Volkmarskeller

The origins of the Volkmarskeller date back to the early Middle Ages, when the cave was already inhabited by devout hermits. A church dedicated to Archangel Michael, situated next to the hermitage, was granted to Quedlinburg Abbey by Otto I in 956. In 1101, the formal establishment of a monastery began at this site, which was later settled by Cistercian monks from Kamp Abbey. This occupation took place on July 28, 1146, after Pope Innocent II confirmed the monastery's foundation at the request of Abbess Beatrix II of Quedlinburg. The monastery received extensive properties donated by a Quedlinburg ministerialis. However, between 1151 and 1167, the convent was relocated to a new site, now known as Michaelstein Abbey. The dilapidated cave was re-excavated and made accessible again in the late 19th century, between 1884 and 1887.

The Volkmarskeller is situated in the Harz/Saxony-Anhalt Nature Park, approximately five kilometers west of Blankenburg's old town. The site lies in the upper part of the Klostergrund valley at an elevation of about 389 meters above sea level.

Today, the Volkmarskeller is a freely accessible historical site that serves as a hiking destination. The cave is integrated into the system of stamping points for the Harzer Wandernadel and can be visited.

• Michaelstein Abbey (Sacred building, approx. 2261 m away)
• Kaiserpfalz Bodfeld (Castle, approx. 3319 m away)
• Rittergut Heimburg (Mansion and manor house, approx. 3829 m away)
• Heimburg Castle Ruin (Castle, approx. 3893 m away)