Romanesque Road
It is quite possible that you will forget the time when you travel through Saxony-Anhalt on the Romanesque Road. Even today, original testimonies to the history and art of the Middle Ages can be marvelled at along the more than 1,000-kilometre-long tourist route.
Between Arendsee in the north and Zeitz in the south, the Romanesque Road connects 73 towns with 88 castles, churches, monasteries and cathedrals from the Romanesque period that bear witness to the political and economic importance of today's Saxony-Anhalt in the Middle Ages. It runs in the shape of an eight through the entire state. Magdeburg forms the centre and divides the Romanesque Road into a northern and a southern route.
Romanesque Road
In the footsteps of emperors and kings
This unique cultural region offers diverse travel destinations. Here the "treasure hunter" will find the centuries-old traces of the emperors and kings. The cathedral treasures in Halberstadt, Merseburg and Naumburg as well as in the collegiate church Quedlinburg are highlights of the tourism route in Saxony-Anhalt. The monastery landscapes offer space for reflection, rest and enjoyment of art. The romantic can succumb to the charm of the buildings in the midst of beautiful nature, explorers will find precious works of art and cultural sites.
The Romanesque Road makes it possible to experience:
- Original locations of the history of Central Germany;
- the living history of the Middle Ages at jousting games and festivals, at medieval markets and city festivals, through traders and traveling people;
- the open-minded and hospitable way of life as well as the cultural delicacies of Saxony-Anhalt;
- 20 Romanesque hiking tours along the route.
Type of route: Holiday route
Topics: Luther / Bauhaus / Gartenreich, Culture, Architecture, Art, Nature
Start / Finish: Magdeburg - Start and finish of the northern and southern route
Length: approx. 1,000 km
Federal State: Saxony-Anhalt
Holiday regions: Altmark, Magdeburg and the surrounding area, Halle and the Saale-Unstrut wine region, Harz
The Northern Route
The northern route of the Romanesque Road begins in Magdeburg and leads through the Jerichower Land and the Altmark to the far north of Saxony-Anhalt. Here, churches and monasteries in quarry stone, fieldstone and brick still bear witness to Romanesque architecture. The starting point is the monastery of Our Lady, which today houses an art museum. Directly at the cathedral in Magdeburg, the "House of Romanesque" offers comprehensive information and has information material ready. At the end of the northern route, late Romanesque wall paintings can be discovered in the village church of St. Thomas in Pretzien, which are considered the most valuable evidence of medieval wall painting in central Germany.
The Southern Route
Along the southern route of the Romanesque Road, you can explore residential and cathedral towns. In the Harz Mountains, you can follow in the footsteps of the Ottonians, stopping off in Halberstadt, Quedlinburg and Gernrode. Querfurt, Memleben, Merseburg and Tilleda also bear witness to Ottonian rule. Mighty castle complexes, such as the Neuenburg in Freyburg (Unstrut) and the Rudelsburg in Bad Kösen high above the Saale, characterise the landscape of the Saale-Unstrut region in southern Saxony-Anhalt. A highlight on this section is the Cathedral of St. Peter and Paul in Naumburg with its famous donor figures and the cathedral treasure vault.
Romanesque Road by motorhome
Year-round discovery tours
The Romanesque Road entices visitors to embark on journeys of discovery all year round. The stone witnesses provide insights into the beginnings of German history as well as Romanesque art and architecture. Concerts, theatre productions and medieval festivals can be experienced against the backdrop of Romanesque buildings. Culinary insights into the Romanesque period are offered by typical regional dishes and hearty knights' meals. Friends of active holidays will get their money's worth with cycling trips on the Elbe cycle path, hikes in the Harz mountains, horseback riding in the Altmark region and canoe tours on the Saale and Unstrut rivers.
Since its foundation in 1993, the Romanesque Road has enjoyed steadily growing visitor interest, with 1.5 million guests registered annually. This makes the Romanesque Road one of the ten most popular German holiday routes.
Transromanica
Since 2007, it has been part of the European Cultural Route TRANSROMANICA, which has been recognised by the Council of Europe and connects the common cultural heritage of the Romanesque period across nine European countries: From Germany to Austria, Serbia, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal, Romania and Slovakia, one can find historical evidence of this era. Each region offers its own architectural expression of the Romanesque period.
Route guidance with parking space information
You can find the Northern Route on our Exporer Map.
This information is a service offer from ALPINE in cooperation with FERIENSTRASSEN.INFO
Tourismusverband Sachsen-Anhalt e.V.
Danzstrasse 1 D -39104 Magdeburg,
Germany
ROMANESQUE ROAD
