175th Englmarisuchen Sankt Englmar
175th edition of the Pentecost custom recognised by UNESCO in the Bavarian Forest
About Englmarisuchen
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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.
Englmarisuchen — edition 2026
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.
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
Highlights Englmarisuchen 2026
Prices Englmarisuchen 2026
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.
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Travel to this festival
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Where it takes place Englmarisuchen
Kapellenberg und Pfarrkirche Sankt Englmar
Rathausstraße 6, 94379 Sankt Englmar