Car Hire Altenburg - Mini guide to Altenburg

Altenburg is a town in the Federal state of Thuringia in Germany, and is the capital of the Altenburger Land district. The town was first mentioned in 976, and it thought to be of Slavic origin due the findings of the remains of a Slavic castle - indeed, place names surrounding Altenburg also evidence the Slavic heritage.

The first castle is buried under the current church of Saint Bartholomew. Destroyed in the battle of Hohenmolsen, it was rebuilt outside town, and the tower dating back to the 11th century is still in existence.

During the 1100s, the town became a market town and a mint, under the patronage of the Germanic Kings who ruled at the time. An Augustine priory was built and finished in 1172, and under Frederick Barbarossa the town flourished and the population expanded. At the end of the 12th century a town wall was built.

Outside the town there is a rock, and legend has it that the Devil used it as a hat, and boasted that even Jesus couldn’t do that. Jesus lifted the rock with one finger, and the imprints of Jesus’ finger and the Devil’s head are still in the rock to this day.

Altenburg has many sites, including the town hall which dates back to 1562. The Schenkendorffsches Palais (from 1724) and Alte Amtshaus from 1725 are both well worth a visit due to the beautiful Baroque structure. Altenburg Castle’s west wing was built in 1706 contains a museum of card games and the history of card games), and if you’re after more museums, the castle of Bernard August von Lindenau (built in 1875) is home to several Italian paintings from the 1200s-1400s.

There are two airports close to Altenburg, one is an old Russian airstrip and it is used for cheaper flights in and out of the area. The international airport of Leipzig/Halle is some 60 kilometres away.

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