Blankenheim

A long, natural limestone ridge that rises above the otherwise gently undulating landscape – this is the Altenburger Kopf in Blankenheim. The fact that a castle stood on it from the 13th to the 15th century is no longer visible today. The ridge, which is around 200 metres long and 90 metres wide, has been covered in forest for a long time. On closer inspection, however, it is noticeable that the Altenburger Kopf is characterised by several indentations, which suggest that the rock formation has been altered in the past. The medieval Altenburg Castle once stood enthroned at the highest point – around 40 metres above the surrounding terrain.

Today, one can only imagine what it looked like. On a trapezoidal plateau 25 metres long and up to 15 metres wide, only the remains of walls and a moat remind us of the former fortress. The builders of the time chose the location carefully, as the steep northern, western and southern flanks are very difficult to climb. On the east side, there was also an eight-metre-wide and ten-metre-deep moat. Another wall on this side suggests that there were other buildings on the hill.

Only 1.5 kilometres away is the former Zehnbachhaus motte, which is considered the predecessor of Altenburg castle. The economic basis of both seats of power was probably the smelting of iron ore, archaeological remains of which are known to exist in the area.