Coffee klatch in the "Froschkönig", Gernrode
- en roUTE
- Sep 23, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Jan 6
A fairytale break in a historic scenery
If you are travelling to the Harz Mountains and have Quedlinburg (must-see) on your itinerary, I would highly recommend the town of Gernrode in Saxony-Anhalt. It is located in the north-east of the Harz Mountains and is a district of Quedlinburg. First mentioned in a document in 961, it is one of the 1000-year-old towns in the region.
Most people tend to pass this pretty little village by on their journey into the Harz countryside. However, you can catch a glimpse of its beauty as you drive through, even though the historic centre is somewhat hidden to the side of the main road.
Gernrode enchants visitors with its small, medieval old town full of winding alleyways and (after the fall of the Berlin Wall) beautifully restored, wonderfully decorated old buildings. Half-timbered houses and Art Nouveau villas tell their own stories from different centuries. In the middle of the historic centre awaits the small market, surrounded by the historicist town hall and the Romanesque collegiate church of St. Cyriacus. The southern route of the Romanesque Road runs through the town centre.
The collegiate church is the main attraction. It rises majestically above all the houses and unfolds its full splendour with its two towers. Even Emperor Henry V and Barbarossa stayed here. An idyllic, peaceful atmosphere spreads.
The "Froschkönig" café in the town's former mayor's villa blends in with the beautiful ambience - directly opposite the entrance to the collegiate church gardens.
When you walk into the front garden and take the steps of the entrance area, you are first greeted by the frog, adorned with a crown and sitting in a cage. Kissing is (probably) forbidden - in the hope that he will turn out to be a beautiful prince.
The doorway gives an idea of what life was like here in the past. There is another door from the corridor that leads directly into the café. A cosy world with sofas and old utensils opens up, where people enjoy spending time and chatting. The vintage style combined with Parisian chic and a touch of modernity will take you back to the days of grandma. The light-flooded rooms give the three chambers a spacious feel. You are also invited to linger in the small garden.
After the eye has (actually not yet) taken its deep breath, the tasty selection of cakes and small snacks will indulge you with a unique culinary experience. Exciting and pleasurable, you could spend hours with chatting.
The visit is worthwhile!
If you would like to extend your stay and spend a night here, you can do so in the in-house holiday apartment, which is decorated in the same style.
At the beginning of the 19th century, Gernrode developed into a place of recovery and relaxation. Prince Victor Friedrich von Anhalt-Bernburg played an important part in this. In addition to the Stubenberg guest house, which towers above Gernrode and where Goethe spent the night during one of his Harz journeys, he also had built the "Viktorshöhe" and "Sternhaus" hunting lodges.
In GDR times, I spent a lot of my holidays nearby at "Bremerteich". Even though Gernrode was not on the direct route home. Nevertheless, we still explored the Harz Mountains with all its sights, such as the Brocken, the Selketal railway, Quedlinburg .... and Gernrode.
Café Froschkönig:
Burgstraße 1
06485 Quedlinburg, OT Germrode
Deutschland
Website:
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