Festival of the Bog Spirits Graal-Müritz

A Legend and its Festival

Graal-Müritz is a state-recognized seaside health resort on the Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast, on the southern edge of the Fischland-Darß-Zingst (Rostock district). Directly behind the town begins the Ribnitzer Großen Moor — a mysterious bog landscape, protected as an FFH area, crisscrossed by boardwalks and hiking trails. Here, the Murmann is said to have lived for generations: a benevolent spirit who, according to local legend, rescued wanderers and bog explorers from the wet ground and showed them the right way.

From Legend to Festival

Building on this legend, the Tourism and Spa GmbH Graal-Müritz organizes the Festival of the Bog Spirits annually in mid-September. It is a folklore festival, family spectacle, and cultural event all in one — and one of the most peculiar end-of-summer festivals on the Mecklenburg Baltic Sea coast. The festival takes place at several locations: the central event area at the bus turnaround (Ribnitzer Straße), along the thematically decorated Strandstraße, and finally at night in the Großen Moor itself.

Daytime Program — Magic for Families

The daytime is dominated by the family program: magic shows with professional stage magicians, pony rides for the little guests, puppet theater with ghost stories, fire shows by jugglers and acrobats. Stalls selling sweets, handicrafts, and souvenirs complete the picture. The houses along Strandstraße are thematically decorated — cobwebs, pumpkins, bog spirit figures, light installations.

Evening Program — Spookily Beautiful

As dusk falls, the atmospheric main part begins: Visitors (costumes encouraged!) gather for the spooky bog walk. Costumed actors and actresses emerge from the fog — ghosts, witches, robbers, swamp creatures. In the Großen Moor, the fairy dance invites participation. The large campfire burns at the final location, fire-eaters and jugglers perform fire shows. The highlight is a spooky party with music and dancing.

Costumes and Make-up

The organizers ask all visitors: come in costume! Bog spirits, witches, swamp creatures, spooky figures — anything is welcome. Those who arrive without a costume can get professionally made up on-site: make-up stations transform children and adults into fitting creatures. The collective costuming makes the festival more than an event — it becomes a shared game.