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.
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
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.