• The Castle of Altranstädt

  • Chapel and Crypt of Count of Hohenthal

  • Inner courtyard with Convention Column

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The reason

Why is Altranstädt a Place of Peace

The Peace of Altranstädt was an important intermediate stage in the Great Northern War (1700-1721), which dealt with the imperial domination of the Baltic region between the Russian Tsarist Kingdom and the Kingdom of Sweden.

In 1697, the Saxon Elector August II (the Strong) was crowned Polish-Lithuanian king. He became not only one of the richest and most powerful European rulers, but also a factor in any European conflict constellation because of the geographical location of his empire.

The Swedish king Karl XII occupied Poland and in 1704 forced August to relinquish the Polish crown. In 1706 he also occupied Saxony and set up his quarters in Altranstädt.

On September 24, 1706 August let a separate peace in Altranstädt negotiations.

In it he renounced the Polish crown and the alliance with Russia and swore “eternal friendship” with Sweden. He was dissatisfied with that and hoped for backing from the European powers, but in November he had to sign and ratify the original version. The guarantor powers were Brandenburg-Prussia, Great Britain and the Netherlands.

Closely related to peace is the Altranstadt Convention of 1707, the Catholic emperor, who at this time was at war with France and Hungary, did not want a permanent conflict with Sweden. Thus, in Silesia, six churches” were granted to the Protestants in order to ward off intervention pretexts on the part of the Protestant powers.

Read more and bibliography: The Peace of Altranstädt (pdf, 45kb)

Visit the Historical Ensemble: castle, church, chapel, crypt and vicarage.

The castle was built in 1620 on the foundation walls of a Cistercian monastery, which was mentioned in the 12th century. The church building from 1745 and the castle share the bell tower by a direct cultivation, which also gives an access from one building to the other. The large parsonage was built in 1710, as can be read from an inscription above the entrance in Latin. The mausoleum from the second half of the 19th century, built by the former owner of the castle, Count of Hohenthal, completes the harmonic arrangement of buildings, which can be described as a jewel in this village environment and is a surprise for every visitor.

Visit the room, where the peace treaty was signed.

The room was set up in 1780 by the former owner of the castle, Count of Hohenthal, to commemorate the peace treaty negotiated and signed here. It is the actual historical center of the castle

The 300-year-old table, an equally old chair, arms and old paintings can be admired here, writing boards provide information about the historical connections. The restored wall painting gives an impression of the special atmosphere in this beautiful room. In course of the renovation of the castle complex in 2002, the “Friedenszimmer” was impressively expanded by a museum devoted to the history of the Nordic wars. Through a concealed door of the doorway you reach “Karl’s bedroom”. This is where the young Swedish king, without having pulled out the shoes, must have gone to rest.

Take part of the traditional castle festival.

Each year in September the traditional castle festival takes place in remembrance of the peace treaty and the convention. It is the highlight of numerous historical and cultural events over the year. Visitors from the nearby and distant surroundings come to look in every corner of the castle, to be guided into the art gallery, to the library, to the lecture room with its special exhibition on the relationship to Poland through the historical events 300 years ago. Also they get the chance to enter the “Friedenszimmer” and walk through the tower into the church. The villagers make music in historical clothes, provide coffee and cakes and offer regional products for sale in the garden where the chapel is located.

How to arrive

Location

Altranstädt is a small village of 800 inhabitants and belongs to the town of Markranstädt (17000 inhabitants). If you take the map of Germany, you will find the state of Saxony with the metropolis of Leipzig. Altranstädt is located in the west about 15 km from Leipzig.

If you want to get to Altranstädt by plane you arrive at airport “Halle-Leipzig”, from there it just takes a few minutes by train to get to the main station of Leipzig, change here and take the regional train heading to Leipzig / Weißenfels and get off at the trainstation Großlehna. Now it is a 15 minute walk to the castle or you call and get picked up. Train connections to Leipzig are available every hour from all major cities in Germany.

By car you reach Altranstädt via freeway A9, junction “Leipzig West”, continue in the direction of Leipzig until the traffic light crossing of highways B 181 and B186. Follow the signs for Markranstädt until the next traffic light crossing and turn to Altranstädt. It is well signposted.

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What to Eat

Discover the delicacies of Saxony

The former Kingdom of Saxony is considered the most versatile German cake country. The famous “Christstollen” is sent to the whole world during Christmas time. Visitors can look forward to potato dumplings and goose roasts or a thuringian bratwurst with red cabbage every season. The Saxon cuisine is tradition-conscious and the traditions taste delicious.

Quarkkeulchen (literally “little quark ball”) is a Saxon dish made from dough containing about two-thirds mashed potatoes, one-third quark cheese, eggs and flour, and perhaps spiced with cinnamon or dotted with raisins. The dough is traditionally fried in linseed oil into small pancakes. These are served hot, usually with sugar, fruits or other sweet side dishes.

Leipziger Allerlei is the original recipe for Leipzig’s famous vegetable hodgepodge. As this recipe requires some elaborate preparation, only a handful of the traditional restaurants in the city of Leipzig still offer the traditional version. Modern recipes often offer a lighter version that omits the crayfish and cuts down on the butter.

INGREDIENTS: carrots, kohlrabi, asparagus, cauliflower, morels, fresh peas in pods, vegetable broth, crayfish or 8 large shrimp, butter, eggs, nutmeg or mace, dried bread crumbs, flour, milk, salt and pepper.

Leipziger Lerche is a pastry of Leipzig. The name originates from the coveted delicacy popular in the Leipzig area until the 1870s. The dish used the actual songbird lark, (German: Lerche) which was roasted with herbs and eggs and served as a filling in a pastry crust. In the year 1720 alone, 400.000 larks were sold in Leipzig for consumption.

The hunting of the songbirds was officially banned by the saxonian King Albert I in 1876 after recognition of their agricultural importance. According to the Vienna Appetit-Lexikon, larks were still exported from Leipzig until the end of the 19th century. Today’s pastry replaced the traditional meat-filled pastry after the ban. The local pastry chefs are credited for helping to preserve the larks by creating the new, sweet version of Leipziger Lerche shortly after the hunting ban was imposed.

Today’s version consists of a shortcrust filled with a mixture of crushed almonds, nuts and a cherry. The cherry symbolises the heart of the bird. It is topped with a grid of two crossed dough strips. The term Leipziger Lerche has been protected by the Saxonian Bakery Guild since 1998.

Things to Do

Be active around Altranstädt

  • Discover the Nebra sky disk

  • Discover the Nebra sky disk

  • Visit the oldest and largest church in Leipzig

  • Take a bicycle tour to the Gustav-Adolf-Memorial near Lützen

  • Visit Nietzsche birthplace at Röcken

  • Discover the bishopric town of Merseburg

  • Visit one of the largest monuments in Europe

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  • The Nebra sky disk features the oldest concrete depiction of the cosmos worldwide (associatively dated to c. 1600 BC). It has been associated with the Bronze Age Unetice culture. 

  • The Nikolaikirche is the oldest and largest church in Leipzig. The reconstruction and furnishing of the interior of the Nikolaikirche is a significant creation of classicism.

  • Recommendable is a bicycle tour to the Gustav-Adolf-Memorial near Lützen and the Nietzsche Monument at Röcken, his city of birth.

  • The Merseburg Cathedral St. John and St. Laurentius is one of the most outstanding architectural monuments of the former Palatinate and bishopric town of Merseburg on the Romanesque road. By car it is just 25 Minutes (19 km) from the castle of Altranstädt. For more Information take a look here.

  • The Memorial to the People in the south-east of Leipzig was erected in memory of the Völkerschlacht near Leipzig (1813) according to designs by the Berlin architect Bruno Schmitz. With its height of 91 meters it is one of the largest monuments in Europe and one of Leipzig’s most famous landmarks.

Where to Stay

Relax after the visit

Pension Altranstädt

Location

Right beside the Castel of Altranstädt
Lindenstr.5
04420 Markranstädt (Altranstädt) Sachsen
Germany

Contact Info
Phone:  049 – (0)34205-416955
Fax: 049 – (0)34205-416954
Mobile 0177-2743315
Internet: pension-altranstädt.de

Hotel & Restaurant Rosenkranz

Location
Markt 4
04420 Markranstädt
Germany

Contact Info
Phone: 049 – (0) 3 42 05 / 8 74 95
Fax: 049 – (0) 3 42 05 / 8 74 97
E-Mail: info@hotel-rosenkranz.de

Camping place am Kulkwitzer See

Location

Ten minutes of the castle of Altranstädt you find a very nice camping-place on a big lac (Kulkwitzer See). Beside the possibility to camp in your own tent, they offer guest houses and caravans as well.
Seestraße 1
04207 Leipzig
Germany

Contact Info
Phone: 049 – (0) 3 41 710770
Website: campingplatz kulkwitzer see

Photo Gallery

Discover the images that will make you want to return

Useful Information

Take note of this important piece of data

  • Address

    Am Schloss 2, 04420 Markranstädt, Germany

  • Phone

    +49 (0)34205/417799

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