The Ackeburg, also called the Ackenburg, in the

Harz Mountains The Harz () is a highland area in northern Germany. It has the highest elevations for that region, and its rugged terrain extends across parts of Lower Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt, and Thuringia. The name ''Harz'' derives from the Middle High German ...

of central Germany, is the site of a

high medieval The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended around AD 1500 ...

hill castle, , in the borough of

Falkenstein/Harz Falkenstein/Harz is a town in the Harz district, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It was created in 2002 by merging the town of Ermsleben with the former municipalities of Endorf, Meisdorf, Neuplatendorf, Pansfelde, Reinstedt und Wieserode. The new co ...

Harz district Harz is a district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Its area is . History The district was established by merging the former districts of Halberstadt, Wernigerode and Quedlinburg as well as the city of Falkenstein (from the district of Aschersleben- ...

in the state of

Saxony-Anhalt Saxony-Anhalt (german: Sachsen-Anhalt ; nds, Sassen-Anholt) is a state of Germany, bordering the states of Brandenburg, Saxony, Thuringia and Lower Saxony. It covers an area of and has a population of 2.18 million inhabitants, making it the ...

. It was first mentioned in 1216 and was abandoned or destroyed in 1400. There was also a village associated with it, known as Akkeburg.

Location

The ruins of the Ackeburg are located in the eastern part of that region of the Harz known as Mansfeld Land between

Mägdesprung Mägdesprung is a village in the municipality of Harzgerode in the district of Harz. It nestles in the Harz Mountains at a height of 295 m. History There was a mill here below the ''Mägdetrappe'' until the Thirty Years' War. In 1646 an ironwo ...

(north of Harzgerode) and

Meisdorf Meisdorf is a village in the town of Falkenstein/Harz in the district of Harz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. Location Meisdorf lies at the eastern foot of the Harz Mountains in the east of the Harz/Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park at around . ...

(southwest of

) on a rocky ridge () high above the valley of the

River Selke The Selke is a river of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. It is a right-hand tributary of the Bode that starts in the Harz Mountains before breaking out onto the northeastern Harz Foreland. It has a length of , of which lie in the forested mountains of ...

on its northern flank. It lies in the forested country of the

Harz/Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park The Harz/Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park (german: Naturpark Harz/Sachsen-Anhalt) is situated n the districts of Harz and Mansfeld-Südharz in the German state of Saxony-Anhalt. The nature park which lies in the Harz Mountains was founded in 2003 and has ...

within the Selke Valley (''Selketal'')

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

about 3.7 km southwest of the village church of Meisdorf. About 1.2 km to the southwest of the ''Ackeburg'' is the site of the

Old Falkenstein Castle Old Falkenstein Castle (german: Burg Alter Falkenstein or ''Burg Alt-Falkenstein'') in the Harz Mountains of Germany is the castle site or ''burgstall'' of a high medieval hill castle. It lies on the territory of Falkenstein/Harz in the state of S ...

(''Burg Alter Falkenstein'') and, circa 1 km southeast lies Falkenstein Castle (New Falkenstein) – both on the far side of the Selke valley.

History and layout

The Ackeburg was first mentioned in 1216 A.D. ''"as the seat of the castellans of the counts of Falkenstein"''. From 1400, however, it appears to have been abandoned, like the former village of ''Akkeburg'' that was sited at or near the castle and, of which, nothing has survived. The owners of the castle were the ''"lords of Ackeburg"''. The castle, which comprised inner and outer wards with a neck ditch and several ramparts, had an inner ward about 30 metres in diameter standing on a rocky eminence. Above that, in the direction of the highest point of that rise, was an inner ward, about 11 metres across. Today only parts of the neck ditch and transverse rampart are visible.

Viewing point and walking

The Ackeburg may be reached on woodland paths from Meisdorf, including the ''Meisdorfer Trift'' that runs past the ''Eckartsberg'' () and ''Wilhelmsberg'' () hills and finally up the ''Lumpenstieg'' trail. About 100 metres south-southeast of the ruins lies the ''Selkesicht'' ("Selke View") viewing point (ca. ; ; with its

picnic A picnic is a meal taken outdoors ( ''al fresco'') as part of an excursion, especially in scenic surroundings, such as a park, lakeside, or other place affording an interesting view, or else in conjunction with a public event such as preceding ...

site), which is no. 204 in the system of checkpoints in the Harzer Wandernadel hiking network. From there there are views into the Selke valley and of Falkenstein Castle (New Falkenstein) high on a ridge on the other side. The Selke flows under the Akkeburg Bridge () south of the viewing point at an elevation of about 205 m; thus the viewing point is about 125 metres above the river. Like the castle, the ''Selkesicht'' viewing point may also be reached via the ''Lumpenstieg'' trail, which drops steeply into the Selke valley from a point a little further east down to the inn of ''Zum Falken'', where it meets the

Selke Valley Trail The Selke Valley TrailDuda, Anka and Witschaß, Martin (xxxx). ''Harz County Trail Guides'', map and guide brochure, Dept of Economic Affairs, Harz County, Quelinburg Druck. (german: Selketalstieg) is a 67 km long footpath in the Harz mountains of ...

and the

E11 European long distance path The E11 European long distance path or E11 path is one of the European long-distance paths, running 4700 km (about 2900 miles) west-east from The Hague in the Netherlands through Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia to Tallinn, Estonia. It sta ...

References

Ackeburg
auf alleburgen.de
u. a. mit Foto der am Burgstall stehenden Infotafel ''Dorf Akkeburg – Wallgraben'' auf ausflugsziele-harz.de Harzer Wandernadel
Stempelstelle 204 – ''Selkesicht'' (nahe der Ackeburg)
auf harzer-wandernadel.de

Literature

* Friedrich Stolberg: ''Befestigungsanlagen im und am Harz – Von der Frühgeschichte bis zur Neuzeit'', Verlag August Lax, Issue 2/1983,

External links

* {{AlleBurgen, 25897 Castles in Saxony-Anhalt Castles in the Harz Falkenstein, Saxony-Anhalt Harz (district)