Flößerkirchweih Unterrodach

Rafting in the Frankenwald — a UNESCO World Heritage Tradition

Rafting on the rivers of the Frankenwald — Rodach, Steinach, Wilde Rodach — was the most important transport technology for the felled timber of the low mountain range for centuries. Until the 19th century, a large part of the Frankenwald timber was transported as rafts down the Main River, all the way to Würzburg, Mainz, and the Netherlands. With the advent of the railway, this practice ended around 1900; what remained are the associations, museums, and customs that preserve the knowledge to this day. Since 2022, rafting has been on the UNESCO list of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.

Unterrodach 1864 Raft Association — One of the Oldest Rafting Associations

The Unterrodach Raft Association was founded in 1864 — one of the oldest raft associations in Bavaria. Today, the association preserves the tradition as intangible cultural heritage: through demonstration rides, the Unterrodach Raft Museum in the former Raft Lord's House (since 1981), and the annual Flößerkirchweih. The demonstration of Wiedendrehen — the making of rope from wood used to tie raft logs together — has been added as an additional program item in recent years.

Format of the Flößerkirchweih

The Flößerkirchweih traditionally takes place on the first Sunday after August 1st. Its program combines the church festival and rafting tradition:

• Festive church service in St. Michael's Church Unterrodach
• Demonstration raft with a traditional wooden raft from the Angerwehr above Unterrodach to the village center on the Rodach
• Traditional raft christening after arrival
• Wiedendrehen demonstration by the raft association
• Festival program in the village center with catering, beer, bratwurst, cake

Unterrodach, Marktrodach, and the Rodach Valley

Unterrodach is a district of the market community Marktrodach in the Upper Franconian district of Kronach, located in the Rodach Valley on the edge of the Frankenwald Nature Park. The market community comprises several districts, including Unterrodach, Oberrodach, and Zeyern. The rafting tradition continues to shape the identity of the Unterrodach district to this day.

The Raft Museum as a Year-Round Anchor

The Unterrodach Raft Museum in the Floßherrenhaus at Kirchplatz 8 is open from April to October on Saturdays and Sundays from 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM. It documents the history of rafting in the Frankenwald with models, tools, and historical images and serves as the year-round counterpart to the seasonal Flößerkirchweih.