Quedlinburg: Half-Timbered Houses, Romanesque Architecture and City History

Quedlinburg combines an impressive half-timbered streetscape with Romanesque architecture and a long history as a town. During your stay, you can choose from a range of activities: explore historic buildings and museums, take a sightseeing tour or discover routes in the northern Harz.

Half-timbered houses and a medieval townscape

Quedlinburg is an exceptional example of a medieval European town because of the number and high quality of its half-timbered houses. Around 2,100 half-timbered houses dating from eight centuries still shape the townscape in the World Heritage area. Those interested in this style of construction can learn more at the Half-Timbered House Museum in the Ständerbau: it provides information about Quedlinburg’s half-timbered building traditions from the 14th to the 19th century, as well as restoration and reconstruction work in the World Heritage town. Models illustrate the stylistic development of half-timbered construction.

Romanesque architecture is also prominent in the townscape and its collections. The Collegiate Church of St. Servatius is one of the masterpieces of Romanesque architecture. On the Münzenberg, the remains of St. Mary’s Church still reveal the elements of an Ottonian basilica: an apse, transept, three-aisled nave and westwork. The Romanesque Road places these sights in a wider regional context. Quedlinburg contributes four key buildings to this more than 1,000-kilometre tourist route, which connects 88 Romanesque buildings in 73 towns in Saxony-Anhalt.

Collegiate history and art in the museums

The former collegiate buildings now house the Castle Museum, with exhibitions on the history of the town and the collegiate foundation. The museum rooms in the former collegiate buildings include reception and audience halls with elegant interiors. The treasury of the Collegiate Church of St. Servatius adds another perspective on history with its exceptionally well-preserved collection of medieval treasures. It includes a knotted carpet dating from around 1200, described as the oldest surviving knotted carpet in Europe. If you are planning a museum visit, it is advisable to check the latest information on opening hours and access.

The Lyonel Feininger Museum is devoted to the artist’s work and also serves as a museum and exhibition space for 20th-century and contemporary art. A special part of the collection is the permanent loan from Dr. Hermann Klumpp, a Bauhaus student and Quedlinburg resident. It includes one of the world’s most important collections of Feininger prints. Quedlinburg therefore offers several perspectives side by side: the history of the town and collegiate foundation, medieval treasures, and 20th-century and contemporary art.

Walking tour, tourist train or rally

The options for exploring the town vary in duration and format. 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. The tourist train offers a 45-minute circular tour: it runs from Marktstraße via the lower castle hill through the historic New Town and back to Marktstraße. Duration is a straightforward point of comparison when planning your sightseeing day; the routes and areas covered differ. Check the latest dates and availability for the walking tour, as well as the tourist train timetable, in advance.

A town rally revolves around puzzles and creative tasks. Its route passes historic sites and also takes you through contemporary town life. It’s a way to explore the town by solving tasks and making observations rather than following only a walking tour or circular ride. As with the rally, it is advisable to check current availability before making plans.

Quedlinburg and the northern Harz

Quedlinburg is located right at 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-Stieg begins or ends in Quedlinburg, as does the Harz Monastery Hiking Trail. If you plan to follow one of these routes, check current trail conditions before setting out. These routes complement sightseeing focused on the town’s history with options in the surrounding area, without assuming any particular pace or duration.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Gernrode, Bad Suderode, Rieder, Blankenburg Am Harz, Harsleben, Hedersleben, Nordharz, Groß Quenstedt.

Return to the main travel overview: Harz.