Germany (Lonely Planet, 6th Edition) - Andrea Schulte-Peevers [212]
Restaurant Theophano im Palais Salfeldt ( 963 00; Kornmarkt 6; mains €11-35, 6-course menu €46; 6pm-midnight Tue-Sat; ) Belonging to the Romantik Hotel Theophano (see left), this restaurant is housed in a mansion, where it serves fine seasonal dishes.
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Entertainment
Unfortunately, Quedlinburg is pretty close to being an entertainment-free zone.
Gildehaus zur Rose (Breite Strasse 39; from 9pm Fri & Sat) This is your best bet – an occasional venue with DJs and various parties, but the panelled interior alone justifies a visit whenever it’s open.
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Getting There & Away
For trains to Wernigerode (€8.40, 45 minutes), change at Halberstadt. The narrow-gauge Selketalbahn runs to Gernrode (€3, 15 minutes) and beyond; other frequent trains go to Thale (€2.10, 11 minutes). There are no left-luggage lockers, and the station hall isn’t always open.
The QBus ( 2236; www.qbus-ballenstedt.de, in German; Hauptbahnhof) office inside the hall has timetables and information on its frequent regional services. Buses to Thale alternate half-hourly with trains and leave from the bridge in front of the train station (stop 8 and 9).
The Strasse der Romanik (Romanesque Road; not to be confused with the Romantic Road in Bavaria) leads south to Gernrode. This theme road follows the L239 south to Gernrode and connects towns that have significant Romanesque architecture. The B6 runs west to Wernigerode, Goslar, the A395 (for Braunschweig) and the A7 between Kassel and Hanover. For Halle take the B6 east, and for Halberstadt the B79 north.
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Getting Around
Cars can be hired from National Car Rental ( 770 70; Gernröder Weg 5b). There are numerous taxi services ( 707 777, 702 525) in town. 2Rad Pavillon ( 709 507; Bahnhofstrasse 1b) hires out bicycles from €6 per day.
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GERNRODE
039485 / pop 3800
Only 8km south of Quedlinburg, Gernrode makes an ideal day trip. Its Stiftskirche St Cyriakus is one of Germany’s finest churches, while hikers, picnickers and steam-train enthusiasts will also enjoy this pretty town, which boasts the largest thermometer and Skat (a card game) table in the world.
The tourist office ( 354; www.gernrode.de; Suderode Strasse 8; 9am-4pm Mon-Fri) is a 10-minute walk from the Hauptbahnhof and another 10 minutes from the town centre.
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Sights & Activities
Stiftskirche St Cyriakus ( 275; guided tour €3; 9am-5pm Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun Apr-Oct, tours 3pm daily year-round) is one of the purest examples of Romanesque architecture from the Ottonian period. Construction of the basilica, which is based on the form of a cross, was begun in 959. Especially noteworthy is the early use of alternating columns and pillars, later a common Romanesque feature. The octagonal Taufstein (Christening stone), whose religious motifs culminate in the Ascension, dates from 1150. You can also see enclosed in glass Das Heilige Grab, an 11th-century replica of Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem. The tourist office has information on summer organ concerts and tours.
The narrow-gauge railway from Gernrode to Mägdesprung (€3, 30 minutes) is especially picturesque; you can break the trip at Sternhaus Ramberg, where a short trail leads through the forest to Bremer Teich, a pretty swimming hole with a camp site and hostel. You can also walk to Mägdesprung and beyond from Gernrode along paths beside the train track.
From the corner of Bahnhofstrasse and Marktstrasse, marked hiking trails lead east to Burg Falkenstein (11km), the historic castle in the Selke Valley, and west to Thale (about 13km).
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Getting There & Away
Regular QBus services for Thale and Quedlinburg stop at the Hauptbahnhof and in front of the tourist office. The Selketalbahn passes through Gernrode from Quedlinburg (see boxed text, Click