Konradsburg castle / abbey chruch of St Sixtus, Ermsleben

Konradsburg monastery is situated on a hill at the northeast extremity of the Harz mountains, and is about three kilometres from Ermsleben.

It was documented as early as the 11th century, and was originally the ancestral seat of an ancient noble dynasty which adopted the name of the castle. In about 1130, the castle was converted into a Benedictine monastery. The Benedictines were followed in 1476 by Carthusian monks. The monastery’s decline began in 1525, when it was plundered during the Peasant War. In later centuries, Konradsburg was used as residential and office accommodation.

The remains of the monastery church are well worth seeing. The choir and crypt of this large cruciform basilica, which was built in about 1200, can still be seen. The five-nave crypt is considered one of the most important examples of late Romanesque architecture in the Harz. Other attractions include the castle well and well-house, and the former monastery herb garden.
Castle festivals, cooking in the ‘black kitchen’ and concerts evoke the spirit of the Middle Ages in the castle.