Elbhangfest Dresden

Seven Kilometers of Festival Mile on the Elbe

The Elbhangfest is a geographical and curatorial peculiarity: Instead of concentrating on one venue, the festival stretches for about seven kilometers along Pillnitzer Landstraße — from Schillerplatz in Loschwitz, through Wachwitz, Niederpoyritz, and Hosterwitz, to Pillnitz Castle in the east. Those experiencing the festival move from venue to venue on foot, by bike, or with the historic Elbe steamer line of Saxon Steam Navigation. 68 performance venues are used, including churches, wineries, private gardens, galleries, schoolyards, and Pillnitz Castle itself.

Program: Concerts, Theater, Wine, Readings, Dance

The approximately 170 to 200 individual events cover almost every art form: Classical music in the Pillnitz Vineyard Church, rock on the three main stages, choirs and brass bands in the Loschwitz Church, theater in the Hosterwitz pavilion, readings in villas, dance on the village squares, street art in the vineyards. In addition, there are several wine villages where Saxon vintners serve their wines — Pillnitz König-Albert-Riesling, Wachwitz Müller-Thurgau, Loschwitz Spätburgunder. The festival combines the high culture of the Elbe Valley (churches, castles, villas) with a Volksfest (public festival) character (bratwurst, beer, live music late into the night).

History: Originated from Church Benefits

The Elbhangfest originated in 1990/91 as a benefit event for the churches of Loschwitz and Pillnitz, which urgently needed restoration after the fall of the Berlin Wall. Within a few years, the initial concerts to collect donations evolved into a festival that now attracts around 80,000 visitors annually. The non-profit association Elbhangfest e.V. organizes the festival with numerous volunteers; admission to the festival grounds remains free. Only individual special events require admission fees.

The Landscape as a Backdrop

What makes the Elbhangfest unmistakable is its backdrop. The Dresden Elbe Valley slopes are among the most impressive cultural landscapes in Central Europe: steep vineyards descend to the Elbe, interspersed with historic winegrower houses, Wilhelminian-era villas, Pillnitz Castle with its English garden, the 18th-century Pillnitz Vineyard Church, and the Loschwitz funicular station. Those traveling on the Elbe Cycle Route between Loschwitz and Pillnitz pass through a region shaped for centuries by art, wine, and proximity to the Saxon royal courts.