Botenlauben-Festspiele Bad Kissingen

Medieval Times at a Real Castle Ruin

The Botenlauben-Festspiele distinguish themselves from many other medieval markets by taking place not on an improvised festival ground, but on a real Staufen castle ruin from the early 13th century. Botenlauben Castle – today an impressive ruin with a keep and remnants of walls – stands on a mountain spur above the present-day Bad Kissingen district of Reiterswiesen and is easily accessible via hiking trails. This authentic setting makes the festival a visually and atmospherically special experience.

Count Otto von Botenlauben – The Main Figure

The festival play is based on the historical figure Count Otto von Botenlauben (approx. 1177–1245). Otto was a crusader, a Minnesänger, and the last lord of Botenlauben; his songs are part of the corpus of Middle High German poetry (twelve surviving songs in the Codex Manesse). In 2026, the grand open-air play "Count Otto – From Sword to Minne" tells the story of his return from the Holy Land in 1220 with Beatrix von Courtenay, the daughter of the seneschal of the King of Jerusalem.

Program: Theatre, Knights, Market, Camp Life

Over three festival days, the spectacle features:

• Open-air theatre "Count Otto – From Sword to Minne" on the main stage in the castle ruins
• Knightly combats on the tournament grounds – contests for the shield of Countess Beatrix
• Night Mystery Play on the castle walls (late evening hours)
• Oriental Camp as a nod to Otto's journey to the Holy Land
• Craft Market with blacksmiths, potters, woodworkers, textile artists
• Children's program with dedicated activity stations
• Camp life with reenactment groups, taverns, archery, show combat

Bad Kissingen – Bavaria's Spa Capital

Bad Kissingen, a town with approximately 23,000 inhabitants and a district capital in the district of Bad Kissingen in Lower Franconia, is one of Germany's most famous spa towns and, since 2021, part of the "Great Spa Towns of Europe" as a UNESCO World Heritage site. The town has a historical tradition of thermal baths, spa concerts, and representative architecture (Kursaalbau, Regentenbau). The Botenlauben-Festspiele contrast this measured spa town elegance with their popular and spectacular character – an important counterpoint that rounds off the Bad Kissingen event calendar.

Reiterswiesen Local Heritage Association – The Organizers

The Reiterswiesen Local Heritage Association has been the organizer since 1992. Reiterswiesen is now a district of Bad Kissingen but retains its own character as a village within the town; the heritage association preserves local history and the castle ruins. With the festival, it finances restoration and maintenance work on the castle.