Slavic castle rampart Garz

Garz Slavic castle rampart - princely seat of the Rans on Rügen

The Slavic hillfort of Garz is one of the most remarkable archaeological remains of the West Slavic settlement on the Baltic island of Rügen. Built in the middle of the 12th century, the hilltop castle was once the seat of the Ranen, a West Slavic tribe that shaped the island for centuries. As early as 1725, test excavations and sondages yielded revealing finds - including Slavic pottery and a large number of iron finds.

Ring wall, wood-earth construction and medieval town history of Garz

The complex was originally built as a wood-and-earth construction on an older Slavic rampart. Written sources and excavation results prove its importance as a center of power, even if the castle rampart lags behind the far better-known Karenzer Tempelburg near Venz. It was not until around 1300, when another castle was built on the same site, that Garz gained power and influence on Rügen as a young town.

The castle rampart of Garz is part of a dense landscape of historical sites that make Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and the Baltic Sea coast a worthwhile destination for history buffs. Those wishing to explore Rügen's Slavic past in more depth will find numerous other traces of this early medieval era on the island.