📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
For the sixth year, a workcamp will take place at the castle Grimburg this summer. Built by the Trier archbishops around 1190, the castle has been destroyed and reconstructed several times. Awakened from its centuries-long sleep in 1978, a local group of volunteers started to reconstruct the castle again, including work on the very impressive castle keep. However, most parts are still a ruin and in the past years, efforts have been made to increase the castle’s accessibility and attractiveness of this unique site. Today, it has become a popular destination for hikers, as well as a site used for weddings, youth activities, historic markets and knights’ festivals. This year the association of local volunteers caring for the castle celebrates its 40th anniversary and therefore organises a festival on the castle on Aug 25th/26th.
💼 What the programme involves
Come to Grimburg Castle, enjoy living in the castle and support the maintenance of the castle's grounds. Usually, local volunteers care for the maintenance of the castle but due to the enormous workload they look forward for your help. You will do various works on the castle's ground: cut bushes and grass, protect the masonry, maintain the historic medieval herb garden and do some cleaning work in the castle’s and witches museum. The work will depend on the weather conditions. A second huge topic is your support in the preparation and organisation of the castle's festival. You will become a part of the local festival team and of course celebrate together with them.
🏠 Accommodation on site
The group will stay in one of the small towers of the castle – you will feel a bit like you are living as former inhabitants of the castle did. At night you will have the castle for your own; you can make a campfire and enjoy living in the nature. The conditions are basic; you will use the first floor for sleeping (bunk beds) and the ground floor for cooking and eating. There is electricity but no running water in the tower itself. Toilets and a shower are within 100m. Of course, there is also no internet available. Please bring a sleeping bag and a flashlight.
📍 About the location
The castle Grimburg is overlooking the forests and valleys of the region called “Hochwald” (“high forest”). The castle is quite isolated; the next village (the name is also Grimburg) is in a 2km distance, the next shops are in Hermeskeil (10km). The castle is surrounded by nature and you will have the chance to enjoy it (just go for a walk...). Nevertheless you will also meet local people and share time with them or make an excursion to Trier, the oldest German city with 100,000 inhabitants. Here you can find many historical sights (from the Roman period), many clubs and events (as it is a university town) and all other facilities.
ℹ️ Additional information
This project is only for volunteers who like simple life and enjoy nature!