View of the Elbe from Ertheneburg

An idyllic and historical vantage point with fantastic views of the Elbe.
The Alte Salzstrasse trade route was of enormous importance for trade for a long time, as it connected the two Hanseatic cities of Lübeck and Lüneburg. The Ertheneburg fortification stood at the Elbe crossing at Schnakenbek, across from Artlenburg. The castle was first mentioned in 1106 and was long owned by the noble families of Welfen and Ascanians. Heinrich the Lion stayed at the Erthenburg several times and made the castle a place of important political decisions. In 1163 he issued the Artlenburger privilege in a state parliament in the Erthenburg, Bishop Udo von Halberstadt was held prisoner here by the Duke of the Guelph and in 1181 the castle was set on fire by Heinrich himself when he was on the run from Emperor Friedrich Barbarossa. After that, the castle was demolished by Bernhard von Sachsen and the building material was used to build Lauenburg.
From the remains of the castle, which are still visible today, its original shape can no longer be recognized. The old wall passage and the arched ring wall give an idea of the former size of the castle. Idyllically grown in the northern German mixed forest, the journey into the Middle Ages becomes a natural experience.herzogtum-lauenburg.de/a-ertheneburg

To marvel at the mouth of the Elbe Lateral Canal from the northern side of the Elbe.