With the warmer weather well on its way, it's time to start slowly dusting off the tents and double checking that all the camping equipment is ready for the upcoming spate of festivals. And one of the first noteworthy festivals of the season is Dark Troll Festival, perhaps one of the most scenic festivals in Germany. This is one of the must-see festivals for lovers of Pagan, Black, and Folk Metal: not only does this festival feature a slew of amazing bands, but the surrounding scenery is also unparalleled. Set in a secluded part of Germany, ruins of an old castle loom over the festival, giving it a distinctive air that brings the Folk music completely to life. This scenic backdrop is not all that the festival has to offer: a single glance at the lineup immediately shows that the quality of music has been given greater emphasis than the size of the band., with the lineup each day consisting of a delectable mixture of both known and obscure bands.

As a testament to the growing popularity of this festival, weekend tickets have been completely sold out, despite an increase in the maximum capacity of the festival. However, fret not, for day passes will be available on site, ranging from 15€ for Thursday's lineup through to 30€ for Saturday's debaucherous lineup. Several acts will set the ruins rumbling, including top international bands such as MOONSORROW and GRAVEWORM, as well as some of the leviathans of the German scene, such as BLACK MESSIAH, OBSCURITY, and FINSTERFORST. Champions of the underground scenes, such as DVALIN, FIRTAN, and, my personal highlight, FEN are also planned to set the stage ablaze, resulting in a heady mixture that will appeal to a wide variety of fans. With Thursday being a public holiday, the long weekend really can't get much better than that. And in addition to the great music, there are a range of other attractions. For example, since 2013, a medieval tent village springs up each year, giving an authentic idea of how life in the Dark Ages would likely have looked like. With the ruins of the castle as a backdrop, this reenactment will really captivate your imagination and take you back to ancient times.

Dark Troll Festival provides a welcome alternative to the more commercialized festivals available, making for an intimate weekend in the forest, surrounded by like-minded metalheads and a fantastic lineup of excellent bands. What better way to spend your long weekend?