Altenberg Medieval Mining Settlement and Observation Tower

On the goat mountain there is the Altenberg mining desert, remnants of a medieval mining settlement, a lookout tower and a rest area. In 1963 ancient shards and metal parts were found here, after which several excavations took place.

Always worth a detour

The Altenberg mining wasteland is the name of a sunken town and archaeological excavation site on the mountain of the same name between the Kreuztal district of Littfeld and the Hilchenbach district of Müsen. Today's "Altenberg" archaeological monument consists of remains of medieval and early modern mining that are still visible on the ground. Visible are, among other things, excavated and unexcavated cellar floor plans, the floor plan of a tower, several shafts, some of which were excavated and used for ore mining. In addition, pinge lines and slag heaps are still present. In the southern part of the protected area there are air holes from tunnel systems that ran through underneath. On June 12, 2016, the new observation tower on the Altenberg was officially inaugurated. With a height of 8.5 meters, the structure is around 90 cm higher and, in contrast to its wooden predecessor, is now made entirely of metal.
The construction costs of approximately 30,000 euros were largely covered by a grant from the NRW Foundation.