The devil in the Eichsfeld

Hanstein Castle

Where the states of Hesse, Lower Saxony and Thuringia meet, the ruins of Hanstein Castle gleam in the bright sunlight. The castle is actually known as a gloomy place from the film “The Physician”. When you visit the castle, however, you will soon notice that the castle and the landscape around it are a pleasant place to spend your time.

You can reach the castle courtyard via a bridge that leads across the neck ditch. From here, you can admire real suits of armour and swords in the knights’ hall. Or you can stroll through underground vaults into the former torture chamber. When it is hot outside, the cool air of the cellar is truly refreshing. Gentle people beware! It is about to get scary. Down in the chamber, there are instruments of torture such as a medieval rack and manacles for the wrist and neck. If you would prefer to enjoy a good view, climb up the north tower. From here, the views of the Hessian Werra Upland are glorious.

Hanstein Castle is also a good starting point for an approximately 45-minute hike to the Teufelskanzel rock formation, which is the subject of an interesting legend. Many years ago, witches, warlocks and devils allegedly met in the Harz to celebrate Walpurgis Night. At around midnight, when the celebrations were in full flow, Satan climbed up onto a high rock to deliver a sermon. When he was finished, the listeners asked whether he was able to carry the rock from which he had spoken as far as the Meissner without taking a break. He arrogantly replied: “That is easy for me!”. When the celebration was over, the devil picked up the rock and ran towards the Meissner, as fast as an arrow.

At first, it all went well. After a while, however, Satan realised that his strength was failing. He finally reached the Höhberg. Now he was just a stone’s throw from the Meissner. Soon he would have won the bet. But first he had to rest. He looked around; there was no one there. He decided to take a break, put the rock down beside him and went to sleep. However, he was soon woken up by a witch’s cry: “Hans, you bragger, you have only got this far!” The devil was so alarmed that he tore the witch on her broomstick into a thousand pieces in mid air and himself fell deep into the waters of the Werra. The river shuddered and curved around the place where the devil had appeared, and still flows in the shape of a mighty horseshoe to this day. The rock still lies in the same place and is known as Teufelskanzel (the devil’s pulpit).

The romantic route from the ruins of Hanstein Castle to the Teufelskanzel leads through the forest for 2.5 km. The last third of the route is characterised by rocky ground and a lot of roots, which prove particularly popular with the children. They hop from stone to stone. Three steps will take you up to the rock formation. This legendary sandstone rock provides a wonderful view of the Werra Valley with the Werra flowing in the shape of a horseshoe. Right behind the Teufelskanzel rock formation is a little wooden cottage in the middle of the forest, which will remind you of the gingerbread house from Hansel and Gretel. Fortunately, there is no witch living here. It smells of delicious food. So take a seat in the beer garden outside the inn. There is delicious spätzle and fresh mushrooms gratinated with Eichsfeld cheese, and a Thuringian dumpling with brown gravy for the children.

Cover picture: ©Copterfreunde Hessen, HVE Eichsfeld Touristik e.V.