Kalbe, municipality in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany
Kalbe is a small town in the Altmark built on a sandbank surrounded by marshland and the Milde River. The town features numerous historic half-timbered houses in the old town center as well as ancient churches, including the Nicolaikirche from 1170 and ruins of a medieval castle to the east.
Kalbe was first mentioned in records in 983 and was part of the Mark of Brandenburg in the Middle Ages under the rule of the von Alvensleben family. The town developed on a sandbank where water and marshland provided natural protection instead of city walls.
The name Kalbe likely refers to a 'bare place' in the original landscape. Today the town displays itself through half-timbered houses that line the streets, with residents carefully maintaining these historic buildings and often decorating them with roses.
The town is easily reached by car and has a railway station where buses now operate connecting to surrounding villages. Visitors should wear comfortable shoes as many attractions like the old town and ruins are explored on foot.
A remarkably large radio transmitter called 'Goliath' operated nearby from 1943 to 1945 and was the most powerful of its kind at the time for communicating with submarines. The antenna of this naval transmitter remains visible in the landscape today.
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