Tiebenburg

The Tiebenburg is a ruined hilltop fortification near Winzenburg in the Hildesheim district. It stands on a rocky spur in the southern Sackwald hills, overlooking the surrounding countryside. The nearest visible neighbour is the ruin of Winzenburg Castle on a nearby spur. Excavations in 1959 uncovered finds from the 11th and 12th centuries. No written records of the site survive, making it a rare example of an unrecorded medieval stronghold. The defences include a broad rampart and ditch on the gentler northern and eastern sides, while sheer cliffs on the south and west needed only a terrace and low dry-stone wall. A short walk from the Apenteich spring leads to a grill site where an information board explains the remains. The main terrace holds traces of a small stone building measuring roughly ten by six metres. Visitors can follow the ridge to other nearby earthworks such as Eringaburg and Läsekenburg.