Museum offers a different artistic perspective. It is dedicated to Lyonel Feininger’s work and also serves as a museum and exhibition venue for 20th-century and contemporary art. The museum houses the collection of Bauhaus artist and Quedlinburg resident Dr. Hermann Klumpp on permanent loan, including one of the world’s most important collections of Feininger prints. Those who enjoy exploring different cultural interests on a trip can discover half-timbered architecture, local history and art as separate themes.
Explore the town in different ways
A walking tour through the historic old town and up to the castle hill takes around 120 minutes and introduces the town’s history of more than 1,100 years. For a sightseeing tour, the Quedlinburg Bimmelbahn offers a different format: the 45-minute ride runs from Marktstraße via the lower castle hill through the historic new town and back to Marktstraße. Those who enjoy puzzles and creative challenges can also include the town rally in their plans. Its route passes historic sites and takes in present-day town life.
Quedlinburg lies right on the northern edge of the Harz and is considered a starting point for short excursions, longer hikes and varied cycling tours in the surrounding area. The Selketal Trail and the Harz Monastery Hiking Trail also begin or end in Quedlinburg. This makes it easy to tailor your stay to your own preferences, focusing more on the historic town or on outdoor activities and excursions in the surrounding area. When looking for a holiday apartment in Quedlinburg, you can use this focus as a starting point for planning your trip.
The Romanesque Road, a tourist route more than 1,000 kilometres long, includes 88 Romanesque buildings in 73 towns across Saxony-Anhalt; Quedlinburg is represented by four key buildings. At the remains of St. Mary’s Church on Münzenberg, you can still make out elements of an Ottonian basilica: the apse, transept, three-aisled nave and westwork. Those interested in architecture will encounter different periods and forms, from the Ottonian basilica and Romanesque buildings to half-timbered architecture.
You can also discover Bad Suderode, Gernrode and Rieder on other destination pages.
For the main travel overview: Harz.
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