Original Hamburger Fischmarkt Aschaffenburg

Maritime Harbour Flair on the Main

The Original Hamburger Fischmarkt is a well-established travelling event that has been bringing Hamburg's harbour flair to German cities for over three decades. Every spring, the market stops in Aschaffenburg — the "Bavarian Nice" on the Main in the state of Bavaria (Lower Franconia, a district-free city). The venue is the historic Schlossplatz directly in front of the magnificent Schloss Johannisburg, one of Germany's largest Renaissance complexes.

Market Culture You Can Smell

The fish market brings together around two dozen stalls offering fish, harbour cuisine, and maritime specialities: freshly fried fish and chips, Bismarck herring, matjes, all kinds of fish rolls, smoked salmon, flaming salmon from an open grill, North Sea shrimps, eels, Finkenwerder sole, fish & chips, and fish salads. There's also a banana stand, a cheese stand, sweets, and a large plant market — all in the tradition of the famous Hamburg showmen.

Aale-Dieter, Bananen-Fred, and Käse-Tommi

What makes the Hamburger Fischmarkt an institution are its legendary market criers: Aale-Dieter, who has been loudly selling eels, smoked salmon, and fish packages for decades, Bananen-Fred with his large fruit crates, and Käse-Tommi with his typical North German cheeses. Their performances are little plays in themselves — coarse, funny, honest, with plenty of Hamburg banter.

Stage Programme and Family Offers

The market is accompanied by a stage programme with maritime music: accordion music from Hamburg, singers with international pop and soul classics, shanty choirs, and sailor songs. For families, there's face painting, balloon activities, and occasional demonstrations like building ships in bottles. At sunset, the maritime flair merges with the baroque silhouette of Johannisburg Castle to create one of the most beautiful market backdrops in Southern Germany.

Aschaffenburg, the "Bavarian Nice"

Aschaffenburg lies on the western edge of Bavaria, right on the border with Hesse, and is one of the gateways to the Spessart. The old town around Johannisburg Castle, the Pompejanum villa, and the castle gardens make the city a popular destination. During the fish market, day-trippers come from Frankfurt, Mainz, Würzburg, and the entire Rhine-Main region — and of course, Hamburg fans too.