Herb Garden Festival Börde-Museum Burg Ummendorf

Burg Ummendorf — Museum, Castle, Garden

Ummendorf is located on the western border of the Börde district, shortly before Lower Saxony, a good 20 km west of Magdeburg. Burg Ummendorf was built in the 12th century by the Bishopric of Halberstadt and is today the only castle ensemble in the Magdeburger Börde used as a museum. It is supported by the Börde district. The Börde Museum, which showcases the cultural and agricultural history of the black earth region, is housed in the castle.

Outside, around the castle, lies a historic garden — and this is the real highlight of the Herb Garden Festival. Medicinal herbs, dye plants, old vegetable varieties, butterfly perennials, as well as scattered fruit meadow apple trees. The concept follows the medieval idea of the castle garden, translated into a 21st-century museum education facility.

Plants, Garden Art, Music

Once a year, the Herb Garden Festival brings together farm shops, organic nurseries, and plant artisans from the Börde region. Those who want to create a small herb garden will find seedlings here with explanations. Those looking for garden art — sculptures, bird baths, pottery — will also find something. In addition, there are culinary stalls with herb spreads, liqueurs, and regional specialties, complemented by acoustic music in the courtyard.

Guided Tours and Education

The museum accompanies the festival with guided tours of the herb garden. A well-established one is the thematic tour 'From Butterfly Flowers to Biomass', which shows the spectrum — from historical medicinal herb cultivation to modern energy plants. The castle's family program offers parallel hands-on activities, from making herb ointments to plant identification. Museum admission: €6 (reduced €3), which includes all festival activities.