Highland Games Kreuzau-Obermaubach

Highland Games Kreuzau — Scotland comes to the Eifel

On Saturday, August 8, 2026, from 12 PM, athletes and spectators will gather at Lake Obermaubach to celebrate the 10th Highland Games Kreuzau — a round anniversary for an event that brings Scottish strength sports tradition to the northern Eifel.

Highland Shadows Kreuzau e.V. — Organizers with Scottish Spirit

The organizer is the association Highland Shadows Kreuzau e.V., dedicated to Scottish tradition with pipe bands, strength sports, and festival culture. The year 2026 holds several dates for the association — the Highland Games on August 8 are the highlight, complemented by an open training session (April 4) and a Scottish Evening on April 30 in the village square.

Disciplines — Traditional Scottish Strength Spectacle

The Highland Games competitions are ancient — their roots reach back to the Scottish Highlands. In Obermaubach, teams will compete in the classic disciplines:

• Caber Toss — a trunk about 5 meters long must be thrown in a controlled line through a rotational movement
• Stone Put — stones weighing between 7 and 26 kg are thrown
• Hammer Throw — heavy weights on wooden handles
• Sheaf Toss — throwing a bale of hay over a crossbar
• Tug of War — team competition
• Weight for Distance and Weight over Bar

Registration and Participation

The registration deadline for teams is July 31, 2026. Registration forms are available as PDFs on the association's website (highland-shadows.de). Spectator attendance is open — the atmosphere is family-friendly, with food stalls, stage program, and music.

Lake Obermaubach — Backdrop with Water and Forest

Lake Obermaubach is a scenic reservoir of the Rur river in the municipality of Kreuzau. Surrounded by forests and meadows, it offers an unusually romantic backdrop for Highland Games — the open grassy areas at the edge of the lake are perfect for the throwing and competition disciplines, and the forest provides an acoustic backdrop for the pipe bands.

Kreuzau — Municipality in the Düren District

The municipality of Kreuzau (around 17,000 inhabitants) is located in the southern Düren district (North Rhine-Westphalia) at the transition from the Voreifel to the northern slope of the Eifel. It comprises the districts of Kreuzau, Obermaubach, Stockheim, Drove, Schneidhausen, and others. Lake Obermaubach is one of the municipality's most important local recreation areas — alongside hiking trails, cycling routes, and the Rurtalbahn train connection.