Overview

• Villages across Bavaria's Zugspitz region are gearing up for Walpurgisnacht on April 30 and the quadrennial Maypole raising on May 1.
• Walpurgisnacht, rooted in medieval folklore, involves playful pranks, symbolic of ancient Hexensabbat rituals at the Brocken mountain.
• Maypole guarding is essential to prevent theft by neighboring communities, with strict rules governing the stealing process.
• If a Maypole is stolen, it can be ransomed back with beer and a meal, preserving the tradition of festive rivalries.
• The Maypole, often painted in Bavarian white and blue, is raised by sheer muscle power, a feat exemplified by Farchant's four-ton lift in 1982.