125 Years Schwarzatalbahn — Anniversary Festival
Grand line festival along the entire railway line from Rottenbach to Katzhütte — a 125-year railway premiere
About 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
125 Years of Railway in the Schwarzatal Valley
The Schwarzatalbahn was opened in 1900 as a narrow-gauge railway and connected the main line of the Saale-Bahn (in Rottenbach) with the upper Schwarzatal valley all the way to Katzhütte. As of 2026, this marks 125 years of railway tradition through one of Thuringia's most scenic valleys — along the Schwarza river, through narrow gorges, and past the famous "mountain railway stations" Obstfelderschmiede (with the connection to the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn) and Mellenbach-Glasbach. Today, the Thüringer Bergbahn (a subsidiary of Deutsche Bahn) operates the line as a regional railway. The 2026 anniversary marks one of Thuringia's largest railway events.
Line Festival — The Entire Route Becomes a Festival Mile
The concept of the anniversary festival is extraordinary: not a central festival site, but the entire railway line becomes the festival grounds. At each station between Rottenbach and Katzhütte, as well as at the mountain station of the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn in Lichtenhain, a separate station festival will take place from 11 AM to 5 PM with music, hands-on activities, historical demonstrations, model railways, children's activities, and catering. In Katzhütte, the festival even extends until 9 PM — the southern terminus is the main stage of the day.
Thuringian Police Orchestra as a Common Thread
The Thuringian Police Orchestra provides the connecting festive element: after the welcoming remarks in Rottenbach at 11 AM, the orchestra will travel along the line by special train, giving a celebratory concert at each station. This makes it the musical link between the individual station festivals — anyone traveling on the Schwarzatalbahn that day with the special timetable train can experience the orchestra live again and again.
Festivities in Katzhütte
In Katzhütte — at the southern end of the line — the festival concludes with a central ceremony: welcoming remarks from the managing director of Regio-Netze, the head of the Thüringer Bergbahn and Schwarzatalbahn, and the mayor of Katzhütte. The Police Orchestra will perform a final celebratory concert, and the convivial festivities at Katzhütte station will continue into the late evening.
Children's Festival the Day Before
On Saturday, August 22, 2026, a children's festival with free admission will take place at Rottenbach station between 10 AM and 5 PM — as a prelude to the anniversary Sunday. The program includes hands-on activities, model railway demonstrations, and child-friendly railway experiences.
Katzhütte and the Schwarzatal Valley
Katzhütte is a municipality in the Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district in the upper Schwarzatal valley — the Schwarzatal valley itself is one of Thuringia's most scenic regions, nestled between the Thuringian Slate Mountains and the Thuringian Forest. The historical mountain railway connections (Oberweißbacher Bergbahn, Lichtenhain-Cursdorf line) make the area an Eldorado for railway enthusiasts from all over Germany.
125 Years Schwarzatalbahn — edition 2026
125 Years Schwarzatalbahn — Anniversary Festival August 22–23, 2026
The anniversary weekend begins on Saturday, August 22, 2026, with the children's festival at Rottenbach station (10 AM–5 PM, free admission): hands-on activities, model railways, railway experiences for children.
The main festival takes place on Sunday, August 23, 2026. Starting at 11 AM, the festival opens at Rottenbach station with welcoming remarks and a celebratory concert by the Thuringian Police Orchestra. At each station of the Schwarzatalbahn (as well as at the mountain station of the Oberweißbacher Bergbahn in Lichtenhain), a separate station festival will then take place from 11 AM to 5 PM. The Police Orchestra will travel along the line by special train and give a concert at each stop. In Katzhütte, the festival extends until 9 PM and concludes with a central ceremony featuring welcoming remarks from officials and a final concert by the Police Orchestra.
Programme 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn 2026
Program Structure 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn 2026
Saturday, August 22, 2026
- Rottenbach Station, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM — Children's Festival with model railway demonstrations, hands-on activities, railway experience offerings for children. Free admission.
Sunday, August 23, 2026 — Line Festival
- 11:00 AM Rottenbach Station — Opening with welcoming remarks and celebratory concert by the Thuringian Police Orchestra
- 11:00 AM–5:00 PM Station Festivals along the entire line (Bad Blankenburg, Schwarzburg, Obstfelderschmiede, Mellenbach-Glasbach, and other stops) — live music, interactive stands, catering
- 11:00 AM–5:00 PM Lichtenhain Mountain Station (Oberweißbacher Bergbahn) — separate station festival with historical demonstrations
- Police Orchestra Concerts along the line — the orchestra travels by special train from station to station, giving a festive concert at each stop
- 11:00 AM–9:00 PM Katzhütte Station — main festival location with extended program, concluding ceremony in the evening with welcoming remarks from Regio-Netze CEO, Head of Thüringer Bergbahn and Schwarzatalbahn, and Mayor of Katzhütte
- Special Timetable on the Schwarzatalbahn — increased frequency on both festival days
Detailed program and special timetable at thueringerbergbahn.com.
Highlights 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn 2026
- 125 Years — Anniversary festival along the entire line (a premiere)
- Thuringian Police Orchestra as the musical common thread
- Children's festival the day before in Rottenbach
- Festivities in Katzhütte in the evening with welcoming remarks from railway officials
- Special timetable to experience the entire Schwarzatalbahn
Prices 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn 2026
Admission to all station festivals: free. Train tickets at the regular fare for the Schwarzatalbahn (special timetable on both days).
Practical information — 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn
Date
Main festival day: Sunday, August 23, 2026, at each station along the line 11:00 AM–5:00 PM, in Katzhütte until 9:00 PM. Children's festival on Saturday, August 22, 2026, 10:00 AM–5:00 PM at Rottenbach station.
Location
Schwarzatalbahn railway line between Rottenbach (Saale-Bahn connection) and Katzhütte (end of the line), stops include Bad Blankenburg, Schwarzburg, Obstfelderschmiede, Mellenbach-Glasbach, and other locations. Main festival location at the end of the line in Katzhütte, 98746 Katzhütte (Saalfeld-Rudolstadt district, Thuringia state).
Admission
Free admission to all station festivals. Special timetable on the Schwarzatalbahn on both days — tickets at the regular railway fare.
Getting There
Train: Travel to the Schwarzatalbahn via Saale-Bahn from Saalfeld/Saale; change to the Schwarzatalbahn in Rottenbach. Car: A9 exit Triptis, then B281 into the Schwarzatal valley.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place 125 Years Schwarzatalbahn
Streckenfest entlang der Schwarzatalbahn (Rottenbach–Katzhütte)
Bahnhof Katzhütte, 98746 Katzhütte