Burg Rodenberg, Medieval castle ruins in Menden, Germany.
Burg Rodenberg is a medieval castle with stone ruins standing on a 268-meter (879-foot) hill east of Menden, offering views across the Hönnetal and Oesetal valleys. The exposed walls show the original structure of this spur castle from the Middle Ages.
The castle was built as a spur castle for the Lords of Rodenberg and was later acquired by the Archbishops of Cologne. It was destroyed in 1301 and never rebuilt afterward.
The castle grounds connect to the Mendener Kreuztracht, a major Good Friday procession that draws thousands of visitors yearly. This religious procession moves through the landscape and makes the location an important point in the region's church calendar.
The exposed wall segments are accessible through marked hiking trails within a 50-hectare nature reserve on Rodenberg's western slope. Access is straightforward and the trails are well marked throughout the area.
The ruins remained hidden until their rediscovery in the 1950s, when excavations brought the remaining structural elements to light. This late rediscovery after centuries of obscurity makes the site a special archaeological find.
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