"A Half-Timbered Fairy Tale: QUEDLINBURG AND HOTEL THEOPHANO
On the edge of the Harz, Germany's northernmost mountain range,
lies the finest timber-framed townscape in the country, and perhaps
in all Europe... On the town's main market square sits the lovely
Hotel Theophano, a half-timbered landmark created from five historical
buildings from the 17th century and dedicated to the memory of Theophano,
a Byzantine princess who married Otto II, the Saxon pretender to the throne,
in 972. The small hotel has been beautifully restored and decorated
and it is run with warmth and ease by a young staff that aims to please.
The hotel's Weinkeller (Wine Cellar) offers memorable meals in a
handsome space of vaulted ceilings warmed by soft candle-light..."
(1,000 Places To See Before You Die, by Patricia Schultz, Workman Publishing,
New York. <www.workman.com/1000places>
""From Quedlinburg, Germany, May 5, '01...
Best find in years! Romantik Hotel
Theophano located on the town square. Reservations are a must for this hotel, a
350-year-old building that has been newly remodeled. Request one of the large
rooms; they're huge and first class!
Quedlinburg is a World Heritage Site full of half-timbered houses.
(George Dotel, Los Alamitos, CA)
excerpt from: Report Cards, On-the-spot reports from around the globe.
International Travel News, July 2001"""
Hidden Treasures
Quedlinburg
Though historic Quedlinburg survived World War II intact, it withered under 45
years of communism. Today its recovering Altstadt is Germany's largest historic
preservation district.
Quedlinburg is a city of superlatives. The first German
"Reich" began there with the coronation of King Heinrich in 919
A.D. It has the most half-timbered houses in Germany - about 1,500, nearly 900
of them are designated protected landmarks. It also contains the largest
historic preservation district in Germany, the 200-acre Altstadt.
Thankfully, Quedlinburg was spared during World War II, and the buildings are
original. During four decades of communism, however, only 26 houses were
rebuilt. Since reunification, Quedlinburgers have spent much of their time and
resources restoring nearly 800 additional houses and cleaning up the town.
Indeed, in 1995 Quedlinburg joined the likes of Lima, Damascus, Quebec, Katmandu
and Prague as one of only 187 UNESCO World Heritage Cities.
Local residents stress the reasons for restoration go well beyond tourism. It's
a living city,- not, they point out, a theme park. "We don't want to become
another Rothenburg", says a local innkeeper. "We don't want to be
caught in a trap of nostalgia, or to make our raison d'être just being looked
at. We live here and do business here."
Therefore, although Quedlinburg opens its arms to visitors, it does so without
hype, attitude or artifice - and, for the most part, without bus loads of
tourists. The experience is far more subtle and sublime. The food is
traditional, the lodging historic, and the people warm and sincere. Kitsch is
decidedly absent. And even the shortest walk yields a sense of exploration and
discovery.
The best place to start a tour of Quedlinburg is atop the Schlossberg (castle
hill), site of Heinrich's coronation. It's a short, cobblestoned climb to the
castle courtyard, which rests atop a 75-foot-high sandstone outcropping. The
hilltop is dominated by the Renaissance Castle (once a convent residence and now
a museum) and the 12th-century Romanesque Collegiate Church of St.
Servatius,
with its three naves and flat ceiling. Among other rulers, heinrich and his
wife, Mathilde, are buried in the crypt, where visitors can see 13th-century
frescos.
The church has two interesting footnotes in recent history. In 1938, recognizing
it was where the First Reich began, the Nazis tried to make it a shrine to the
start of their Third Reich. SS Commander Heinrich Himmler saw himself as the
reincarnation of the first Heinrich and, at annual ceremonies, would rise from
the crypt atop a wooden lift dressed as his ancient namesake.
Another bizarre tale involves the church's priceless treasury. Just after WWII,
U.S. Army Lt. Joe T. Meador was assigned to guard the treasury where it had been
hidden in a mineshaft. He took his assignment as an opportunity to mail a few of
the more valuable-looking pieces to his home in Texas. For decades after the
war, the items lay hidden in a bank vault while Meador toiled in the family
hardware store. But at his death in 1980, his brother and sister tried to unload
the hugely valuable Samuhel Gospel, a 1200-year-old jewel-encrusted manuscript
printed on gold parchment. Word of the sale, of xourse, quickly spread and,
after years of lawsuits and diplomatic wrangling, Meador's heirs were paid
nearly $3 million by the German government. As a result, the items were returned
in 1996.
A book on the affair, Treasure Hunt: A New York Times Reporter Tracks the
Quedlinburg Hoard was written by William Honan, who played an important role in
locating the missing pieces.
The castle gardens provide a 360-degree view of the town below. Pathways wind
around the hill, with terraced houses - once inhabited by castle servants - so
close together neighbors can practically shake hands across the street. Space
was at a premium, and one house is only six feet wide. To the north, the
"newer", medieval part of the city takes typical form around the
marketplace, with church spires poking through a sea of red-tile rooftops. It's
not difficult to make out remnants of the town's 13th-century fortifications -
including more than a mile of walls and six of the original 25 watchtowers.
To the south, the view shows signs of more recent prosperity. During the 19th
century, Quedlinburg captured nearly 70 percent of the international market for
vegetable and plant seeds. By the 1850s, the wealth translated into expansive
villas for the seed "barons," who built their homes atop the filled-in
moat of the walled town. Many of the old warehouses still stand, converted to
apartments or offices.
The town's oldest - and Germany' second oldest - half -timbered house, the
Ständerbau, lies at the base of the Schlossberg. Built in 1310, its austere
Gothic structure contains the Fachwerkmuseum, devoted to the evolution of the
halt-timbered construction style which is depicted in a wealth of maps,
photographs and models. (Descriptions in German.)
Quedlinburg's concentration of half-timbered houses makes it easy to put your
new-found knowledge to quick use. Even a short walk through the city's narrow
streets (wear sturdy shoes due to the omnipresent cobblestones) becomes an
architectural primer of half-timbered styles.
For example, most streets feature several late Gothic houses with only a hint of
decorative devices, while the many Renaissance houses ar more intricate, with
rows of hexagrams or carved, double-rope helixes thought to protect inhabitants
against demons and sickness. During this period, the more upscale homes featured
enclosed balconies that jutted into the street, so women could sit and watch the
goings-on. The Latin inscription on one reads: "Mind Your Own
Business." (Don't be surprised to see elderly women, elbows propped on
pillows, watching every passerby.)
By the 17th century, bricks filled the spaces between the timbers in baroque
houses, and builders used brickwork and timbers to create designs and figures -
symbols to fend off illness and increase crop fertility. Through the early
1800s, styles became increasingly ornate and the half-timbered style became more
decoration than construction scheme.
Since Quedlinburg is an historical work in progress, visitors can see houses in
various stages of restoration - or lack thereof. Some fallen walls reveal layers
of stone, brick and plaster (mixed with straw, horsehair and mud) framed by
wooden beams.
Some walls habe come down completely, revealing inner courtyards and farm yards.
As early as the 12th century, farmers brought their families and animals to the
relative safety of the town, and built houses around grazing areas, stables and
barns. Today, these structures are distinguished by the large gateways that
allowed for the passage of carriages, and by the overhead pulleys used to lift
grain and crops to the top floors.
Despite moving to town, many lost stored crops in fires and wars. As insurance,
each farmer stashed a bag of seed in one of the honeycomb of cubbyholes in the
tower of St. Benedict's, the market church. That way, regardless of what might
befall the town, the "urban farmers" could always fall back on the
stored seed to start planting again the next spring.
A walk through town reveals many interesting sights and curiosities. The only
entrance to the windowless medieval treasury is from inside the Rathaus through a
secret door leading from the council chamber. Unfortunately, the location of the
button that opens the door was forgotten generations ago.
If you ask directions, don't be offended if a resident tells you to go to Hell.
That's simply the name of an intersection. In medieval times, an alchemist's
oven belched smoke through a hole in his roof. It wasn't the smoke or fire, but
the "devil's work" being conducted that led to the name.
The town's narrowest alley - a tunnel almost - opens into the Schuhhof, where
shoemakers set up shop and home in the 16th century. Like the alley, its houses
are tiny. Since interior space was at a premium, shutters were built to open up
and down so that the bottom one would become a counter, enabling the shoemaker
to sell his wares without customers crowding inside his house.
The Schuhhof leads to Quedlinburg's bright, expansive Marktplatz. The best view
of it is from the northern end; across the length of the cobblestone plaza to
the Gothic Town Hall with its Renaissance facade (almost fully covered by
vines and flowers) and the steeple of St. Benedict's rising behind it. As it has
been for centuries, the markteplace is the center of commerce, surrounded by
restaurants and hotels with farmers' markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays. it's
also the perfect place to finish one's explorations - or take a well-deserved
break.
Plan on at least two days to do Quedlinburg justice.
Accommodations - Editor's choice
Hotel Theophano
The centuries-old Hotel Theophano has an extensive and ineresting history -
especially in the last 60 years. Built originally as a trading house in 1668 by
a wealthy merchant, the baroque-style, half-timbered hotel has been in Reinhard
Spilkers's family since 1924. Toward the end of World War II, he moved there
with his grandparents, out of the path of Berlin-bound bombing raids.
In 1949, he and his parents fled to the West, and the socialist government
forced the grandparents to convert the builing into cheap apartments. Unable to
maintain the structure on a small income, they turned it over to the government
in 1985. After reunification, it was returned to the family, and Spilker
undertook extensice restoration - starting with tearning down the cheap drywall
that had divieded the apartments.
It's evident the restoration was done with love and care. After all, it's still
Spilker's home; he lives in the rooftop penthouse with his wife, Gabriele, and
three teenage daughters.
With views to the marketplace and Rathaus, the Theophano is also one of the most
central hotels and guests will often see other visitors photographing its
beautiful baroque facade.
Named for the Byzantine princess who ruled the German empire in the 10th
century, Theophano has 20 double rooms and four singles, all appropriately
decorated with antiques and furnishings in a kind of "Laura Ashley meets
the Renaissance" style. Room Number One is spacious and romantic, with a
small balcony overlooking the inner courtyard. Carved cupids spy on slumberers
from each corner of the four-poster bed. Room Number 20 is king-size, gabled and
on two levels, with superb views to the marketplace and town hall.
Rating: QUALITY 16/20, VALUE 17/20
...
Sustenance - Editor's choice
Theophano
The setting alone is worth a visit to the restaurant at the Hotel Theophano.
Indeed, many guests spend hours in the quiet candlelight with only fine wine and
exotic cheeses four nourishment. The setting is sublime in this medieval cellar,
the rich history captured in every ancient stone and brick. Nooks in this
one-time storage area lend privacy, and flickering candles a sense of intimacy.
(In good weather, dining is also possible under the stars in the courtyard.)
The menu takes German fare to exotic levels. Appetizers may include salami if venison with olives, baked Münster cheese wrapped in pastry with fried apples,
or arugula with roasted rabbit, cherry tomatoes and pinenuts. Under the category
of "Substantial Starters /Light Main Courses," the current menu offers
smoked salmon crepes with sour cream and red caviar, turkey liver sautéed with
fresh mushrooms in balsamic vinegar, and pumpkin risotto. Larger appetites may
want dishes like roast venison served with savory vegetables and potatoes au
gratin. Some guests make a special trip just for the desserts, like sweet
pumpkin strudel with vanilla flavored whipped cream, espresso with homemade
French praline, and white chocolate mousse with elderberry sauce.
Two Persons with light appetites can enjoy the setting and a pleasant dinner for
€32-€40 ($28-40) without beverages, while more complete dining satisfaction
might cost as much as €80 ($69) per couple.
Contact: Hotel Theophano, Markt 13/14, D-06484 Quedlinburg , tel +49/3946 96
30-0.
Rating: QUALITY 16/20, VALUE 17/20
...
Source: Excerpt from GEMÜTLICHKEIT The Travel Letter for Germany, Austria, Switzerland & the New Europe May 2002, www.gemut.com
Theophano
offers an absolutely ideal location, nicely furnished rooms and a fine vaulted
Weinkeller which serves some of the best food in Quedlinburg.
(The Rough Guide to Germany, 5th Edition - June 2001)