Page 47 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - Germany

GERM AN Y THROUGH THE Y EAR  45

Lights of Cologne (early July)
Summer
Cologne. Very popular, big
In Germany the summer is a fireworks event.
time of great open-air festivals Schwörmontag (penultimate
and other outdoor events and Monday) Ulm. Folk festival with
activities. Nearly every town and a parade by the Danube.
village has its festival with a Kinderzeche (3rd Monday)
parade, street shows, concerts Dinkelsbühl. Ten-day folk festival
and fairs. In many places there commemorating the events of
are colourful illuminations and the Thirty Years’ War (1618–48).
firework displays. Banquets and Richard-Wagner-Festspiele
knights’ tournaments are held in (last week July/August) Bayreuth.
historic castles, while concert Festival dedicated to the works
series are organized in palaces of Richard Wagner.
and castles with the tourist Wikingerfest (August, even
particularly in mind. In June, years) Schleswig. Historical
a number of classical music Luther’s Wedding is celebrated every year festival with costumed
festivals take place, while July in Wittenberg participants, tournaments
is a popular month for water- and regattas.
related festivals. Kieler Woche (last week in June) Maschseefest (August) Hanover
Kiel. Huge regatta with concerts (Hannover). Summer outdoor
and fairs. carnival on the shores of
Classic Open Air (July) Lake Maschsee.
Berlin. Opera festival held on
outdoor stages.
Schützenfest (June). The August
traditional start of the hunting Zissel (beginning of August)
season. Celebrated in many Kassel. Picturesque folk
north German cities. festival with parades, markets
and concerts.
Mainfest. Frankfurt am Main.
July
Feast of the river Main.
Landshuter Hochzeit (every Gäubodenvolksfest (mid-
4th summer: next in 2017) August) Straubing. Folk festival
Competitors at the Internationales Landshut. Re-enactment of with a market and beer tasting.
Stadionfest (DKB-ISTAF) in Berlin the wedding feast of Georg, Weindorf (end August/early
son of Duke Ludwig the Rich September) Stuttgart. Huge
and Polish Princess Jadwiga. wine festival with wines
June Costumed wedding procession served along with typical
Bachfest Leipzig (early June) and medieval tournament. Swabian cuisine.
Leipzig. International music
competition dedicated to
Johann Sebastian Bach.
Internationales Stadionfest
(DKB-ISTAF), (early June) Berlin.
The largest athletics event of
the season.
Luther’s Wedding (second
weekend in June) Wittenberg. A
celebration of the marriage of
Martin Luther to Katharina von
Bora with music and a parade.
Spreewaldfest (September)
Spreewald. Festivals are held
throughout the summer in
Lübben and other villages.
Fronleichnam. Observed in
Catholic majority states.
Processions in towns in Bavaria
and in Cologne.
Christopher Street Day (July).
Gay and lesbian parades held
in many cities, including Berlin
and Cologne. Fireworks light up the sky over Cologne, highlighting the cathedral

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