Quedlinburg, Germany – A Step Back in Time, Quedlinburg, Germany

A visit to the town of Quedlinburg, situated just north of the Harz mountains in the Saxony-Anhalt region of Germany, is like stepping back in time into the pages of a child’s pop-up storybook. Its narrow cobblestone streets are lined with over 1300 half-timbered houses and in 1994 the town was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It has had a colourful history going back as far as the 10th century when it was ruled by King Heinrich I who is credited with being the founder of medieval Germany. The town was then ruled by women for more than 800 years until Napoleon invaded it in the early 19th century. Despite somehow becoming an epicentre for Nazi Germany propaganda, Quedlinburg thankfully suffered little damage during World War II and, as a result, is one of Europe’s best preserved medieval renaissance towns. The town is dominated by its castle, Schlossberg, located on a 25 metre plateau rising above the old town. Radiating out from the castle is a network of narrow cobblestone streets and alleyways, which eventually lead to the market square with its Rathaus (city hall) and seemingly endless ornate, beautifully painted half-timbered houses. ...... (follow the instructions below for accessing the rest of this article).