After reading about the magical town of Quedlinburg for years, I decided that we (my beau and I) had to go. And, boy, we were glad we made the trip -- an easy 3 hour train ride from Berlin.

Quedlinburg was incredible -- undiscovered, quiet, and spectacularly beautiful. Without a doubt, its architecture and history make it one of the best places I've ever visited.

What made our visit even better was staying at the Gaestehaus Toepke, owned and operated by Renate and Peter Toepke, a charming, warm and friendly couple who have lived in Quedlinburg their whole lives.

The guest house was located on Weststrasse, a ring road that surrounds the perimeter of the medieval town. Within 2 minutes, we could walk to the Markt and Rathaus, and within 10 minutes, we could reach the castle hill. It was ideally located for all the sights, restaurants and coffee shops.

We arrived by train and Peter picked us up in his station wagon. Although he and Renate... more