Kapellenruine Rothenburg

The chapel ruin stands on the steep north-eastern slope of the Kyffhäuser range in Thüringen, a few kilometres south of Kelbra. It once belonged to a larger castle complex whose main building, the Grafenhaus, still rises beside it. The chapel has a trapezoidal floor plan and was probably built in the late twelfth century as a double chapel. Its western section shows an upper gallery above two round arches and two ribbed vaults, reached by a door and bridge from the palace. The building mixes Romanesque and early Gothic styles. A red sandstone ring wall joins the chapel on its south-eastern side, forming part of the old defences. After the last owners died in 1576 the whole castle fell into ruin. In the nineteenth century visitors rediscovered the site for outings and meetings, and later it housed military personnel before reunification. Today the roofless walls and vaults give a clear view of the medieval construction. The gallery, arches and vaults remain intact, while the ring wall offers a short walk around the edge of the ruin. From the slope there are wide views over the Kyffhäuser foothills and towards Kelbra. The quiet hilltop is a place to stand among the stones and imagine the life of the old castle.