Zitadelle 2025

My first

I’m writing this in English even though Zitadelle is a German-speaking event.
Not just because it’s easier for me to express certain things this way, but because some stories deserve to be shared beyond language borders.
What happened here in a castle, somewhere deep in Thüringen might just inspire someone far away.

And it wasn’t a conference — not in the way we usually use that word.
It felt more like a giant school trip.
A place where people came not to promote themselves, but to be themselves.

We arrived Thursday evening, just before 10pm, after a spontaneous road trip from Bavaria with my dear friend

someone who somehow always shows up when I need her the most. I hadn’t planned to go. In fact, I had already said no. I wasn’t supposed to be here.

But then life in all its weirdness nudged me gently in the other direction. Plans changed. And three days before the event, I simply decided: let’s go, I’m going.
So when Korina offered to pick me up, I threw some stuff into a bag and some hope into the car, and off we went.

Crossing the bridge to the fortress, with the sky already dark and the castle glowing faintly in the distance, felt a little like entering a parallel world.
Heldrungen a gigantic castle in the middle of nowhere in Thüringen, Germany.
At the entrance, no German flag but an Argentinian one waving in the wind. And it made me smile. Some ties run deeper than borders. Germany and Argentina two worlds that somehow keep showing up in the same frame.
And in that moment, I felt just how far I’ve come… and how close I still feel to the places and people that shaped me.

The mate flowed, of course. Within minutes I was deep in conversation with people I hadn’t met in person before, and yet it felt instantly familiar: natural.
It reminded me so much of Buenos Aires. Of the warmth I found in the chaos of

.

A place where no one needed explanations. Where you were welcomed without hesitation, especially when your world felt upside down.
And somehow, this Zitadelle tucked away in rural Germany carried that same spirit.

Even when I was first assigned to a men’s dorm, I didn’t think twice. I just grabbed a mattress and rolled it into the women’s house in the hallway on the floor. Unbothered. Because that’s the vibe here: uncomplicated freedom.

The event itself was beautifully organised workshops, panels, activities, everything well-structured and flowing.
But nothing felt forced. You could go to archery, sit by the moat with a coffee, meditate in the field, or wander into a flea market and spark a new idea.
It was all happening, and yet it felt light like nobody was chasing a goal, just being present.

The mornings were my favorite. Sacred, really.
Waking up after five hours of sleep, lighting the camping stove, brewing espresso with our moka pot. A few chairs. More mugs. A rising sun. That’s it. And yet that was everything.
There was clarity in those mornings. Something about sitting quietly, or getting lost in conversation without a plan, that made me feel more awake than any agenda ever could.

Our little camping spot, overlooking the castle, became a magnet. People would pass by on their way to the bathroom just intending to say hi and end up sitting with us for over an hour, brainstorming, laughing, talking about life and Nostr and everything in between.
That’s the kind of magic I love. The kind you can’t plan, only create space for.

And then there were the kids running barefoot across the grass, wearing QR codes with little signs like "My dad is nostr:nprofile1qy0hwumn8ghj7cnfw33k76twd4shs6tdv9kxjum5wvhx7mnvd9hx2qguwaehxw309ahx7um5wghxy6t5vdhkjm3dvfshxetv9e3ksqpqnkd52chzdn6f9exach80d3rgqqw6ncgyjqcxt823hr602qtq28zsvr07vd " just in case they got lost. Because we only know their pseudonyms.
It was wild and heartwarming. A Bitcoin-native generation growing up surrounded by values like openness, fun, and decentralization and clearly already better at wallets than half the adults I know.

One of the things that moved me most was the deep, effortless sense of trust.
Phones left charging in shared rooms. Cars left unlocked. Bags, gear, random electronics just lying around without fear.
Nothing went missing.
The lost-and-found was full of towels and unopened beer bottles.
There was no tension. Just a quiet understanding that we were in good company.

And the energy… it was different.
People weren’t just happy they shone from within.
There was a kind of brightness in their faces, like they had remembered something important about who they are, and why they’re here.
No one rolled their eyes at the rain. No one complained about food lines.
They just turned to the next person and started talking and in those little moments, something truly beautiful unfolded.

And of course, the whole place ran on sats.
Sorry Vegas I think we broke your "most sats used" record in about two hours. (Just with beer).

One of my absolute highlights was our spontaneous nostr:nprofile1qywhwue69uhkzerdd9hzu6tsd4hhxctfvdhjucm0d5argwp58qq37amnwvaz7tmzd96xxmmfdekkz7rfd4skc6tnw3ejummwd35kuegqyp0s6e46es3384px3rkcgucyc2m4d69uec2wa6qjy5s0njggaxvtcr8gkn2 women’s meetup.
At first, just a few of us. Then more and more gathered. We made coffee, sat in the sun, and started sharing what Nostr for example really is not as a tech protocol, but as a tool for freedom, self-expression, and sovereignty.

And something shifted.
They got it.
Not just what it is, but what it means.
Why we care. Why we show up. Why it’s not just about Bitcoin or Nostr, but about reclaiming your voice in a world that tries to drown it.

Many of them are now exploring Nostr on their own. And that makes me genuinely happy. Because I’m starting to understand my role more clearly:
I’m not here to build infrastructure. I’m here to build bridges.
Between people, between cultures, between questions and answers and dreams.
To connect, gently. Quietly. Deeply.

These past weeks haven’t been easy.
Life has a way of shaking things loose sometimes softly, sometimes not.
But this Zitadelle gave me something I didn’t even know I was looking for: stillness.
It reminded me in misty mornings and mate circles that I’m still on the right path.

That community can hold you. That visions grow stronger when shared.
And that this thing we’re building whatever you want to call it is so much more than tech.

To the organizers, the castle crew, the speakers, the plebs, and everyone who brought their warmth, weirdness, and clarity thank you.

And if we can rent a castle, we can rent an island next.
And when we do I’ll bring the coffee, the mate…
and maybe an extra mattress. Just in case.

Let’s gooo. 🧡

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