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Lohra Castle

ENVI   04.08. - 17.08.2019        OH-W05 

ACCOMMODATION: shared rooms with 2 - 5 beds in 3 guest houses, warm shower (limited hot water), 1 camp kitchen (cold water), coal-burning stoves LOCATION:  Next towns: Bleicherode (6 km), Nordhausen (20 km), Erfurt (75 km) Region: Thuringia TERMINAL: Next bus station: Großlohra, Friedrichslohra/Wartehalle Next railway stations: Gebra/Hainleite (5 km), Wolkramshausen (12 km). Next airports: Leipzig/Halle(LEJ, 155 km), Frankfurt/Main (FRA, 280 km), Berlin(TXL, SXF, 300 km)

AGE: at least 18

Lohra Castleis situated in the heart of Germany in Northern Thuringia. The castle, which is surrounded by a scenic hilly landscape, is located on the edge of a nature reserve area. Being one of the largest castles in Thuringia, the history of the castle Lohra begins in the Middle Age. The castle is more than 1,000 years old. Today, it includes twenty buildings from different times: medieval fortifications, remnants of a tower from the 11thcentury, a Romanesque chapel, a manor house from the Renaissance period as well as stables and granaries from the 19thand the early 20thcenturies.

The ensemble is situated in the centre of a beautiful forest. For years Lohra Castle was vacant. In the 1990s Open Houses started to restore the castle and to revive it by cultural activities. Since that time, a large number of Workcamps, Building Weeks, exhibitions, concerts and other activities with international participants took place in the castle.

 

Project Descriptions

The projects of Open Houses are based on sustainable principles. So also the activities at Lohra Castle combine aspects of cultural heritage preservation and aspects of natural heritage preservation. The participants of the Workcamps carry out works in the green areas and the forests around the castle.

 

The hilly massive around Lohra Castle is listed as National Nature Reserve. Open Houses supports the Reserve since several years with volunteering activities. In a forest near the Castle the participants willremove trees and bushes which are not corresponding with the protection aims in order to clean the paths and make them enjoyable again. They will also will collect the wood remaining after maintenance works, load it on a truck, unload it at the castle and splitand stack itfor wintertime or for the fireplace. Besides that, the volunteers will continue the maintenance of the green areaat the castle.