Walpurgisfahrt of the Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn

When the Wipperliese travels for Witching Night

There are few Walpurgis Night experiences that are as specific and beautiful as this one: the Mansfelder Bergwerksbahn, affectionately called Wipperliese by locals, travels into the late evening on April 30th for Walpurgis Night. You board in Benndorf at 8 PM, the locomotive whistles, the historic carriages set in motion — and after a few minutes, you reach the first illuminated tunnel where witches and devils await you.

The Walpurgisfahrt is industrial culture in action. The mining railway travels through the landscape of the Mansfeld mining district, formerly heavily shaped by copper shale mining — a region where the "Glück Auf" tradition and mining history become tangible. The final stop is Hettstedt-Burgörner, where the Walpurgis fire is already burning at the Eduardschacht. Witch music, bratwurst, beer, sparks flying into the night sky — and for the return journey, it's back by train. Mansfeld-Südharz, a district in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, thrives on such industrial and traditional experiences.