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 the castle Lohra begins in the Middle Ages. The castle is more than 1000 years old. Today, it includes 20 buildings from different times: medieval fortifications, remnants of a tower from the 11^th 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. From the top of the buildings you will have a wonderful view over one of the most impressive landscapes of Germany: the Harz. For years Lohra Castle was unoccupied. At the beginning of the 1990s Open Houses started to restore the castle and to revive it by cultural activities at the beginning of the 1990s. Since that time, a large number of art-workshops, exhibitions, concerts and international meetings took place in the castle.

Work:

The main work at Lohra castle is to colleting fire wood. So the volunteers may go into the forest by car, divided in several groups, and cut logs. The wood will be stored at the castle for wintertime.

Other works are to excavate around one of the accommodation houses to isolate it against wetness. And they may help us to excavate a duct from the camp kitchen to the castle for changing the root of the water pipe.

If it rains, the group will derust the steel beam of the sheep shelter and coating them with anticorrosion paint.

The group could be divided into two or three at times: In this case one group goes into the forest, another group excavate, and the last derust the steel beams. The work of each group is changeable so that so that they do not get bored doing the same work through the hole time.

In August / September the volunteers will pick fruits like plums and apples around the castle.

Terminal:

Next railway station: Gebra / Hainleite (6 km)

Next airport: Frankfurt / Main (280 km), Halle / Leipzig (155 km), Berlin (300 km)

Location:

Next town: Bleicherode (7 km), Nordhausen (20 km), Erfurt (75 km)

Region: Thuringia

Accomodation: shared rooms with 2-7 beds in 4 guest houses, warm shower (limited hot water), WC inside, 1 camp kitchen (cold water), coal-burning stove

Language: English / German

What to bring: working gloves and shoes, working clothes, sleeping bag