Herthaburg

The Herthaburg is a Slavic-era hill fort near Stubbenkammer in Jasmund National Park on Rügen island. It stands on a ridge above the Herthasee, a small lake surrounded by dense forest called the Stubnitz. The fort’s earthen walls enclose about 120 by 60 metres of ground, with the outer face rising up to 17 metres high. Inside, the wall is only 8 metres high, and its top sits 136 metres above sea level. The southern side opens directly onto the lake, where a bridge once linked the fort to the shore. A later entrance now leads into the interior, while to the north-east the wall joins an older outer rampart visible from the path to the Königsstuhl. Excavations found stone paving under the Slavic occupation layer and dated the site’s main use to the 10th and 11th centuries. Fragments of pottery recovered there confirm this period of activity. The name Herthaburg comes from the nearby lake, which shares the same root. Local legend links the place to the Germanic goddess Nerthus, whose rites supposedly took place here. A sacrificial stone still stands by the shore, and the Herthabuche, a large beech, once carried its own tale. Visitors reach the site along forest paths that lead from the Königsstuhl area. The open southern side offers views across the Herthasee, while the high walls give a sense of the fort’s scale. Nearby, the arranged Sagenstein and the restored Opferstein recall the stories once told to early tourists. The Stubnitz woods around the lake remain quiet, letting the ancient earthworks and the legends they inspired stand undisturbed.