Grasburg Rottleberode (Alte Kirchenruine)

Nordhausen, Germany, Germany

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Grasburg Rottleberode, also known as the Alte Kirchenruine, is a prehistoric refuge castle or hillfort situated on a prominent spur of the "Alten Stolberg" plateau between Rottleberode and Stempeda near Nordhausen in Germany's Südharz region.

Featuring visible remnants of a semicircular stone rampart, ditch system, a 13th-century Romanesque chapel ruin built from gypsum and sandstone—used for pilgrimages and fairs until the early 15th century—and traces of a priest's residence plus cistern, it likely originated as a pagan cult site repurposed in Christian times.

Archaeological finds of high and late medieval pottery confirm its medieval use, making it a popular hiking spot with panoramic views over the Thyratal valley, though legends tie it to the early Counts of Stolberg without firm evidence.