What remains of Anhalt Castle today?

Only remains of the keep and part of the castle chapel are still visible at the site.

How do you get to Anhalt Castle?

You walk up from the car park at the former Selkemühle near Mägdesprung, following a marked, steadily climbing path.

Why is Anhalt Castle historically significant?

It gave its name to the state of Saxony-Anhalt, even though only a ruin remains.

Who rebuilt Anhalt Castle?

The Ascanian ruler Albrecht the Bear had it rebuilt after its destruction around 1140, turning it into one of the largest fortresses in the Harz.

Anhalt Castle

Harzgerode

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Where: Harzgerode

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Burg Anhalt stands in Harzgerode (Landkreis Harz), in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Anhalt Castle stands in ruins on a wooded hilltop above the Selke valley, between Mägdesprung and Falkenstein Castle in the Harz mountains. First recorded around 1140 during a conflict between the Archbishop of Magdeburg and the Margrave of Meissen, it was destroyed and later rebuilt by the Ascanian ruler Albrecht the Bear, who turned it into one of the largest fortified sites in the entire Harz region. Only remains of the keep and part of the castle chapel survive today, yet the site carries particular significance as the namesake of the state of Saxony-Anhalt. A model of the former stronghold can be seen on the castle square in Ballenstedt.

What to know

Access is on foot, via a steadily climbing path from the car park near the former Selkemühle inn at Mägdesprung.
Visitors cross the Selke river and follow a marked sunken lane that rises continuously to the ruin.
Only remains of the keep and part of the chapel survive, so the site itself is a modest one to explore.
The castle is also a recognized hiking checkpoint (stamp station 197) on the Harzer Wandernadel network.
To picture the scale of the former stronghold, a model of it can be seen on the castle square in Ballenstedt.

Where this château is

Harzgerode · Landkreis Harz · Sachsen-Anhalt

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

06493 Harzgerode

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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4.5 / 5from 228 Google reviews

Heritage status: Kulturdenkmal in Deutschland

Frequently asked

What remains of Anhalt Castle today?: Only remains of the keep and part of the castle chapel are still visible at the site.
How do you get to Anhalt Castle?: You walk up from the car park at the former Selkemühle near Mägdesprung, following a marked, steadily climbing path.
Why is Anhalt Castle historically significant?: It gave its name to the state of Saxony-Anhalt, even though only a ruin remains.
Who rebuilt Anhalt Castle?: The Ascanian ruler Albrecht the Bear had it rebuilt after its destruction around 1140, turning it into one of the largest fortresses in the Harz.