Hinterländer Kerwa Mistelgau

A rebirth of old Hummelgau tradition

The Hinterländer Kerwa is one of Upper Franconia's younger Kerwa traditions, consciously harking back to old roots. It is celebrated every year on the last weekend of June in the Culm district of the municipality of Mistelgau in the Bayreuth district (state of Bavaria). It is organized by Hinterländer e.V., an association founded by young people from several Hinterland villages in 2006 and officially registered in 2008.

The Lenzer Kerwa as a historical reference point

As early as the late 18th century, a Kerwa was celebrated in the Hinterland — at the Gubitzmoos inn and on the Lenz estate, where the village youth paraded from house to house with music. At the beginning of the 20th century, the Lenzer Kerwa had become the largest Kerwa in the Hummelgau: the Hagen innkeeping family brewed their own beer, and up to 25 hectoliters were served during one festival weekend. The last Lenzer Kerwa took place in 1962, and the inn closed a year later. With the Hinterländer Kerwa, this old tradition has been revived in a new form since 2006.

Festival location: Bauer farmstead on the Culm

The festival is held at the Bauer farmstead — the first house on the left side towards Schobertsreuth in Culm, a district of Mistelgau. Its location on the Culm ridge gives the Kerwa a special rural flair amidst meadows and forests. The connection between the village inn, regional cuisine, and living customs makes the event a typical Upper Franconian summer festival.

Program Saturday evening and Sunday

The Hinterländer Kerwa is a two-day event. On Saturday evening, the Kerwa starts at 6 p.m. with suckling pig, grilled specialties, and cold platters, accompanied by entertainment music. On Sunday from 9:30 a.m., there is the traditional Weißwurst breakfast with Kerwa music, from 2 p.m. coffee and cake, cold platters, grilled specialties, and a bouncy castle for children. Free admission.

Mistelgau in the Hummelgau

Mistelgau (around 4,000 inhabitants) is located in the Hummelgau, a scenically attractive region between Bayreuth, Hollfeld, and the Franconian Switzerland. The municipality belongs to the northern Bayreuth district and is characterized by forests, meadows, and small stream valleys. Visitors to the Hinterländer Kerwa get to know a particularly original side of Upper Franconia, away from the major festivals and tourist crowds.