Name: Herbstfest with Arboretum Illumination Ellerhoop 2026
Start: 2026-10-24T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Arboretum Ellerhoop-Thiensen

Herbstfest Arboretum

About Herbstfest Arboretum

The Herbstfest with Illumination is the autumnal highlight at Arboretum Ellerhoop-Thiensen — one of Northern Germany's most significant tree gardens. For two days at the end of October, the park displays its vibrant autumn colours in daylight and transforms in the evening, when the Arboretum remains open until 8 PM, into an illuminated garden — with light art along the paths, illuminated trees, and atmospheric installations. An atmosphere that turns the already noteworthy Arboretum into an autumnal light installation.

Dates 24 Oct — 25 Oct 2026

Venue Ellerhoop (01056)

Prices —

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Herbstfest Arboretum — edition 2026

The Herbstfest with Illumination 2026 will take place on Saturday and Sunday, October 24 and 25, at Arboretum Ellerhoop. On both days, the Arboretum will be open until 8:00 PM — the evening illumination begins at dusk. Included in the regular Arboretum admission.

Visitors on the festival weekend should plan an afternoon visit and stay for the light installation in the evening. The paths are unpaved; sturdy footwear and warm clothing are recommended. The Arboretum Café offers warm mulled wine, coffee, and small snacks.

Highlights Herbstfest Arboretum 2026

Extended opening until 8 PM, illumination of the themed gardens, autumn colours of maple, Liquidambar, and Japanese trees.

Programme Herbstfest Arboretum 2026

Saturday and Sunday, October 24/25, 2026 — Arboretum Ellerhoop

Daytime — Splendour of autumn colours throughout the Arboretum, all themed gardens open
Daytime — Family programme at the Arboretum Café (craft activities with autumn leaves)
Dusk — Start of the illumination along the main paths
Until 8:00 PM — Park open with light art
In the Café — Mulled wine, punch, coffee, cakes, hot meals

Prices Herbstfest Arboretum 2026

Included in the regular Arboretum admission. Current prices at arboretum-ellerhoop.de.

Practical information

Practical information — Herbstfest Arboretum

Getting There

By car via the A23 (Tornesch exit) and then onto the B5. By train to Tornesch, then bus or taxi.

Admission

Included in the regular Arboretum admission. Current prices at arboretum-ellerhoop.de.

Opening Hours on Festival Weekend

Extended opening hours until 8 PM for the illumination.

Refreshments

Arboretum Café with mulled wine, coffee, cakes, and small hot meals.

Tip

Come dressed warmly — it can get cool in the park in the late afternoon and evening.

«Most beautiful garden in the North»

The Arboretum Ellerhoop-Thiensen calls itself the «most beautiful garden in the North» — and indeed, it is one of Northern Germany's most distinguished botanical parks. Across approximately 18 hectares, over 4,000 species of woody plants grow, including themed gardens for Asia, the Mediterranean region, heath, and moorland. The park is located in Ellerhoop in the Pinneberg district, about 30 kilometers northwest of Hamburg. It is supported by a non-profit association.

Autumn as the Main Season

October is the season of colours at the Arboretum: Maple, oak, Ginkgo, Liquidambar, and numerous Japanese trees unfold their red, orange, and yellow foliage. The Herbstfest continues this natural spectacle with light effects — a format rarely seen in this form in Schleswig-Holstein.

Evening Illumination

While the Arboretum normally closes at 6 PM, it remains open until 8 PM on the Herbstfest weekend. At dusk, the paths are staged with light art — spotlights illuminate striking trees, fairy lights wind through the themed gardens, and mood lighting accentuates the Asian and Mediterranean areas. The effect is meditative and festive: a garden in warm autumn light that transforms into a light sculpture as night falls.

Family Programme and Café

The Arboretum Café offers hot drinks (mulled wine, punch, coffee), cakes, and small snacks. For families, there is a children's programme with craft activities centred around autumn leaves and natural materials. Those spending the day in the park should plan an afternoon visit and stay for the illumination into the evening hours.

Ellerhoop in the Pinneberg District

Ellerhoop is a small municipality in the Pinneberg district, located on the B5 federal road and the A23 motorway (Tornesch exit). The Arboretum is a destination for school classes, garden enthusiast tours, and day-trippers from the Hamburg area. Visitors to the Herbstfest often combine their park visit with the sights of Pinneberg or a cycling tour through northern Holstein.