6 Amazing Churches In Quedlinburg To Visit

This is the most-visited church in Quedlinburg, the former Abbey Church founded by Heinrich I, the first King of the Eastern Franks. It is also his final resting place, along with his Queen, Mathilde.

Heinrich I (often anglicized to Henry) was Duke of Saxony before becoming King of the East Franks. His domain – also called East Francia or East Franconia – was part of the former Carolingian Empire, which was split in 843. Retrospectively, Henry has been called the first King of Germany – but he would never been called that during his lifetime. Feelings and recognition of German identity would follow later.

After Henry died in 936, Mathilde founded a convent on the site, the Imperial Abbey of Quedlinburg, which ruled the town all the way through to 1802.

The main body of the church was completed by 1021, making it one of the great early Romanesque churches of Germany, indeed Europe.

Henry and Mathilde are buried in the crypt below the chancel of the church. Nazi SS leader Heinrich Himmler tried to appropriate Henry I to the Nazi cause, and arranged services in the crypt on the anniversary of Henry’s death. He intended Quedlinburg to become a place of Nazi pilgrimage. Fortunately this didn’t transpire.

You can also visit the small Treasury, which is upstairs in the chancel and spread over two rooms. Some of the items on display were retrieved from Texas in the 1980s. A US soldier had pilfered many items and they were only discovered over 40 years after the theft.

The treasures include an ornate bejewelled comb that belonged to Henry I, and several saints’ reliquaries, including one for St Servatius.

This is the only church in Quedlinburg where there is paid entry.

Church opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 10.00 am to 6.00 pm; closed Mondays.

Admission: €6 for adults, €4.50 reduced, under-18s free.

Like most churches in Quedlinburg, the Market Church of St Benedict dates back the best part of a millennium. Its name comes from its proximity to the Markt, the main square in Quedlinburg Old Town, and it would have served as parish church to merchants there and residents of the surrounding area.

There are traces of the church’s Romanesque origins, but much of what we see today is from the Gothic period. As well as the pointed arches and vaulting, there is also a fine altarpiece from 1480 in the south aisle of the church. It’s protected by glass, which unfortunately makes it very difficult to photograph!

For a magnificent view of the church – and the Old Town – head to the nearby Sternkiekrturm tower. It costs €1 – payable through a turnstile – to access the viewing gallery. This was one of a series of town wall towers, which was partly remodelled in the 19^th century.

Church opening hours: 10.00 am to 5.00 pm daily.

The Kulturkirche St Blasii (Culture Church of St Blaise) appears to be one of the more recent churches in Quedlinburg. But don’t be deceived. There are tell-tale signs beyond the Baroque (18^th century) interior that this is a much older church.

The rounded arches on the west front and towers offer the biggest clue. These are most likely from the Romanesque period (11^th or 12^th century). The original church may have pre-dated them.

A Gothic church was built on the site around 1267, and this was replaced by the present Baroque church between 1711 and 1715.  The ornate altarpiece and memorials date from this period.

However, for me the most striking features of this church are the wooden gallery around the nave, and the box pews. These have survived incredibly well, and are in beautiful condition.

As its official name suggests, the church is now used as a cultural venue – from what I could tell, mainly for concerts. It would make a magnificent setting, for sure.

Church opening hours: Wednesday and Thursday – 11.00 to 3.00 pm; Fridays to Sundays 11.00 am to 4.00 pm.

After the Schlossberg (Castle Hill), the most prominent landmark on the Quedlinburg skyline is the Nikolaikirche. Its twin Gothic spires soar 272 feet above the surrounding streets of half-timbered houses and almost everything else in this extraordinary World Heritage town.

It is the Protestant parish church of Quedlinburg New Town. The differences between the Old and New Town are barely perceptible, as most of the buildings are half-timbered. The square around the church is gorgeous, with some of the most beautiful half-timbered houses in Quedlinburg, and there are several narrow entrances, including two medieval gateways.

This wonderful Basilica on the outskirts of Quedlinburg is one of over 80 stops on the Romanesque Road (Strasse der Romanik). This tourist trail through the Saxony-Anhalt region includes the magnificent cathedrals at Naumburg and Magdeburg, as well as the following church in my guide, at Gernrode.

The church was founded around 950, and it’s a simple austere building with rounded windows and plain whitewashed walls. The oldest surviving part is the eastern crypt, just behind and below the high altar. The remnants of a painting can be clearly seen on the apsidal part of the crypt. It’s a wonderfully humbling place to stand.

Interestingly, the church is dedicated to an English saint, who is also known as St Wigbert or Wihtbehrt. He was originally from the Kingdom of Wessex (in modern south-west England) and was a disciple of St Boniface, spending the last decade of his life on missions in what is now central Germany.

After years of mistreatment – including use of the building as a barn – the church was partially restored during the GDR period (1949 to 1990). The roof is new, as are the stained-glass windows in the east end of the church.

If you visit, take a short walk up the hill to the family vaults in the cemetery. Then climb to the top level for a superb view of St Wiperti, with the Church of St Servatius and Quedlinburg Castle looming above.

Enormous thanks to Iris for taking the time to show us around the church out of season.

Opening hours: The church is only open between May and October. On Mondays to Saturdays it opens from 10.00 am to 12.00 pm, and from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm. On Sundays it is only open from 2.00 pm to 5.00 pm.

This absolute treasure of a church is 7 km (5 miles) south of Quedlinburg, a 15-minute bus ride or chug along the Harz Steam Railway. I’ve included it as I rate it one of the best things to see in Quedlinburg. If you’re a lover of churches and history like me, try to squeeze an hour or two to see this 10^th-century wonder.

It was built during the reign of Otto the Great – successor to Heinrich I – by Margrave Gero, most likely around the 960s.  The style of architecture – with rounded arches and an apse at both ends of the church – is Ottonian, a precursor to Romanesque. The superb towers were added in the second half of the 12^th century.

The church (Stiftskirche) was part of an Abbey and you can still see the cloister and some of the monastic buildings adjacent to it.

The interior is wondrous, and a little wonky. As my image of the roof shows, everything is built slightly out of straight alignment.

The church is best known for its 11^th-century interpretation of the Grave of Christ (Holy Sepulchre) in Jerusalem. The section I’ve photographed includes a statue of Mary Magdalene – some of the other statues were later partly destroyed. It’s the earliest known representation of the Holy Sepulchre in Germany.