Lorenzreuth Bridge Festival

Whitsun in Lorenzreuth

When the festival grounds in Lorenzreuth are set up on the Whitsun weekend, the most important festival of the year begins for the small district of Marktredwitz. The Brückenfest, which dates back to 1951, is a classic Upper Franconian Volksfest with a beer tent, regional music, and thousands of visitors from the entire Wunsiedel district in the Fichtelgebirge mountains, as well as from neighbouring Czechia.

Four Days of Festivities

The festival schedule has been established over the decades and follows a similar structure each year:

• Friday evening — Beer tent opening with keg tapping, party band, and DJ.
• Saturday — Lively music with a popular band, often supplemented by a DJ programme.
• Whitsun Sunday — Festival service in the beer tent, followed by a Weißwurstfrühstück (white sausage breakfast), a grand parade in the afternoon with floats, traditional costumes, and music bands, and a rock programme in the evening.
• Whitsun Monday — Family day with Frühschoppen, children's programme, and a relaxed conclusion.

Burschenverein Lorenzreuth

The organiser is the Burschenverein Lorenzreuth e.V., which has organised the festival since its inception. More than a hundred members volunteer each year, from setting up the tent and catering to coordinating the parade. The Brückenfest finances most of the association's activities over the years and is an important meeting point for the village community.

Marktredwitz and the Fichtelgebirge

Lorenzreuth is a district of the town of Marktredwitz in the Wunsiedel district of the Fichtelgebirge mountains (Bavaria). Marktredwitz is located in the Sechsämterland region between the Fichtelgebirge and Egerland, with good connections to the A93 motorway and the Czech border region. Visitors to the Brückenfest can combine their stay with excursions into the Fichtelgebirge, to the Kösseine mountain range, or to the neighbouring town of Wunsiedel with the Luisenburg Festival.