Great Celtic Festival Otzenhausen

The Largest Celtic Ring Wall in Central Europe

The Celtic Ring Wall of Otzenhausen, with a circumference of around 2.5 kilometers, is one of the largest preserved Celtic fortifications in Central Europe. Built by the Treveri in the 1st century BC, it dominated the Hochwald Pass between the Moselle and Saar rivers as the "Hunnenring" (Hunnic Ring). Today, it is located in the Hunsrück-Hochwald National Park and is the main attraction of the Otzenhausen Celtic Park.

Living History Instead of a Display Case Museum

At the foot of the ring wall, the supporting association has erected a reconstructed Celtic village: houses made of wood, clay, and straw, a blacksmith's forge, a bakery, a weaving house, and a meeting place. Here, everyday Celtic life is not just explained but demonstrated through living history: by volunteer living history groups such as the Hochwaldkelten, who populate the village on weekends and demonstrate crafts, cooking, music, and combat techniques.

Great Celtic Festival — The Highlight

Once every two years — in even-numbered years — the Great Celtic Festival takes place in the summer. Celtic and Roman reenactment groups from all over Germany and neighboring countries travel to Otzenhausen: France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland. A total of 70–100 reenactors perform, and a Roman military camp is set up, which enters into (peaceful) competition with the Celtic village.

Crafts in Action

Visitors can experience:

• Blacksmithing — Ironworking with ancient techniques
• Pottery — Clay vessels on the potter's wheel
• Weaving — Wool and linen on a standing loom
• Bronze Casting — Jewelry making in sand molds
• Oven — Bread baking in a clay oven
• Archery — Hands-on stations for children and adults
• Celtic Cuisine — Millet porridge, wild boar roast, mead
• Military Camp Drill of the Roman legionaries

Celts and Treveri — Saarland's Cultural Heritage

The festival is more than just a living history spectacle. It conveys the archaeological significance of the Hochwald-Hunsrück region as a core Celtic territory. The Treveri were a Celtic tribe who settled here, later conquered by Caesar, and integrated into the Roman Empire. This transitional period between Celtic independence and Roman province is the theme of the festival.