Stecklenberg

The Stecklenburg is a ruined medieval castle in the East Harz in Germany, located on a small rise only a few hundred metres away from the village of Stecklenberg (in the borough of Thale) in the district of Harz in Saxony-Anhalt. The castle was built in the 11th century by the Stackelbergs on the remains of an older one. In the 12th century it was destroyed in a battle, but later rebuilt. Its new owners in 1281 were the abbey in Halberstadt. Stecklenburg was occupied until the beginning of the 18th century. After then, several of the castle buildings, such as the brewery and the castle chapel, were demolished. It fell into total ruin and was used as a quarry. Before it was completely destroyed it was placed under a protection order following an objection by the senior forester of Thale, who then worked on the preservation of the castle. Today the ruins of Stecklenburg are a protected monument and a popular tourist destination. All that is left of the castle are a few walls from the living quarters and the remains of the keep. The ruins of Lauenburg Castle are located only a few hundred metres away from the Stecklenburg, further up the Ramberg hill.

The Lauenburg is a ruined medieval castle in the East Harz in central Germany situated on an elevation southwest of the village of Stecklenberg (in the borough of Thale) in Harz district in the state of Saxony-Anhalt in the former German Democratic Republic (East Germany). The castle was built in the High Middle Ages. The ruins of the Lauenburg stand on a foothill of the Ramberg massif above the village of Stecklenberg. It was built by Henry IV and first mentioned in the records in 1164. The construction of the two-part castle with its inner and outer wards (Vorburg and Hauptburg) probably took up to ten years. The two halves of the castle are separated by a massive defensive ditch (a neck ditch or Halsgraben), hewn out of the rock. The purpose of this impressive fortification with a total length of more than 350 metres was the protection of Quedlinburg and the nearby military roads. In 1180 the Lauenburg was captured by Frederick I (Barbarossa) during a series of warlike conflicts. Later robber barons resided in the castle for periods of time, until it was destroyed in the 14th century. Today the main castle is badly run-down. Only a few remnants of the towers and the outer walls are still left. The only structure in the entire fortification that has withstood the ravages of time and history relatively well is the keep of the outer ward. Its ruins can be seen from a long way off. The Lauenburg has a checkpoint (no. 187) in the network of hiking trails that form the Harzer Wandernadel. It is on the path by the entrance to the inn that is situated between the two parts of the castle.

Neinstedt is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, in the Harz area. Since 1 January 2009, it is part of the town Thale. It has a station on the Magdeburg–Thale railway.

The Teufelsmauer (Devil's Wall) is a rock formation made of hard sandstones of the Upper Cretaceous in the northern part of the Harz Foreland in central Germany. This wall of rock runs from Blankenburg (Harz) via Weddersleben and Rieder to Ballenstedt. The most prominent individual rocks of the Teufelsmauer have their own names. The Teufelsmauer near Weddersleben is also called the Adlersklippen ("Eagle Crags"). Many legends and myths have been woven in order to try to explain the unusual rock formation. It was placed under protection as early as 1833 and, in 1852, by the head of the district authority in order to prevent quarrying of the much sought-after sandstone. The Teufelsmauer near Weddersleben has been protected since 1935 as a nature reserve and is thus one of the oldest nature reserves in Germany.

Weddersleben is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, in the Harz area. Since 1 January 2009, it is part of the town Thale. The village is well known for being located adjacent to the famed natural rock formation known as the Teufelsmauer, or "Devil's Wall" in English. Surrounding forest area has numerous paths for biking and hiking, making it a popular tourist destination for nature seekers. Among the many natural formations in the area, the Bode River flows by the edges of the village.

Bad Suderode is a village and a former municipality in the district of Harz, Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. Since 1 January 2014, it has for administrative purposes been included as part of the municipality of Quedlinburg. It is situated in a valley in the northern part of the Harz mountains, on the road from Quedlinburg to Friedrichsbrunn. The place is one of several spa resorts in the area. The local spring water is noted for its exceptionally high concentrations of calcium.

Thale (pronounced [ˈtaːlə]) is a town in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt in central Germany. Located at the steep northeastern rim of the Harz mountain range, it is known for the scenic Bode Gorge stretching above the town centre.

Thale is a former Verwaltungsgemeinschaft ("collective municipality") in the district of Harz, in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. The seat of the Verwaltungsgemeinschaft was in Thale. It was disbanded in September 2010. The Verwaltungsgemeinschaft Thale consisted of the following municipalities: Thale Westerhausen

The Ölbergshöhe in the Harz Mountains of central Germany is a mountain spur, 320.6 metres (1,052 ft) above sea level, of the Ramberg ridge near Bad Suderode in the Saxony-Anhalt county of Harz.

Thale Musestieg station is a railway station in Thale, located in the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt, Germany.

The Ramberg, also called the Ramberg Massif, is a granite massif, about 30 square kilometres in area, in the eastern part of the Harz Mountains of central Germany. It is located in the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt and lies southwest of Quedlinburg, between Friedrichsbrunn, Gernrode, Harzgerode and Thale. The Ramberg massif has a number of summits, the highest of which is the Viktorshöhe at 582 m above sea level (NN).

The Viktorshöhe is a hill, 581.5 metres high, in the Harz mountains of central Germany. It lies on the Ramberg massif within the boundaries of Gernrode, a part of Quedlinburg, and about 3 kilometres northeast of Friedrichsbrunn.