The huge Kyffhäuser Monument (which is sometimes also known as Barbarossa Monument) is an interesting historical relic from the early times of the German Empire, which sits atop the mountain range of the same name in central Germany.

At 81m or 265ft. it’s Germany’s third tallest monument after the Monument of the Battle of Nations in Leipzig and the Monument for Wilhelm I. at the Porta Westfalica in North Rhine-Westphalia (which were, by the way, all built with the participation of prolific architect Bruno Schmitz), and from the top there are some awesome views of the surrounding landscape.

Stefanie and I recently decided to check it out again, as both of us had last been there as children. We only met other Germans during our visit, so if you’re into off-the-beaten-path places, look no further. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting the Kyffhäuser.

This post may contain affiliate links, and I might earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. For more info, click here.

What Does the Kyffhäuser Monument Represent?

Considering the German Empire’s obsession with humongous monuments you might be forgiven for thinking that they didn’t need any particular reasons to plaster one into the landscape.

You wouldn’t be too far off, as national pride was certainly the driving force behind the erection of the Kyffhäuser-Monument and the historical connection is specious at best.

It was built in 1894 as a memorial to the late Emperor Wilhelm I., who died six years earlier. Wilhelm liked to trace his heritage back to Friedrich I. (also known as Barbarossa for his bushy red beard), the important 12th century Emperor of the Holy Roman Empire.

In that way, the monument was meant to legitimize the German Empire as a rightful descendant of the Holy Roman Empire, which existed from the 10th to the early 19th century. That cause was further underscored by the location of the Monumentin the ruins of the former Kyffhausen Castle (Ger. Reichsburg Kyffhausen), a huge medieval castle belonging to Friedrich’s dynasty of Hohenstaufen.

You can still find the remains of the castle around the monument, so you have a chance of exploring the vestiges of two very different phases of German history at the same time.

The Imagery of the Monument

The symbolism of the monument certainly screams national pride with all its might. Similar to many German monuments of that time, the ornamentation is full of overblown pathos. The equestrian statue about halfway up the front of the tower shows Wilhelm I., who is framed on both sides by personifications of perceived German values.

The female figure on the left holding a notepad and pencil is supposed to represent historiography, while the male statue to the right is a Germanic warrior topped with a winged helmet meant to symbolize the fighting spirit of the people.

The real star of the show sits slightly below on a stone throne. This is Friedrich I., the 12^th-century emperor that I mentioned above, who looks very grumpy and in my opinion like he just got out of bed in desperate need of a coffee.

Maybe, it’s also a nod to the popular German legend, which states that the emperor is far from dead, but merely asleep inside the Kyffhäuser Mountain, set to awaken when the German people need him. There are countless other details all over the façade of the tower, like some cool stylized snakes slithering around the corners.

What to See at the Kyffhäuser Monument and Kyffhausen Castle

The Monument Tower

The monument itself is the first thing you’ll see when entering the complex. In fact, you will probably have seen it plenty of times during your approach, given its size and prominent location on the 450m or 1500ft. high mountain spur.

You can best take in the ornamented front façade from below the arches to the east of the Barbarossa Courtyard.

If you walk around the tower to the back, you can enter at its western base to check out a small exhibition with objects recovered from the nearby castle well. You can also climb the 236 steps to the top of the tower for some amazing views of the surrounding countryside.

The Remains of the Upper Castle

The area behind the tower is the best-preserved (or rather best-reconstructed) part of the medieval castle. The most impressive feature here is the Barbarossa Tower, which are the remains of the former keep of the upper castle.

An interesting detail here are the unusually prominent building blocks that seem to bulge out from the walls. This is a typical architectural feature of the Staufer Dynasty, which ruled from the 11th to the 13th century. The façade of the monument itself actually emulates these details. The hole about halfway up the western façade of the tower used to be a toilet (talk about a loo with a view;)

Inside the tower, there are some informational signs about the history of the castle and its time, but most of them are in German only. Still, the views from the tower to the monument are definitely worth the short climb up the outer stairs of the tower. In between the tower and the monument are a few remaining walls and a reconstructed chamber gate on the southern side of the compound.

There’s also a small museum with a few artefacts retrieved from excavations in the area and a diorama that shows the castle during its most important period. Directly to the east is the castle well, which with 176m or 577ft. is the deepest of its kind in Germany.

There’s a vending machine where you can buy “Barbarossa’s Gallstones” for a Euro to drop into the well and wait for a distant splash.

The Lower Castle Ruins

The Lower Castle ruins lie to the east of the Upper Castle and Monument and can be visited for free. Here you’ll find the remains of a round keep, a small chapel and the foundations of some living quarters. On the way here, you’ll pass the Middle Castle, which was used as a quarry after the castle was abandoned, so there’s not much to see.

Directly to the north of the Lower Castle, there’s a viewpoint called Novalis’ View, which has some really good views over the Goldene Aue Valley in the North with the Harz Mountains in the background. It’s named after the famous 18^th century Romantic German poet Novalis, who is said to have roamed around here.

Map of the Kyffhäuser Area

Here’s a map of the monument and surrounding cities to give you a general idea. Also included are some possible hotels and guest houses in the surrounding area.

Practicalities

How to Get to the Kyffhäuser Monument

It’s easiest to reach the monument from the nearby cities of Sangerhausen to the north-east or Bad Frankenhausen to the south. The somewhat infrequent bus connection means that your own set of wheels really comes in handy here.

That said, we managed to get there by bus. At the time of writing, bus VGS-494 from Bad Frankenhausen goes directly to the monument a few times a day. You can check the current connections here.

We started from Sangerhausen, from where we took bus VGS-453 to Tilleda and hiked up to the monument from there. The bus goes regularly from Monday to Friday, but has only one connection each way on Saturday and Sunday. Again, you can check the current connection here.

The hike from Tilleda to the monument is about 3km or 2mi. with an elevation gain of about 270m or 880ft. and took us a little under an hour. The first part leads through a pretty stretch of apple orchards, which were especially beautiful in the springtime, when we were there. If you don’t mind a bit of hiking, this is the ideal way to get there in my opinion.

Besides, when you’re tarting from Tilleda, you can also drop by the interesting reconstructed medieval royal palace “Königspfalz Tilleda” before (or after) your trip to the monument.

What Are the Opening Times?

There are different opening times depending on the season. You can check the current ones on this site.

How Much Does it Cost?

The entrance was 9.50€ when we visited, and included the monument, the remains of the medieval castle and the small museum. The entrance to the small lower castle area is free.

Where to Stay Near the Kyffhäuser Monument

It’s easiest to visit the monument on a day trip from one of the surrounding towns. Sangerhausen and Bad Frankenhausen are the most convenient bases. They’re pretty small towns with a few sights of their own and both have a couple of places to stay.

We stayed at the Pension Rüsselpub in Sangerhausen, which is a bit out of the centre of town, but good value plus the adjacent Pub is a great place for a drink or two in the evening. There are a couple of other cheapish guesthouses in town, such as Pension Rosengarten, as well as some midrange options like Hotel-Pension am Rosarium.

If you prefer to stay close to the monument itself, the midrange hotel Burghof Kyffhäuser would be an option. You can check for more options in the area map below.

Where to Eat Near the Kyffhäuser Monument

There is a small café that serves drinks and snacks inside the castle area (which means that you have to pay the entrance fee to get there) and another one on the road leading to the monument, a couple of hundred metres to the west of the compound.

If you need something more substantial, there’s a restaurant at the Burghof Kyffhäuser Hotel directly south of the castle area.

See Also

The Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig, another impressive monument from the same era

Exploring the Medieval Royal Palace in nearby Tilleda