From Darmstadt we drove about 30 minutes to the Frankenstein Castle, trying to get there before sunset. It was a race. We drove on a winding road up a mountain that was one of the most beautiful fall drives yet. The woods around us were orange and yellow with dark tree trunks. The leaves were still on the trees and they were spectacular. The forest floor was carpeted in orange. The sun was behind the clouds, setting as we arrived on top. I wish I had some photos of those woods. They were electrifyingly beautiful.
We got to the top at 4:30, just as the sun was setting. The castle was closed–it was supposed to be open until sunset, but we were probably a bit too late, so we hiked around the castle ruins on some foot paths in the woods.
We read that during the post war years, American soldiers made a big deal out of this place and turned it into a Halloween castle. Looks like they still have Halloween celebrations there.
Here’s a bit more about this place:
Castle Frankenstein is a hilltop castle located near Darmstadt in Mühltal. The castle is first mentioned in the records in the year 948, and initial construction of the castle ruins remaining today began in the 13th century. The 14th and 15th centuries saw expansion, followed by construction of reinforcements in the 16th. It was owned by the Barons von Frankenstein who owned most of the surrounding land until 1662, when the Baron of that time sold the property to the Landgrave of Hesse-Darmstadt. There have been claims that the castle may have inspired the Mary Shelley novel, Frankenstein. While Shelley is known to have travelled through this area in 1814, historical scholars believe that she did not visit this castle. There are special dinners for Halloween and for other occasions. It is also possible to hike up to the castle.
The Odenwald, the mountain range on which Frankenstein Castle is located, is a landscape with dark forests and narrow valleys shrouded in mystery and enshrined in legend. Many folktales and myths exist about Frankenstein Castle. None of them have been verified as fact, but all of them have influenced the culture and traditions of the region.
Our Frankfurt Germany Mission 