48th Gernsbach Old Town Festival 2026

Three Days of Old Town Festival on the Edge of the Black Forest

When the Mayor of Gernsbach taps the keg on Friday evening, three days of folk festival begin in one of the most beautiful preserved old towns in Baden-Württemberg. From Friday, September 18th, to Sunday, September 20th, 2026, the 48th Gernsbach Old Town Festival will take place. The alleys between Hofstätte and Hauptstraße transform into a festival mile, with stalls from local associations, restaurateurs, and craftspeople lining up, and the Murg promenade becomes the main stage for the major event.

Program: Crafts, Culinary Delights, Middle Ages

The program caters to several facets of Gernsbach's tradition. In the medieval alleys, craftspeople demonstrate old techniques — papermaking, blacksmithing, basket weaving, carpentry. The international culinary offerings range from Baden Maultaschen and Alsatian Flammkuchen to Italian specialties, Mediterranean cuisine, and Asian street food options. The Spielmobilino plays a leading role in the children's program — mobile play facilities with stilts, giant building blocks, and climbing frames.

Murg Raft Trips — The Flagship

A Gernsbach specialty is the Murg raft trips, carried out by the association of woodcutters and rafters of Gernsbach. On the traditional wooden rafts, which used to transport Black Forest timber towards the Rhine and Holland, festival visitors can take a short trip on the Murg for free or a small donation. A maritime touch in a landlocked town — and a piece of living industrial history of the Murg Valley.

The Highlight: Music Fireworks on Saturday Evening

On Saturday evening at 8:30 PM, the grand music fireworks display will take place on the Murg promenade — synchronized to a musical sequence composed anew each year. Thousands of visitors gather on the promenade and the Murg bridge to experience the fireworks over the river. One of the most atmospheric firework displays in Baden-Württemberg, set against a backdrop that only Gernsbach's old town can offer.

Gernsbach — Paper-Making Town at the Entrance to the Murg Valley

Gernsbach, a town of around 14,000 inhabitants in the Rastatt district, is located at the entrance to the Murg Valley and is the historic paper-making town of Southern Germany. From the Middle Ages to the 20th century, paper — made from Murg water and Black Forest wood — was Gernsbach's most important industry. The paper-making heritage is omnipresent in the old town: in the patrician houses, the city museum, the street names. The combination of a preserved old town, its Black Forest location, and industrial heritage makes Gernsbach one of the most attractive small towns on the edge of the Black Forest — and an ideal venue for an Old Town Festival.