Tanz in den Mai: Party with the Witches!
In Germany, the very last hours of April are ones of great celebration, music and most of all, dancing! When the clock strikes midnight, May is here and welcomed by a party until the early hours of the morning.
(Photo credit: http://www.akpool.de/ansichtskarten/24284835-kuenstler-ak-wernigerode-warpurgisnacht-auf-dem-brocken-hexen-teufel)
The tradition comes from the Middle Ages when the 30th of April was the Walpurgisnacht (Witches Burning Night). Traditionally on the Eve of May Day witches are believed to be on tops of mountains having big parties. One mountain in particular is the Blocksberg mountain in Harz, Germany, that is infamous for the partying witches amongst its’ mountain peak! This idea of a witches gathering (Hexensabbat) has been in literature since the 15th and 16th century, where they elect a leader and discuss their witching affairs.
Then the Eve of May Day was celebrated with masks and fire so the evil spirits were expelled; now the modern celebration is a commercial and urban event. However, the traditions of this night has left a superstitious and mischievous mark on today’s German culture.
All over but especially in the Pfalz, the Eifel, the Hunsrück and Saarland region of Germany, in the evening of April 30th groups of teens take the place of the sneaky witches and do practical jokes on people in the neighborhood. Popular pranks would be moving around floor mats, garbage cans, garden tools and remove gates from fences.
Maibowle
(Photo credit: http://www.mylifes.de/maibowle-waldmeisterbowle/)
Maibowle or Waldmeisterbowle is a popular alcoholic punch to drink during Tanz in den Mai parties and May Day events. The Maibowle contains two liters of dry white wine to one-liter semi-dry sparkling wine. Then you soak the Waldmeister herb in the alcohol for 30 minutes. It is essential to pick the plant before it blooms because after it blooms the plant is poisonous. (Yikes!!) You can add a garnish of mint or add fruit to the drink.
Maibock Beer
(Photo Credit: http://www.infodienst.de/barre-maibock-2012-geht-den-start)
If punch is not your drink of choice, then during May Day activities it is the perfect time to try the Maibock beer since it is mostly sold in the period from April to June. It is a bottom-fermented strong beer with an alcohol content of more than 6% vol. It is a bright and less sweet, hopped Stout. And like all beer, after a couple of glasses it makes you a better dancer. ;)
Maypole
(Photo credit: http://www.soworld.com/page34.html)
After you danced until the sun came up, the next day there is May Day festivities with the traditional Maypole ‘pole dancing’ if you will. Traditionally a birch pole is decorated with colorful crepe paper around the pole as in the pattern of a dance and it has a small tree on top of the pole. It acts as guard against evil spirits and also it is a symbol of fertility. Villagers dance around the tree and it brings luck of fertility of nature and also human fertility. Hopefully one is not too hung over from the night before while dancing in May because dancing around in a circle around a pole might make you feel a bit dizzy!
The 30th of April has a long tradition in Germany of celebration and mischief making. To me it sounds likes the American party night before Thanksgiving and the American Mischief (Cabbage) night before Halloween combined into one fun night! So this year, put on your witches hat and dancing shoes to party with the locals at a Tanz in den Mai event near you. Here are some ideas:
(Photo credit: http://neu.tivoli.de/schlagerperlen-und-kultige-pop-hits/)
30 April 2016 Events:
Wiesbaden
TANZ IN DEN MAI im PUPASCH WIESBADEN
Saturday, April 30 at 8 PM
Pupasch
Bärenstrasse 6, 65183 Wiesbaden, Germany
Tanz in Den Mai Feierei
Schlachthof Wiesbaden
Murnaustr. 1, 65189 Wiesbaden, Germany
Darmstadt:
Bealtaine - "Keltischer" Tanz in den Mai ("Celtic " Dance into May)
The Green Sheep Pub
Erbacher Strasse 5, 64283 Darmstadt, Hessen
Koln:
Electro Swing Night
Gloria Theater , 11pm
House & R'n'B Tanz in den Mai Muschi Club
http://www.koeln.de/koeln/was_ist_los/nightlife/party-highlights-tanz-in-den-mai-2016_824054.html
Stuttgart:
Dance on the fest tables at the Stuttgart Springfest!
http://stuttgarter-fruehlingsfest.de/de/home/
Supreme Party: DJ Cray, DJ Monsieur Eric Bee und DJ Steve Turner
HipHop / R&B / Urban / Electronic Music
Perkins Park
Stuttgart-Nord
Die Pitchy & Scratchy Show:
DJ Gambit, DJ RL und DJ David Delane
HipHop / Trap / MashUp
Club Schräglage
Stuttgart-Mitte
Mannheim:
Discomania - Tanz in den Mai – Mannheim
10pm-6am
MS Connexion (Dance Club)
Angelstr. 33 (Zufahrt "Alte Seilerei 1"), 68199 Mannheim, Germany
Freiberg:
Global Clubsounds - Spring Edition (Tanz in den Mai)
Dancing Park Palazzo
Planckstr. 1, 71691 Freiberg, Baden-Wurttemberg
Kaiserslautern:
TANZ IN DEN MAI – JÄGERBALL
Nachtschicht Kaiserslautern
Zollamtstr. 28, 67663 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Tanz in den Mai
Filou Kaiserslautern
Martin-Luther-Str. 8, 67657 Kaiserslautern, Germany
Siebeldingen:
When: 30 April 2016 Maifeuer
What: Dance into May with a large campfire, wine on tap, wild boar on the spit and the Palatine cult band "Six Affair"
Where: Weingut Dr. Steiner Johanneshof 76833 Siebeldingen
Website:http://www.weingut-dr-steiner.com/homepage.html
Contact to purchase tickets: Phone 06345/3664 Email: info@weingut-dr-steiner.de
The original Harz Mountain:
What: "Something that you can't explore anywhere else in the world" A gathering of witches and warlocks. Apparently witches can fly on goats? This makes the entire event worth seeing in my opinion
Where: Brocken, Harz Mountain (about 3 hours from Kaiserslautern)
Webesite:
https://www.lonelyplanet.com/germany/harz-mountains/travel-tips-and-articles/52160
Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
Living the Fairy Tale: Climb to the top of Rapunzel’s Tower
Fairy tales are told to children to fill their minds with fanciful tales of legendary deeds, beautiful princesses, the brave prince and mythical creatures. The Grimms Brothers created legendary tales which evolved into centuries of fairy tale adaptations that will stay with us for generations to come. Located in the heart of the German Fairy Tale Route, is the Tower of Trendelburg which once inspired the Grimm Brothers to document and write the fairy tale of “Rapunzel”. The village is filled with whimsical charm and the landscape is wildly romantic. We let ‘down our hair’ and climbed to the top of tower to see view from the eyes of Rapunzel.
Driving into the town of Trendelburg was very excited to know that we were in the area where the Grimms Brothers got their inspiration and imagination from. It was very easy to see why after seeing the architecture of the houses, the cobblestone streets and of course the impressive tower!
The tower is also a castle hotel called ‘Hotel Burg Trendelburg’. To walk into the castle courtyard, you cross small bridge but first, of course you must take a Rapunzel photo and get a souvenir crushed 5 cent piece!
My own little princess brought her Rapunzel doll and wore her Rapunzel dress. The excitement really started for the kids when they saw the long braid hanging down from the tower. I said, “Rapunzel must be here”!
The castle courtyard was just magical. Beautifully decorated with the castle and knights theme while also being so well kept that a princess could actually live there.
To our surprise Rapunzel came out from the tower! Her love interest also came out and asked her to let down her hair.
Then they read the story of Rapunzel to the small crowd that was visiting the castle. This was such a lovely treat and was perfect timing. Of course the kids then wanted a photo with Rapunzel herself!
The tickets to go up the tower cost 4,50 euro and you buy them from the hotel’s front desk. The lobby in the castle was knight themed and an actual suit of armor greets you at the door.
They even had an area for children to play with a castle and knight toys.
The dining room was picture perfect! They had a delicious looking ‘Rapunzel Torte’ with a straw braid wrapped around it. I most definitely wanted to go back to have lunch in this beautiful room but the tower was waiting!
Climbing the Tower
When you walk into the tower you have an option to go into the basement of the tower which was once a torture chamber. We chose to not go down since we were with little ones! The climb to the tower is pretty steep! Starting with a stone staircase then turns into a metal spiral staircase.
On the way up they have very cool medieval decorations like knights and princesses.
One final staircase to the top, then you see the view and it is incredible!
Right away you can see how the beauty of the area was inspiring to so many to create and pass on enchanting fairy tales.
The landscape is dreamy 360 degrees around the tower.
The tower is enclosed and we felt very safe.
Dining like a Princess
Our dreamy princess afternoon was not done, because the next stop was the gorgeous dining area.
The fairy tale themed menu was just too adorable!
The perfect end to a perfect visit, we chose to have hot chocolate, waffles with warm cherries and ice cream! Needless to say it was a treat fit for a princess!
Upcoming Events:
The Great medieval Märchenfestspiele on Burg Trendelburg, 5 May 2016 from 11am to 10pm. The event begins at 11am with a parade around the castle. They will have a colorful market, jesters, jousting, puppet show and Rapunzel with her fairy friends. Admission is free!
Address:
Privathotels Dr. Lohbeck GmbH & Co. KG
Hotel Burg Trendelburg
Steinweg 1
34388 Trendelburg
Website: http://www.burg-hotel-trendelburg.com
Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
Michelstadt Easter Market: The perfect way to ring in spring!
Going to a German Easter Market is not only fun and uplifting but it also thaws any inner winter chill you may have lingering around! The pastel egg colors, the bunnies, and fuzzy yellow chicks are so uplifting! I have wanted to go to the well-known Michelstadt Easter Market for years but it never worked out somehow. Since I never made it there and then after only seeing photos online, I always imagined Michelstadt as being some magical town hidden in the middle of the Odenwald. Then after visiting, I learned that my prediction wasn’t too far from the truth!
The Odenwald is a beautiful low mountain range that stretches over the German states of Hesse, Bavaria, and Baden-Württemberg. The landscape is stunning and the traditional towns add to the peaceful scenery. Michelstadt is a charming town that is a delight to wander on the cobblestone streets during any season.
The signs for the market led me to a beautiful park with medieval buildings and towers. The parking area was packed and it took me almost 20 mins to find a spot. Even though I was very frustrated by this, the pretty walk over a wooden bridge brought me back in the spirit.
The center of the town looks perfect like a movie set. The weather wasn’t the best the day we went, but I could just imagine how the town square must be buzzing in the warmer months.
The center of town was decorated so nicely to celebrate the Easter market. They had a “band” of wooden rabbits right under a tower where beautiful bells chimed.
We left the square and found the market. Many people were attending that day and the courtyard was pretty full with people. The charged 5 euro to enter the market and kids were free.
I loved the building the market was held in because of the architecture overall charm.
This market was different to others that I have been too because you were able to touch the items more and also they had more affordable items to buy here.
Inside the building they also had a doll museum. You could walk around and look at the display cases of antique toys and dolls.
Pretty or terrifying… you decided.
Inside the (scary) doll museum they had a table set up for crafts for kids. They were able to color or make adorable bunny hats. This table was a nice break for the kids who were getting tired of looking at decorated eggs!
Perhaps the best part of the market, was when we saw baby chicks hatching out of their eggs! They had one incubator where chicks who recently hatched were in and the other one had chicks cracking out of the egg! My daughter thought this was the highlight of the day.
Leaving the market, outside everyone had one thing in their hand…a crepe! Since there were no food vendors inside the Easter Market, everyone was pretty excited to see the crepe truck outside. We joined the crowd and got a chocolate crepe and it sure hit the spot!
Our fingers were covered with chocolate and our spirits were definitely lifted after visiting this wonderful Easter Market! Michelstadt is in fact, what I always thought it was, a magical town in the middle of the Odenwald and it is a perfect place to explore throughout the year!
Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
Lunch in London: How to do a one-day trip to London from Frankfurt Hahn
Imagine waking up in your bed, having lunch in London then being home before bedtime back at your house. Well it is possible with a same day flight with the current RyanAir schedule. No packing needed! Are you up for this exciting day?!
London can be pricey but without the cost of a hotel room or checked bags it makes the trip much more affordable. Looking at the prices recently, I saw you can get a roundtrip for under 100 euro. Remember to check out our tips on booking a cheap RyanAir flight!
I have done this ‘turn and burn’ before and it was really fun! I felt very free and not tied down with any bags and no hotel to check into. All I had was my purse, and a check list of things to see in London. (“Hey look kids, there's Big Ben, and there's Parliament!”)
The first flight is their early flight to London leaving at 6:30am, getting there at 6:50am London time. With planning to be at the airport 2 hours early, 1 hour driving, it means leaving your house at 3:30am. The flight back home to Germany leaves London at 7:30pm and getting back to Frankfurt-Hahn at 10:00pm.
If you are not the best morning person, you can stay right at the airport at the B&B hotel for around 50 euro. Or it is possible to stay in town at one of the guest houses. Some of the guest house owners will let you park in their lot, drop you off at the airport then also pick you up when you arrive.
Once you arrive (with no bags!) in London you need to get to the city center via the train. They sell tickets online, on the plane or when you arrive in the airport. They do have buses available but I would be too nervous to have a traffic jam later that day and then possibly miss the flight.
Once you see all the major sites to see in London city center, you can even make the day even more extraordinary! Hop in the Tube on the Jubilee Line train to St John's Wood Station to visit the famous location of the Beatles ‘Abbey Road’ album cover. Once you get to the St John’s Wood Station, cross over the main road then walk 5 minutes on Grove End Road. It will then bring you to the junction of Abbey Road with the famous zebra crossing. That is a picture for the bucket list!
At 4pm, it is time to head back to the airport after 8 hours of being in lovely London, England for lunch!
Author’s Profile: Gemma is a mom, a veteran and an Army civilian living in Wiesbaden, Germany. With New Jersey roots, she is enjoying her extended European vacation.
