Schloss Oelber, Medieval castle in Baddeckenstedt, Germany.
Schloss Oelber is a castle in Baddeckenstedt, in the German state of Lower Saxony, built on a rare circular foundation. Later building phases added Renaissance elements, most visibly an ornate portal at the southern gatehouse that contrasts with the older medieval stonework.
The site first appeared in written records in 1226 and stayed under the ownership of the von Cramm family for several centuries. Around 1580, a major rebuilding gave the castle the shape it still holds today.
Each December, the castle opens for a Christmas market that draws visitors from across the region to its grounds. It is one of the few times when people can walk through the gate and see the building up close.
The castle is a private residence and is not open to visitors outside of special events, the most regular being the Christmas market in December. Those who want to see it from outside can find it at Schloss Oelber a.w. Weg 1 in Baddeckenstedt.
The 12th-century circular foundation is a rare feature for a medieval castle in this part of Germany, where most fortifications of that period were built on rectangular plans. This original shape also influenced the way the later Renaissance buildings were arranged around it.
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