Weingarten Blood Friday (Blutritt)
Europe's largest mounted procession in honour of the Holy Blood relic
About Blutritt Weingarten
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A Relic, a Procession, 95 Riding Groups
The Weingarten Blood Ride is the largest mounted procession in Europe and one of the most significant religious festivals in Southern Germany. At its heart is the Holy Blood relic of the Basilica of St. Martin in Weingarten — a phial said to contain earth from the Holy Land soaked with Christ's blood, gifted to the Welfs by Judith of Flanders in 1094. The custom of carrying the relic in a mounted procession through the town and countryside on the Friday after Ascension Day to bless people, animals, houses, and fields has been documented since 1529.
1,800 Riders, 7:00 AM Departure
The procession begins on May 15, 2026, at 7:00 AM in front of the Basilica and follows a loop of approximately eight kilometers through the town and surrounding fields. Around 1,800 riders are expected, organized into 95 riding groups from Oberschwaben, the Allgäu, Lake Constance, and neighbouring dioceses — all in traditional black riding attire with top hats. The High Mass with the relic itself in 2026 will be carried by Father Pirmin Meyer OSB as the Holy Blood Rider.
Pontifical Mass at 11:30 AM
Following the procession, the Pontifical Mass will take place at 11:30 AM in the Basilica. The guest preacher for 2026 is Bishop Dr. Klaus Krämer (Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart). Former EU Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger is expected as the secular guest of honour. The Basilica is one of Germany's largest Baroque churches and houses the famous Holzhey organ — its sound fills the church from the prelude to the festive recessional.
Town in a State of Exception
On Blood Friday, the entire town of Weingarten transforms into a pilgrimage site. Tens of thousands of pilgrims and onlookers line the procession route; Ravensburg-Weingarten University is closed, and schools are off. Popular piety is palpable: farming families place tables with holy pictures and candles in front of their houses, and the riders salute by touching their hats as they pass these tables. The custom has been discussed multiple times as intangible cultural heritage.
Blutritt Weingarten — edition 2026
Europe's Largest Mounted Procession
The 2026 Blood Friday in Weingarten is one of the largest and oldest pilgrimages in the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. At 7:00 AM, the procession sets off from the Basilica of St. Martin — led by the 2026 Holy Blood Rider, Father Pirmin Meyer OSB, carrying the phial with the Holy Blood relic. Around 1,800 riders from 95 riding groups follow, all in traditional black riding attire with top hats.
The procession covers approximately eight kilometers through the town center and fields of Weingarten, blessing people, animals, houses, and the land. Afterward, the relic returns to the Basilica, where the Pontifical Mass begins at 11:30 AM with guest preacher Bishop Klaus Krämer. Günther H. Oettinger is expected as the secular guest of honour.
Programme Blutritt Weingarten 2026
Friday, May 15, 2026 — Schedule
- 6:00 AM — Assembly of riding groups
- 7:00 AM — Procession departs from the Basilica of St. Martin
- 7:00 AM–11:00 AM — Mounted procession through Weingarten town and fields (approx. 8 km)
- 11:00 AM — Relic returns to the Basilica
- 11:30 AM — Pontifical Mass in the Basilica (Celebrant: Bishop Dr. Klaus Krämer, Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart)
- Holy Blood Rider 2026: Father Pirmin Meyer OSB
- Secular Guest of Honour: Günther H. Oettinger (former EU Commissioner)
The route and the list of riding groups will be published in advance on stadt-weingarten.de/blutfreitag-2026 and blutfreitagsgemeinschaft-weingarten.de.
Highlights Blutritt Weingarten 2026
- Europe's largest mounted procession with around 1,800 riders
- 95 riding groups from Oberschwaben, Allgäu, Lake Constance
- Holy Blood relic from the Basilica of St. Martin (gifted in 1094)
- Pontifical Mass with Bishop Krämer in the Baroque Basilica
- Holy Blood Rider 2026: Father Pirmin Meyer OSB
- Custom documented since 1529
Prices Blutritt Weingarten 2026
Free access to the procession route and (limited) to the Basilica. No admission fees.
Practical information — Blutritt Weingarten
Getting There
By Train: Weingarten is only 4 km from Ravensburg — Ravensburg station on the Stuttgart–Friedrichshafen line; from there, take buses or a taxi to Weingarten. By Car: B 30 from Ulm, A 96 from Lindau. Extensive traffic closures will be in effect in the town centre on Blood Friday — use designated parking areas and shuttle buses.
Schedule
Procession departs 7:00 AM from the Basilica. Return to the Basilica around 11:00 AM. Pontifical Mass 11:30 AM.
Admission
Free access to the procession route and the Basilica (subject to space availability). Seating in the Basilica is limited during the Pontifical Mass.
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Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Blutritt Weingarten al mejor precio.
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Where it takes place Blutritt Weingarten
Basilika St. Martin und Innenstadt Weingarten
Basilika Weingarten, 88250 Weingarten