The monumental landscape of Dithmarschen

Excursion of the ERC XScape workshop to the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen in Albersdorf.

A six-day workshop focusing on the social visibility of landscapes and monuments in prehistory was organized by the ERC XScape from 16^th to 21^st March at the University of Kiel. As part of the workshop, an excursion to the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen in Albersdorf took place on 18^th March, where the participants were able to experience the monumental landscape of the Neolithic in the area.

Dr. Rüdiger Kelm, Director of the Stone Age Park, guided the group through the park grounds as well as the permanent exhibition and explained the distinctive features of the area in its past.

The visit of the park was followed by a bus tour to seek out important monuments of the region like the polygonal dolmen ‘Brutkamp’ as well as the causeway enclosure ‘Dieksknöll’ and to discuss their visibility in the cultural landscape of the early to middle Neolithic period.

The program also included a visit of the passage grave of Bunsoh, that features a cup-marked stone as a capstone of the tomb. The presence of the mayor Rainer Plähn as well as two representatives of the municipality of Bunsoh gave room to discuss the preservation as well as visualization of monuments in today’s world and the challenges associated with that mission. The cup-marked stone of Bunsoh, which is made of sandstone, has been subject of several debates concerning preservation or replication of cultural heritage, as it suffers greatly from weather conditions.

More information see https://www.uni-kiel.de/en/cluster-roots/details/news/2026-03-30-monumental-landscape-of-dithmarschen

XSCAPE-PI Prof. Dr. Johannes Müller (left) discussing the connection between monuments and landscape with participants with the polygonal dolmen ‘Brutkamp’ as a specific example.

Dr. Rüdiger Kelm (right) along with the major and two representatives of the municipality of Bunsoh (not pictured) discussed the current challenges in the preservation of prehistoric monuments in the landscape.

The participants of the excursion in the exhibition hall of the Stone Age Park Dithmarschen

General Assembly Megalithic Routes 2026 in Viseu Portugal

The General Assembly of the Megalithic Routes 2026 took place this year in Viseu, Portugal. From Tuesday, March 31 to Thursday, April 2, a full and engaging program was organised. The schedule included the General Assembly meeting, a guided excursion through Viseu, lectures, and several field trips in the surrounding region. Among the highlights was a visit to the famous Dolmen of Antelas, where remarkable 6,000-year-old paintings can be admired.

During the General Assembly, a significant portion of the board was renewed. Several members had completed their maximum terms, including Chairman Rudiger Kelm and Vice-Chairman Harrie Wolters. The newly appointed board members include Chairman Antonio Faustino Carvalho from Portugal and Secretary Hervé Duval-Gatignol from Jersey. Mats Rosen, formerly Secretary, has taken on the role of Vice-Chairman, while Vera Brieske continues as Treasurer.

The participants of the General Assembly

The General Assembly

Rui Gomez congratulates the new president of Megalithic Routes António Faustino Carvaloh

The participants of the excursion

The new board with on the left Vera Brieske, second on the left Hervé Duval-Gatignol, second on the right Mats Rosen, right Antonio Faustino Carvalho.

Lectures

Citytour in Viseu

Enjoying Viseu

Next General assembly in Viseu, Portugal March 31 till April 2.

The program for this years General Assembly of Megalithic Routes in Cooperation with the Intermunicipal Community of Viseu Dão Lafões (CIMVDL) in the city of Viseu is complete.

More information about the area – https://rotademegalitismo.visitviseudaolafoes.pt/rota/rota-de-megalitismo/

In Denmark at Djursland (Jutland) restorations took place on the megalithic monuments. This restorations were done by the Center for Kulturarv

In 2019 The Danish Agency for Culture and Palaces had to close off the Hoed-passage grave, a 5000 years old burial mound, because foxes and badgers had undermined the stone construction and because some large trees were destroying the passage grave. One of the trees grew directly at the entrance to the passage grave – so it was easy to get into the grave chamber but difficult to get out. Therefore, the Danish agency for Culture and Palaces, in collaboration with Museum Østjylland and Morsø Skov- & Naturservice carried out a restoration of the passage grave.

The large trees were cut down, waste from recent centuries was removed from the entrance and chamber. Likewise, the damage from the animals was repaired, so that the stone construction is safe again. During the restoration, it was also discovered that the burial was rebuilt – perhaps in the Bronze Age. At that time some of the big cover stone and curb stone was placed in front of the entrance with some smaller stones. Also the shape and size of the mound was changed.

During the work, there were a lot of local people and turists. The re-opening of the Hoed-passage grave will be celebrated at The European Day of Megalithic Culture 18^th April 2026 where there will be an event and it will be possible to visit the grave chamber.

Meeting of representatives of Cultural Routes of the Council of Europa, 22 October 2025 in Cappadocia in Türkiye

On Wednesday 22 October 2025 the meeting of the 14th Advisary Forum on Cultural Routes of the Council of Europe took place in Hotel Marriott Cappadocia in Türkiye. Our manager Dr. Ursula Warnke attended the meeting on behalf of Megalithic Routes.

Visiting all Danish megalithic monuments

Last year, Willem Donker began a six-year project to visit, document, and provide detailed information about all the megalithic tombs (hunebeds) in Denmark. This information is not fully available in Denmark, making it a great challenge for Willem to take on. He previously completed a similar project in Germany, where he recorded and photographed all the megalithic tombs in the country—a task that took him ten years. He has also conducted research in Poland.

Now, in Denmark, he believes that—using the knowledge he gained in Germany—he can complete the project in six years. There are an estimated 2,400 sites in Denmark, so it is quite an undertaking. He started last year, during which the first 400 megalithic tombs were visited. This year, he visited 450 more.

In 2025, Willem focused on the area south of Zealand, including the islands of Falster, Lolland, Møn, and Bogø. The project is being carried out in collaboration with the Danish government and the Centre for Cultural Heritage – Archaeological Monuments and World Heritage. Since 2017, they have been working on a large-scale national project to restore the monuments. However, the scope of the work is too large for them to manage entirely on their own. Willem is assisting by creating a comprehensive overview of the collection in a short amount of time.

An overview of the megalithic tombs visited in 2024 and 2025 can be found by clicking here.

Evaluation for the re-certification of Megalithic Routes

On the 6. and 7.5.2025 the Governing Board Meeting of the Enlarged Partial Agreement on European Cultural Routes has taken place in the European Convention Center in Luxembourg. The Auditing of our European Route of Megalithic Culture in the frame of the regular 3-years-evaluation for re-certification was also part of this international meeting with more than 50 participants from the 41 member states and from the European Institute of Cultural Routes (EICR, Luxembourg), which organized this meeting. 

Dr. Rüdiger Kelm as Chairman and Dr. Ursula Warnke as Managing Director presented Megalithic Routes here in person, reported about the achievements of the last years and about the future plans on the base of the Evaluation Report in the Audition, and answered several questions from the Board members.

First in june we will get the official results of the auditing by the EICR.

The next Evaluation for the re-certification of our route  will be now in a 5 years intervall in 2030.

Opening of the restaurated hunebed, Kusterberg in Germany, during the General Meeting in Haldensleben. It took place on 27th of April.

During the General Meeting of Megalithic Routes in Haldensleben, the opening of the restaurated hunebed Kusterberg near Haldensleben took place. Also new signing was there to see, with new logo’s and information panels. Barbara Fritsch told, during the opening, about the restauration proces, wich took several years.

The general assembly took place in Haldensleben in Germany this year

Around 25 people from different countries took place in the General Assembly 2025. The meeting started on sunday 27th of April with the opening of a restaurated megalithic monument. The assembly and presentations took place on monday 28th. On the 29th there was an excursion to the area of Haldensleben were more than 80 megalithic monuments (hunebeds) are found in a forest.

During the meeting three new members joined Megalithic Routes: Malta, Wildeshausen (Germany) and Rota de Megalitisma (Portugal).

European Day of Megalithic Culture in Oldenburg, Landesmuseum Natur und Mensch, April 27

The builders of the megalithic tombs were highly skilled craftsmen with profound knowledge in various fields such as architecture, mathematics, and astronomy. Although they had no machines, they used innovative techniques to transport the massive stones and place them precisely at their intended locations. During this guided tour, you will learn about the way of life and worldview of these people and delve into the mystery of how the megalithic tombs were constructed.

Led by: Maren Torhoff
Cost: Museum admission + 4 euros
Registration: not required

April 27, 2025
2:00 PM
Guided tour on the occasion of today’s Day of Megalithic Culture.