Alteburg

The Alteburg is a Celtic settlement on the Hoppesberg hill, rising above the Kasselgrund valley 3.5 kilometres south of Biebergemünd-Kassel. It consists of an oval ring-wall with two gateways, a surrounding ditch and a stone wall that once enclosed the site. The western half of the defences is stronger than the eastern half, where a later dividing wall was added. Archaeologists found charcoal dating from about 500 BC inside the walls, showing the site was occupied in Celtic times. Excavations also uncovered earlier and later remains, including Roman pottery from the 4th or early 5th century and charcoal from the 8th century. A section of dividing wall added in the Carolingian period shows the site was reused long after the Celts. Finds from the Alteburg are displayed in the local museum at Biebergemünd-Bieber. A cultural trail called ‘Auf den Spuren der Kelten’ circles the hill, linking the Alteburg to the wider Keltenstraße route. The nearby village of Kassel may have taken its name from the old castella, the medieval term for small forts. Visitors walk grassy ramparts and view the reconstructed sections while following the path around the wooded hilltop.