Stiftskirche St Cyriakus Harz Mountains

One of the purest examples of Romanesque architecture from the Ottonian period is this church in Gernrode, 8km south of Quedlinburg. Construction of the basilica, which is based on the form of a cross, was begun in 959. Especially noteworthy is the early use of alternating columns and pillars, later a common Romanesque feature. The octagonal Taufstein (christening stone), whose religious motifs culminate in the Ascension, dates from 1150. You can also see enclosed in glass Das Heilige Grab, an 11th-century replica of Christ’s tomb in Jerusalem.