So today was a huge day on the list of things to do.  We had decided we really wanted to do something special and Germany was the place due to logistical purposes.  It was a big step for us to plan to have a vacation this large and expensive.  Frankly, it’s a luxury and a leap of faith that it’s ok to do it.  I started to research and look for things to do.  I knew Dave wouldn’t want a tour and we would be better doing this sort of thing with friends or on our own. Germany, it was. We started to research what all there was to do.  Then I saw this.   Wait for it.   Wait for it.  WAIT FOR IT!  

FRANKENSTEIN CASTLE.  THE FRANKENSTEIN CASTLE. Holy cow!  I wanted to see a castle and this was close!!! How could we not go?

  
Forgive me while I steal from Wikipedia again:

“Frankenstein Castle (German: Burg Frankenstein) is a hilltop castle in the Odenwald overlooking the city of Darmstadt in Germany. It is alleged that this castle may have been an inspiration for Mary Shelley when she wrote her 1818 Gothic novel Frankenstein.

Frankenstein is a German name consisting of two words: The Franks are a German tribe and “stein” is the German word for “stone”. Accordingly the meaning of Frankenstein is “Stone of the Franks”. The word “stein” is common in names of landscapes, places and castles in Germany. Consequently, the term “Frankenstein” is a rather ordinary name for a castle in this region.

Before 1250, Lord Conrad II Reiz of Breuberg built Frankenstein Castle and thereafter named himself von und zu Frankenstein. The first document proving the existence of the castle in 1252 bears his name. He was the founder of the free imperial Barony of Frankenstein, which was subject only to the jurisdiction of the emperor.

Alchemist Dippel, Mary Shelley & the Monster

In 1673 Johann Conrad Dippel was born in the castle, where he was later engaged as a professional alchemist. It is alleged that Dippel influenced Mary Shelley’s fantasy when she wrote her Frankenstein novel, though there is no mention of the castle in Shelley’s journals from the time. However, it is known that in 1814, prior to writing the famous novel, Shelley took a journey on the river Rhine. She spent a few hours in the town of Gernsheim, which is located about ten miles away from the castle. Several nonfiction books on the life of Mary Shelley claim Dippel as a possible influence.

Dippel created an animal oil known as Dippel’s Oil which was supposed to be the equivalent to the alchemists’ dream of the “elixir of life.” At one point, Dippel attempted to purchase Castle Frankenstein in exchange for his elixir formula, which he claimed he had recently discovered; the offer was turned down.[5] There are also rumours that during his stay at Frankenstein Castle, Dippel practiced not only alchemy but also anatomy and may have performed experiments on dead bodies that he exhumed. There are rumours that he dug up bodies and performed medical experiments on them at the castle and that a local cleric would have warned his parish that Dippel had created a monster that was brought to life by a bolt of lightning. There are local people who still claim today that this actually happened and that this tale was related to Shelley’s stepmother by the Grimm brothers, the German fairy-tale writers. However, none of these claims have been proven to this date, and some local researchers doubt any connection between Mary Shelley and Frankenstein Castle.“

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankenstein_Castle

The book and the movie are huge in America pop culture.  Who hasn’t at least seen a cartoon of the famous monster?  Mary Shelley, wrote the novel in 1818. Shelley wrote the book on a dare from her husband and their friend,  Lord Byron, while they were visiting Byron in Geneva. The Shelleys had traveled along the Rhein to get there, and some say  that they heard tales about Konrad Dippel, who was born in the castle in 1673.


  

The monster is pretty iconic, no?

  

We drove about a half an hour to find the place. It is literally up on the top of a hill in the Odenwald mountain range at an elevation of 1,200 feet.  It’s close to the southern outskirts of Darmstadt.  The road was narrow and extremely winding with hairpin curves.  I could easily imagine a coach and horses driving such as they did at the beginning of the Dracula movie.  It could easily be creepy and scary. 

We got to a parking lot and saw no one. Only a few cars were there. Really?!  We expected more of a tourist thing.  We parked and got out. It was so secluded and remote, we almost didn’t know where to go.  We left the car and starting walking up the hill.  Holy cow.  There it was.  Our jaws dropped.  We knew it was a ruin, but honestly there was a lot there.  

   

a view from the turret

 

  

only way to get us all in

going through the gate

   

the drawbidge would be here

 

the chapel.

The inside of the chapel was incredible. It’s what I’d picture a medieval  church to be. There was alter at the front and various art sculptures of saints on the walls.  Or at least, think that was what was going on.   Remember at this time there was only one church. 

inside

  

this photo is not meant to be disrespectful. i am truly grateful for my summer snd what has happened

 

the back of the tower

  

there are pulleys for the drawbridge or gates

The castle just delighted all of us. We couldn’t believe it was so accessible and not commercialized.  There were no tour guides or venders or signs saying keep off.  You could just walk in and up and explore. So we did. 

wow…the inside walls.

We climbed old worn stairs that leaned.  I was slightly apprehensive, but couldn’t miss it!

  
 

on a walkway

We walked the battlements and could look over the edge.  The large wall behind us is called a parapet.  Mir is just a protection wall.  We could see the slits in the wall where they would fire arrows at invaders! And yes, I looked it up, it’s just called arrow slits.  Archers could offer arrows or long bows from here. 

 

close up loking out arrow slit

 
 

arrow slit

 

The really cool thing about it was the view. We couldn’t believe how gorgeous it was. 

  
 

the spectacular view

 

  
 

they did have a coin viewer to see better, but we didnt use it

 
 

I joked that Dave missed the boat not wearing a Black Sabbath shirt

 

  
  
  
  
 

Karin rang the church bell

 
All in all, even Karin and Jj who were somewhat skeptical, were impressed.  It was easily one of the neatest things we have ever seen.  It was old and exactly what you would have thought a castle was like, but not cleaned up and made all Hollywood. 

 

yes, a catapult

 
So if you are ever in the area,moe sure to go see it. As mentioned, it wasn’t commercial and we only got some postcards. There was nothing else there to purchase.  Pure and simple. AMAZING. 

Just take a leap of faith.