Kyffhäuser (Kyffhausen Imperial Castle)

Thüringen · Tyskland · Ruin

Deep inside the Kyffhäuser hills, Emperor Barbarossa is said to sleep at a stone table while his red beard grows through the stone.

The Kyffhäuser hills in northern Thuringia hold the ruins of one of Germany's largest medieval imperial castles – and the country's most famous sleeping hero. According to legend, Emperor Frederick Barbarossa never drowned on the crusade of 1190, but sits sunk in sleep at a stone table deep within the mountain. His red beard has already grown through the tabletop, and every hundred years he wakes to ask whether the ravens still circle the hill – if they do, he sleeps on. Shepherds are said to have found their way into the mountain and met the emperor himself, asking after the ravens in a mournful voice. In the 19th century the legend became a national myth and inspired the colossal monument that now stands by the ruin.

FAQ

Hvor ligger Kyffhäuser (Kyffhausen Imperial Castle)?

Kyffhäuser (Kyffhausen Imperial Castle) ligger i Thüringen, Tyskland.