Historical Monk Processions Berg Oybin

Medieval Monastery Ruins as a Stage

Berg Oybin is one of the most famous natural attractions in the Zittau Mountains — a 514 m high sandstone cone in the far southeast of Saxony (state of Saxony, district of Görlitz, tri-border area Germany-Poland-Czech Republic). On its plateau stand the remains of a medieval castle and monastery complex: Emperor Charles IV expanded an existing castle in 1364 to include a Celestinian monastery, the ruins of which — the monastery church, refectory, monks' cells — are still impressively preserved today. For years, the Historical Monk Processions have taken place in the summer on this unique site: nocturnal performances where Celestinian monks process with torches through the illuminated remains of the walls, and choirs let monastery sounds resonate. A moving combination of history, architecture, and music.

Cölestinerchor and Basilica Cantans

The musical backbone of the events is the Cölestinerchor, which was founded specifically for these monk processions and is dedicated exclusively to medieval and early Baroque choral literature — Gregorian chants, hymns, vocal polyphony. On other evenings, the vocal ensemble Basilica Cantans or other choirs from the region and from the nearby Polish or Czech Republic perform. The acoustics of the open monastery church without a roof, enclosed by walls, are remarkable: the reverberation is significantly shorter than in a closed church, but the atmosphere enhances every sound event through the surrounding sandstone rock and the nocturnal forest.

Torchlight Procession of the Monks

The highlight of each performance is the torchlight procession: at the beginning — usually around 8 PM — the performers, dressed in medieval monk robes, form up at the lower castle gate and process solemnly, each with a torch, through the castle and monastery ruins. The audience, already seated, sees the lights moving through the gaps in the walls before the monks take up position in a semi-circle around the choirs and the concert begins. This staged combination of light play and sound makes the performances unique.

Performance Dates 2026

The monk processions will take place in 2026 from May to September on several evenings. Exact dates will be published on moenchszug-oybin.de. There are about 8 to 12 performances per season, depending on the weather. In case of bad or uncertain weather, the concerts will be moved to the Bergkirche Oybin (directly at the foot of the mountain) — admission tickets remain valid there, but the light show in the castle area will be cancelled. Confirmation by phone before traveling is recommended.

Getting There and Tips

Berg Oybin is located in the Zittau Mountains Nature Park, just 8 km south of Zittau. Traveling by the Zittau narrow-gauge railway — a historic narrow-gauge railway line that has been running between Zittau, Oybin, and Jonsdorf since 1890 — is particularly recommended. From Oybin station, it is a 15-minute walk up to the castle wall gate. Important: Tickets are sold exclusively at the box office at the 1st castle gate, and only in cash; advance booking is not possible. The box office opens 90 minutes before the performance. Sturdy footwear is recommended due to the uneven ground.