# Quedlinburg A one- or two-night getaway from Berlin: the World Heritage half-timbered old town, the collegiate church with its treasury and the Bode gorge at Thale. Fuente: https://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/saxony-anhalt/quedlinburg · Revisado: 2026-11-12 Quedlinburg is a small town in Saxony-Anhalt, at the foot of the Harz mountains, that escaped wars and fires: it preserves some 2,000 half-timbered houses spanning eight centuries, the largest collection in Germany, and has been a World Heritage Site since 1994 for them and for its castle hill. Up there stands the collegiate church where Henry I, the first German king, was buried in 936, with a medieval treasury that is seen in few places. From Berlin it is about two hours and three quarters by train, too far to go and come back in a day. It is a one- or two-night getaway: one day for the old town and another for the Harz, with the Bode gorge at Thale and a steam train. ## What to see in Quedlinburg The half-timbered old town. The Market Square with the town hall, the crooked lanes, the Finkenherd at the foot of the castle and the Münzenberg hill opposite. Free and unhurried. The collegiate church of St Servatius and its treasury. Romanesque, at the top of the hill, with the crypt, the upper choir and the treasury chambers. €8; free up to age 18. Closed on Mondays. The Lyonel Feininger Museum. The only one devoted to the Bauhaus painter, at the foot of the castle. ## And nearby The Bode gorge, at Thale, 10 km away: a granite canyon with the river at the bottom. Above it, the cable car to the Hexentanzplatz, the witches' viewpoint. And from Quedlinburg station itself the Selketal steam train leaves, heading into the forests of the Harz. ## How do you get there from Berlin? By train, with one change, usually in Magdeburg: about two hours and three quarters in total to Quedlinburg station, ten minutes' walk from the Market. By car, about 210 km along the A2 and the A14 or the A36, around two and a half hours. The centre is pedestrianised: park at the hotel or on the ring road. ## Where to eat and sleep Sleep in the old town: the four-star Theophano and the Hotel zum Bär, which has been receiving travellers since 1748, are on the Market Square itself; the Romantik Hotel am Brühl is at the foot of the castle. To eat, the Brauhaus Lüdde brewery makes its own beer; the restaurant at the Hotel zum Bär is open every day, including Sunday; and the Weinstube am Brühl is for the special dinner. ## When to go From April to October, for the Harz and the terraces. Advent is the other great season: at weekends, the courtyards of the half-timbered houses open for the Christmas market. Avoid Monday for the collegiate church. ## Dónde está - Cerca: Dessau-Wörlitz (a 81.9 km), Leipzig (a 98.7 km), Brandenburg an der Havel (a 119.0 km) ## Qué hacer - **St Servatius Collegiate Church and the Quedlinburg Treasury** (1 h 15 · All ages; the castle is reached by steps · Desde 8 € per person; under-18s free): What it is At the top of Quedlinburg's castle hill stands the Romanesque collegiate church of St Servatius, founded in the early 10th century as a palace chapel by King Henry I, who was buried here in 936. For 800 years it was the church of an abbey of noblewomen. Its treasury, with gold reliquaries, manuscripts and ivories, is one of the most important of the German Middle Ages. The new permanent exhibition takes you through it together with the church, the crypt, the upper choir and the treasury's historic chambers. Opening times and tickets Tuesday to Sunday and public holidays, from 10:00 to 16:00; last entry 45 minutes earlier. Closed on Mondays, on 24 and 25 December and on 1 January. Entry costs €8 (€6 concession); under-18s go free, and so does anyone whose birthday it is that day. There are public guided tours at weekends. - **The half-timbered old town** (2 h · All ages; cobbles and slopes · Free): What it is Quedlinburg is a World Heritage Site for its old town: some 2,000 half-timbered houses spanning eight centuries, cobbled streets, little squares and crooked alleys, almost intact. In the centre, the Market Square with the Renaissance town hall; above it, the castle hill with the collegiate church; opposite, the Münzenberg hill, with little houses huddled together where musicians and craftspeople lived. How it works On your own, in about two hours: Market Square, Breite Straße, Finkenherd at the foot of the castle, the climb up the hill and back through the Neustadt. Start at the tourist office, on the square (Markt 4). - **Lyonel Feininger Museum** (1 h · Adults and teenagers): What it is Lyonel Feininger, a German-American painter and Bauhaus teacher, is known for his churches and villages painted like shattered glass. The museum in Quedlinburg, at the foot of the castle hill, is the only one in the world devoted to him, with paintings, watercolours, prints and photographs, and temporary exhibitions of modern art. Opening times and tickets Open from 10:00 to 18:00. Note: from 23 to 27 November 2026, because of works, only the temporary exhibition "Frauen sind!" can be seen. Tickets are bought at the ticket office. It is at Schlossberg 11, about a 15-minute walk from the station. - **The Bode Gorge, at Thale** (3 h · Walkers; there are stretches of stone and steps): What it is About 10 km from Quedlinburg, at Thale, the River Bode leaves the Harz through a narrow canyon between two granite massifs: on one side the Hexentanzplatz, the "witches' dance floor", and on the other the Rosstrappe. The path along the valley floor follows the river between blocks of stone and is one of the best-known walks in Germany. How it works Park in the large Bodetal car park, at Parkstraße 1a in Thale (€3 a day), or come by regional train from Quedlinburg. From the valley entrance, walk upstream as far as you like and return the same way; to go up to the viewpoints above, the cable car and chairlift leave from the same place. - **Cable car from Thale to the Hexentanzplatz** (1 h · All ages): What it is From the valley floor, in Thale, a cabin cable car crosses the Bode Gorge and rises to the Hexentanzplatz plateau, the witches' viewpoint, with views over the canyon and the plain. On the other side, a chairlift goes up to the Rosstrappe. The company also has a summer toboggan run and other attractions at the top. How it works Go up on the cable car and walk down through the forest, or the other way round. Note: in November 2026 everything is closed and it reopens on 25 December. The valley stations have no parking: leave the car in the Bodetal car park. - **Selke Valley steam train from Quedlinburg** (4 h · All ages): What it is The Harzer Schmalspurbahnen are the Harz's narrow-gauge railway network, with steam locomotives. The Selke line, the Selketalbahn, leaves Quedlinburg, passes through Gernrode and enters the wooded valley of the River Selke. It is the other half of a weekend in Quedlinburg: half a day of train and a walk in the forest. How it works Check the timetable on the company's website: there is a November timetable and a winter one. In Advent they run special steam departures through the Selketal. Tickets are bought at the stations or online. ## Dónde comer - **Brauhaus Lüdde** (Restaurant, Quedlinburg, €€). Qué pedir: a house beer with a Harz dish - **Hotel zum Bär restaurant** (Restaurant, Quedlinburg, €€). Qué pedir: regional German cooking with a wine from their list, on the terrace if the weather is good - **Weinstube am Brühl** (Restaurant, Quedlinburg, €€€). Qué pedir: the seasonal menu with pairings from their cellar ## Car-free: Quedlinburg without a car It works without a car: a train from Berlin with one change, the old town on foot, a 15-minute regional train to Thale for the Bode Gorge and the Selketal steam train from the same station. Presupuesto orientativo: 90–170 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir without a car - **Hotel Theophano** (Hotel): On the Market Square The Theophano is a four-star family hotel in half-timbered houses on Quedlinburg's Market Square, opposite the town hall: you step out and you are in the centre of the World Heritage old town. It is named after the Byzantine empress Theophanu, linked to the town's abbey. The rooms 44 rooms, all different: historic singles and standard and comfort doubles in the old part, three- and four-bed rooms with views over the rooftops, a junior suite and design doubles. Buffet breakfast from 7:00 to 10:30. It has a sauna and a vaulted cellar for dinners and tastings. It publishes three-night packages from €149 per person. Eating and getting there The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday in the afternoon and evening, from 14:00 to 22:00, with hot food from 17:30 to 21:00; in season, with a terrace on the Market Square. Closed Sunday and Monday. Quedlinburg station is about a 10-minute walk away. - **Hotel zum Bär** (Hotel, desde 135 € / night): Since 1748 The Hotel zum Bär has been receiving travellers since 1748 on Quedlinburg's Market Square, next to the town hall. It is a family hotel, with handmade furniture and no two rooms the same. The rooms 50 rooms with telephone, wifi, television and safe. Single from €85, double from €135, triple from €180 and suite from €175. The restaurant, downstairs, is open every day from 7:00 to 22:00. Getting there and parking The hotel has two car parks of its own; for your sat nav, the arrival address is Pölle 4, because the Market Square is pedestrianised. From the station it is about a 10-minute walk. - **Romantik Hotel am Brühl** (Hotel): At the foot of the castle The Romantik Hotel am Brühl is on Billungstraße, at the foot of the castle hill, on the quiet side of the old town and next to the Brühl park. It has a restaurant, the Weinstube, and in a villa opposite the Le Mariage, for celebrations, with a garden. The rooms Classic and comfort rooms, suites, an apartment and a holiday home. The buffet breakfast is well known in town: it is also served to people not staying here, Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 11:00 and on weekends and public holidays from 8:00 to 11:00, for €22.50. Getting there About a 15-minute walk from the Market Square and the station. By car, at the foot of the hill, away from the narrowest streets. ### Servicios - **Quedlinburg station**: Station for regional trains from Magdeburg and to Thale, and the departure point of the narrow-gauge Selketal train. ## By plane: Fly to Berlin and take the train to Quedlinburg For Quedlinburg you fly to Berlin: BER airport has direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona and other Spanish cities. Leipzig/Halle airport (LEJ) is closer, but with far fewer flights from Spain. From Berlin, take a train with a change at Magdeburg, about two hours and three quarters; with a hire car, about 210 km. ### Dónde dormir if you're flying - **Hotel Theophano** (Hotel): On the Market Square The Theophano is a four-star family hotel in half-timbered houses on Quedlinburg's Market Square, opposite the town hall: you step out and you are in the centre of the World Heritage old town. It is named after the Byzantine empress Theophanu, linked to the town's abbey. The rooms 44 rooms, all different: historic singles and standard and comfort doubles in the old part, three- and four-bed rooms with views over the rooftops, a junior suite and design doubles. Buffet breakfast from 7:00 to 10:30. It has a sauna and a vaulted cellar for dinners and tastings. It publishes three-night packages from €149 per person. Eating and getting there The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday in the afternoon and evening, from 14:00 to 22:00, with hot food from 17:30 to 21:00; in season, with a terrace on the Market Square. Closed Sunday and Monday. Quedlinburg station is about a 10-minute walk away. - **Hotel zum Bär** (Hotel, desde 135 € / night): Since 1748 The Hotel zum Bär has been receiving travellers since 1748 on Quedlinburg's Market Square, next to the town hall. It is a family hotel, with handmade furniture and no two rooms the same. The rooms 50 rooms with telephone, wifi, television and safe. Single from €85, double from €135, triple from €180 and suite from €175. The restaurant, downstairs, is open every day from 7:00 to 22:00. Getting there and parking The hotel has two car parks of its own; for your sat nav, the arrival address is Pölle 4, because the Market Square is pedestrianised. From the station it is about a 10-minute walk. - **Romantik Hotel am Brühl** (Hotel): At the foot of the castle The Romantik Hotel am Brühl is on Billungstraße, at the foot of the castle hill, on the quiet side of the old town and next to the Brühl park. It has a restaurant, the Weinstube, and in a villa opposite the Le Mariage, for celebrations, with a garden. The rooms Classic and comfort rooms, suites, an apartment and a holiday home. The buffet breakfast is well known in town: it is also served to people not staying here, Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 11:00 and on weekends and public holidays from 8:00 to 11:00, for €22.50. Getting there About a 15-minute walk from the Market Square and the station. By car, at the foot of the hill, away from the narrowest streets. ### Servicios - **Quedlinburg station**: Station for regional trains from Magdeburg and to Thale, and the departure point of the narrow-gauge Selketal train. ## By car: Quedlinburg by car About 210 km from Berlin, around two and a half hours. A car lets you combine Quedlinburg with Thale and other Harz villages. In the old town, pedestrianised in the centre, park at the hotel or in the car parks on the ring road. Presupuesto orientativo: 100–190 € por persona y día. ### Dónde dormir if you're driving - **Hotel Theophano** (Hotel): On the Market Square The Theophano is a four-star family hotel in half-timbered houses on Quedlinburg's Market Square, opposite the town hall: you step out and you are in the centre of the World Heritage old town. It is named after the Byzantine empress Theophanu, linked to the town's abbey. The rooms 44 rooms, all different: historic singles and standard and comfort doubles in the old part, three- and four-bed rooms with views over the rooftops, a junior suite and design doubles. Buffet breakfast from 7:00 to 10:30. It has a sauna and a vaulted cellar for dinners and tastings. It publishes three-night packages from €149 per person. Eating and getting there The restaurant is open Tuesday to Saturday in the afternoon and evening, from 14:00 to 22:00, with hot food from 17:30 to 21:00; in season, with a terrace on the Market Square. Closed Sunday and Monday. Quedlinburg station is about a 10-minute walk away. - **Hotel zum Bär** (Hotel, desde 135 € / night): Since 1748 The Hotel zum Bär has been receiving travellers since 1748 on Quedlinburg's Market Square, next to the town hall. It is a family hotel, with handmade furniture and no two rooms the same. The rooms 50 rooms with telephone, wifi, television and safe. Single from €85, double from €135, triple from €180 and suite from €175. The restaurant, downstairs, is open every day from 7:00 to 22:00. Getting there and parking The hotel has two car parks of its own; for your sat nav, the arrival address is Pölle 4, because the Market Square is pedestrianised. From the station it is about a 10-minute walk. - **Romantik Hotel am Brühl** (Hotel): At the foot of the castle The Romantik Hotel am Brühl is on Billungstraße, at the foot of the castle hill, on the quiet side of the old town and next to the Brühl park. It has a restaurant, the Weinstube, and in a villa opposite the Le Mariage, for celebrations, with a garden. The rooms Classic and comfort rooms, suites, an apartment and a holiday home. The buffet breakfast is well known in town: it is also served to people not staying here, Monday to Friday from 7:00 to 11:00 and on weekends and public holidays from 8:00 to 11:00, for €22.50. Getting there About a 15-minute walk from the Market Square and the station. By car, at the foot of the hill, away from the narrowest streets. ## As a family: Quedlinburg with children Quedlinburg looks like a fairy tale and children are won over at first sight. The best for them is 10 km away: the Bode Gorge, the witches' cable car and the steam train. ### What works best The cable car to the Hexentanzplatz, above the canyon The Selketal steam train The Bode Gorge, the lower stretch The old town, with its alleys and the Market Square ### Where to stay Hotel Theophano, with three- and four-bed rooms Hotel zum Bär, with triples ### Where to eat Hotel zum Bär restaurant, every day ### Worth knowing At the collegiate church, under-18s go free The Thale cable cars close in November 2026 until 25 December The castle hill is reached by steps: a backpack is better than a pushchair ### Qué hacer as a family - The half-timbered old town - The Bode Gorge, at Thale - Cable car from Thale to the Hexentanzplatz - Selke Valley steam train from Quedlinburg ## With young children: Quedlinburg with young children With the youngest: a steam train, a cable car and a short walk round the old town. Leave the collegiate church and the museum for whoever wants them. ### What works best The Selketal steam train The cable car to the Hexentanzplatz The old town and its Market Square ### Where to stay Hotel Theophano, with family rooms ### Where to eat Hotel zum Bär restaurant, from 7:00 ### Worth knowing Cobbles and steps make pushchairs awkward ### Qué hacer with young children - The half-timbered old town - Cable car from Thale to the Hexentanzplatz - Selke Valley steam train from Quedlinburg ## Consejos ### Sleep at least one night The journey from Berlin is long for a day trip. ### Be careful on Sunday Several restaurants close; the one at the Hotel zum Bär is open. ### Climb the Münzenberg The best view of the castle hill. ### Combine it with Thale A quarter of an hour on a regional train. ## Preguntas frecuentes ### How do I get from Berlin to Quedlinburg? By train with one change in Magdeburg, about two hours and three quarters; by car, about two and a half hours. ### Can you do it in a day from Berlin? You can, but it is more than five hours of train travel: better to stay a night. ### What is there to see in Quedlinburg? The half-timbered old town, the collegiate church with its treasury and the Feininger museum; nearby, the Bode gorge. ### How much does the collegiate church cost? €8; under-18s go in free. ### When is the Christmas market? On Advent weekends, in the courtyards of the old town.