Every second weekend of July, Burghausen Castle in Bavaria is transported back in time to the middle ages for The Great Historic Castle Festival, with feasting, demonstrations and a huge procession.
The Great Historic Castle Festival
This July, the year is 1515, and the castle is at full strength. There have been rebel uprisings across the country, and the Duke of Bavaria has called all men to come and defend the castle against the approaching rebels.
The Swabian army will gather here over three days, and then move on to restore peace. The whole castle is celebrating the arrival of the army, and every inch of space will be filled with stands, jugglers, jesters, musicians, craft stalls, activities and demonstrations.
Some of the societies displaying their skills or wares include crossbowmen, hunters, horse riders, cooks, entertainers, fire dancers, as well as soldiers and swordsmen.
Events for children
While the re-enactments are taken seriously, with attention to detail and a respect for the history, the event also has a lot of fun activities aimed at children. Marionette and hand puppet shows are on several times a day, and a children's musical about the Knight Rüdiger. There is a fairytale tent for those who like to listen to stories, acrobatic shows and children's activities every afternoon.
On top of that, just walking around the castle grounds is a magical experience for children, seeing history come to life around them, with knights marching past and swordsmen at arms.
The procession
The highlight of the weekend is the procession on Saturday, July 13. The arriving army will gather to be welcomed in the Stadplatz in the town centre. All the regional nobility will be present in their golden, red and green robes, as well as their bodyguards and armies. After a welcoming ceremony, the 1.500 strong procession will make its way up to the castle.
You can see the whole programme for The Great Historic Castle Festival and how to buy tickets in advance on The Great Historic Castle Festival website. Tickets are available for each day individually, or for the whole weekend. They can be bought upon arrival.
Burghausen is quite remote, sitting on the border with Austria and about a 90-minute drive from Munich. It does have a train station, but is not very frequently connected to the rest of the country. This is one festival that it is recommended to drive to.
