Burg Apenburg, Medieval castle in Apenburg-Winterfeld, Germany

Burg Apenburg is a medieval castle built on artificially raised ground, occupying roughly 2000 square meters and featuring a 25-meter bergfried tower in its northeastern corner. The site preserves sections of stone walls, a pointed arch gateway, and traces of a former defensive moat around the perimeter.

The castle was built in the 13th century, at the same time as the town, to secure the Purnitz crossing for the roads between Salzwedel and Gardelegen and between Braunschweig and Osterburg. On 9 June 1351 Margrave Ludwig enfeoffed the von der Schulenburg family with castle and town, and construction was completed in 1363. By 1550 it was dilapidated; it was renovated from 1572 to 1584, then decayed again.

The von der Schulenburg family's long presence shaped the castle's development and left a neo-Gothic memorial chapel built in 1860 as their hereditary burial site. This connection between the noble family and the location remains visible in the standing structures today.

The castle sits in flat countryside and can be easily explored on foot, with the tower and wall sections visible from multiple angles. Visitors should wear sturdy shoes as the ground can be uneven and muddy, particularly after rainfall.

The bergfried was rebuilt in 1584, when its footprint was reduced to today's size and its height raised from 11 to 25 metres, with battlements and a tower roof added. It was originally reachable only through the palace. The 1840-1841 conversion into an observation tower came after dilapidated buildings on the castle grounds were demolished.