MORNING: Your day trip starts in Magdeburg. Take the train or car and to reach Halberstadt within one hour. For more than 1,200 years, the St. Stephanus and St. Sixtus’ Cathedral has been the spiritual center of the city and the whole region. Fascinating works of art testify to its turbulent history. With more than 650 objects, the Halberstadt cathedral treasure is considered one of the most extensive medieval church treasures worldwide. The masterpieces of textile art are world-famous. Around 300 treasures can be found in the newly-designed permanent exhibition in the historic rooms of the cathedral cloister. The highlight of every tour is the treasure chamber, which brings together precious goldsmith and ivory works, elaborate marquetry and the art of carving rock crystal.
LUNCH: After lunch on the square in front of the Cathedral, your journey continues to Quedlinburg.
AFTERNOON: In the collegiate church of St.Servatius, part of the UNESCO World Heritage, you can be sure to be awestruck by the sight of the mighty church area with the magnificently worked capitals. In contrast, the gems of goldsmithing and ivory carving from the exquisite church treasure are subtle. The precious ceiling frescoes in the hall crypt with the royal tomb of Heinrich I. and his wife Mathilde, the typical round arches in the church and the squat, defiant exterior of the church will surely remain in your memory for a long time. The Romanesque was the first uniform architectural style since ancient times in Europe. The buildings were built in a time when spiritual and secular power still lay in the same hand, and the most diverse influences on the small circle of power (late antiquity, Byzantine, Italian) are reflected in the synthesis of the arts.
EVENING: Return to Magdeburg.
OUR RECOMMENDATION: If you have a day or two to extend your journey, take some time to explore Magdeburg, the capital city of Saxony-Anhalt. Being the crossing point of the Northern and Southern loop of the ‘Straße der Romanik’ (Route of the Romanesque) it is home to outstanding Romanesque heritage sites such as Magdeburg Cathedral or the Monastery of Our Lady. Today, the latter hosts a fantastic art museum.
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