Chrysanthema Lahr

Germany's Largest Flower Festival

With its two weeks of festivities and tens of thousands of chrysanthemum plants, Chrysanthema Lahr is Germany's largest chrysanthemum and flower festival. It has been held annually at the end of October/beginning of November in Lahr in the Ortenau district (AGS 08317) since 1998 — at a time when most other flower festivals have long ended and chrysanthemums have their grand moment.

2026 Motto: "Colorful Moments of Happiness!"

The motto of the 29th edition in 2026 is "Colorful Moments of Happiness!" — and it dictates the color palette for the staging of sculptures, plantings, and locations. Particularly intense color compositions are expected, featuring all chrysanthemum tones from deep burgundy red to sunny orange, yellow, pink, white, and rare shades of purple.

Staging in the City Center

Lahr's old town — Marktplatz, Rathausplatz, Hauptstraße — is fully integrated into the festival. Large-format chrysanthemum sculptures (animals, figures, abstract shapes) are assembled from thousands of potted plants. Seas of flowers in shop windows, on building facades, in fountains, and at focal points turn the old town into a botanical wonderland. Lahr's private gardens open their gates for the duration — a walk through the city leads from garden to garden.

Two Weeks of Program

Over the 16 festival days, Chrysanthema offers a dense accompanying program:

• Concerts in churches and on squares — choir, organ, brass bands, classical concerts
• Family activities — workshops for children on planting, crafting sessions, garden tours
• Craft market with regional artists
• Culinary stands with specialties from Baden and the Black Forest
• City tours focusing on the historic old town
• Floristry workshops for adults

Lahr and the Ortenau District

Lahr/Schwarzwald is located at the transition from the Black Forest to the Rhine plain in the Ortenau district. With almost 50,000 inhabitants, the city is the administrative and cultural center of the region between Offenburg and Freiburg. The historic old town with its Tiergarten and Stadtkirche provides the ideal backdrop for a flower festival — Chrysanthema is now the city's most important tourist attraction in autumn.

Getting There by Train and Car

Lahr is accessible by train on the main Karlsruhe–Basel route (RE, IRE, Lahr/Schwarzwald station). By car, take the A 5 (Karlsruhe–Basel, Lahr/Lahr-West exit). Parking spaces are designated around the old town. During the festival weeks, there is an increased bus service in the city center.