Monraburg

The Monraburg is a ruined hilltop fortification near Großmonra in Thuringia. It stands on a ridge called the Schmücke at 377 metres above sea level. The site overlooks the village of Burgwenden and the higher Künzelsberg nearby. Earthworks from the Bronze Age still encircle the hilltop. A side path climbs steeply from the valley to reach the ruins. The Monraburg is one of the most important Bronze Age hill forts in the Thuringian Basin. It was later reused by the Franks in the Merovingian period. In 704 Duke Hedan II of Thuringia gave the estate at its foot to Bishop Willibrord of Utrecht. By the 10th century the site passed to Mainz Cathedral. Stone from the walls was taken to build nearby Beichlingen Castle. Visitors walk along the great earthen ramparts that enclose about five hectares. Informative signs explain the layers of the walls. The foundations of a chapel survive on the eastern spur. Stone tools and worked flints found here show that people lived here thousands of years ago. The ridge still carries traces of a wider system of prehistoric defences.