Kaiserpfalz Werla

Tour description

The start and end point for this tour description is at the town hall in Hornburg. This tour is a circular route, so the tour can alternatively be started and finished at any other point along the route described.

For those arriving by train, the Börßum or Schladen train stations are ideal starting points.

Hornburg, a haven of peace in the beautiful Ilse Valley for over a thousand years and located at the foot of the Kleiner Fallstein, is the starting point for this family-friendly cycle tour.

From Hornburg, the route runs through an agricultural region to Börßum.

Variant Heiningen:

From Börßum, you can alternatively cycle to Heinigen. In the middle of the village is the Catholic Church of St. Peter and Paul and directly opposite is the Protestant Church of St. Luke. Just a short distance away is the Heiningen monastery estate, which was founded around the year 1000 as a canon monastery without a fixed religious order and with land owned by the nuns. The monastery estate also has a farm cheese dairy with its own farm store. The cycle path alongside the road then takes you to Werlaburgdorf.

Once you have crossed the level crossing in Börßum, the route heads south. After around two kilometers, you will reach the Okerbrücke bridge. The route continues to Werlaburgdorf and then to the actual destination of the tour, the Werla Imperial Palace.

The "Kaiserpfalz Werla" Archaeological Park is the largest archaeological park in northern Germany.

In the archaeological park, the main structures of the palace are recreated on the authentic site. The moats and ramparts of the core castle and the inner outer bailey have been recreated on a greatly reduced scale based on the excavation results.

The imperial palace of Werla played a central role in the establishment of Ottonian kingship in the crisis-ridden 10th century. It then lost its importance. From the 12th century, Werla was used as a quarry until the last building disappeared.

The refuge on the site is ideal for a long picnic. Freshly fortified, you can then explore the extensive grounds around the Werla Imperial Palace.

After the visit, the route runs along the banks of the Oker to Schladen. Right on the outskirts of the town is the information board of telegraph station 22 as well as the "Alte Mühle" museum of local history. The route continues through the town, past the railroad station and westwards to Isingerode.

For those who still have enough energy left, a detour to the gravel pond with its birdwatching tower is recommended on the way to Isingerode.

From Isingerode, the final stage of the tour winds its way through the Feldmark back to the historic half-timbered town of Hornburg.