The defensive tower of Warberg
Warberg Castle is something like a childhood memory. It’s just a stone’s throw from Helmstedt. At high school I had many classmates from surrounding villages, including Warberg. I don’t think I’ve ever been to the castle. I’m also not sure if it was already a seminar venue back then. But no matter what it was like at the time. Even today, a visit to the castle feels like a home game. This time I am here for professional reasons. Nevertheless, there is still enough time to visit the castle’s gem: the keep. But be careful: climbing it is not for everyone. A bit of fitness and a head for heights are an advantage. Once you’re at the top, you’ll be rewarded with a fantastic view of the Harz Mountains.
High up
The castle, which was probably built in the 13th century, looks back on an eventful history. It’s about power struggles, conquests, war and destruction. Just the usual, one would almost like to say at this point. Ultimately, only the foundation walls remained. Fortunately, there is the Burg Warberg Friends’ Circle, which has done a great job since it was founded in 1998. The upper castle has been restored. Seminar rooms and banquet halls are available for use. But the highlight is the walk to the keep. The path leads past the trap door to the dungeon. Here you can see through the bars a dark hole where the prisoners were once locked up. You can really imagine how one or two carrots might have fallen down from above.
Then it’s time for the steep stairs. No, actually they aren’t stairs, they’re more like stairs. The climb is steep and narrow. The higher we go, the more scarce the air we breathe becomes. However, once you get to the top, the view from the keep elicits “Ah” and “Oh”. Although the weather is unfortunately not kind to us that day, the surroundings look impressive even under the threatening rain clouds. The view of the northern slope of the Elm paired with the lush green of spring is a feast for the eyes.
Beware of black octopeds
Castle tours are not offered as standard in Warberg. But we are lucky and after a busy day we are led from the catacombs to the dungeon. First we go down to the basement. And this is where the first danger lurks. After our tour guide opened the door, she let out a suppressed scream. What’s up? She explains to us that there is a very large spider on the wall that we have to walk past. We stand in front of the door undecided for a while. A colleague looks at the matter and says he can take care of the animal. After a short pause for thought, the lady finally walks past the spider. When I discover these, I can’t understand the excitement. I was expecting at least one the size of a tarantula. In fact, I’m having trouble even discovering the poor thing. So in my opinion it was a false alarm.
From the cellar you first go into the “Heimatstube”, which owes its name to the decoration and probably also the stuffed local animals. We skip the keep and concentrate on the dungeon instead. According to the tour guide, there was a picture of a good-looking lady opposite the dungeon door. The designated prisoners were offered to touch the painting with one hand. In that case they would have been free. Well, unfortunately there is an estimated five meter gap between the entrance and the opposite wall. It is therefore quite unlikely that many people succeeded in this heroic leap. Rather, most of them probably landed unceremoniously on the dungeon floor. That’s where they ended up stranded. Just rough times.
Dinner is slowly approaching, we have to hurry up. It goes back to the hotel track of the building, which is located in the lower castle. The keep and the dungeon. Both facilities impressed me. Although I prefer the walk up the defense tower, the view is simply better there 🙂
