Welcome, Beginnings of the Town @museum.de

Hello and welcome to the historic town of Dornburg with its three palaces high above the Saale valley.

This trail with its 13 stops will introduce you to the history of Dornburg. You‘ll encounter dukes and master builders, poets, writers and gifted artisans.

And you‘ll have a chance to enjoy some breath-taking views over the Saale valley. But before you head on into the town, spare a moment to take in the view here.

This area, between the sports field, the cemetery and the new housing estate, is probably where Dornburg first came into being.

Historians and archaeologists believe this was the site of the medieval Pfalz, the palace where kings and emperors stayed when they visited the Saale valley. Otto the First is known to have visited Dornburg on several occasions. He’s also linked to the first time the town was mentioned in the records. Otto's successors, Otto the Second and Heinrich the Second, celebrated Christmas here more than once – along with their retinues of between two and three hundred courtiers and retainers. So the Kaiserpfalz, the emperor’s palace, must have been quite spacious and included workshops, stables and other service buildings.

Other indications that this area was once historically significant include the old name of this site, and the name of the street that now provides access to it. It’s "In der alten Stadt" – In the Old Town. Archaeological investigations carried out between 2010 and 2013 uncovered seven cellars, a number of ovens and some refuse pits – middens. The pottery shards found during the dig date from the 11th and 12th centuries. And one trench may have been part of a ditch system surrounding the outer ward of the Pfalz. So the Ottonian palace was probably not located near the steep slope, but here, a little further back.

The Ottonians were succeeded by the Salian dynasty, whose members focussed their political activity further west. It grew quiet in Dornburg. It took until the mid-13th century, when the little town came to life again with the building of a castle. Its foundations are still part of the Altes Schloss – the Old Palace. You’ll be able to find out more at our stops in the town centre.