Falkenstein Castle

Falkenstein Castle is one of the best-preserved medieval hill castles in the Harz, built in the 12th century as a defensive fortress on a steep Porphyry rock spur above the Selke river valley. Unlike Wernigerodes neo-Gothic transformation, Falkenstein retains its authentic medieval character: the high curtain walls with crenellated battlements, the Palas great hall built in Romanesque style with round-arched windows and a two-storey hall, the sturdy tower keep with walls over three metres thick at the base, the gatehouse with portcullis slots, and the castle chapel. The interior is furnished as a museum of medieval life covering the 12th to the 16th centuries, with the knights hall displaying armour, weapons, and hunting equipment, the kitchen with a large open fireplace and cooking utensils, and a Romanesque double chapel with a lower and upper level, the lower for servants and the upper for the lords. A highlight is the 150-metre-deep well carved through the solid rock, one of the deepest castle wells in Germany, requiring 20 minutes to lower a bucket to the water table. The castle is surrounded by the Selke valley hiking trails, a nature reserve with marked routes, and is a stage on the Romanesque Road tourist route connecting Romanesque heritage sites in Saxony-Anhalt. Access is by road from Quedlinburg via the B185, about 15 kilometres.