Bergkirchweih

In the organizer's words:

One of the most beautiful and oldest folk festivals in the world! The Oktoberfest in Munich may be bigger and more famous, but Erlangen's Bergkirchweih is older - a full 55 years - and also more traditional and much cozier. The oldest beer festival in the world attracts around one million visitors every year. With its charm and atmosphere, it captivates young and old from near and far. You too will be enchanted!

"The mountain is calling!" is a common refrain in the beer city of Erlangen every year at Whitsun. This is when one of the oldest and most beautiful folk festivals in the world takes place. The Erlangen Bergkirchweih attracts around one million visitors every year and transforms the area around the Burgberg into a cheerful get-together with music, beer, dancing, fun and games. With its charm and atmosphere, it enchants young and old, from near and far.

But let's go back in time: on April 21, 1755, the city councillors of Erlangen's Old Town decided to move the traditional Whitsun market from the Old Town to the Burgberg. Thus the Erlangen Bergkirchweih was born. When Erlangen's Lord Mayor tapped the first barrel punctually at 5 pm on the Thursday before Whitsun at Henninger Keller, the"5th season" began in Erlangen. Under wonderfully old chestnut trees decorated with lanterns, guests can enjoy cool Festmärzen beer from stone mugs, Franconian specialties and dishes from all over the world. Carousels and other rides, lottery and shooting galleries provide variety. On the last day, the Bergkirchweih traditionally ends with the beer funeral: Festival hosts and helpers parade through the crowd with a shovel, pickaxe, a priest (aka one of the festival hosts) and a last barrel of festival beer to bury it. Waving white handkerchiefs, the visitors bid farewell to the "Berch" to the song"Lili Marleen".