Flachsmarkt around Linn Castle

Germany's Largest Craft Market

The Flachsmarkt around Linn Castle is, by its own definition and industry standards, Germany's largest craft market. Over 300 craftspeople from across Germany and neighboring countries (Netherlands, Belgium, Poland) gather on Pentecost weekend around Linn Castle in Krefeld's Linn district. In 2026, the market will take place from May 23rd to 25th – Pentecost Saturday, Sunday, and Monday.

What Makes the Market Unique

Unlike traditional arts and crafts markets, the Flachsmarkt is an experience market: The craftspeople work LIVE in front of the audience. You can see how:

• Flax spinners create thread from plant flax – the market owes its name to this central demonstration
• Hand weavers weave fabrics on historical looms
• Saddlers craft horse harnesses and leather goods
• Rope makers twist ropes, often with 20-meter demonstrations
• Blacksmiths shape iron at an open fire
• Woodturners work wood on old lathes
• Potters, felt makers, basket weavers, brush makers, goldsmiths practice their trades

Supporting Program: Knights, Musicians, Hands-on Activities

The „attractive supporting program with knights and musicians for the whole family" makes the Flachsmarkt an experience beyond just crafts:

• Knights – camp life, sword fights, mock battles, historical reenactments
• Musicians – medieval music, bagpipes, hurdy-gurdy, Renaissance ensembles
• Hands-on activities for children – woodturning, pottery, felting, blacksmithing, drumming. Children actively participate, not just watch.

Family Day Pentecost Saturday

A special feature that many families plan for this specific day: Pentecost Saturday (May 23rd, 2026) is Family Day with free admission for children under 16 years old. The other market days are also family-friendly, but Saturday is particularly attractive in terms of price.

Tickets & Public Transport Combo

Online sales are available via flachsmarkt.ticket.io, with tickets also sold at the on-site box office. A clever solution: The KombiTicket also functions as a public transport ticket for travel to and from the event (VRR tariff area). This eliminates parking stress – Krefeld-Linn is directly accessible by tram 044.

Linn Castle — The Medieval Moated Castle

The venue is Linn Castle, an exceptionally well-preserved medieval moated castle in Krefeld's Linn district. The castle complex includes the actual castle, the hunting lodge, the Linn Castle Museum with its archaeological collection, the castle gardens, and extensive parkland. This setting distinguishes the Flachsmarkt from comparable markets: you are not moving through a town hall, but through an authentic medieval area.

Krefeld-Linn and the Lower Rhine

Krefeld is a large city on the western Lower Rhine, with around 230,000 inhabitants, traditionally a center of the silk industry. Linn is a historic district to the east, with its own medieval townscape and the castle at its heart. The Flachsmarkt attracts around 45,000 visitors annually from the entire Rhine-Ruhr region, the Netherlands, and the Bergisches Land – one of the most important Pentecost events on the Lower Rhine.