Junkerkuppe, Hill in Thuringia, Germany

Junkerkuppe is the 510.7 m high summit of the Höheberg ridge in the Eichsfeld district of Thuringia, within the Eichsfeld-Hainich-Werratal Nature Park. Its summit lies in the municipality of Bornhagen, 500 m east of the Hesse border. About 1.1 km south-southeast, at 452 m, stands the Teufelskanzel, a sandstone rock with a view over the Werra loop near Lindewerra.

On the Junkerkuppe's summit ridge, about 400 m north-northwest of the peak, lies the Alte Burg, a deserted castle site at roughly 440 m. It may have been an early medieval fortification, suggested by the name of nearby Bornhagen. In 1376/77 Landgrave Hermann of Hesse built a castle before the Hanstein to besiege it; the sparse finds point to brief use as a siege castle. A rectangular 30 × 26 m earthwork with ramparts and ditches survives.

The name Junkerkuppe refers to a Junker, a minor noble, though the sources do not record which family gave the hill its name. Nearby lies the Alte Burg, a deserted castle site of about 30 by 26 m with ramparts and ditches on three sides; it may have been a siege castle built by Landgrave Hermann of Hesse in 1376/77 against the Hanstein lords. The viewpoint Lindewerrablick is also called Ministerblick, after a 1984 visit by DDR defence minister Heinz Hoffmann.

Multiple hiking paths lead to the summit with clear signage and rest areas along established routes. Visitors should wear sturdy footwear and bring appropriate clothing depending on the season.

The summit lies in Thuringia, only 500 m east of the Hesse border at Werleshausen. About 600 m south-southwest stands the Lindewerrablick viewpoint, nicknamed Ministerblick: in 1984 East German defence minister Heinz Hoffmann reportedly showed his North Korean counterpart border fortifications there. A 65,000-euro observation tower was inaugurated on the spot in 2022.