Name: Family Kite Festival at Altmühlsee 2026
Start: 2026-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-01T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Seezentrum Schlungenhof am Altmühlsee

Kite Festival Altmühlsee

About Kite Festival Altmühlsee

The Family Kite Festival at Altmühlsee is one of the most beautiful family events in the Franconian Lake District. Once a year, traditionally around the start of the Bavarian school holidays, kite flyers transform the sky above the Schlungenhof lake center into a multi-colored composition of toy kites, stunt kites, giant kites, and kite figures. Free admission, bringing your own kite allowed, a perfect family Sunday at Altmühlsee. Organized by the Altmühlsee Zweckverband (special purpose association).

Dates 01 Oct — 01 Oct 2026

Venue Gunzenhausen (09577)

Prices Free

Status —

Edition 2026

Kite Festival Altmühlsee — edition 2026

The Family Kite Festival 2026 at Altmühlsee has been confirmed by the Altmühlsee Zweckverband as a recurring event in its annual program. The exact date will be announced by the organizer in summer 2026 — traditionally, the festival takes place on the Sunday at the beginning of the Bavarian school holidays, i.e., in October. The venue remains the Schlungenhof lake center on the Altmühlsee. Free admission. Bringing your own kite is explicitly encouraged.

The 2026 edition continues the popular family festival, which has been a firm fixture in the Altmühlsee event program for years. The Altmühlsee Zweckverband included the kite festival in its 2026 annual plan (announced in March 2026) as one of the most important family events of the season, alongside "See in Flammen" (Lake in Flames) and the Fishermen's Festival.

The exact date, based on experience, depends on the start of the Bavarian school holidays — usually a Sunday in early October. As soon as the date is published, early arrival and sturdy shoes are recommended: the lawns at the lake center fill up quickly.

Highlights Kite Festival Altmühlsee 2026

Open kite flying on the lakeshore, craft stations for children, demonstrations by Southern German kite clubs, workshops for beginners, family atmosphere at Altmühlsee.

Programme Kite Festival Altmühlsee 2026

Tentative Schedule on Event Day

11:00 AM — Opening of the Kite Festival at Schlungenhof Lake Center
11:00 AM–4:00 PM — continuous kite flying opportunities on the lakeshore
Demonstrations by experienced kite flyers from Southern German kite clubs
Craft stations for children (build your own kite)
Workshops for beginner kite flying
Catering with snack stands, cake, and drinks
4:00 PM — Closing

Bringing Your Own Kite

Your own kites of all kinds are explicitly welcome — from simple stick kites to stunt kites
Experienced club members will help beginners with launching and flying

Organizer and Current Information

Altmühlsee Zweckverband
Tel. 09831/508191
[email protected]
Current 2026 Date: altmuehlsee.de and fraenkisches-seenland.de

Event Notice: wind and weather dependent. In case of extreme weather, the festival may be shortened or canceled.

Prices Kite Festival Altmühlsee 2026

Admission is completely free. Bringing your own kite is explicitly encouraged. Food and drinks available on site at usual festival prices. Parking at the lake center is subject to a fee (approx. €3–5 per day).

Practical information

Practical information — Kite Festival Altmühlsee

Getting There

Schlungenhof is located on the west bank of the Altmühlsee, about 5 km west of Gunzenhausen. By car via the B466 (Gunzenhausen–Wassertrüdingen). By train to Gunzenhausen, then bus or taxi. Parking at the lake center (fee required, full on event days).

Admission

Free admission. Bringing your own kite is allowed and encouraged. Food and drinks available on site.

Note

Event is wind and weather dependent — in case of storm warnings, continuous rain, or complete calm, the festival may be shortened or canceled. Latest information at altmuehlsee.de or call 09831/508191.

A Bavarian Autumn Classic by the Water

The Family Kite Festival at Altmühlsee is one of the most popular autumn family events in the Franconian Lake District. Designed as an open kite festival for families, the event invites you to bring your own kites and fly them on the lakeshore under the guidance of experienced kite flyers. At the same time, kite clubs from all over Southern Germany showcase their most impressive creations: multi-line stunt kites, giant animal kites, kite boats, and sometimes even acrobatic multi-person formations.

The Schlungenhof Lake Center as a Stage

The venue is the Schlungenhof Lake Center on the west bank of the Altmühlsee — a spacious recreational area with generous lawns, a lido, pedal boat and surf rental, and a nature reserve to the north. Its location directly on the lake with constant west winds makes the area ideal for kite flying. Wind and weather conditions determine the success of the day — wind is desired, light rain or overcast skies are no obstacle.

Program and Family Activities

In addition to kite activities, the festival offers family activities: craft stations where children can build their own kites, workshops for beginner kite flying courses, catering with snack stands, non-alcoholic drinks, and cake, and sometimes small demonstrations with kite friends. The event runs from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

The Altmühlsee — Bavarian Lake District on the North Side of the Franconian Jura

With about 450 hectares of water surface, the Altmühlsee is the largest lake in the Franconian Lake District — a flood retention lake created in the 1980s, now serving as a local recreation and water sports area. The Vogelinsel (Bird Island) in the north of the lake is an important bird sanctuary with over 280 documented bird species. The Altmühlsee belongs to the municipality of Gunzenhausen in the district of Weißenburg-Gunzenhausen.