Discover Quedlinburg: A Perfect Weekend Trip from Berlin

Quedlinburg is one of those German towns that is so pretty it almost beggars belief.

Nestled at the foot of the Harz mountains, Quedlinburg is a medieval town packed with beautiful sights, things to do and some great food and drink.

We were looking for a weekend trip from Berlin, and the cobbled streets of Quedlinburg came recommended by a few people.

As ever, finding anything out about Quedlinburg in English was pretty tricky, so this article will be all about this charming little town in Saxony-Anhalt.

We’ll look at things to do, travel options, accommodation, some nearby hikes and some tips for families visiting Quedlinburg.

TL;DR: Quedlinburg exceeded our expectations, we had a lovely three day trip.

Despite some gloomy October weather, there was more than enough in the surprisingly large town alone to keep us entertained. Not to mention a whole host of things to do on the doorstep.

We were travelling with a toddler and she had a wonderful time – it’s definitely a good location for families.

With that in mind, expect the recommendations here to be quite kid-friendly!

And if you’re looking for other beautiful places to visit in Germany, why not read about our previous trips to Hann Munden and to Saxon Switzerland

Getting to Quedlinburg from Berlin

The Harz Mountains are about the closest hills to Berlin. Quedlinburg is easy to reach from the Hauptstadt in 3 hours or less.

Coming by train to Quedlinburg, there are a few options.

There’s a direct train called the Harz-Berlin-Express that runs straight to Quedlinburg in the mornings.

It’s unclear whether a 49 Euro Deutschlandticket is valid on the HBX, but in any case you pay on the train so you can just get on and find out.

You can also take two RE trains – RE7 to Magdeburg and RE11 to Quedlinburg, for a very low cost option that still doesn’t take long.

Alternatively, Quedlinburg is about 2.5hrs drive from Berlin. With a little one in tow, we rented a car in Berlin and drove down.

Things to do in Quedlinburg

Quedlinburg is an utterly beautiful medieval town. Almost every street seems to be packed with ancient, higgledy-piggledy houses and cobbled paths.

It’s a beautiful place simply to walk around, with buildings dating back to the 17th Century.

The large main square houses the Rathaus and a host of cafes and restaurants to enjoy.

At the northern end of the square, past the Rathaus and the St Benedict church, we loved the Ruinenromantik Kornmarkt 3 for lunch and a drink. Here, they’ve furnished what was effectively an abandoned space, turning it into a jumble of nooks and spaces with something for everyone. It’s truly unique.

We sat outside, and had excellent food that was a bit different from the standard meat’n’potato fayre you typically find.

We really liked the small cluster of streets between the main square (Marktplatz) and the Schloss (Hohestr. and Blasiistr.) – here you’ll find a great brewery in the shape of Brauhaus Lüdde with its cosy interior. We didn’t eat here but we saw food going out and it looked tasty.

In the small square right under the Schloss you’ll find the popular Vincent cheesecake shop.

There’s a cheesecake for every taste and the slices are huge – there were consistent queues every time we walked past.

If you’re staying overnight, we found mornings to be the best time in Quedlinburg.

Most places don’t open before 10 or even 12, and the crowds don’t seem to arrive before lunchtime.

In the mornings you can have the idyllic streets almost to yourselves, and take time to really take in the beauty of the place.

If you’re a really early riser you can head for the Gelbke bakery on the Münzenberg, a small and picturesque hill on the southern tip of Quedlinburg. I had to double check the opening times to make sure I read it right. They open at 5am.

Their breads are traditionally-made and delicious even by Germany’s high standards.

If you’re not an early riser, don’t worry. Gelbke seems to supply bread to half the restaurants and cafes in town.

As you wander the morning streets, perhaps munching a warm brötchen, keep an eye out for the lintel carvings on the old buildings.

Many date to the early 1600s, and while a lot of them have the kind of In God We Trust type messages you’d expect, there’s one on Rittergasse which roughly translates as ‘Oh God, why do women hate me?’

400 year old lonely hearts club in Quedlinburg, it seems.

Back on the food and drink trail, there’s a wonderful cafe called Samocca on Hohestr. which opens at 9 and serves some of the best coffee I’ve tried in Germany.

They roast their own beans right there in the shop. The whole place was on tenterhooks as a batch finished and freshly-roasted beans tumbled from the roaster, the scent filling the air.

What a treat that was on a cold morning.

They also serve excellent breakfasts and baked goods. We ate at Samocca two days in a row. As a bonus, it’s really good value.

Right opposite Samocca is a biscuit shop, and who doesn’t love a biscuit shop. Their chocolate and pistachio-biscuit fridge cake was a delicious, probably deadly slice of happiness. I regret nothing.

Besides all these places to eat and drink, there are museums aplenty, a little train on wheels that runs around the town, and a number of craft-type shops.

The ivy-clad provisions shop on Hohestr. is worth visiting for their range of local produce and vast array of booze.

The Schloss itself was closed for construction when we visited, so there’s not too much to say about it. It looks nice from the outside at least!

A couple of tips for families visiting Quedlinburg: the cobbles are pretty bumpy in places, so it better suits a hardy stroller. Ours is quite basic and struggled at times.

We didn’t have major problems, but it was just something to be aware of.

If your little one is in need of a place to run around, there’s an excellent Spielplatz in the Bruhl Park, our toddler had a whale of a time playing on the woodland-themed toys and jumping off the dragon’s tummy.

Accommodation in Quedlinburg

Ferienwohnungen (holiday homes) are the name of the game in Quedlinburg. We found a good one in An der Wassermühle on booking.com. But there were dozens dotted around town in central locations, so there should be a good selection. We had plenty of space, a kitchen and everything we needed for a small family.

Hiking in Quedlinburg

The Harz is known for being a great hiking area, and there are some really nice options just outside Quedlinburg itself.

Armed with a toddler and a backpack that said toddler can sit in, we did a nice short walk around the Teufelsmauer rock formation just next to the village of Weddersleben.

Side note for German football fans, but the 1. FC Magdeburg presence out here is wild. There’s seemingly no bridge, signpost, rock, grain silo or flat surface in an 80km radius of Magdeburg that is not lovingly painted blue and white.

Anyway, Teufelsmauer – or the Devil’s Wall in English. Don’t be put off by the name. Germans love a devil reference. In Berlin alone there are multiple Teufelsees, a Teufelsberg. There’s probably a Teufelsamt kicking about somewhere.

This Teufelsmauer and its rather lovely surroundings are just a 10 minute drive from Quedlinburg.

There is a specific car park for it which is signposted. The car park costs 1 Euro per hour – it’s not 100% obvious that you need to pay, but there is a machine in the middle. Don’t get caught out!

The Teufelsmauer itself is really cool – jagged rocks popping up from the middle of nowhere.

Our two year old managed most of it herself, the path is easy and well-maintained. The rocks are really unusual, and their relative height vs the surroundings gives a good view back to Quedlinburg and over to Thale on the other side.

There are then endless paths and trails branching off the main trail, so you can make this walk as long or short as you want. It was ideal for us with a small kid.

Another place we heard about but didn’t get time to visit was the Thale Erlebniswelt, with cable cars running up into the Harz proper and to an old pagan worship ground, the Hexetanzenplatz.

It’s been very recently renovated and seems very suitable for kids – with haunted houses, a small zoo, some hiking and even a toboggan run.

It’s one we’ll check out next time.

Quedlinburg turned out to be an ideal trip from Berlin.

You could absolutely do it as a long day trip and have a good time. But we enjoyed spending three days here, and did not run out of things to do or see.

For a long weekend destination from Berlin, Quedlinburg a great breath of fresh air and should be on your list of places to visit in Germany!