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Burg Frankenstein, Mühltal

Frankenstein Castle

Mühltal

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Where
Mühltal

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Burg Frankenstein stands in Mühltal (Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg), in Hesse, Germany. The building is a listed Baudenkmal. Recorded dating: 13th century. Its opening hours and prices have not been verified at the source yet.

Frankenstein Castle stands on a spur of the Odenwald hills south of Darmstadt, in the Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg in Hesse. Built around 1240 by Conrad II Reiz of Breuberg, who then adopted the name von Frankenstein, it gave its name to a noble line that held the site for more than four centuries. Its name, together with the presence of alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel, born at the castle in 1673, has fed speculation about a link to Mary Shelley's novel, though no documentary evidence supports it. The two towers that dominate the ruins today date from a mid 19th century restoration that departed considerably from the medieval original.

Written from Frankenstein Castle

This place also features in Haunted castles

What to know

  • The site today is a partially restored ruin, not an inhabited castle open for interior visits.
  • Access is on foot, via a climb from the foot of the Langenberg through Nieder-Beerbach or Eberstadt.
  • The castle is listed as a Kulturdenkmal in Germany.
  • No opening hours, admission fees or accessibility details are given here, so check locally or with the Mühltal municipality.
  • The site is best known for the legends surrounding it, particularly its supposed connection to Mary Shelley's novel.

Where this château is

Mühltal · Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg · Hessen

Map of the area around Burg Frankenstein

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This châteauChâteaux within 40 km

Address

Mühltal, Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg

Directions open from wherever you are, by car or public transport.

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Heritage status
Kulturdenkmal in Deutschland
Period of construction
13th century

Base map © IGN, Géoplateforme

In pictures

Frequently asked

Did Frankenstein Castle really inspire Mary Shelley?
The link is often suggested because of the name and the presence of alchemist Johann Konrad Dippel, born there, but there is no documentary proof, and several scholars doubt it.
Can you visit the inside of the castle?
The site is a ruin partly restored in the 19th century, so there is no inhabited castle interior to tour in the usual sense.
How do you get to Frankenstein Castle?
Visitors walk up from the foot of the Langenberg, usually via the villages of Nieder-Beerbach or Eberstadt.
Who built Frankenstein Castle?
It was built around 1240 by Conrad II Reiz of Breuberg, who then took the name von und zu Frankenstein.
Was Frankenstein Castle ever besieged?
No, historical records indicate the castle was never besieged.

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Sources

Identity, location and official references from Wikidata and the Land's heritage lists.

Within an hour’s drive

The most visited in this department — Landkreis Darmstadt-Dieburg

From the same period — 13e siècle