Castle and City Festival Schleusingen

A Town Celebrates Its Castle

Schleusingen is located in the Hildburghausen district, on the southern edge of the Thuringian Forest. The small town is famous for its Bertholdsburg Castle — a late medieval hilltop castle, now home to the Natural History Museum. Every June, the entire area between the market square and the castle walls becomes the stage for the Castle and City Festival, the town's largest folk festival (Volksfest).

Three Days with a Clear Program

Over the years, the city festival has developed a proven three-day format that involves the entire community:

• Friday — Opening concert with school choirs, traditional keg tapping ceremony, big 90s/2000s retro party, and live music late into the night
• Saturday — Traditional Abitaufe ceremony for the Schleusingen grammar school graduates (farewell to the graduating class), school festival, children's festival with the WDR Mouse, bouncy castles, games, and hands-on activities, live concerts in the evening
• Sunday — Church service, traditional Klöße-Essen (dumpling meal) by the clubs, large parade through the town center, closing event

Moon Circus and SC 07

The festival is organized by the agency Moon Circus in cooperation with the sports club SC 07 Schleusingen and other local partners. The 2025 edition was the 32nd — the 33rd edition in 2026 is expected to take place at the end of June; the exact date will be announced in spring 2026.

Bertholdsburg Castle as a Backdrop

The castle overlooks the festival mile — and is usually active during the city festival with special openings, guided tours, or special exhibitions. The integrated Natural History Museum uses the city festival to attract visitors who might not typically visit a museum.