Boizenburg Pentecost Market

Pentecost in the Tile City

Boizenburg/Elbe is located in the far west of Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, directly on the tri-border area with Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein, just 50 kilometers upstream from Hamburg. With around 10,000 inhabitants and a remarkably well-preserved old town of half-timbered and brick houses, the city has earned its own nickname: "Tile City", in memory of the once significant wall tile production (today documented in the First German Tile Museum). At Pentecost, the city emerges from its quiet everyday life: The Pentecost Market on the Ziegenwiese has been the biggest event of the year for generations.

The Ziegenwiese

The Ziegenwiese is a large festival meadow on the southern edge of the old town, within walking distance of the market square and the Elbe River. It is used as a green and parking area throughout the year; only at Pentecost is it occupied by showmen for four days. Classics of a North German folk market await: Ferris wheel, bumper cars, children's carousels, shooting galleries, lottery stalls, alongside bratwurst and fish roll stands, candied almonds, crêpes, cotton candy. The market is classically designed to be intergenerational: mornings and afternoons for families with children, evenings for the younger clientele at the bumper cars and bar.

The Fireworks on Friday Evening

The highlight of the Pentecost Market is traditionally the fireworks display on Friday evening at 10 PM. The showmen's guild contributes its own pyrotechnic program, which is launched from the Ziegenwiese and can be seen over the Elbe and the old town. The best viewing spots are the Ziegenwiese itself, the Elbe river promenade, and the slightly higher streets of the old town.

Pentecost Weekend Around the Market

Those spending Pentecost in Boizenburg can easily supplement the festival with other program points: The old town with its half-timbered houses, market square, and harbor is worth a stroll, the First German Tile Museum (Reichenstraße 14) is one of North Germany's more unusual museums, and the Elbe promenade with views of the Lower Saxony bank is ideal for long walks. Boizenburg is conveniently connected to the A24 motorway (Hamburg–Berlin) and can be reached by train from Hamburg in about 50 minutes.

Who Comes to the Pentecost Market

• Families with children from Boizenburg and the entire West Mecklenburg region
• Day trippers from Hamburg, Lauenburg, and the Lower Saxony hinterland
• Homecomers during the Pentecost holidays who remember the festival from childhood
• Showmen fans who visit every Pentecost market between Holstein and Brandenburg