Walberla: an ancient pagan site swirling with legends in the foothills of Franconian Switzerland.

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1 year ago Nathan

Walberla is a plateau at the edge of Franconian Switzerland in Upper Franconia, a flattish “twin-peaked” hill just west of Forchheim.
This is a spiritual site for thousands of years, dating back to the Celtic peoples, filled with stories of witches, demons, and ancient gods and, standing on the peak looking out over the rolling hills, it’s not hard to see why.

“Walberla” is actually the popular name for one of the two peaks of Ehrenbürg mountain (the other is Rodenstein), and there’s evidence that humans inhabited the mountain as far back as the Neolithic period some 6,000 years ago.
In Protoceltic and Celtic times, the mountain was immensely fortified and, in fact, It was later used as a hill fort by the Celtic Hallstatt culture, with remains of those ancient fortifications can be seen still today.
It’s also believed that the pagan Germanic tribes used this site as a place of worship, as it was considered the home of the gods.
It was in the medieval era that Walberla became wrapped up in legends of witches and demons and, according to the lore, the night before the first of May they would perform evil dances on top of the mountain.
Still today, the Walberlafest is held every year on the first weekend in May, and it’s said to have evolved from the pagan festivals of yore.
Interestingly, It is the oldest spring festival in Germany, dating back to the 9th century!
It evolved from a pilgrimage dedicated to St. Walburga into a widely attended fair, with the geographer J.B. Koppelt describing it in 1801 as a famous market attracting merchants from various regions.
The festival is known for its carnival-like atmosphere, including rides, games, and even fried carp, and often includes the raising of the Maibaum, a Maypole tradition.