Back to the Middle Ages: On the Romanesque Road

If you follow these signs, an exciting trip back to the Middle Ages awaits you. It takes you more than 1,000 (600 miles) kilometers through the state of Saxony-Anhalt, and links 88 structures that were built during the Romanesque period of architecture — that is, from 950 to 1250 A.D.

Magdeburg is a wonderful starting point. This is where the Romanesque Road was first opened — on May 7, 1993, which is the anniversary of the death of Otto the Great, the first German Holy Roman Emperor. Otto was fond of Magdeburg and generously enlarged the city on the River Elbe. He was among the great patrons of architecture of his time, and is buried at Magdeburg Cathedral.

Semicircular arches are a signature feature of Romanesque architecture, and nowhere else in Germany are they as prevalent as in Saxony-Anhalt. That's due to the industrious building of medieval kings and emperors. They founded numerous churches and monasteries, like the one in Jerichow on the Elbe (pictured above). It was the era of Christianization in Germany.

St. Mary's Cathedral rises majestically over the old town in Havelberg, like an advertisement for the Christian faith. Otto the Great founded the bishopric of Havelberg on the Elbe as early as 946 to 948 in order to convert its inhabitants, the western Slavs, to Christianity. The long process was not without violence — but in 1170 the mighty cathedral was finally consecrated.

Compared to Havelberg's cathedral, the church in Gernrode is tiny; but it, too, is a magnificent architectural monument. First mentioned in 961, it is more than a thousand years old. It is one of the few churches that managed to preserve its Romanesque style. The most important artwork there is the Holy Sepulcher (pictured above), among the earliest copies of the grave of Christ in Jerusalem.

Early kings and emperors had no permanent royal residence, they traveled with their retinue from one palace complex (Pfalz) to the next. They were catered to and administered justice there, thus establishing their presence throughout the realm. The Pfalz in Tilleda has been excavated, partially reconstructed and turned into an open-air museum that offers insights into life in medieval Germany.

The town of Quedlinburg is a must-see on the Romanesque Road. St. Servatius, the former collegiate church of its abbey, contains the tomb of King Heinrich I and his wife Mathilde. Heinrich made Quedlinburg a center of power in the Middle Ages. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage site in 1994.

In 2018, Naumburg Cathedral also achieved UNESCO World Heritage status. It was begun in the Romanesque style, but then finished as a Gothic cathedral. In its interior are 12 life-size sandstone figures. They represent donors to the cathedral, and are among the most impressive sculptures from the German Middle Ages.

The series of large cathedrals in Saxony-Anhalt continues: Merseburg, Zeitz, Halle, Halberstadt. Halberstadt Cathedral is famed for its church treasures. They include some of the earliest-known woven tapestries, dating from the Romanesque period. The Abraham Angel Carpet (pictured above), for instance, was woven in 1150.

On the Romanesque Road, not only do large and famous cathedrals invite you to stop and admire them; small village churches do so, as well. Precious treasures slumbered in Pretzien's church for centuries. They were first uncovered in the 1970s during restoration work, including these: frescoes painted in the 13th century.

The history of the Benedictine convent of St. Vitus in Drübeck in the Harz region dates back to 960. It was damaged and rebuilt several times in subsequent centuries. Nowadays behind the old walls, there is a well-maintained convent garden. You can also spend the night in the complex.

A deep moat, 10-meter (33-foot) thick ramparts and three mighty towers: This massive fortified castle in Querfurt was meant to deter enemies even from afar — and did so successfully through the ages. Today, it is one of the largest and best-preserved medieval fortifications in Germany. It was first documented in 880.

Our trip along the Romanesque Road ends where it began, in Magdeburg. Next to Magdeburg Cathedral is another Romanesque attraction: the Convent of our Blessed Lady. In 1993, then-president of Germany, Richard von Weizsäcker, opened the Romanesque Road here with the words: "The cradle of German history lies in Saxony-Anhalt."