Havelland Music Festivals — Nennhausen Castle Park Open Air

Classical Music with a Picnic Blanket in the Havelland Castle Park

When the sun stands high over the Havelland countryside on the 2026 Summer Solstice, four horn players will perform an unusual open-air concert: 'From Classical to Jazz – Four Horns'. The venue is the Nennhausen Castle Park, one of West Brandenburg's most beautiful and tranquil parklands. You'll sit on a blanket or a brought-along folding chair, with a picnic basket and wine, letting the horn sounds float among the ancient trees.

The Havelland Music Festivals

The Havelland Music Festivals are a concert series founded in 2001, organized annually under the direction of Madleen Fox, featuring around 20 concerts in special locations in the western Havelland. The concerts take place in castles, churches, manor houses, barns, and parklands — wherever a special acoustic and charm can be created. 2026 marks the 26th season. It includes, among others:

• June 6, 2026 — Beethoven Violin Sonatas
• June 13, 2026 — Berlin Salon Orchestra Gala
• June 21, 2026 — Four Horns in Nennhausen Castle Park (4 PM)
• June 27, 2026 — Jazz-Classical Saxophone and Harp
• November 14, 2026 — Italian Baroque Music with Viola da Gamba and Harp

The 'Four Horns' Concert

The horn quartet is a rare ensemble — the horn has a special acoustic quality that comes into its own optimally in an open-air castle park. The program spans from:

• Classical horn quartets of the Romantic era (Brahms, Schumann)
• Baroque adaptations
• Folk-inspired melodies
• Jazz improvisations for four horns
• Film score arrangements

The concept perfectly suits the picnic format: relaxed, varied, and intergenerational enjoyment of classical music under the open sky.

Nennhausen Castle — Fontane's Footprints

Nennhausen Castle was once a summer residence and is now a private aristocratic estate. The place became famous through Theodor Fontane, who stopped here in 1880 during his 'Wanderings through the Mark Brandenburg' and portrayed the de la Motte Fouqué family. The castle park is scenically attractive: old oaks and lindens, wide meadows, a small pond — all laid out in the English landscape style of the early 19th century.

Nennhausen and the Westhavelland Nature Park

Nennhausen is located in the Havelland district, in the middle of the Westhavelland Nature Park — one of Brandenburg's largest protected areas and an internationally recognized Star Park. The low light pollution, open lowland landscapes, and numerous bird populations make the region a hidden gem for nature enthusiasts. A perfect day: morning hike in the nature park, afternoon classical music in the castle park.