If you ever wanted to travel back to the Middle Ages, then the nearest you’ll ever get to it is the eastern German town of Quedlinburg. This gorgeous medieval city has around 2000 half-timbered houses, and also one of the outstanding Romanesque churches in Europe. Simply wandering the streets and alleyways is one of the best things to do in Quedlinburg, but there are many more besides.
Having looked forward to visiting it since the 1980s, I have to say that Quedlinburg is easily one of the best places to visit in Germany. If you love atmospheric historic towns and architecture, then don’t miss Quedlinburg.
Some claim Quedlinburg to be the first capital of Germany. Duke Heinrich I (Henry I), Duke of Saxony and the first King of the East Franks, governed from Quedlinburg in the 10th century. And his Kingdom is the forerunner of what centuries later became Germany.
The location of Quedlinburg a few hours from Berlin and other gateways to Germany mean that it’s relatively off the beaten path for international visitors. It’s also a wonderful introduction to the Harz Mountains and the Saxony-Anhalt region of eastern Germany.
My Quedlinburg guide covers the historic town, the surrounding area and things to do in Quedlinburg for kids. I also explain how to get there, and suggest some great places to stay in the town. I hope you find it helpful.
Things To Do In Quedlinburg Germany
Explore The Half-Timbered Houses In Quedlinburg Old Town
When it comes to romantic fairytale half-timbered houses, there is nowhere quite like Quedlinburg. I have been visiting Germany for over 40 years, and for sheer numbers, variety, colours and architectural details, nowhere comes close.
The medieval town of Quedlinburg is exceptionally well-preserved. Different sources say there are anywhere between 1,200 and 2,000 timber-framed houses around the town. Quedlinburg was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1994.
I always get a tiny dopamine hit when I see these half-timbered houses, wherever I am in Germany or Europe. I’ve adored them since I was a child, and had had Quedlinburg on my bucket list since the 1980s for this reason alone.
Every street is lined with these remarkable centuries-old houses. I would walk to the end of one street full of them, turn a corner and find another two. It is endless: they are everywhere. So after a couple of days I was flooded with dopamine – and looking around locally for somewhere to buy extra memory cards for my camera!
Don’t miss Schuhhof, a tiny alleyway just off the main square (more on that later in the article). I also recommend gorgeous Wordgasse (shown on maps as Word), where we stayed, and Finkenherd, on the approach to the Castle. Also take a look at my photo piece on the streets of Quedlinburg for further ideas and information.
You could wander around Quedlinburg just looking at the houses for two or three days. But if you only have one day in Quedlinburg, explore a few of the streets around the Mark (the main square). Breite Strasse leads off the square, and has some exquisite houses along the way, and there are more around the Marktkirche St Benedikti.
Half-Timbered House Museum (Fachwerkmuseum in Ständerbau)
One of the oldest half-timbered houses in Quedlinburg is a small museum dedicated to the art and history of these amazing buildings. The Fachwerkmuseum in Ständerbau is on the corner of Wordgasse, and was built around 1310.
Unfortunately it’s only open from April to October, and as we were in town in March, we weren’t able to visit. But if you’re there when it’s open I’d urge you to visit. One thing I’ve learned travelling around Germany over many years is that the regional styles of building are subtly different. So the half-timbered houses of Quedlinburg differ noticeably from those 200 miles to the west in, say, Bacharach and the other Rhine River towns.
Quedlinburg Markt (Main Square) and Rathaus (Town Hall)
The Markt is the heart of Quedlinburg Old Town, somewhere you’re almost certain to pass through several times during your visit to the city.
It’s a lovely square, lined with some of the top hotels in Quedlinburg. The triangular-topped half-timbered house next to the Rathaus is one of the most iconic buildings in Quedlinburg, and is home to the popular Boulevard Café. We enjoyed sitting in the square savouring our coffee and cake, and also visiting on Market Day (Saturday).
This is probably the best time to enjoy the Markt. Around ten stalls set up, from a busy bratwurst (sausage) van to stalls selling fruit, vegetables and flowers. The whole place comes alive, and the cafes’ outdoor tables are busy (even on a chilly spring morning).
The Rathaus (Town Hall) is at the northern end of the square. It’s at most attractive in autumn when the leaves of the Virginia creeper ivy on the front wall turns red.
The statue of Roland on the left of the Hall was originally erected around 1426, when Quedlinburg joined the Hanseatic League, a powerful trading confederation of cities across Germany and the Baltic region.
The nuns of Quedlinburg Abbey weren’t happy with this dalliance with the Hansa, and eventually forced the city to withdraw from the League in 1476. Roland – who represented free trade – would have been destroyed or removed, but this incarnation seems here to stay.
On the north-east corner of the square, where Breite Strasse begins, there’s a particularly gorgeous half-timbered house (pictured), one of the most beautiful in the city.
In December, the Markt is the setting for the Quedlinburg Christmas Market. We haven’t visited, but it’s a wonderful atmospheric setting, for a day getting cosy before Christmas.
Quedlinburg Tourist Train
The Quedlinburger Bimmelbahn is a brilliant introduction to the town. There’s a lot of ground to cover in Quedlinburg, because every street, lane and alleyway is full of these half-timbered houses. This road train takes you on a well-thought-out route around the Old Town, Castle Hill and the New Town – a big distance if you struggle on long walks, especially on cobbled surfaces.
As we used Quedlinburg as a base to explore the Harz region, I walked all of the streets the train runs along. The whole town is a delight, every street is full of surprises. Faye and Our Little Man loved every minute of it.
The Bimmelbahn runs from March to October, starting and ending on the Markt next to the Boulevard Café (the pretty building next to the Town Hall with the triangular front).
The adult fare is €9, and children from the age of 4 pay €4.
Collegiate Church of St Servatius
The most renowned of the churches in Quedlinburg – and part of the Quedlinburg World Heritage Site – is the hilltop Church of St Servatius. It’s part of a complex – along with Quedlinburg Castle – which is considered by some to be the cradle of German history.
The church itself is a beautiful Romanesque building, seemingly simple, bare and austere at first sight. But look closer and you’ll see some of the most beautiful and intricate stonework of the Romanesque period, particularly the carved capitals adorning the pillars and columns.
St Servatius Church is the burial place of Heinrich I (Henry I) of Saxony, the first King of the East Franks. His kingdom was also known as East Franconia, and was part of a three-way division of the former Carolingian Empire. He is considered by many to be the first King of Germany, but this name wasn’t used at the time. However, his kingdom was the forerunner of modern Germany, with much of its territory occupying the same land as the modern country.
Henry’s wife Mathilde is also buried in the Crypt of St Servatius Church. She went on to found the Imperial Abbey of Quedlinburg, which held sway over the town through to 1802. The Crypt is a magnificent sight, reached by a small flight of steps down from the nave.
The church is also home to the Quedlinburg Treasure, an amazing collection of valuables from the 10th century onwards. Several of the items on display were retrieved from Texas in the 1980s, having been stolen by an opportunistic US soldier after World War Two.
The Treasure includes a bejewelled comb that belonged to Henry I and several saints’ reliquaries. The collection is spread over two small rooms upstairs in the chancel of the church. Admission to the Church and Treasury (Domschatz) for adults is €6.
Castle Museum (Schlossmuseum)
Quedlinburg Castle Museum doubles as the city’s Museum, telling the story of over 1100 years.
It’s housed in the Renaissance-era Schloss, which is built into the Stiftskirche St Servatii (Collegiate Church of St Servatius, see above). A small part of the building – a ceiling vault – dates from the 10th century.
When I visited Quedlinburg the Museum was, unfortunately, undergoing renovation. It’s due to reopen towards the end of 2024 and I’d strongly suggest visiting. Somewhere like this really helps bring everything together for the visitor, like the excellent Stadtgeschichtliches Museum Leipzig (City History Museum in Leipzig). And especially in such a stunning building.
Marktkirche St Benedikti Church
The Market Church of St Benedict is one of the main landmarks of Quedlinburg, and it’s set just off the square whose name it bears. Its façade is topped by two uneven towers, a result of fire damage sustained in 1901.
The Romanesque windows in the tower date the church to the 12th century, though much of it was added in the following centuries. So the choir is from the late Gothic period (15th century), and there is a Renaissance period pulpit and altarpiece (late 15th-early 16th century).
The main altarpiece was added in the ensuing Baroque period (17th century), as were other furnishings and decorations including the prominent statue of King David.
Well worth a visit.
St Blasii Church
St Blasii Church – dedicated to St Blaise – is just a minute’s walk from the Markt, the main square in Quedlinburg. Some of its architectural details suggest a very old foundation, probably the 11th or 12th century.
The church was mostly rebuilt in the 18th century, so most of what you see today is from the Baroque period. Look out for the ornate altarpiece and wall memorials at the east end of the church, which are typical of the era.
One of the best things about St Blasii Church is the wooden seating, which is also from the 18th century. There are some wonderful box pews in the nave, and a wooden gallery a few metres above the nave, running all around it.
The local tourist office refers to the church as the Kulturkirche St Blasii – it is now mainly used to host cultural events, including concerts, poetry readings and exhibitions.
Sternkierketurm
The Sternkiekerturm – also known as the Lindenbeinsche Turm – is a medieval watchtower, and part of the circuit of town walls around Quedlinburg.
Many of the towers are still visible but you can only climb one of them – the Sternkiekerturm or Lindenbein Tower on Wallstrasse, on a rise above the west side of the Old Town.
It costs just €1 to enter the tower (the machine doesn’t take any other coins, so bring the right money with you). You then climb a wide wooden staircase with views at each level.
By the time you reach the top, you get a great view over the red rooftops of the Old Town and the Marktkirche St Benedikti (St Benedict’s Church, pictured). You also get a great view over the spire of the neighbouring Schlosshotel, the next two town wall towers and the spires of St Servatius Church on Castle Hill. A fantastic viewpoint, probably best visited in the afternoon.
Münzenberg
The Münzenberg is a small hill on the western edge of Quedlinburg, a few minutes’ walk from Castle Hill (Schlossberg) and St Wiperti Church.
It was once another important ecclesiastical site, where Abbess Mathilde built a monastery church, dedicated to St Mary, in 986 AD. The Münzenbergmuseum shows the remnants of this.
The Museum has an intriguing backstory. The church fell into disuse by the 16th century, and houses were eventually built over it. Professeor Siegfried Behrens and his wife bought a house that contained some remnants of the church, and they later acquired further properties on the hill. Gradually they were able to piece together parts of the church and some burial sites.
The remains of the church were added to the Romanesque Road (see below) tourist route in 2015, and it was opened as a Museum two years later.
Otherwise, the hill is a pleasant place to wander, or even stay. There are over 50 more half-timbered houses on the hill, and several of these serve as ferienwohnungen (holiday homes).
And at the bottom of the hill, don’t miss the excellent Gelbke Bakery at the bottom of the hill. Indulge yourself there before the short, stiff climb up the hill on the stairs outside!
Klopstockhaus Museum
This small museum on Schlossberg (Castle Hill) is largely concerned with Quedlinburg’s most famous writer, the 18th-century poet Friedrich Gottlieb Klopstock. He is relatively unknown in the English-speaking world, but one of the most renowned German writers of his age. And the more widely known Goethe cited him as an influence.
When I visited Quedlinburg the Museum was hosting an interesting exhibition on Klopstock and two of Quedlinburg’s other most famous citizens. These were Dorothea Christiane Erxleben (see also the section on New Town Quedlinburg) and Friedrich GutsMuths, a pedagogue responsible for introducing physical education and gymnastics to the German school curriculum.
Lyonel Feininger Galerie
This is the only gallery in the world dedicated to German-American artist Lyonel Feininger. His works are spread across the Secession ( German Art Nouveau), Cubist and Bauhaus periods, and the media he worked in varied from caricatures to paintings to woodcuts.
He spent many years in eastern Germany, and local architect Hermann Klumpp built up a sizeable collection of his work – the second largest in the world.
He named many of his works after the places he depicted, many of which are in Thuringia (to the south-west) or the Baltic coast (to the north). Interestingly his work was featured by the Nazis in an exhibition on what they termed ‘degenerate art’. As a rule of thumb, if they denounced it there was normally considerable merit in it!
If you’re interested in early 20th-century art, it’s well worth seeking out this gallery – an oasis of modernism in probably the most medieval place you’re ever likely to visit!
Quedlinburg New Town and Nikolaikirche
Quedlinburg Old Town gets all the fanfare, but the New Town is just as worthy of your time.
The Mühlgraben stream marks the boundary between the Old Town of Quedlinburg and the New Town. You can walk along a small street, Zwischen den Städten, which means ‘Between The Towns’, but there aren’t really any perceptible differences between the two.
The term New Town is relative – it was founded around 1200 to accommodate the growing population of the Old Town of Quedlinburg. The town gradually expanded several streets to the east, and the Church of St Nicholas was founded soon afterwards. Its spires are one of the main landmarks of Quedlinburg, riding 72 metres above the surrounding streets.
One of Quedlinburg’s most famous citizens, Dorothea Christiane Erxleben was born in the area, at Steinweg 51. She was the first German woman to attain a doctorate in medicine, and she had a medical practice in the town until she died in 1764. Her husband was a pastor at the Nikolaikirche. Her birthplace is now a small hotel open over the summer months.
There are hundreds more fachwerk (half-timbered) houses in this part of Quedlinburg, every bit as characterful and colourful as those in the Old Town. I particularly like the wonky group of four houses (pictured) on Reichenstrasse.
Another great place to see the half-timbered houses nearby is Neustädter Kirchhof, the hidden square surrounding the Nikolaikirche. There are some beautiful half-timbered gateways to the square, and some gorgeous old houses.
Nightwatchman Tour of Quedlinburg
I didn’t actually join this twilight tour of Quedlinburg one late winter’s evening. I went around a few locations to photograph them during the ‘blue hour’, and it just so happened that the Nightwatchman was taking his group around the same spots.
The tour is in German only, led by the same fellow who does the daily guided morning walk around the city. It’s a real pity that it’s not in English, but it’s worth at least revisiting some of the locations visited, including the |Markt and Finkenherd on Castle Hill.
Quedlinburg is magical at any time of day, but especially so by the light of a lantern.
St Wiperti Church
The Romanesque Church of St Wiperti is on the edge of Quedlinburg, around a 10-minute walk down the hill from Castle Hill. It’s dedicated to the Anglo-Saxon St Wigbert, who was originally from the Kingdom of Wessex.
Like many other churches from the same period, it’s bare and sparsely decorated. The main point of interest is the small crypt just behind the high altar, which was completed around 990-1000 AD.
It’s a very moving place to visit, with the traces of the painting on the apse still visible after over a thousand years.
The church is only open between May and October, as there is no heating and it’s too cold to visit during the winter months.
Things To Do In Quedlinburg With Kids
Wordgarten Playground
If your kids need to burn off some energy, this is possibly the best place in Quedlinburg to do it.
The Wordgarten is a lovely park just outside the Old Town, and within sight of perhaps the prettiest, most colourful row of half-timbered houses in Quedlinburg.
There are all the usual activities you’d expect – swings, roundabouts, rope climbs – so if they do need a break from all that medieval magic, this is the place to head.
There is also a smaller park and play area between Weststrasse and Wallstrasse, a short walk from the Sternkiekerturm viewpoint.
Antiquariat Bookshop on Schuhhof
This gorgeous little bookshop is one of my son’s favourite places in Quedlinburg. It’s hidden away on Schuhhof, the tiny narrow alleyway just off the Markt, Quedlinburg’s main square.
It’s a delight for kids and adults alike – the three of us fell in love with it straight away. It’s on the ground floor of a typical small Quedlinburg half-timbered house, with lace curtains in the windows. The interior made our hearts melt. And the room is held up by huge wooden beams, most likely around 400 years old, with the books beautifully displayed.
It was the books that won us over most. There is a wonderful display of children’s books outside the shop, all beautifully made and bound. My son was in awe. We loved Waldi The Funny Dachshund and The Bunny School, they are wonderfully illustrated.
And the books for adults – with many about Quedlinburg, the Harz Mountains and the Steam Railway – are a joy to see too.
Selketalbahn Steam Train – Harz Railway
Quedlinburg is the terminus of the Selketalbahn section of the Harz Narrow Gauge Railway. This railway is one for romantics at heart, with steam locomotives gently chugging their way through the Harz Mountains and their foothills.
The Harz Steam Railway has three main termini, the others being Wernigerode and Nordhausen. If you’re planning to take the train to the summit of the Brocken (the highest mountain in northern Germany) then Wernigerode is the most convenient starting point.
It’s a 2 hour 5 minute journey to the summit from there (with one change of train), whereas it would be around 6 hours from Quedlinburg. That said, I thoroughly recommend a trip from Quedlinburg along the Selke Valley to Eisfelder Talmuhle.
Tierpark Westerhausen
This is a great little local wildlife park just a ten-minute bus ride from the centre of Quedlinburg.
There’s a European brown bear (which was sadly hibernating when we visited), and an assortment of goats, sheep, donkeys, llamas, meerkats, pigs, lemurs and more.
The animals are very well looked after, and friendly – my Little Man and I got to feed a great many of them. There are also a couple of good playgrounds around the site, and a small 1-euro car track where kids can drive around for a few minutes.
It’s only a few minutes’ drive from Quedlinburg. And if you’re using public transport, the 230 Quedlinburg-Wernigerode bus stops at Westerhausen-Eselstall, a 5-minute walk away.
Entry is just €3 for adults, €2 for kids, and bags of feed are available for €1 each at the entrance.
Places To Visit Near Quedlinburg
Gernrode and St Cyriakus Church
Gernrode is a small town just 7 km (5 miles) from Quedlinburg. It’s only a few minutes’ drive, otherwise you can get there by bus (240, 242, 255) or the Harz Railway (all of which take around 15 minutes).
The old part of town is a cosy warren of narrow streets with (as you’d expect from the area!) half-timbered houses. The main reason to visit is the 10th-century church of St Cyriakus, which was founded by local ruler Margrave Gero around 962 AD.
It’s one of the most beautiful churches in Germany. It’s disconcertingly wonky (deliberate, apparently – the ceiling image shows it best). The church is renowned for its Holy Grave, an 11th-century interpretation of Christ’s tomb, the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem. It probably bears no resemblance to it, but is a remarkable work, the oldest of its kind in Germany.
Take another hour or two to wander around this quaint and quirky little town. There’s the very touristy Harzer Uhrenmuseum (Harz Clock Museum), with a very large cuckoo clock outside.
There is also a small school museum, the Alte Elementarschule, in the village. It was closed when we visited, but looked intriguing. The half-timbered building housing the museum was used as a school around 1800. However, the school’s origins go back to the 16th century, when Abbess Elisabeth von Weida founded a school in the town.
I have tended to find that the information in these small museums in the region tends to be in German only, but that there may be a small information leaflet in English. The more German you know, the better!
The Harz Mountains
There are two essential towns to visit to the west of Quedlinburg, and the three together form the basis of my Harz Mountains Half-Timbered Towns Itinerary.
Depending on the time of year you visit, there are enough things to do in Wernigerode for anything between two and four days. During the summer months several attractions open after a long winter break, including the Hasseroder Park and Miniature Park, which are ideal if you’re travelling with kids.
I also recommend heading further west across the former Iron Curtain to the World Heritage-listed town of Goslar. It’s inscribed on the list because of the thousand-year-old Rammelsberg mine, and the half-timbered houses of its Old Town are absolutely exquisite. Check out my guide to the best things to do in Goslar for more information.
Romanesque Road
Quedlinburg also stands on another, less-known tourist route, the Romanesque Road (Strasse der Romanik). This route, which is over 600 miles (1000 km) long, runs all around the state of Saxony-Anhalt.
Quedlinburg – and the surrounding region – was King Heinrich I and his successor Otto the Great’s power base. And they built extensively in the 10th century, as did their successors in the ensuing two centuries.
There are a total of 88 Romanesque sites around Saxony-Anhalt – most of them are churches but there are also castles and monasteries. Some of the best-known sites other than those in Quedlinburg include World Heritage-listed Naumburg Cathedral, Halberstadt Cathedral and Magdeburg Cathedral, the burial place of Otto I.
The Romanesque Route gets little attention compared to the more widely known Half-Timbered Route. But it’s a phenomenal treasure trove of historic architecture, much of it around a thousand years old.
German Half-Timbered Road – Deutsche Fachwerkstrasse
The Half-Timbered Road is a more widely known tourist route through Germany, taking in some of the most beautiful half-timbered cities, towns and villages in Germany.
It is actually a series of regional routes, in places as varied as the Main Valley around Frankfurt, Lower Saxony and the Upper Lusatian area of south-eastern Saxony.
Quedlinburg is on the Elbe-Harz section, along with nearby Wernigerode, another gorgeous medieval German town.
The route is by no means comprehensive – it doesn’t include the likes of Braubach on the River Rhine, for example. But it IS a fantastic introduction, especially to many areas that are relatively off the beaten track.
How To Get To Quedlinburg
Despite the vast wealth of things to see in Quedlinburg, it has somehow remained off the main international tourist trail. The reason for this is its location a few hours from some of the more popular places to visit in Germany.
The nearest airports to Quedlinburg are Berlin or Leipzig (Halle). Of these, Berlin is a much bigger and busier gateway to Germany.
If you plan on travelling from Berlin to Quedlinburg by train, you need to leave from Berlin main train station (Berlin Hbf on timetables). The journey takes 3 hours 22 minutes and entails a change of train at Magdeburg. There you need to board the RE11 to Thale which calls at Quedlinburg a few stops before the end of the line.
Note that there is no direct Berlin to Quedlinburg bus at the time of writing (March 2024).
If you’re travelling from Leipzig – as we did – you’ll need to change trains twice. Catch the train from Leipzig main train station (Leipzig Hbf) to Halle (Saale) Hbf on the S-Bahn (which calls at Leipzig Airport). At Halle, board the train to Goslar, and alight at Halberstadt. Then change for the Quedlinburg RE11 train, whose final destination is Thale. At Halle and Halberstadt we only had to cross from one side of the platform to the other to make our connection.
Best Places To Stay In Quedlinburg
There are many hotels in Quedlinburg to choose from, many of which are in or very close to the centre.
One of the best options is Romantik Hotel am Brühl. It’s on the road around the southern edge of the town, ideal if you’re driving, and is less than ten minutes’ walk from the centre of the Old Town. The two main half-timbered buildings are set around a lovely courtyard, and they have family rooms and apartments if you’re contemplating self-catering.
The Best Western Hotel Schlossmühle is close by, and part of it is within a mill originally built in the 15th century. The location is excellent, just below the Schlossberg (Castle Hill), and less than ten minutes’ walk from the Markt square.
Nearby, the lovely family-run Hotel Domschatz is another great option, in a gorgeous green half-timbered building just below Quedlinburg Castle. It’s also on one of the most beautiful streets in Quedlinburg, with some wonderful walks around the cobbled lanes below the Castle.
On the Markt, we recommend the Hotel Zum Bär (The Bear Hotel), a wonderfully friendly traditional hotel with many Quedlinburg attractions just a couple of minutes’ walk away.
Across the Markt, the Hotel Theophano is a luxury 4-star hotel that also gets excellent reviews.
Other than hotels, there is a huge choice of apartments in Quedlinburg. We heartily recommend Bunter Hof, a beautifully restored half-timbered building overlooking a courtyard, and a few steps from the Half-Timbered House Museum.
Things To Do In Quedlinburg Germany – Final Thoughts
I hope you have found my guide to what to do in Quedlinburg helpful, even inspirational. It’s an astoundingly beautiful place to visit, and after almost 40 years of intending to visit, it was worth the wait. If you love historic old towns, then Quedlinburg will be paradise for you.
If you’re visiting the town, don’t miss my guide to the most beautiful streets in Quedlinburg, which shows you the best houses and architecture in the town. Also check out my guide to the best churches in Quedlinburg, especially the final church in the article, the breathtaking 10th-century church of St Cyriakus in Gernrode.
Many would suggest staying in Quedlinburg for a night or two – I think it’s worth longer. The surrounding region is amazing, but off the beaten path because it takes a few hours to get there from major centres.
Quedlinburg is also within easy reach (by car, train or bus) of Wernigerode, another gorgeous half-timbered town. This is closer to the Harz Mountains, and the place to begin your journey on the Brockenbahn, the superb steam train journey up the highest mountain in northern Germany, the Brocken.
Check out my guide to the best things to do in Goslar, a wondrous medieval World Heritage town on the western edge of the Harz Mountains. It made its fortune from the nearby Rammelsberg Ore Mine, and spent a good deal of it building one of the most beautiful old towns in Germany. You could easily combine the three towns in this Germany Half-Timbered Towns Itinerary, and see some of tghe very best of this type of architecture in the world in this small region.
I rate Quedlinburg right up there with the best places to visit in Eastern Germany. We have spent a few months slow-travelling this fascinating part of the world. It’s also quite close to some of the best places to visit on the River Elbe, including regional capital Magdeburg, the World Heritage towns of Dessau and Wittenberg and, a little further upstream, the beautiful Renaissance town of Torgau.
Check out some of the highlights, including the stunning Bastei Bridge in the Saxon Switzerland National Park, between Dresden and the Czech border. If you’re travelling across the region, don’t miss the Frauenkirche Dresden, one of the most beautiful Baroque churches in Europe.
These are just the beginning. For a broader overview covering the whole country, check out my guide to the Best Places To Visit In Germany. And for a wider selection of articles, take a look at my Germany Travel Guide page.
David Angel is a British photographer, writer and historian. He is a European travel expert with over 30 years’ experience exploring Europe. He has a degree in History from Manchester University, and his work is regularly featured in global media including the BBC, Condé Nast Traveler, The Guardian, The Times, and The Sunday Times. David is fluent in French and Welsh, and can also converse in Italian, German, Portuguese, Spanish, Czech and Polish.