Gößweinstein Anniversary Festival Year 950 Years

Pilgrimage Site with 950 Years of History

The market village of Gößweinstein in Franconian Switzerland was first mentioned in a document in 1076 — as the property of Count Friedrich II of Schweinfurt — and is therefore celebrating its 950th anniversary in 2026. Today, Gößweinstein is primarily known as a pilgrimage site: the Basilica of the Holy Trinity, a masterful Baroque building by Balthasar Neumann (1730), is one of the most important Marian pilgrimage destinations in Bavaria and attracts thousands of pilgrims annually. The medieval Castle Gößweinstein, one of the best-preserved castles in Franconian Switzerland, towers over the village.

A Festival Year with a Packed Program

The 2026 festival year runs from Sunday, January 11th, to December 31st, 2026, and is designed as a continuous program. The kickoff is the market community's New Year's reception on January 11th, during which the anniversary year will be officially opened. From then on, program points will follow throughout the year — concerts, open house days, garden parties, anniversary services, and cultural events.

Castle Gößweinstein as a Venue

Castle Gößweinstein, privately owned by the von Wedel family, is normally only publicly accessible on a few days a year. In the 2026 anniversary year, it can be visited to an unusual extent on the Open House Days on May 23rd and 24th and during the Garden Party on May 29th and 30th — a rare opportunity to see this impressive castle complex from the inside.

250 Years of Gasthof Stern

An exceptional program highlight is the 250th anniversary of the Gasthof Stern inn — one of the oldest and best-known inns in Franconian Switzerland. The Sponsel family has run the establishment for generations and is celebrating the double anniversary as part of the grand Gößweinstein festival year.

Night Watchmen, Concerts, and Pilgrims

In addition, numerous special events are planned: a police concert on May 22nd, a meeting of historical night watchmen from the entire region (a Franconian tradition maintained in several villages), anniversary services in the Basilica, and special programs for pilgrimage groups. The entire program will be communicated via the Tourist Information and the festival year website.