Anno Tuck — Of Knights and Dragons (Altena Castle)

Time Travel at Altena Castle

Anno Tuck is the established annual Medieval and Fantasy Festival of the Märkischer Kreis, held every summer at the historic Altena Castle. In 2026, the motto is 'Of Knights and Dragons' — a deliberately chosen combination of historically grounded medieval times and imaginative dragon elements. Dates: Friday, July 31 to Sunday, August 2, 2026.

Concept — Medieval Meets Fantasy

Unlike purely historically oriented medieval markets, Anno Tuck works with a deliberate mix:

• Knights: Reenactment groups in historical armor, foot tournaments, sword demonstrations
• Jesters and Jugglers: Street acrobatics in medieval costume
• Fire Artists: nocturnal fire performances in the castle courtyards
• Dragons: Fantasy element with dragon enactments, dragon sculptures, and dragon stories
• Medieval Bands: Music with historical and medieval-inspired sounds
• Craft Stalls in historical costume
• Historic Food and Drinks — mead, beer, suckling pig

Councillor Detlef Krüger describes the concept as a 'smaller scale' — deliberately not as large as previous events, but exceptionally atmospheric due to the unique castle setting.

Two Castle Courtyards as Stages

With its two castle courtyards, Altena Castle offers ideal conditions:

• Upper Castle Courtyard: Main stage for concerts and major performances
• Lower Castle Courtyard: Market stalls, artisans, smaller demonstrations

The medieval architecture (castle in its current form from the 19th century, with earlier structures from the 12th century) provides a better backdrop than any built festival stage.

Altena Castle — Ancestral Seat of the Counts of the Mark

Altena Castle is one of the most famous hilltop castles in the Sauerland. It was the ancestral seat of the Counts of the Mark — an important medieval noble dynasty that gave the present-day region ('Märkischer Kreis') its name. Today, the castle houses the Altena Castle Museum and the Altena Castle Youth Hostel, which played a pioneering role in youth hostel history as the world's first youth hostel (founded in 1914 by Richard Schirrmann).

Altena — Town in the Lenne Valley

Altena (around 16,000 inhabitants) is located in the Märkischer Kreis in the southern Sauerland, directly on the Lenne river. The town is closely linked to its castle — the town's brand is the castle, and its historical identity stems directly from the Counts of the Mark.