We can thank volcanoes for the many hills and small lakes that created the natural landscape in the Hessian town of Felsberg. It’s not known as the “Volcano City” or anything, though; it’s nickname is the 3-Burgen-Stadt or 3 Castle Town. Do I really have to explain that, or does that say it all?
Of course, the best I can do is tell you about Felsberg’s Burgs.
All three are castle ruins and each are unique onto themselves. Altenburg was built here in the 14th century and burned down back in 1525. What fire and time didn’t do to ravage this castle, the bombings of the Second World War did. The castle is undergoing renovation and reorganization making visiting not really possible — though you can get some picture from a distance.
Felsburg (the castle, not the town) is the second of the town’s castles. This one rises high above the village and is only partially in ruins. The chapel holds an real informative castle museum and its white tower is pretty unique.
This leaves us Burg Heiligenberg. It’s one of the oldest in all of Hesse, but the Stone Age artifacts found here are even older. Burg Heiligenberg used to be a restaurant and hotel, but not any longer. Now, it’s the location of the annual Rock Festival in July.
Your visit to Felsberg doesn’t end at the castles. I can’t let you forget about the Beekeeping Museum (housed in the old Kartause Eppenberg Monastery) or the Pre- and Early History Museum. You’ll also find quite a few framework buildings throughout Felsberg’s sixteen quarters.
700 kilometers is a long way to walk (or, bicycle) but parts of the Acre Nature Preserve come right through town and there are lots of works of art scattered along the way. The art is the main focus of the trail, so keep your eyes peeled.
I guess we should really thank more than the volcanoes for making Felsberg an amazing town to explore.
