Heimat- und Wiesenfest Lichtenberg

An almost 200-year-old tradition

Since 1832 — for almost 200 years — the small Upper Franconian town of Lichtenberg has celebrated its Heimat- und Wiesenfest. This makes the Lichtenberger Wiesenfest one of the oldest continuously maintained local festivals in the Frankenwald. The town in the Hof district (Bavaria, 09475) thus preserves a form of civic folk culture that has long since disappeared elsewhere.

Flower arches, crossbows — all handmade

The trademark of the Lichtenberger Wiesenfest are the artfully tied flower arches, with which girls in white dresses march in the parade and dance at the Frankenwaldsee. Together with the traditional crossbow shooting, they form the heart of the festival. What makes it so special: both the flower arches and the crossbows are made in Lichtenberg itself — a form of lived custom that hardly any other place cultivates in this way.

Festival grounds at Frankenwaldsee

The venue is the festival grounds at Frankenwaldsee, at the foot of the Schlossberg with the Lichtenberg castle ruins. The parade traditionally begins at the Schlossberg and leads down to the lake — accompanied by the music clubs from Rehau and Nordhalben — where the actual festival activities with the festival tent, catering, and stage take place.

Support association and citizens

The Wiesenfest is supported by the town of Lichtenberg together with the Förderverein Heimat- und Wiesenfest e.V. — a citizens' association that has kept the tradition alive for decades through volunteer work. The Wiesenfest brings together locals, former Lichtenbergers from all over the world, and guests from the Frankenwald and the neighboring Vogtland region.

Upper Franconian backdrop

Lichtenberg, picturesquely situated in the Höllental valley, was once an independent knightly lordship and is now considered a "knight's town" in the Frankenwald. The historic old town with its castle ruins, the rock formations of the Höllental valley, and the Frankenwaldsee offer a spectacular backdrop for the Wiesenfest. Anyone who has been here once knows the reputation: the most beautiful local festival in the Frankenwald.