Kyffhäuser Monument

The Kyffhäuser Monument (Kyffhäuserdenkmal) in northern Thuringia is one of Germany's largest national monuments, an 81-meter (266-foot) sandstone tower on a forested ridge above the Golden Meadow plain. It links the medieval legend of Emperor Frederick Barbarossa, said to sleep inside the mountain, with a giant equestrian statue of Kaiser Wilhelm I, all built on the ruins of an imperial castle. It is a striking day trip from Erfurt, Leipzig, or the Harz.

The legend and the monument

German folklore says Barbarossa, the 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor, sleeps beneath the Kyffhäuser hills, waiting to restore the empire. When Germany was unified in 1871, nationalists cast Wilhelm I as the emperor who had fulfilled that dream. The German veterans' association commissioned the monument, and architect Bruno Schmitz, who later designed the Monument to the Battle of the Nations in Leipzig, built it in the 1890s from local red sandstone. It was inaugurated on June 18, 1896. After World War II, local Communists wanted it blown up, but Soviet officers refused. Its Wilhelm statue is the only one of its kind in former East Germany still standing in its original place.

What to see

• Barbarossa statue: a 6.5-meter stone emperor seemingly waking from his sleep, carved on site in a grotto-like courtyard.
• Wilhelm I on horseback: a copper group almost 10 meters high, flanked by allegorical figures.
• The tower: climb 247 steps to the dome below the imperial crown for views as far as the Harz Mountains.
• Kyffhausen imperial castle ruins: remains of the upper, middle, and lower castle, plus what the operator calls the world's deepest castle well.
• Castle museum with finds from the excavations.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, according to the official website:

• March–October: daily 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m., last entry 5:30 p.m.
• November–February (reduced hours due to construction work): Friday 1–5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 9:30 a.m.–5 p.m.; closed Monday to Thursday and on December 24.
• Admission: adults €9.50, students €5.50, children under 6 free, family ticket €19.50.
• Combo ticket with Barbarossa Cave: €20.

How to get there

The monument is near Bad Frankenhausen, roughly 70 km (45 miles) by road north of Erfurt and about 100 km (60 miles) west of Leipzig. It is best reached by car: from the A38 autobahn take the Berga or Rossla exit, then the B85; set your GPS to "Kyffhäuser, 99707 Steinthaleben." A large parking lot sits below the monument, with a 10- to 15-minute uphill walk. From April to October a weekend shuttle (€2 round trip) helps visitors with limited mobility, and an on-demand bus serves nearby villages; book it at least an hour ahead. Public transport is limited, so a rental car makes the trip much easier.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, if you are interested in German history, myths, or simply big views. Allow two to three hours for the monument, ruins, and museum. The lower viewing platform, museum, and bistro are accessible, but the towers and castle well require stairs. Food is available at the Kaiser Picknick bistro and the Burghof Kyffhäuser inn.

Nearby

• Barbarossa Cave: a show cave near Rottleben, on a combined ticket.
• Bad Frankenhausen: the Panorama Museum with its monumental painting of the Peasants' War, and a famously leaning church tower.
• Kyffhäuser hills: hiking trails in Germany's smallest low mountain range.