When it comes to creepy, what could be better than Frankenstein’s Castle? Burg Frankenstein, as the Germans call it, already has name recognition and plenty of creepy legends and myths woven into its history . What better place to have a truly spooky Halloween experience? Perched on a craggy hilltop in the Odenwald, overlooking the historic town of Darmstadt and surrounded by a forest, the castle waits all year to come alive in October (and by “come alive” I really mean, the dead are brought to life!). If you are timid or taking the little ones, I recommend the daytime children’s experience on Sundays. However, if you prefer a fright night, go in the evening.
Burg Frankenstein is full of frightening beings. From the tops of the towers to the depths of the torture chamber, the grounds are overrun with swamp creatures, living scare crows, monsters, werewolves, the dungeon master, and everything in between. One thing to keep in mind – these creatures are very hands ON. Monsters emerge with each new area you walk through on the castle grounds. My first time attending the event, a creature ripped my teenage daughter’s hat right off her head and I had to chase him, err, “it” down and demand this hellish spawn give it back. Suitably chastened—no monster can compete with a mama!—he was a good sport and complied! Soon after, another being of unknown origin grabbed her and put her in a coffin-like box. If you don’t like the idea of someone creeping up on you and invading your personal space, this is not the place for you. However, if you like being scared, this is definitely your scene. My tough old husband doesn’t like being jumped and quickly learned to keep an eye out behind him. I just call them “schatzi” (an endearment in German which translates to “little treasure”) and told them they look great!
If you are the one in the group that doesn’t want the attention of monsters, I have a couple of tips for you. First, they are attracted to screaming. If you scream or run from them, they will chase you. So don’t scream. Second, laugh. Compliment them on their amazing costumes and they quickly become bored with you and turn to someone a little jumpier.
It’s not all fright-night at Burg Frankenstein on Halloween. Throughout the night a makeshift stage hosts a variety of entertainment. Within the castle are a couple of additional things to include a comical show in the torture chamber. What’s funny about that? The frightful torturer takes volunteers from the audience who undergo, at a minimum, bad jokes, and may or may not deal with, for instance, ice shoved into their clothing. But it is all in good fun—at least for the audience! Just look for the long line leading into the Folterturm and you will eventually be led to the torture chamber, but just for the show! Note, this show is auf Deutsch: that is, in German. But it is simple enough to follow; really, ice down your pants is funny in any language.
If you like a good fright, or just enjoy the spectacle of others being scared half out of their minds, a night visit to Burg Frankenstein is the perfect place for you. If you would like a much more scaled down version with added laughter, a day visit during Sundays in October is the way to go. In addition to a much more light-hearted visit, adults pay children’s price for admittance. Regardless of a day or evening visit, monsters will often pose for photos if you ask, especially if it’s one where they look particularly frightful. If you are interested in visiting the castle but not the Halloween festivities, it is open through the week, all year long and well worth the visit any time of year although some of the hiking trails are a bit steep.
The details: Although the castle is usually free to the public and has parking on-site, that all changes during the Halloween events. Tickets to the event are sold online and are discounted for visits early in October. There is not near enough parking for those attending so a shuttle picks ticket-holders up at the parking lot of Toom and Edeka in the town of Pfungstadt on Mainstrasse. Just follow signs to “Halloween P+R”. The shuttle line can get extremely long, but the ride is short and the line moves fairly quickly. The shuttle also runs from the Eberstadt train station stop in Darmstadt-Eberstadt. Check out the train schedule for more details.
