Subscribe to the Live Like a German Travel Guide in a reader (RSS)
Visit a traditional "Fest" in Germany
Categories: Entertainment
The festive season has begun in Germany. From May until October all over the county — from the smallest villages to the capital cities — there are Kirchweihen (marksmen’ festivals) and so called Schützenfeste (Kermesse festivals) talking place everywhere. There is no better way to get to know the German celebratory culture and to really understand the meaning of the infamous German term Gemütlichkeit
than by experiencing one of these local festivals - and live like a German>
during your special Germany vacation ....
There are a couple of those festivals that are pretty big and attract thousands of visitors from all over Germany, if not the whole world. The biggest Schützenfest in the world has been taken place for almost the last 500 years every July in Hanover. More than two million visitors are expected to participate in this giant event in 2010. The greatest Kirchweih in Southern Germany is the Michaelis Kirchweih in Fürth, which happens in October and traditionally is the last one of those festivals of the season. Both festivals are great alternatives for people who love the Oktoberfest in Munich but cannot make it there or simply want to experience this kind of festival in a different town just for the sake of it.
However, if you actually want to get a sense of German traditions and culture, it is best to pick a Schützenfest, Kirchweih, or Kirmes in any small town. In many rural communities these festivals mark the cultural highlight of the year. The local Church and various clubs come together to prepare for the big event. Women outdo themselves by baking wonderful cakes that are sold, the local brewery donates specially brewed beer and children decorate the local church or chapel with flowers or embellish the wagon in which the King of Marksmen is paraded through town at the beginning of the Schützenfest. These smaller festivals usually only last for three or four days but on those few days in the year the whole town comes to a standstill. The population takes a break from everyday life and comes together to enjoy amazing homemade food and beer, listen and dance to live music and engage in stimulating conversations.
If you spend your summer vacation in Germany, it is almost guaranteed that a Schützenfest, Kirchweih, or Kirmes takes place somewhere within a radius of 30 miles from where you are at during the time of your stay. Just check the local newspapers to find out where to go.
Opening Hours
- Schützenfest in Hanover: 2nd July until 11th July 2010
- Michaelis Kirchweih in Fürth: 2nd October until 13th October 2010
About this Article
[ author: Kathrin Wagner ]
This travel guide has been written by Kathrin Wagner. She grew up in a small town in Bavaria and then studied Media studies, Literature and History in Erlangen and Munich. As a student she already spent half a year in London and moved back there after graduation in 2006. She is still living in London, where she works in publishing.
Nearby Destinations Where You Can Find Nice Germany Vacation Rentals
Göttingen
Göttingen is a college town in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Göttingen. The Leine river runs through the town. In 2006 the population was 129,686. [ + ] learn more
Related: vacation rentals in Göttingen
Eisenach
Eisenach is a city in Thuringia, Germany. It is situated between the northern foothills of the Thuringian Forest and the Hainich National Park. Population was 43,626 in 2006. [ + ] learn more
Related: vacation rentals in Eisenach
Erfurt
Erfurt is the capital city of Thuringia and is the main city nearest to the geographical centre of Germany, located 100 km SW of Leipzig, 150 km N of Nürnberg and 180 km SE of Hannover. Erfurt Airport can be reached by plane via Munich. It lies in the southern part of the Thuringian Basin, within the wide valley of Gera River, a tributary of the Unstrut. To the south, the city is surrounded by the hilly forest of Steigerwald. [ + ] learn more
Related: vacation rentals in Erfurt
Rotenburg an der Fulda
Rotenburg an der Fulda (officially Rotenburg a.d. Fulda) is a town in Hersfeld-Rotenburg district in northeastern Hesse. The town lies south of the Stölzinger Gebirge (range) in the narrowest part of the Fulda valley. The town’s lowest point lies at 180 m above sea level in the area near the two bridges across the Fulda linking Rotenburg’s Old Town and New Town; these are the Alte Fuldabrücke (“Old Fulda Bridge”) and the Brücke der Städtepartnerschaften (“Bridge of Town Partnerships”). The town’s highest point is the 548.7 m-high Alheimer, lying on the town limit between Rotenburg and the neighbouring community of Alheim. [ + ] learn more
Gerstungen
Gerstungen is a small town in Thuringia, known as “the green heart of Germany.” Visit Wartburg castle in nearby Eisenach, where Martin Luther translated the Bible from Greek to German in 1522 and where Johann Sebastian Bach was born and baptized in 1685. Only 10 kilometers away you can walk the Treetop Path
at the Hainich National Park (wheelchair access is available), part of the largest deciduous forest in all of Germany.
[ + ] learn more
Related: vacation rentals in Gerstungen
Feedback, comments, questions?
If you have visited here please share your experiences with our readers on Facebook. Or, if you have other cool trip suggestions and would like to contribute a travel guide here, please drop me an email. We also are encouraging free-lancers, travel guide writers or publishers who have great Germany related content to send us an email and get in touch with us.
