Wernigerode Rathaus

With its pointed slate spires and richly carved timber façade, this town hall on the market square is among the most ornate half-timbered civic buildings in the Harz region. Originally a playhouse and courthouse in the fifteenth century, it was rebuilt after fire into its present picturesque form. Wooden figures of saints, jesters and virtues decorate the beam-ends. A distinctive detail is the pair of steep octagonal turrets that give the building the silhouette of a small castle.