Name: 175th Englmarisuchen Sankt Englmar 2026
Start: 2026-05-22T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-05-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Kapellenberg und Pfarrkirche Sankt Englmar

Englmarisuchen

About Englmarisuchen

On Whit Monday, May 25, 2026, Sankt Englmar in the Bavarian Forest will celebrate the 175th edition of its unique Pentecost custom. The Englmarisuchen recounts the legend of the death and rediscovery of the blessed Engelmar, the patron saint of the village, in a historical pageant. Riders, folk dancers, and 'Pfingstl' figures process solemnly to the Kapellenberg, where the wooden statue of the hermit is symbolically recovered and, after a mountain service, returned to the village on an ox cart. It has been Bavarian Intangible Cultural Heritage since 2020 and recognised nationwide by UNESCO since 2023.

Dates 22 May — 25 May 2026

Venue Sankt Englmar (09278)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Englmarisuchen — edition 2026

The 175th edition of the Englmarisuchen will take place around Pentecost 2026, with the highlight being Whit Monday, May 25. The traditional 'Englmari-Singen' at the 'Steinerner Engelmar' atop the Kapellenberg on Whit Friday will kick off the festival calendar. On Whit Sunday, the parish will accompany the folk costume and rider groups, before the actual pageant with procession, mountain service, and ox cart is celebrated on Whit Monday.

The 175th edition of the UNESCO-recognised Pentecost custom promises a special festival year: the municipality expects significantly more visitors than usual, and the decoration of houses and streets with birch branches and flags is prepared by many families weeks in advance.

As every year, the festival weekend begins on Whit Friday with the traditional 'Englmari-Singen' at the 'Steinerner Engelmar'. The main spectacle takes place on Whit Monday: a concert at the church square, a historical procession with riders and folk dancers, the symbolic rediscovery of the Engelmar figure at Kapellenberg, a mountain service, a blessing of livestock, and a solemn return procession to the parish church with a final Te Deum.

Highlights Englmarisuchen 2026

175th anniversary edition. Historical procession with riders and folk costumes, rediscovery of the Engelmar statue, mountain service, ox cart procession, UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Programme Englmarisuchen 2026

Whit Friday, May 22, 2026 – Englmari-Singen

8:00 PM — Traditional 'Englmari-Singen' at the 'Steinerner Engelmar' atop the Kapellenberg

Whit Sunday, May 24, 2026 – Parish Church

Festive Pentecost services in Sankt Englmar Parish Church
Decoration of houses and streets with birch branches, flags, and flowers by the local population

Whit Monday, May 25, 2026 – Englmarisuchen (Main Festival Day)

8:00–9:00 AM — Concert at the church square with performances by the 'Pfingstltuscher' and 'Pfingstl' figures
9:00 AM — Procession of historical performers and riders, festive march from the church square to Kapellenberg
approx. 9:45 AM — Symbolic rediscovery of the wooden figure of the blessed Engelmar at Kapellenberg
Following: Mountain service (open-air service) at Kapellenberg
After the service: Blessing of livestock
Short return procession with ox cart and Engelmar statue to the church square
Concluding Te Deum in the parish church
until 12:00 PM — Concert at the church square

Prices Englmarisuchen 2026

Free admission to all events. Food and drinks available at Sankt Englmar's restaurants and at the festival grounds on the church square.

Practical information

Practical information — Englmarisuchen

Getting There

Sankt Englmar is located about 30 km northeast of Straubing in the district of Straubing-Bogen. Travel via the A3 (Straubing exit), B20, or B533. By train to Straubing or Bogen, then continue by bus. On Whit Monday, the municipality offers special parking and shuttle buses.

Admission

Free. Donations for the Förderervereinigung are welcome.

When to Arrive

By 8:00 AM at the latest at the church square to experience the concert and the assembly of the procession.

A Legend Brought to Life Every Year

The Englmarisuchen dates back to the legend of the blessed Engelmar, a hermit who lived in the 11th century on the slope of the present-day Kapellenberg and was murdered by his companion out of jealousy. A travelling priest named Ruodbertus is said to have found his body at Pentecost. A stone church was built on his grave in 1131, and he was canonised in 1188 according to an old manuscript. This discovery myth has evolved over generations into a unique Pentecost play.

Year After Year Since 1850

The first documented evidence of the Englmarisuchen dates back to 1850. The spectacle has taken place every year on Whit Monday in the same fixed sequence since 1906 – for the 175th time in 2026. The event is organised by the Förderervereinigung Sankt Englmar (Sankt Englmar Support Association) in close cooperation with the Catholic parish, the local heritage and folk costume association, and the municipality.

UNESCO-Recognised Cultural Heritage

In 2020, the Englmarisuchen was added to the Bavarian Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage, followed in 2023 by its inclusion in the UNESCO's Federal Register of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This makes the Pentecost custom one of the three major Pentecost festivals in Lower Bavaria, alongside the Bogenberg Pilgrimage and the Kötzting Pentecost Ride.

Course of the Pageant

In a colourful historical procession, hundreds of riders, folk dancers, and 'Pfingstl' figures march from the parish church up to the Kapellenberg. There, the wooden figure of the blessed Engelmar is symbolically recovered, followed by an open-air service. Afterwards, an ox cart carries the sculpture back to the parish church in a solemn procession, where the High Mass with a Te Deum marks the spiritual climax.

Sankt Englmar and the Bavarian Forest

Sankt Englmar is located in the district of Straubing-Bogen at an altitude of 800 metres in the heart of the Bavarian Forest. With around 1,500 inhabitants, the village is a classic holiday resort – for hikers in summer and a ski area in winter. The Pentecost period is the most important time of the year: houses are decorated with birch branches and flags, and hundreds of visitors travel to the village.