The Romanesque Road (german: Straße der Romanik) is a
scenic route
A scenic route, tourist road, tourist route, tourist drive, holiday route, theme route, or scenic byway is a specially designated road or waterway that travels through an area of natural or cultural beauty. It often passes by scenic viewpoint ...
in the
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
** Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ge ...
state of
Saxony-Anhalt
Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of
and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...
in central-east Germany. It is part of the Transromanica network, a major
European Cultural Route since 2006.
Route
The route takes the form of a figure-of-eight, with a northern and a southern loop, and the city of
Magdeburg
Magdeburg (; nds, label=Low Saxon, Meideborg ) is the capital and second-largest city of the German state Saxony-Anhalt. The city is situated at the Elbe river.
Otto I, the first Holy Roman Emperor and founder of the Archdiocese of Magdebur ...
as its centre, linking village churches, monasteries, cathedrals and castles built between 950 and 1250 and which therefore represent the emergence of
Christianity
Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global pop ...
in this part of Germany. Their
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of medieval Europe characterized by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque style, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 11th century, this lat ...
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
A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denomination ...
*''Unser Lieben Frauen'' monastery
*St Peter's Church
*St Sebastian's Church
Northern Route
Southern Route
As an incentive to raise the profile and support the economy along the Romanesque Road in the Saxony-Anhalt region there is an annual competition for the 'Romanesque Prize', worth €10,000.
See also
*
List of regional characteristics of Romanesque churches
Romanesque is the architecture of Europe which emerged in the late 10th century and evolved into Gothic architecture during the 12th century. The Romanesque style in England is more traditionally referred to as Norman architecture.
The style ca ...
*
Romanesque art
Romanesque art is the art of Europe from approximately 1000 AD to the rise of the Gothic Art, Gothic style in the 12th century, or later depending on region. The preceding period is known as the Pre-Romanesque period. The term was invented by 1 ...
*
Route Romane d'Alsace
References
External links
*
Official website
{{Authority control
German tourist routes
Tourist attractions in Saxony-Anhalt
Romanesque architecture