📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
The history of Open Houses dates back to the mid-1980s, when a group of young people began to restore actual disused village churches. The focus lies on restoration and public use of historical monuments, which allows a long-lasting and effective recovery of the buildings. Currently Open Houses has several historic buildings in its care. All of them are attractive ensembles which display centuries of history. But most of them stood vacant for a very long time and suffered serious structural damage.
💼 What the programme involves
The hilly massive near Lohra Castle is listed as National Nature Reservation and Open Houses supports the Nature Reservation since several years with volunteering activities.
In a forest around four kilometres from the castle the participants will remove trees and bushes which are not corresponding with the protection aims and will collect the wood remaining after maintenance works, load it on a truck and unload it at the castle to store it for wintertime. The smaller material will be used, too, to build traditional fences.
The volunteers will continue the cultivation of the green areas around the castle, too.
🏠 Accommodation on site
shared rooms with 2 - 5 beds in 3 guest houses, warm shower (limited hot water),
1 camp kitchen (cold water), coal-burning stoves
📍 About the location
Lohra Castle is situated in the heart of Germany in Northern Thuringia. The castle, which is surrounded by a scenic hilly landscape, is located on the edge of a nature reserve area. Being one of the largest castles in Thuringia, the history of Lohra Castle begins in the Middle Age.
The castle is more than 1000 years old. Today, it includes 20 buildings from different times: medieval fortifications, remnants of a tower from the 11th century, a roman chapel, a manor from the Renaissance period as well as stables and granaries from the 19th century.
The ensemble is situated in the centre of a beautiful forest. For years Lohra Castle was vacant. In the 1990s Open Houses started to restore the castle and to revive it by cultural activities. Since that time, a large number of Workcamps, Building Weeks, art-workshops, exhibitions, concerts and international meetings took place in the castle.
ℹ️ Additional information
Be informed, that the work will take place also on rainy and cold days, so please bring rain jacket, waterproof and strong shoes as well as warm clothes.