In 1994, UNESCO cited Quedlinburg as "an extraordinary example of a medieval European city" and added it to its list of World Heritage Sites.
Quedlinburg, which survived World War II intact, is nestled at the foot of a rock pinnacle and crowned by a castle and an abbey church. Its origins go back to a Saxon settlement in the early 10th century. Here you'll see the church of St. Servatius, an architectural masterpiece, as well as a well-preserved castle and cobbled lanes with half-timbered houses dating from the 16th and 17th centuries. In fact, Quedlinburg has over 1,600 half-timbered buildings, more than any other town in the country.
There are three trains a day from Leipzig (travel time: 3 hr.). Call tel. 01805/996633 for information and schedules. Access by car is along B6. For tourist information, contact Quedlinburg-Information, Markt 2 (tel. 03946/905624; www.quedlinburg-info.de), open April to September Monday to Friday 9am to 7pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 3pm; and October to March Monday to Friday 9:30am to 6pm, and Saturday 10am to 2pm. Begin your tour in the Altstadt (Old Town), site of the Markt (Marketplace). The Rathaus (Town Hall), in the Renaissance style of the 1600s, was originally built in 1310. The statue (ca. 1420) on the left of the facade is of Roland, Charlemagne's knight. The buildings on the other three sides of the Markt are from the 1600s and 1700s. Branching off the square are small cobblestone lanes right out of the Middle Ages. The area around Breitstrasse has several colorful alleyways.
Take the ramp up to the castle to the broad terrace that offers a panoramic view of the medieval town. Here, on the site of the original 9th-century church, stands Quedlinburg's major attraction, the Stiftskirche St. Servatius, Schlossberg 1 (tel. 03946/709900), an architectural masterpiece of the Romanesque era. The church was started in 1070 but wasn't consecrated until 1129. Craftsmen from northern Italy created the friezes and capitals above the central nave. Three aisles with diagonal rib vaulting divide the crypt beneath the chancel. The aisles are adorned with frescoes depicting scenes from the Bible.
The church is filled with treasures, including a treasury (Domschatz) with manuscripts dating from the 10th century. In 1990, a number of ecclesiastical artifacts that had disappeared after the war turned up in Texas, when the heirs of a U.S. Army officer tried to sell them. The purloined treasures have been returned and are now on permanent display. The church is open May to October Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 6pm, Sunday noon to 6pm; and November to April Tuesday to Saturday 10am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 5pm. Admission is 4€ ($6.40) for adults, 3€ ($4.80) for students and children ages 6 to 18. It's free for children 5 and under.
Burgberg Schloss, Schlossberg 1 (tel. 03946/2730), was once part of an abbey. A Saxon stronghold in the 10th century, the castle was expanded from the late 16th to the mid-17th centuries. The complex includes the Schlossmuseum, with 16th- and 17th-century Italian and Flemish paintings as well as exhibits on the town's history. You can also visit a Princes' Hall from the mid-1700s and the throne room. The castle is open April to October daily 10am to 6pm, and in the off season Saturday to Thursday 10am to 4pm. Admission is 3€ ($4.80) for adults, 2€ ($3.20) for children ages 6 to 18, and free for children 5 and under.
