Frankenstein Castle (Germany)

The village of Frankenstein Frankenstein (Frankenstein Castle) is a bit ruined, about 30 km south of Frankfurt, in Germany. It 'an easy afternoon trip from Germany's second city, if you have your own transport.
Frankenstein Castle is certainly not the largest castle or more of the most interesting in Germany, but it is possible that Mary Shelley found the inspiration for his gothic novel, Frankenstein, from these ruins.
If this is true or not, the castle was certainly home to an eccentric scientist Konrad Dippel - responsible for hair-raising experiments with animals - and human body parts.
Frankenstein's Castle is a fairly subdued and peaceful place for about 364 days a year, but it comes to life (or should that be, it resurrects from the dead?!) Once a year, for a huge and frankly terrifying Halloween Festival, every October 31st.

The word 'Frankenstein', rather prosaically, it means 'the Franks' stone - the name of the family who claimed the land. The castle a little 'was probably built before 1252 (the year of the first historical records) and remained in the Frankenstein family for about 400 years - give or take a few squabbles between the two sides of the family.

In the 17th century, it became a barracks for soldiers retired; and the castle was restored by overzealously well-meaning romantic during the 19th secolo.Nel after World War II, parts of the castle were used as an American Army base - which helps in part to explain some of the popularity of the castle to visitors from the United States.

Unfortunately, the most impressive parts of today's castle - the high, peaked towers - has never existed in the Middle Ages. These were added in 1850 by romantic architects who wanted to exaggerate the quality of the Gothic castle. Even so, most of the inner courtyard of the castle (the lower walls) are authentic; and you can still see remnants of the old drawbridge.