Best-kept secret: Quedlinburg

It’s a small town with a big name, a medieval gem that hasn’t yet made it onto the tourist trail. Need more reasons to visit Quedlinburg? Here’s a fistful of reasons.

1. It has something no other German town does

Germany has no shortage of pretty towns – but most of them have been rebuilt many times over the century, especially after the widespread devastation of World War Two. Quedlinburg is unique in that it has been intact since the Middle Ages, thanks to an impressive system of night watchmen and firefighters.

2. You can explore it on foot

With 80 hectares of World Heritage listed streetscapes lined with cobblestones, half-timbered houses and ornate baroque mansions in soft shades of pink and green, the town is small enough to cover in a day, but rich in discoveries, including the imposing 1000-year-old hilltop church that watches over the town.

3. It has a colourful history

Don’t let its compact size fool you; Quedlinburg earned its place in this history books. This is the town where, 1000 years ago, Henry Duke of Saxony – the man considered to be the first true German king – learned that he had inherited throne. Henry’s widow, Matilda, later founded a religious community for women at Quedlinburg, and for much of its history the town was ruled by powerful – and well-connected – abbesses who helped attract funds for many of the town’s key monuments.

4. It has its very own sausage

They may not be as famous as Nuremberg’s signature sausages, but Quedlinburg also has its own sausage, flavoured with pine needles and available at the local market (Wednesdays and Saturdays). The town also has its own brewery, Brauhaus Lüdde, which served up ales for 200 years and was recently revived, using the brewery’s original recipes.

5. Getting there is easy

The train trip from Berlin takes around three hours; the train trip from Frankfurt is just a little longer. Make the most of your trip by booking into one of the town’s charming boutique hotels, such as the Romantik Hotel am Brühl.

More information on Quedlinburg can be found here. Also worth exploring are the nearby towns of Magdeburg, Halle and Naumburg.