DON’T MISS
IamExpat FairIamExpat Job BoardIamExpat Webinars
Newsletters
EXPAT INFO
CAREER
HOUSING
EDUCATION
LIFESTYLE
EXPAT SERVICES
NEWS & ARTICLES
Home
Lifestyle
Events & Festivals
Spearing the Dragon

Spearing the Dragon

Spearing the Dragon


Aug 02-18, 2024
Various prices

Never miss a thing!Sign up for our weekly newsletters with important news stories, expat events and special offers.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy
or
follow us for regular updates:

More events

See all events
TUM Executive MBA Taster Lecture & Info Session
Jun 12, 2025
2nd floor, TUM Institute for Lifelong Learning, Leopoldstrasse 139, 80804
IamExpat Webinar: How to Get a Tech Job in Germany
Jun 24, 2025
Online
Webinar: Public vs private health insurance for expats
Jun 24, 2025
Online
Handel Festival Halle
Jun 06-15, 2025
Various locations in city
See all events
You might be interested in
Freebies & giveawaysSightseeing & attractionsAbout GermanyGerman cities
For expats of all colours, shapes and sizes

Explore
Expat infoCareerHousingEducationLifestyleExpat servicesNews & articles
About us
IamExpat MediaAdvertisePost a jobContact usImpressumSitemap
More IamExpat
IamExpat Job BoardIamExpat HousingIamExpat FairWebinarsNewsletters
Privacy
Terms of usePrivacy policyCookiesAvoiding scams

Never miss a thing!Sign up for expat events, news & offers, delivered once a week.
Keep me updated with exclusive offers from partner companies
By signing up, you agree that we may process your information in accordance with our privacy policy


© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
© 2025 IamExpat Media B.V.
Stadtpl. 4, 93437 Furth im Wald,

Travel back in time to when knights roamed the land and dragons were real! The oldest folk play in Germany has been given a modern twist with a huge, fire-breathing dragon robot taking the main role, making this event as spectacular today as when it was first performed.

The Spearing of the Dragon (Der Drachenstich)

While first recorded as far back as 1590, it is thought that The Spearing of the Dragon play was being performed even before that! Originally part of the Corpus Christi celebrations, the church made it a separate event as they considered it a distraction, and the play has now generated a whole festival in its own right.

Recently, the Spearing of the Dragon was included in the federal list of "intangible cultural heritage" by UNESCO, as it is such an important tradition. The small town that hosts the event has the motto "Furth lives as long as the dragon dies."

Set against the war of the Hussites in the 1430s, the play is a tale as old as time: good versus evil, forbidden love between classes and knights saving the day from a terrible monster. The play is in German, but the spectacle is really something to behold regardless. The robot dragon is the largest four-legged walking robot in the world! There are also lots of other events around the play that make this more than worth a visit.

Countless other events are going on throughout the festival, such as bird-of-prey demonstrations, traditional musicians, fencing demonstrations and a shooting contest.

 

Video credit: Youtube / Andreas Mühlbauer

 

Medieval Parade

On the second Sunday of the festival, there is a medieval parade, with over 1.200 participants! This isn't just a fancy dress parade, although the costumes are incredible, but there will also be canon, carriages, sedan chairs and over 200 horses taking part. Get a taste of what life was like in Furth im Wald 500 years ago!

Children's Party

On the last weekend of the festival, the usually family-friendly festival goes all out for the kids. There is a performance of the Spearing of the Dragon by local children, and an afternoon of medieval games and skills kids can try their hands at.

There will be medieval music, craft stalls, and even the chance for the children to get knighted themselves! On Sunday, there is the added excitement of the children's parade, with over 750 children in various costumes, from jugglers to noblemen, parade through the streets of the town.

Cave Gladium

From Thursday, August 15 to Sunday, August 18, the Cave Gladium is also set up. This is a whole medieval village you can explore, with over 100 different stalls, displaying their crafts and selling their wares. You can get yourself some handmade medieval-style armour, or watch the sword fighting contests in the Bruchenball competition. The fighters here stay at the military camp, which you can wander through and hear the minstrels entertaining the troops.

As well as all the crafts and stalls, there is a bar for you to quench your thirst with some locally-made German beer, or some of the many other food and drinks on offer.  

medieval-armour.jpg

Getting to Furth im Wald

One thing that the Spearing of the Dragon is not, is easy to get to. If you live in Nuremberg or Regensburg, it is eminently easy to get to by public transport for a day trip. Coming from Munich, it's about a two-and-a-half hour drive. If you are coming from further afield, consider staying in the region and exploring more of Bavaria while you are here. 

Get your tickets to the Spearing of the Dragon

Tickets for the festival and the play range from 27 euros to 36 euros, depending on where you want to sit. If you just want to come for the big parade on August, Sunday 11, you can buy a seat for 10 euros or a standing spot for just 5 euros. Tickets and the full programme of events can be found on the Spearing the Dragon website.