Castle Ortenburg BautzenThe power of towers
Long before Bishop Thietmar wrote in 1002 about a fortress on the cliffs of the Spree river, people used this place as a refuge. Traces of a settlement which go back as far as the Bronze Age indicate the use to which this granite plateau on the edge of the Lusatian hills had been put since time immemorial. Later, the trade and military road Via Regia – “Kings’ Road” – ran along here, bringing a prosperity which has lasted until the present day, evident from the rich, varied architecture of Bautzen.
From afar “The Town of Towers” greets travellers with its rooftops and tall landmarks such as those of the “Alte Wasserkunst” (old waterworks), St. Petri Cathedral, and the Michaelis Church.
Ortenburg Castle with its Renaissance gables, for so long the centre of power in Upper Lusatia, towers high above the river Spree and the “lower town”, but drawbridges and defensive walls have long since disappeared, and today the defensive structure is open, hospitable and often the scene of cultural events. Today, the main building accommodates the Superior Administration Court of Saxony. In the former “Salzhaus” (salt house), visitors can visit the Sorbic Museum and discover the culture of the Sorbs, a Slavic people who have acquired the status of a recognised national minority.
The Burg Theater is one of the venues for the reknown German-Sorb Volkstheater, and it is also possible to relax in the “Burghof” restaurant. Walking along the fortifications the visitor can enjoy a wonderful view of the winding streets of the old town which is well worth a visit and is teeming with bars, restaurants and cosy pubs.
Address
Ortenburg Bautzen (Sorbisches Museum)
Ortenburg 3-5 | D-02625 Bautzen
Phone +49 3591 207870 0
Fax +49 3591 207870 13
www.sorbisches-museum.de
Co-operating partner of State castles, palaces and gardens of Saxony.
