Kirchweih Arberg

An Autumn Kirchweih in the Franconian Lake District

Arberg is located in southern Middle Franconia, in the district of Ansbach, nestled in the Franconian Lake District with the Altmühlsee and Brombachsee lakes in close proximity. The small market town with around 2,300 inhabitants traditionally celebrates its Kirchweih in mid-October – the season of autumn Kirchweihen, when the clubhouses and festival tents become all the warmer with the first cool air of the year.

Three Days of Festival Tent Atmosphere

The Arberger Kirchweih lasts for three days – Friday to Sunday (in some years until Monday). Families, clubs, and regular guests gather in the festival tent on the market square or on the festival grounds for brass music, dance evenings, and shared meals. The atmosphere is classically Franconian: long wooden benches, Maßkrüge (liter steins), candles on the tables, brass band music, accompanied by the smell of Bratwurst, Sauerbraten (marinated pot roast), and Lebkuchen (gingerbread).

Franconian Festival Cuisine

The menu is distinctly Franconian-Middle Franconian: Bratwurst im Kraut with fried onions and farmer's bread, Krenfleisch with horseradish (boiled beef with a sharp horseradish sauce), Schäuferla (pork shoulder) with dumplings, Schweinebraten (roast pork), cheese platters, and of course Kirwa-Krapfen – the Franconian fried pastry that is a must at every Kirchweih.

Kirwabaum and Dancing

As in many Middle Franconian towns, the Kirwabaum is the centerpiece of the festival. It is erected by the young men the day before the Kirchweih and decorated with colorful ribbons, wreaths, and signs. On Sunday afternoon, the Kirwapaare – men in traditional costume, women in Dirndl – dance under the tree in the traditional dance, and the Oberkirchweihpaar (head fair couple) is determined through the flower bouquet ritual.

Arberg in the Franconian Lake District

The market town of Arberg is a small, quiet community in the heart of the Franconian Lake District. Nearby are the Altmühlsee, the kleiner and the großer Brombachsee – three of Bavaria's most important reservoirs with extensive opportunities for swimming, sailing, and water sports. The Romantic Road and Romantic Franconia pass nearby. Visitors to the Kirchweih can combine an autumn holiday in the Lake District with the folk festival.

A Festival from Village Life

The Arberger Kirchweih is not a tourist production, but a grown village festival supported voluntarily by the market associations. Those who want to experience Franconian folk culture in its most authentic form – without fast-food stands and without tourist choreography – are in the right place. The Kirwagesellschaft Arberg organizes the festival with the same enthusiasm as their grandfathers did fifty years ago.