Raubschloss

The Raubschloss, also known as Alteburg, stands on a western spur of the Arlesberg near Gräfenroda in the Thuringian Forest. It was a small medieval fortification built around 1150 by the Counts of Kevernburg. The ruins lie about 3.5 kilometres south-west of Gräfenroda and 2 kilometres south of Dörrberg, overlooking the busy railway line from Erfurt to Suhl. The site became notorious in the 13th century when robber knights used it to raid merchant trains on the important trade route from Arnstadt to Suhl. Two sieges, in 1290 and 1343, ended with the castle’s complete destruction. Later, in the early 17th century, mining companies tried to extract copper and silver here but lost more than 13,000 gulden within five years. Today a short stretch of wall has been rebuilt at the excavation site. Visitors can see the remains of a rectangular fortress measuring 65 metres by 50 metres. In the centre a rock-cut well, about 1.5 metres wide and possibly 30 metres deep, still marks the spot. The lower walls were built of local limestone, while the upper storeys used sandstone from nearby quarries. The surrounding forest, once scarred by mining, now shelters the quiet ruins and offers views down to the valley of the Wilde Gera.