Altenburg (Neuental)
The Altenburg seen from Oberurff - Schiffelborn
The Altenburg is a 433 m high mountain in the area of communities Neuental, Bad Arolsen and Borken in the Schwalm -Eder- Kreis, Hesse ( Germany ). To the top of the mountain nestles an Iron Age ring wall, which is known in the archaeological literature under the name of Altenburg in Romans mountain.
Geography and Geology
The heavily forested mountain is located a few kilometers east of the basement Forest or 1.2 kilometers (direct distance ) north-northwest of Romans Mountain, the northernmost district of Neuental. It is in the west and north by an elongated sheet of Schwalm, the east of Bad Arolsen flows past there and is accompanied by the B 3, circled in Northeast direction. Just north of the mountain Schwalm then flows through the gate Schwalm, between Altenburg and dog castle. Just southwest of the mountain opens in the Löwensteiner reason Urff in the Schwalm. Approximately 1.5 km east of the mountain runs in a north -south direction, the A 49
Geologically, it is at the Altenburg to a the bottom of the Schwalmtals by nearly 250 m outstanding survey of the Middle Buntsandstein.
History
The earliest traces of human presence on the Altenburg ( 5500-4900 BC) already proved for the time of the Neolithic Michel Berger culture. A permanent settlement at this time seems unlikely. Only at the beginning of the Hallstatt period, around 750 BC ( Hallstatt C ), the mountain was visited frequently inhabited long-term and probably already fixed. Itself would work through the datable material found several cultural phases up to the middle La Tène period to 150 BC (La Tène C) demonstrate.
Ringwallanlage
→ Main article: Altenburg ( hillfort in Hesse )
The name derives from the mountain may well have been applied around the top ring wall and hillfort. Definitely identified as Celtic system of the Iron Age was in the mid- 19th century by the archivist and historian Georg Landau. The settlement covered a total area of approximately 8.3 hectares and was surrounded by three rings of defense is still up to 4 m high ramparts. The Altenburg is one of the best preserved hillfort settlements of northern Hessen.
Observation tower
On the mountain peak stands a wooden lookout tower since 1963. The panoramic view from the observation deck at 18 m height is now limited by trees. Free is the view to the west over the valley of Bad Arolsen Schwalm and the confluence of the Urff in Löwensteiner ground away to the basement forest, the southwest of the old castle in the desert garden with 675 m above sea level. NN reaches its greatest height. To the east you can see the trees bark, Gombether the lake and the Singliser sea and on clear days the Hohe Meissner. To the south you can, in turn, partially obscured by trees, overlooking the Schwalmtal upwards over Neuental and Schwalmstadt away up to the Vogelsberg.
Transport links
The Altenburg is not directly accessible by a motor vehicle. From the parking lot at the barbecue area north-northwest of Neuental - Romans mountain an archaeological trail (marked " Z 27") leads to the mountain. Alternatively, the Altenburg can hike over the slightly longer, but of scenic paths Z 25, Z 26 and Z 27 also from the bathroom Zwestener campsite.