After dark, Heppenheim turns into a legendary city. Since 2004, more than 150 artfully designed silhouette cut-outs, created by the artist Albert Völkl have been decorating the street lamps in Heppenheim’s historic centre – and all of them show Hessian legends. They tell exciting stories from past times – about giantesses, gnomes and unredeemed nights. Stories of courage and cunning, heroism and love.
 
How about a little taste of the stories?
 
The legend “Castle in the Mountain” tells the story of a candle maker, whose son went to Heppenheim day after day in order to sell his candles. One fine day, the boy met a strange man at the foot of the Schlossberg mountain. The man showed him through a secret door into a splendid castle in the mountain. There, he gave him a lot of money for his candles. From now on, the boy sold all of his candles to the stranger – but he had to promise he would never tell anyone! But, one day, the people of Heppenheim came to the candle maker and shouted, because they would not get any candles anymore and Heppenheim was dark. The father asked the boy, but the boy remembered his promise and did not want to tell anything! The father, however, did not stop asking and threatened the boy with punishment. After a long time of thinking, the boy revealed the secret! The father wanted to find the castle in the mountain with its golden room – but the castle had vanished! Some secrets are meant to remain secrets forever!
 
Audio track on the lantern walk: Here the tale of the legendary Heppenheim hero "Melampus" told by Uwe Pfeifer (the lantern is in the middle of the stairs from Schunkengasse to the church square).

Find little signs on all street lamps to individually explore the historic centre and find out more about the old legends. The illuminated street lamps with their silhouette cut-outs will take you from the market place through narrow alleys to mysterious places and romantic corners, which inspire the imagination of every visitor, just as the story tellers did in former times.
 
 

Experience the street lamps with its legends together with historically costumed guides equipped with a ladder, hand lanterns and candle light who will meet you on the market place for an exciting night tour. The guides will choose some lamp posts and there, in a very entertaining manner, they will tell old stories of secret, tragic and funny occurrences. Lantern Tours for individual travellers take place on every Saturday from May through September. Lantern Tours for groups can be booked throughout the year.
 

Lantern Tours for individual travellers

May – September: every Saturday at 10:00 pm (no tours during the wine festival)
group tours upon request
December: 26th – 31st December at 7:00 pm.
 
Tickets for the tours are available at the Tourist Information. The current corona regulations apply depending on the incidence.