The Romanesque Road is a scenic

Scenic

Scenic is the first full-length album by Denver Harbor, released on October 12, 2004 on Universal Records. It contains re-recorded versions of four of the five tracks from their debut EP Extended Play , as well as two of the three songs from their 2003 demo Scenic is the first full-length album by...

 holiday route in the German

Germany

Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...

 state of Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt

Saxony-Anhalt is a landlocked state of Germany. Its capital is Magdeburg and it is surrounded by the German states of Lower Saxony, Brandenburg, Saxony, and Thuringia.Saxony-Anhalt covers an area of...

.

The route takes the form of a figure-of-eight, with a northern and a southern loop, and the city of Magdeburg

Magdeburg

Magdeburg , is the largest city and the capital city of the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Magdeburg is situated on the Elbe River and was one of the most important medieval cities of Europe....

 as it centre, linking village churches, monasteries, cathedrals and castles built between 950 and 1250 and which therefore represent the emergence of Christianity in this part of Germany. Their Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture

Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...

 can be recognised by its angular shapes and the round arches of the windows and doors as shown on the official Romanesque Road signs. As well as the specific Romanesque stops en route, there are other villages and churches to explore.

Major places of interest

Magdeburg

• Cathedral
  Cathedral of Magdeburg
  The Protestant Cathedral of Magdeburg , officially called the Cathedral of Saints Catherine and Maurice , is the oldest Gothic cathedral in Germany. It is the proto-cathedral of the former Prince-Archbishopric of Magdeburg. Today it's the principal church of the Evangelical Church in Central Germany...
  
  
• Unser Lieben Frauen monastery
• St Peter's Church
• St Sebastian's Church

Northern Route

Niedere Börde Niedere Börde Niedere Börde is a municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated between Haldensleben and Magdeburg.... , Groß Ammensleben Benedictine abbey Hillersleben Hillersleben Hillersleben is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Westheide....  Abbey Haldensleben Haldensleben Haldensleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Ohre river, approx. 30 km northwest from Magdeburg. It is connected by railway to Magdeburg, Oebisfelde and Eilsleben. It is the capital of the district Börde. It has a Protestant and a Catholic church. An old equestrian... , Hundisburg Castle, Nordhusen Church Bebertal Bebertal Bebertal is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Hohe Börde....  cemetery chapel Walbeck, Börde Walbeck, Börde Walbeck is a village and a former municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Oebisfelde-Weferlingen....  monastery church Wiepke Wiepke Wiepke is a village and a former municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Gardelegen.... , village church Engersen Engersen Engersen is a village and a former municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Kalbe.... , village church Rohrberg Rohrberg, Saxony-Anhalt Rohrberg is a municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.... , village church Diesdorf Diesdorf Diesdorf is a municipality in the district Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.... , monastery church Salzwedel Salzwedel Salzwedel of Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, and has a population of approximately 21,500. Salzwedel is located on the German Framework Road.-Geography:... , St Lawrence's Church Arendsee Arendsee Arendsee is a municipality in the Altmarkkreis Salzwedel, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is named after the lake Arendsee, located north of the town.-Geography:... , Benedictine abbey Beuster Beuster Beuster is a village and a former municipality in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Seehausen.... , monastery church Havelberg Havelberg Havelberg is a town in the district of Stendal, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Havel, and part of the town is built on an island in the centre of the river. The two parts were incorporated as a town in 1875... , cathedral

Sandau Sandau Sandau is a town in the district of Stendal, in Sachsen-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, approx. 5 km south of Havelberg. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Elbe-Havel-Land....  St Nicolas' Church Schönhausen Schönhausen Schönhausen is a municipality in the district of Stendal in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany, located 70 km north of the state capital of Magdeburg. It is the seat of the Verbandsgemeinde Elbe-Havel-Land.- History :... , village church Wust, village church Melkow, village church Wulkow Wulkow Wulkow is a village and a former municipality in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Jerichow.... , village church Jerichow Jerichow Jerichow is a town in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the right bank of the Elbe, northwest of Genthin....  Abbey, parish church Redekin Redekin Redekin is a village and a former municipality in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Jerichow.... , village church Genthin Genthin Genthin is a town in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the Elbe-Havel Canal, approx. 50 km northeast of Magdeburg, and 27 km west of Brandenburg.... , Altenplathow church Burg Burg bei Magdeburg Burg bei Magdeburg is a town of about 24,700 inhabitants on the Elbe-Havel-Canal in Germany, northeast of Magdeburg. It is situated around a former weir, the Sachsenschleusen...  Unser Lieben Frauen church, St Nicolas' church Loburg Loburg Loburg is a town and former municipality in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Ehle, north of Zerbst. Since 1 January 2009, it is part of the town Möckern....  Unser Lieben Frauen church Gommern Gommern Gommern is a town in the Jerichower Land district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approx. 15 km southeast of Magdeburg. On January 1, 2005, the municipalities Dannigkow, Dornburg, Karith, Ladeburg, Leitzkau, Menz, Nedlitz, Vehlitz and Wahlitz have been incorporated into Gommern. On... -Leitzkau, St Peter's church, St Mary's monastery church Pretzien Pretzien Pretzien is a village and a former municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2009, it is part of the town Schönebeck.... , St Thomas' church (1140)

Southern Route

Wanzleben Wanzleben Wanzleben is a town and a former municipality in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Wanzleben-Börde. It is situated approx. 15 km southwest of Magdeburg....  Castle Seehausen, Börde Seehausen, Börde Seehausen is a town and a former municipality in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Aller, west of Magdeburg. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the town Wanzleben-Börde.... , St Peter and Paul church Hadmersleben Hadmersleben Hadmersleben is a town and a former municipality in the Börde district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 September 2010, it is part of the town Oschersleben....  Abbey Gröningen Gröningen Gröningen is a town in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It lies approx. 40 km south-west of Magdeburg, and 10 km east of Halberstadt. It has 4,180 inhabitants . Gröningen is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Westliche Börde....  monastery church Am Großen Bruch Am Großen Bruch Am Großen Bruch is a municipality in the Börde district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde Westliche Börde.-Geography:... , Hamersleben monastery church Huy Huy, Germany Huy is a municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, established in 2002 by the merger of eleven villages. It is named after the small Huy hill range and situated about 10 kilometres northwest of Halberstadt.... -Dedeleben, Westerburg water castle Huysburg Huysburg Huysburg or Huysburg Priory , formerly Huysburg Abbey , is a Benedictine monastery situated on the Huy, a mountainous area near Halberstadt, in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany....  Benedictine abbey Halberstadt Halberstadt Halberstadt is a town in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt and the capital of the district of Harz. It is located on the German Half-Timbered House Road and the Magdeburg–Thale railway.... , cathedral, Liebfrauenkirche Osterwieck Osterwieck Osterwieck is a historic town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated on the river Ilse, north of Wernigerode and the Harz mountain range. On 1 January 2010 the municipalities of the former Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Osterwieck-Fallstein merged in Osterwieck.The... , St Stephan's church Ilsenburg Ilsenburg Ilsenburg is a town in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt in Germany. It is situated under the north foot of the Harz Mountains, at the entrance to the Ilsetal valley of the small Ilse river, a tributary of the Oker, about six north-west of the town of Wernigerode. It received town privileges...  Benedictine abbey Drübeck Drübeck Drübeck is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Ilsenburg.- Abbey :...  Benedictine abbey Blankenburg am Harz Blankenburg am Harz Blankenburg is a town and health resort in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, at the north foot of the Harz Mountains, southwest of Halberstadt.... , Michaelstein Abbey Quedlinburg Quedlinburg Quedlinburg is a town located north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. In 1994 the medieval court and the old town was set on the UNESCO world heritage list.... , St Servatius' church, St Wigbert's church Gernrode Gernrode Gernrode is a town and a former municipality in Germany, in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt. The town was first mentioned in 961 and became a city in 1539. Since 1 January 2011, it is part of the town Quedlinburg...  monastery church Ballenstedt Ballenstedt Ballenstedt is a town in the Harz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is situated at the northern rim of the Harz mountain range, about 10 km southeast of Quedlinburg. The municipality includes the villages of Badeborn and Oppenrode...  Benedictine abbey Falkenstein Falkenstein, Saxony-Anhalt Falkenstein is a town in the Harz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the northeastern edge of the Harz, approx. 10 km west of Aschersleben. The town was created in 2002 by merging the town Ermsleben with 6 other municipalities. It was named after nearby Falkenstein Castle,...  Castle Frose Frose Frose is a village and a former municipality in the district of Salzlandkreis, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 15 July 2009, it is part of the town Seeland....  monastery church Ermsleben Falkenstein, Saxony-Anhalt Falkenstein is a town in the Harz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the northeastern edge of the Harz, approx. 10 km west of Aschersleben. The town was created in 2002 by merging the town Ermsleben with 6 other municipalities. It was named after nearby Falkenstein Castle,...  monastery church (Konradsburg Konradsburg The Konradsburg is a former castle, monastery and manor house near Ermsleben in the German federal state of Saxony-Anhalt.- Castle :Konradsburg was first mentioned in 1021 and was originally built to protect the imperial estate of the Harz... ) Klostermansfeld Klostermansfeld Klostermansfeld is a municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....  Benedictine abbey Eisleben Eisleben Eisleben is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is famous as the hometown of Martin Luther, hence its official name is Lutherstadt Eisleben. As of 2005, Eisleben had a population of 24,552... , Helfta Abbey

Seeburg Seeburg, Saxony-Anhalt Seeburg is a village and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2010, it is part of the municipality Seegebiet Mansfelder Land....  Castle Sangerhausen Sangerhausen Sangerhausen is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, without being part of it.It is situated southeast of the Harz, approx. 35 km east of Nordhausen, and 50 km west of Halle... , St Ulric's church Tilleda Tilleda Tilleda is a village and a former municipality in the Mansfeld-Südharz district, in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Since 1 July 2009, it is part of the town Kelbra. Tilleda is located at the northern rim of the Kyffhäuser mountain range with the Kyffhäuser Monument.The settlement was first...  Kaiserpfalz Allstedt Allstedt Allstedt is a town the district of Mansfeld-Südharz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated approximatively 10 km southeast of Sangerhausen.- References :...  Castle Querfurt Querfurt Querfurt a town in Saalekreis district in the south of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, situated in a fertile area on the Querne, west from Merseburg, on a branch line from Oberroblingen. Pop. 12,935 .-History:...  Castle Memleben Abbey Memleben Abbey Memleben Abbey was a Benedictine monastery, now ruined, on the Unstrut in Memleben, in the Burgenlandkreis near Nebra in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.-History:The royal villa of Memleben acquired considerable importance under the Ottonian Dynasty... Eckartsberga Eckartsberga Eckartsberga is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated west of Naumburg. It is part of the Verbandsgemeinde An der Finne....  Eckartsburg Bad Kösen Bad Kösen ' is a spa town in Germany, on the Saale river in the small German wine-growing region of Saale-Unstrut. It is a former municipality in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt... , Romanic House, Saaleck Castle, Rudelsburg Rudelsburg The castle ruin Rudelsburg lies on the east bank of the river Saale atop a rocky shell limestone ridge, approximately above the river and above Saaleck, a suburb of the town of Bad Kösen in the Burgenlandkreis district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany... , Pforta Pforta Pforta, or Schulpforta, is a former Cistercian monastery, Pforta Abbey , near Naumburg on the Saale River in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is now a celebrated German public boarding school, called Landesschule Pforta...  Abbey Naumburg Naumburg Naumburg is a town in Germany, on the Saale River. It is in the district Burgenlandkreis in the Bundesland of Saxony-Anhalt. It is approximately southwest of Leipzig, south-southwest of Halle, and north-northeast of Jena.... , cathedral Naumburg Cathedral The Naumburger Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul, located in Germany, is an important architectural work of the Late-Romanic as well as the Early- and Late-Gothic. Especially interesting are statues of the twelve cathedral founders and the magnificent Lettner of the western choir, works of the... , curia Goseck Goseck Goseck is a municipality lying on the Saale River, in the Burgenlandkreis district of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt.-Geographic location:Goseck is located on the north bank of the Saale River about halfway between Naumburg and Weißenfels....  Castle Zeitz Zeitz Zeitz is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Weiße Elster, in the middle of the triangle of the federal states Saxony-Anhalt, Thuringia and Saxony.-History:... , cathedral Freyburg Freyburg, Germany Freyburg is a town in the Burgenlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Unstrut, 9 km northwest of Hanseatic Naumburg, 63 km from Leipzig and 231 km from Berlin... , castle, St Mary's church Merseburg Merseburg Merseburg is a town in the south of the German state of Saxony-Anhalt on the river Saale, approx. 14 km south of Halle . It is the capital of the Saalekreis district. It had a diocese founded by Archbishop Adalbert of Magdeburg.... , cathedral Merseburg Cathedral Merseburg Cathedral is a cathedral in Merseburg, Germany. Construction on the Gothic cathedral was begun by Bishop Thietmar of Merseburg in 1015. It was consecrated in 1021 in the presence of Henry II. The cathedral was renovated in the Renaissance style from 1510-17. It is considered an artistic... , St Thomas' church Halle Halle, Saxony-Anhalt Halle is the largest city in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. It is also called Halle an der Saale in order to distinguish it from the town of Halle in North Rhine-Westphalia... , Burg Giebichenstein Burg Giebichenstein Giebichenstein Castle is a castle in Halle in Saxony-Anhalt. It is part of the Romanesque Road .... , Böllberg village church Landsberg Landsberg, Saxony-Anhalt Landsberg is a town in the Saalekreis in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in Germany with about 12,000 inhabitants. Landsberg lies in the Greater Halle area....  Castle Petersberg Petersberg, Saxony-Anhalt Petersberg is a municipality in the Saalekreis district, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany....  St Peter's church Bernburg Bernburg Bernburg is a town in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany, capital of the district of Salzlandkreis. It is situated on the river Saale, approx. 30 km downstream from Halle. The town is dominated by its huge Renaissance castle featuring a museum as well as a popular, recently updated bear pit in its... , castle, St Stephan's church at Waldau Nienburg Abbey Nienburg Abbey Nienburg Abbey was a Benedictine monastery in Nienburg in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.- Abbey :Nienburg was for centuries on the extreme eastern edge of the settled territory of Germany... Hecklingen Hecklingen Hecklingen is a town in the Salzlandkreis district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is situated on the river Bode, approx. 4 km west of Staßfurt, and 12 km northeast of Aschersleben.-International relations:Hecklingen is twinned with:... Benedictine abbey

An incentive to raise the profile and support the economy along the Romanesque Road in the Saxony-Anhalt region is the an annual competition for the 'Romanesque Prize', worth € 10,000.