Family Festival "Up to the Castle!" – Season Opening Oberburg Giebichenstein

A 1,000-year-old castle above the Saale

The Oberburg Giebichenstein rises on the northern outskirts of Halle on a rocky outcrop above the Saale bend – one of the oldest and most impressively located castle complexes in Saxony-Anhalt. First mentioned in the 10th century, with traces from several medieval construction phases, the castle is now a ruin – and an external site of the Halle City Museum, which mediates the castle and the directly adjacent Burg Giebichenstein (Unterburg). In the valley directly below lies the Burg Giebichenstein University of Art and Design, one of Germany's most important design universities.

With the Family Festival "Rauf auf die Burg!", the City Museum opens the season every year in early April. For seven hours, the castle grounds transform into a hands-on station for families with children. The program combines craft-historical activities with demonstrations and experiential education – a format that is rare in Saxony-Anhalt but has become a fixed date in the family calendar here.

What the children can experience

At the hands-on stations, children can craft their own shields with wood, felt, and paint – and take their creation home with them. With tin figure casting, small knights, soldiers, or animals are created using the traditional sand casting method. Glass beads are made based on models from archaeological finds. In the herb garden, the museum team explains which plants the Middle Ages used for medicine and cuisine. The ancient writing method with a stylus is demonstrated on a wax tablet. The highlight is the combat demonstrations by the association INDES e.V. from Halle, who authentically and safely present late medieval weapons and combat techniques.

Halle and Saxony-Anhalt

Halle (Saale) is the largest city in Saxony-Anhalt and the region's center of education, science, and culture. With the Handel Festival, Lantern Festival, Long Night of Science, Pottery Market, and several castles and museums, the city offers an unusually broad cultural spectrum. "Rauf auf die Burg!" as the season opener for Oberburg is part of the family program – and with an admission price of €4 for adults and free admission for children under 14, it is one of the most affordable cultural offerings.