The World Heritage City of Quedlinburg

Tuesday, 25 March 2025 00:00
Written by Portal Editor

The UNESCO World Heritage town of Quedlinburg lies on the northern edge of the Harz Mountains and was a famous royal palace in the Middle Ages.

A visit is worthwhile not only for Quedlinburg's medieval sights, but also for the charming atmosphere this ancient town exudes. The hiking and cycling opportunities should not be underestimated. Since the Harz Mountains are an absolute hiking and cycling paradise, as we have explored many times, there is also a well-developed network of trails around Quedlinburg waiting to be explored. Circular hiking trails and long-distance routes offer ideal opportunities for leisurely family tours as well as sporting challenges. The St. John's Chapel has been a stop on the German extension of the Way of St. James since 2003.

Medieval town centre with numerous half-timbered houses

Quedlinburg's old town, with its winding alleys, numerous half-timbered houses, and idyllic cobblestone streets, is particularly well-known among tourists and vacationers. It has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994

Today, the World Heritage city of Quedlinburg is one of Germany's largest historical monuments and an outstanding example of a medieval urban structure that has survived to this day. One of the most important construction projects in the UNESCO World Heritage Site is the Stiftsberg hill with its collegiate church and castle.

Sightseeing in the old town offers the opportunity to discover Quedlinburg's extraordinary sights. Almost 2,000 half-timbered houses dating back six centuries, as well as the many colourful alleys, make up the charm of the old town, which has evolved over time. The beams of the half-timbered houses are often crooked and uneven, as if they had succumbed to the weight of the centuries. They are often decorated with carved elements.

The heart of the town is undoubtedly the town hall.

The heart of the town is the market square with the town hall at its very centre. The town hall was first documented in the early 14th century and is one of Quedlinburg's most famous landmarks. At the Finkenherd, at the foot of the castle hill, the Saxon Duke Henry is said to have received the royal crown in 919. He and his successors made Quedlinburg Palace an important centre of their imperial politics. Henry I was buried here in 936.

In 1326, the town joined forces with Halberstadt and Aschersleben to form the Halberstadt League of Three Towns, which lasted 150 years. In the following four centuries, Quedlinburg experienced an economic boom. As in other towns (Braunschweig, Halberstadt) in the region, the tailoring and merchant trades were particularly active. Around 1330, the old town was enfeoffed with the new town, founded in the 12th century; from then on, both acted together as the town of Quedlinburg.

Disputes with Abbess Hedwig of Saxony

The city council's plan to free itself from the powers of Abbess Hedwig of Saxony culminated in a violent conflict in 1477. The people of Quedlinburg attempted to expel Hedwig from the city by force of arms. She then asked her brothers, the Wettin dukes Ernst and Albert, for help. The troops dispatched stormed the city without suffering any losses, while 80 Quedlinburg citizens were killed. The citizens subsequently surrendered and withdrew from all alliances. The Roland statue, erected around 1435 in front of the tailors' house on the market square, a symbol of market freedom and a sign of the city's independence, was toppled and smashed. In 1569, the council had this Roland statue re-erected in the courtyard of the town hall cellar, and in 1869, the fragments of the Roland statue were placed in front of the town hall. In 2013, the statue was cleaned and completed.

400 half-timbered houses with inscriptions

The city experienced its greatest urban development boom after the Thirty Years' War. Most of the 2,159 surviving half-timbered houses were built during this period. Around 400 half-timbered houses bear inscriptions, mostly naming the builders and—a Quedlinburg peculiarity—the craftsmen who carried out the work.

Guildhall Zur Rose, Breite Straße 39 (colourful half-timbered house from 1612)
So-called Exchange, Steinweg 23 (prestigious half-timbered house from 1683)
Former inn and merchant's house Weißer Engel, Lange Gasse 33, corner half-timbered building from 1623, with a unique ceiling in the upper half-timbered storey with eleven stucco reliefs (scenes from the Old Testament)
The merchant's house at Breite Straße 34 was built around 1660.
The tanner's house on the west side of the market square was built in the mid-17th century.
The Grünhagen House was built on the east side of the market square in 1701.
Medieval half-timbered buildings: Klink 6/7 (1289 d), Breite Straße 12/13 (1330 d)
The residential building at Schmale Straße 47 was built in the late Gothic style around 1485, while the buildings at Schmale Straße 33 and 7 were built in the Baroque style.
The Quedlinburg Castle Mill (first documented in 1412, a hotel since 1997)

Quedlinburg Castle is a conglomeration of the collegiate church, half-timbered houses, and castle rooms. Consequently, it is not a solitary structure that can be admired in a flat landscape, but consists of inextricably linked building complexes that tower above the city on a 30-meter-high sandstone cliff, visible from afar.