Harz Culture Winter

When the Harz comes alive culturally

The northern Harz foreland in winter — at first glance a quiet, often snow-white region between the low mountain range and the Magdeburg Börde. At second glance: one of the densest cultural calendars of the year. The Harz Culture Winter has been bundling the winter program of the Harz region into a ten-day festival since 2009. 19 Harz towns participate, 44 different events spread over more than 100 dates across Quedlinburg, Halberstadt, Wernigerode, Thale, Blankenburg, Goslar, Bad Harzburg, and many more.

In 2026, the festival will enter its 18th edition. The UNESCO World Heritage city of Quedlinburg is one of the central hubs, which is why the festival is often associated with Quedlinburg — however, the event calendar extends across the entire Harz region in the state of Saxony-Anhalt as well as the Lower Saxony side of the Harz.

What you can experience at the Culture Winter

The range is wide: theatre performances at the Harz Theatre Quedlinburg, concerts in monasteries and churches, readings in the castles, workshops (e.g., “Gold Threads & Glitter Sweaters” in Halberstadt), cave tours in the Baumannshöhle and Hermannshöhle, gin tastings in a traditional distillery, treasure hunts for families in Quedlinburg, and candlelight tours with Harz cuisine in Walkenried Monastery.

Family Programme in Quedlinburg

The UNESCO World Heritage city of Quedlinburg invites families to hunt for a red gemstone — a staged scavenger hunt through the medieval old town with its 1300 half-timbered houses. Exactly the format that predestines the city for the winter program: dark alleys, old courtyards, a few lights in the windows, and a playful story that leads through the alleys.

Quedlinburg as a World Heritage City

Quedlinburg is located in the Harz district, on the eastern edge of the low mountain range of the same name. The old town has been on the UNESCO World Heritage list since 1994 — with the collegiate church, castle hill, and one of the largest preserved half-timbered townscapes in Europe. In winter, the city appears particularly intimate, tourism is mainly concentrated on weekends — the Culture Winter is the ideal time to experience Quedlinburg in its quiet mode.