Selketal Trail 6: From Gernrode (Osterteich train station) to Quedlinburg

The more than a thousand-year-old town of Gernrode nestles closely against the forested mountain massif, dominated by one of the oldest church buildings in Northern Europe, the Romanesque St. Cyriakus Collegiate Church. It has remained unchanged since the Ottonian era and houses the Holy Sepulchre, the oldest preserved replica of the tomb of Jesus Christ north of the Alps. The Selketal Trail leads you to the Försterblick, from where you have a fantastic view of St. Cyriakus and the Vorharz.

You continue to Bad Suderode, a district of the town of Quedlinburg. In the spa park is the Behringer Fountain, one of Europe's strongest calcium springs. From Bad Suderode, the path leads northward into the World Heritage city. You cross the track of the Selketalbahn and walk through the Harz foreland. There are no ascents or descents to overcome here. As the long-distance trail crosses the Quarmbach at the Three-Arch Bridge, you can see the majestic sandstone cliffs of the Teufelsmauer on the left. Soon the Quedlinburg Castle Hill with the Collegiate Church of St. Servatii, which houses the cathedral treasure, can be seen on the horizon. You reach the famous half-timbered town through the Brühl Park, which is also one of the garden dreams of Saxony-Anhalt. In April and May, the scent of wild garlic fills the air. Once through the park, you immerse yourself in the old town. With its more than 2,000 half-timbered houses and numerous Art Nouveau villas, it is part of the UNESCO World Heritage. The Selketal Trail ends at Carl-Ritter-Platz. There you will find direct connection to the Quedlinburg Seed Cultivation Path, which deals with the history of seed cultivation in Quedlinburg.

Sturdy hiking boots, drinks and provisions for the way. Possibly hiking poles.

There is sufficient parking space in Gernrode at the Osterteich.

Bus (www.insa.de)

The Selketalbahn also runs between Quedlinburg and Gernrode.

Selketalbahn (www.hsb-wr.de/Fahrplan-Tarife/Fahrplaene/)

Quedlinburg Information, Markt 4, 06484 Quedlinburg, Tel: 03946 905624, qtm@quedlinburg.de, www.quedlinburg-info.de

Gernrode:

Visit to the St. Cyriakus Church

Quedlinburg:

The UNESCO World Heritage city also has a long seed cultivation tradition. The Quedlinburg Seed Cultivation Path starting at Wordgarten offers interesting information about this.

www.harzinfo-shop.de/onlineshop/kartenmaterial