Historical city tour in the countryside about the history surrounding May 1st in Berlin
"The witches go to the Brocken / the stubble is yellow, the seed is green / There gathers the great throng / Lord Urion sits atop" - From the tragedy "Almost I" by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe from 1808.
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Walpurgisnacht in Berlin
Walpurgis Night heralds the arrival of summer. It was already celebrated in medieval Berlin. In today's urban culture, it is arguably one of the most striking and impulsive festivals of the year. This is often linked to the May Day riots in Kreuzberg. However, there are also peaceful celebrations and political protests on the eve of Walpurgis Night in Mauerpark in Prenzlauer Berg and Wedding. But Walpurgis Night has other facets in its long history in Berlin.
Walpurgis Night is ambivalent. On the one hand, it is the festival of romantic love. On the other hand, it is also the festival of witches, who, according to old Berlin folklore, make their journeys to the legendary Brocken on this night. In modern-day Berlin, the "Dance into May" is the more bourgeois version of the festival. The traditional drink is May wine.
On our excursion into the countryside, the Mayan atmosphere of spring truly comes to life in this setting. History and mythology transport us to a bygone era. The birds are singing. Our Walpurgis Night tour, with its poetry, also allows us to delve into the mystical dimensions of the festival. Goethe, through his works, brought Walpurgis Night into the realm of world literature. He also visited Berlin around 1778.
While Walpurgis Night is ostensibly a day of Berlin's subculture today, we also find the widespread, traditional elements of the festival in Berlin. It is a time when everything seems electrified. In the Middle Ages, Walpurgis Night was therefore perceived as a magical night in Berlin as well. This is also reflected in our Berlin city history in old legends of Berlin witches for whom the journey to Brocken on Walpurgis Night was too far.
- This open city tour is conducted exclusively in German
- You can also book it as a private tour on other dates and in other languages at the office
Private tours on other days or in German or French language are possible with arrangement.
