Burg Frankenstein

October 25, 2008

25.10.2008

Burg Frankenstein is a 1,000-year-old castle in Western Germany near Darmstadt that turns itself into a Haunted house every year for a couple of weeks in October. The whole thing started with the US Army! After WWII the Army stayed in Darmstadt and brought Halloween with them. They had a party at their barracks which got too noisy so they asked if they could use the castle. The party has been a yearly event since then! We bought tickets online in advance and headed 2 hours west for the thrills.
You have to park at the bottom of the mountain and a shuttle bus takes you and all your costumed companions up to the castle. They dump you out at the entrance and then you have to show your ticket and go thru security. Finally we entered and what is the first thing we see....just think we are in Germany....Beer! There is a tent with food and drinks. We stop to have a slice of pizza and drink in our free "goblet" (really just a plastic cup.)
After we get our nerve up we head toward that goblins and monsters (80 of them!). Basically the place is set up in sort of a circle where monsters can chase you. They also have a few "stages" where they have their shows. The monsters here are some of the most touchy feely things. They would rub your hair, chase you and even hug some people.
One that was stationed down in a pit of water all night liked to steel things from the girls.

There was one guy with a chainsaw running around that really freaked me out. After awhile it got so crowded there that I was less of a target. Curt on the other hand didn't seem to scared of these guys.

The castle supposedly influenced Shelley in her writing. Mary Shelley got the name Victor von Frankenstein from the physician and alchemist who wrote 2 books about the castle. He took bodies from the graveyard in Neider-Beer-bach and the minister told everyone in the local parish he used the parts to create a monster.

The place is really only a pair of towers and a chapel but they decorate it superbly. They also have actors performing little shows. They mime them so there is no worry that you don't speak German. They did portray a different twist on Hansel and Grettle that I have ever seen.
I can definately chalk it up as one of the best Halloween events I have ever been to.