The town of Blankenburg lies southeast of Wernigerode on the northern fringe of the Harz, enclosed by the Harz, the Regenstein and the Teufelsmauer. Thanks to its agreeable climate and mineral springs (recommended for the treatment of rheumatism) it has developed into a spa and holiday resort.
Just north of Blankenburg are the ruins of Burg Regenstein, built in the 12th-14th centuries, with some earlier work. Strongly fortified in 1671, it was slighted in 1758. The picturesque ruins include the stump of a circular keep, various chambers hewn from the rock and the remains of 18th C. casemates.
At the foot of the Burgberg (castle hill) in Blankenburg is the Kleines Schloss, now occupied by the Heimatmuseum. The original Baroque half-timbered building was renovated in 1777. Beautiful Baroque garden.
Three km/2mi west of Blankenburg, on the edge of the Harz, is Michaelstein Monastery (1147), now used for concerts and recitals. The surviving remains include the chapterhouse and refectory, the Early Gothic cloisters, the west wing of the conventual buildings and the gatehouse.
High above Blankenburg stands the Schloss (by H. Korb, 1705-18), an imposing Baroque building which incorporates some medieval work and a Renaissance wing (now occupied by a commercial college).
Near the Schloss are remains of the town's medieval fortifications.
Below the Blankenburg Schloss is the parish church of St Bartholomew, a hall-church of 1585 (originally Romanesque) with an interesting interior (reredos, Triumphal Cross group) and monuments (15th-17th C.).
To the east of Blankenburg extends the Teufelsmauer ("Devil's Wall"), a 4km/2.5mile long range of sandstone crags (nature reserve; waymarked footpaths, rock-climbing area).
The Blankenburg Town Hall is a two-story Renaissance building of around 1546 incorporating some Gothic work, with a staircase tower and an ornamental gable. To the left of the entrance hangs an iron bar, the standard Blankenburg ell.
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Schloss, Blankenburg
Blankenburg, Wernigerode
