Through Halloween: Germany's spooktacular events
Halloween gains ground in Germany every year. Whatever your pleasure, be it a stroll through an autumnal landscape or having the wits scared out of you at an ancient castle, you’ll find seasonally appropriate fun. Here is a roundup of Halloween outings:
• Hassloch: Holiday Park dons the fitting Halloween look in October. The park promises spooky fun appropriate for all ages.
On Oct. 20, 27 and 31 and Nov. 3, the park stays open until 9 p.m. Park entry costs 26 euros for those taller than 4-feet, 3-inches; 6 euros for those between 2-feet, 9-inches and 4-feet, 2-inches; and is free for those shorter than 2-feet, 8-inches. Find details at www.plopsa.be/holiday-park/en/event/happy-halloween.
• Kaiserslautern: The Gartenschau is the site of a Kürbisfestival that runs through Oct. 31. This year’s theme is “Underwater,” and you’ll find more than 30,000 pumpkins artfully arranged in the forms of fish, dolphins and mermaids.
Entry costs 7 euros for adults, 3 euros for ages 6 to 16, and 17 euros for a family pass good for two adults and children. Find more at http://tinyurl.com/cohk9 (German only).
• Ludwigsburg: The gardens around the city’s residential palace are the site of a pumpkin exhibition incorporating an impressive 450,000 specimens in more than 500 varieties through Nov. 4.
On Sunday, the German pumpkin championships take place — will its current record of 1,472 pounds be bested?
European championships follow on Oct. 14, when only a beast weighing more than 1,554 pounds can capture the crown. Oct. 20 is family Halloween day, with activities for children.
Entry costs 8 euros for adults, 3.90 euros for ages 4 to 15, and is free for those 3 and younger. A family pass for 2 adults and 2 children costs 21.50 euros. Read more at www.blueba.de (German only).
• Mayen: Genoveva Castle (Genovevaburg) in the Eifel region holds a Middle-Ages Witches and Magicians Market Oct. 27 and 28. Children can enjoy hands-on activities and pumpkin carving while adults browse the stalls. Entry is free. Read more at http://tinyurl.com/cok9oft (German only).
• Mechernich: Burg Satzvey, in the Eifel region, will have its share of ghosts and spooks Oct. 27 through 31. Castle gates open at 6 p.m. Attendees can experience a labyrinth of horrors, fire artists and the tricks of magicians. Live bands playing medieval music add to the atmosphere. A disco opens at about 10 p.m. From 6 to 10 p.m., a special children’s hall hosts children in supervised activities, such as arts and crafts and mask painting while parents enjoy adult-oriented scares elsewhere.
The cost is 15 euros for adults, 12 euros for ages 6 to 12, and free for those 5 and younger. Find details at http://tinyurl.com/d5ljwml (German only).
• Monschau: This city in the Eifel region turns its Old Town into a Halloween landscape Oct. 26 and 27, when ghosts and monsters come out to play. Guided tours depart from the marketplace at 7 p.m. Learn more at http://tinyurl.com/cg5z6tf (German only).
• Rust: Europa Park gives a nod to Halloween through Nov. 4. By day, take in the autumnal decoration of pumpkins, cornstalks and apples; toward evening, be scared by the goblins and witches that take over the park’s streets. The park is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Entry costs 37.50 euros for adults, 33 euros for ages 4 to 11, and is free for ages 3 and younger. The entry price includes rides and shows. Find details at www.europapark.com.
