Löwenburg

The Löwenburg is a castle ruin on a hilltop in Bielefeld marked by earthen walls roughly 50 meters in diameter. It sits on the eastern summit of Lewenberg and its structures reveal the layout of a medieval fortification.

Baron Bernhard II of Lippe built the castle in 1177 to protect his territory, but Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa destroyed it that same year through military action. The ruin shows the short-lived fate of this fortification caught between two competing powers.

The site is known locally as Hünensaut and shows how people in the Middle Ages built fortifications using particular patterns. The shape and arrangement of the earthen walls still tell visitors about construction methods from that period.

The site is protected as a registered archaeological monument and remains accessible year-round for exploring the medieval structures. Wear sturdy shoes since the terrain is hilly and the old earthen walls invite climbing.

Digital terrain modeling reveals the three-dimensional structure of the original castle that would otherwise remain hidden from the eye. This technology shows details about the fortification's size and shape that only researchers would normally see.