Castles and Palaces Tour

On the Castles and Palaces Tour, we primarily move in the northern part of the Harz district and then continue via Quedlinburg, Ballenstedt and Blankenburg back. On the round trip, we see some magnificent castles and palaces, but also ruins that only allow a glimpse of the former splendor.

The starting point of this tour is the Harz Culture and Congress Hotel in Wernigerode. The hotel in the center of Wernigerode offers motorcyclists the best conditions for a pleasant holiday. Among other things, a parking garage space for the motorcycle and a drying room for clothing are provided. A real insider tip are the tours personally conducted by the owner upon request, which can be planned depending on time availability. Wernigerode is ideal for the start of the tour as one of the most beautiful castles of this round trip is located directly here. Whether from below or from the castle courtyard, the Wernigerode Castle® always offers a good photo opportunity. The castle itself can be reached either on foot, by the Wernigerode Castle Railway or the Wernigerode Bimmelbahn.
At the beginning of our tour, we drive north via Reddeber and Heudeber to Zilly, where we arrive at the water castle. A special eye-catcher is the 30-meter-high bergfried and the well-preserved palace in the west wing. Unfortunately, a visit to the interiors is not possible. Next, we head to one of the oldest and best-preserved water castles in Germany, the Wasserschloss Westerburg in Dedeleben. Its origins can be traced back to the 8th century. Today, the water castle invites its guests to a relaxing holiday in a castle ambiance. Like many other sites on the route, it belongs to the Road of Romanesque.
The next castle on our route is Burg Schlanstedt in the village of the same name. It includes a 24-meter-high, walkable bergfried. Guided tours are also offered. Along our route lies the Benedictine Monastery Huysburg. The monks living there welcome visits every day until dusk. The next stop is in Halberstadt. In the cellar of the hunting lodge Spiegelsberge is the oldest giant wine barrel in the world with a capacity of 144,000 liters. Before we reach Quedlinburg on our tour, we can already see the castle complex from afar, which towers over the entire town. The famous collegiate treasure can be viewed in the collegiate church. Further along the route, the Roseburg can be visited with its spacious and extraordinary park. The castle was only built in 1907 by the famous theater architect Bernhard Sehring.

The next route destination is the Ballentstedt Castle. It houses a gallery, several exhibitions on history, the Anhalt forest, and an impressive film museum. Over the Selke valley rises one of the most impressive castles in the Harz. For almost 1000 years, the Falkenstein Castle has been perched above the valley and has been inviting visitors since the 19th century. In the castle museum, one can learn a lot or enjoy a medieval-style knight’s feast for hungry guests. The Harzgerode Castle, the next stop, can be reached directly by motorcycle. With its renovated west wing, the black kitchen, the round tower, and the covered battlement, it is used for various events and exhibitions.
The final destination on our tour is an entire castle complex consisting of two separate castles and a 100-hectare garden area. The »Great Castle« located above the town and the Baroque gardens in Blankenburg are already visible from a great distance. The »Small Castle« houses the tourist information of the town of Blankenburg. Another good accommodation option during the holiday is the Hotel Harzresidenz in Friedrichsbrunn. This idyllic hotel offers its guests many places to retreat to relax after a strenuous day of motorcycling. Among other things, a sauna, a sunbathing area, and a garden terrace are part of the services of this small hotel.

Publisher:
Harz District, Strategy and Control / Tourism Department
Friedrich-Ebert-Straße 42, 38820 Halberstadt
www.kreis-hz.de

Texts:
Harz University, Business Administration / Service Management Laura Goldbach, Max Kaiser, Laura Ruppenthal, Felix Schäfer,
John-Philipp Schneider, Max Weber

Editing:
Annekathrin Degen, Claudia Wahnfried

Maps:
Christiane Weidle, cartographic services, SIGNA and Harz District