Frankenstein castle

Castle Frankenstein is known among tourists mostly due to its famous name. There is a strong possibility that Mary Shelley wrote her famous novel Frankenstein after visiting the ruins of this castle in the early 1800s. Also here is being held the largest in Germany Halloween festival (http://frankenstein-halloween.de/).


The castle is quite old, first mentioned in 1252, and now stand in ruins. The castle tower has been restored and can be climbed.


It belonged, as you might guess, to the Frankenstein family. In 1662 the head of the family sold the castle. After that it was a refuge, a hospital and a prison, and in the 18th century fell into decay.


In 1673 Johann Dippel was born in the castle, the alchemist and inventor of "Dippel's Oil". Oil has been used in many ways for centuries, for example as a remedy for insects or as an elixir of life. Even during the Second World War, it was used to infect wells with water. Now almost all of its uses are outdated. It is believed that Dippel, became the prototype of the main character of the novel "Frankenstein, or Modern Prometheus" (1818).


In the middle of the 19th century, restoration was carried out, although both towers were built historically incorrectly.


We arrived at the castle in the evening. There is a restaurant overlooking the sunset, where you can dine.




The visit is free, but you can leave 1 euro.


Getting there: Parking coordinates N 49 47.525 E 8 40.097. Not possible to reach by public transport, although it is possible to climb on foot from the town of Malchen. The footpath starts from the Frankensteiner str., approximately from here N 49 47.512 E 8 39.384. Malchen can be reached by tram 6 and 8 from Darmstadt.