Wittekindsburg, Archaeological castle site in Porta Westfalica, Germany.
Wittekindsburg is a castle ruin on a ridge of the Wiehengebirge range, between the towns of Minden and Porta Westfalica in North Rhine-Westphalia. The site holds walls and foundations from several different periods, spread across a broad hilltop area.
The site goes back to the pre-Roman Iron Age, when the hill was used to control trade routes through the Weser valley. During the Middle Ages it was expanded and became a point of contention in local power struggles.
The Margarethen Chapel on the grounds dates from Romanesque times and shows that people used this place for worship across many centuries. Nearby, the foundations of the Kreuzkirche are visible, uncovered during excavations.
The ruin is reached on foot via several hiking trails, including the Wittekindsweg, which offers good views over the surrounding valleys along the way. Sturdy shoes are a good idea, as the ground is uneven and can be slippery in wet weather.
A restaurant with a tower stands on the grounds and is visible from the valleys below, making it one of the few archaeological sites where you can sit down for a meal among ancient walls. The combination of a working eatery and exposed foundations from the Iron Age is something rarely found elsewhere.
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