Kelbra am Kyffhauser

Kelbra is a small Saxony town in the former East Germany. Lying in a valley between the Harz mountains in the north and Kyffhauser hills to the south.

The area is very picturesque and is a favored tourist spot for Germans. The town has many monuments, historical sights and attractions within its locality, which is unusual for a town of this size in Germany. Beside the town is a large lake offering most water sport activities, lake side camp sites, restaurants and an open air theatre for the less energetic. The open air theatre holds many plays and concerts featuring top international stars. The Harz mountains and local area is excellent for sight seeing, walking / biking.

Kyffhauser castle overlooking the town is one of the most famous castles in Germany, built in the 10^th Century it is the legendary resting place of The Holy Roman Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa, who sleeps in the mountain under a spell and will one day reawaken.

About 8 km from Kelbra is the town of Tilda, this used to be the residence of the kings of Saxony. The settlement has been restored to give an idea of what daily life in the Iron age might have been like.

Map of Germany showing general location of Kelbra.

Map showing Kelbra local area.

Views of Kelbra am Kyffhauser town.

Kyffhauser Castle from the air.

Kyfhauser castle monument tower (internal stair case 81 meters high to viewing platform).

Emperor Barborossa set out on the cruades with King Richard the Lion Heart of England, but never came back. legend has it that he sleeps in the Kyffhauser Hills and will one day awaken.

Kaiser Wilhelm 1^st statue commissioned jointly by German veteran soldiers (1890 - 1896).

Tilda Konigsplatz (kings place), restored Iron age settlement used by the Kings of Saxony.

Josephskreuz in winter, observation tower built 1833 in the shape of a double cross, situated in the Harz mountains it offers splendid views of the surrounding area .

Useful web links to pages on the Kelbra area (most in German):

http://www.web-resorts.com Information on the Germany including the Harz mountains, written in English with many links. An ideal page for tourists.

http://www.kelbra.de/index.html Kelbra am Kyffhauser home page. links to town and area maps, hotels, the open air theatre forthcoming events.

http://privat.schlund.de/G/GW286/start.htm Private web site, information on the area of Tilda, including Konigsplatz.

http://www.sangerhausen-tourist.de/ Sangerhausen tourist information office web site, large town close to Kelbra.