Quedlinburg, Germany: A Charming German Village With an Interesting History by Sheri B Doyle
Germany is full of fairytale towns tucked away from the hustle and bustle of cities like Berlin, Munich and Frankfort. Quedlinburg is an idyllic village in the northern part of Germany, about two and a half hours west of Berlin.
Photo: Sheri Doyle
Quedlinburg’s cobblestone streets are lined with 1,300 colorful half-timber houses. The colorful houses are accented with flowers bursting from window boxes and terra-cotta tiled roofs. These medieval homes, most of which have undergone little to no restoration since the medieval times, lead up the gentle hills to the castle above, maintaining the exact structure of a medieval village.
Photo: Sheri Doyle
Quedlinburg’s castle hill, over 1,000 years old, transports visitors through history. Sitting atop a sandstone hill, which is in jeopardy, the complex offers visitors amazing city views, incredible architecture and some of Germany’s oldest Ecclesiastical relics. During World War II, the castle became an important symbol to the SS. The abbey was overtaken by Heinrich Himmler, who turned the space, once the seat of the first King of Germany, into their own Nazi shrine. At the time the church was stripped of all its Christian symbols, artwork and the altar.
Photo: Sheri Doyle
Quedlinburg, the first capital of Germany, a bit rundown after the war, was luckily left in good enough condition after the war that it could be restored easily and brought to its former glory. Because of its historical importance and beautifully preserved architecture, the entire town has been deemed a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Photo: Sheri Doyle
This town, ruled by women for over 800 years, produced the first female doctor in Germany in 1754. It has beautiful treasures on display in the church, fantastic food, the oldest half-timber house in Germany, the graves of King Heinrich I and Mathilde and a fantastic display of Ice Age fossils and Bronze Age artifacts at the Schloss Museum. A two and a half hour drive from Berlin it is a great day trip or a fantastic place to soak in the history of culture of Germany for a few days as I did.
Photo: Sheri Doyle
Photo (main): Bigstock
Read more at So Off We Go.
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