Medieval Festival Gars am Inn

Middle Ages in Upper Bavarian Innviertel

Gars am Inn is located in the Upper Bavarian district of Mühldorf am Inn, on the right bank of the Inn River between Munich and Passau. The market town of Gars is overlooked by the baroque Augustinian Canons' Monastery of Gars; nearby are the ruins of the Stampflburg, a medieval hilltop castle that gives the Medieval Festival its motto »At the foot of the Stampflburg«.

A Classic Medieval Market Format

The festival follows the format of medieval reenactment events common in Southern Germany: Market vendors offer handmade goods — leatherwork, blacksmith work, jewelry, textiles, woodcraft —, as well as food from open fires, smokehouses, ovens, and soup pots. Jugglers, acrobats, fire artists, and music groups performing medieval and Celtic music appear on stages and throughout the grounds.

Knight's Camp and Encampment

A special feature of the festival is the camps: Familia Canem Nigrum, as the organizer, maintains its own historical camp and gathers friendly camp groups — knights, traveling folk, »wild hordes« — on the festival grounds. For 2026, additional market vendors are welcome, but no further camp groups (camp capacity is full).

Fire Spectacle and Children's Program

As with many medieval festivals, the evening program regularly includes a fire show. In previous years, for example, Avalon Feuerwelten performed. For families, there is a children's Ferris wheel, historical carousels, and age-appropriate performances — a format that explicitly defines the Medieval Festival as family-friendly. For safety reasons, the organizer conducts bag checks and anti-terrorism measures.

Kloster Au — Historical Context

The Kloster Au festival grounds are located near the former Augustinian convent of Au am Inn (now a girls' secondary school), a historically rich complex with its own monastic history. The combination of the monastery backdrop, the nearby Inn riverbank, and the mountain silhouette of the Stampflburg gives the festival its characteristic atmosphere.