Name: Mülheim God's Procession — Corpus Christi Boat Procession 2026
Start: 2026-06-04T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-06-07T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Wiener Platz und Rheinufer (St. Clemens, Liebfrauen)

Mülheim God's Procession

About Mülheim God's Procession

One of Germany's most spectacular Corpus Christi processions has taken place in Cologne-Mülheim for over 500 years: the Mülheim God's Procession is the largest boat procession on the Rhine. On June 4, 2026, the Eucharist will be carried on a boat to the Zoobrücke bridge and back, accompanied by numerous smaller boats. This will be followed by the 590th/591st Marksmen's and Folk Festival of the St. Sebastianus Marksmen on Wiener Platz with a funfair from June 4 to 7 — a unique blend of tradition, religiosity, and Rhenish merriment.

Dates 04 Jun — 07 Jun 2026

Venue Köln (05315)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Mülheim God's Procession — edition 2026

Thursday, June 4, 2026 (Corpus Christi), from 11:00 AM: Mülheim God's Procession — largest boat procession on the Rhine. Followed by the 590th/591st Marksmen's and Folk Festival of the St. Sebastianus Marksmen on Wiener Platz with Corpus Christi funfair until Sunday, June 7, 2026.

The 2026 edition follows the tradition developed over centuries. The boat procession starts at 11:00 AM in the Liebfrauenkirche; the Blessed Sacrament is carried to the Rhine bank and loaded onto the MS RheinFantasie. The accompanying boats — from marksmen's boats to small motorboats — form the typical Mülheim flotilla on the Rhine.

Afterwards, the parish hands over the focus to the St. Sebastianus Marksmen, who open their folk and marksmen's festival on Wiener Platz. The Corpus Christi funfair with rides, food stalls, a beer tent, and a stage program spans four days and concludes with the traditional Sunday finale on June 7.

Highlights Mülheim God's Procession 2026

The largest boat procession on the Rhine for Corpus Christi, the 590th/591st Marksmen's and Folk Festival, and the traditional Mülheim Corpus Christi funfair on Wiener Platz.

Programme Mülheim God's Procession 2026

Schedule 2026

Thursday, 06/04/2026 — Corpus Christi

11:00 AM — Start of the procession in the Liebfrauenkirche
Procession to the Rhine landing stage north of St. Clemens Church
Boarding the MS RheinFantasie
Boat procession up the Rhine to the former Mülheim town limits
Return to the vicinity of St. Clemens, blessing over Rhine and land
Opening of the Marksmen's and Folk Festival on Wiener Platz

Friday to Sunday, 06/05–07

Corpus Christi funfair with rides
Beer tent and live music
Marksmen's festival program with parade

Details: clemens-mauritius.de/gottestracht and koeln-muelheim.de.

Prices Mülheim God's Procession 2026

Participation in the procession: free. Tickets for the main processional boat from the parish. Marksmen's and Folk Festival on Wiener Platz: admission free.

Practical information

Practical information — Mülheim God's Procession

Getting There

Wiener Platz, Cologne-Mülheim. Easily accessible via subway lines 4 and 18 (Wiener Platz stop). S-Bahn connection at Mülheim station. By car via the A3/A4 (Heumarer Dreieck) or the Zoobrücke bridge; parking available in surrounding multi-storey car parks.

Participation in the Procession

Anyone can participate in the God's Procession. Tickets for the main processional boat (MS RheinFantasie) are available from the parish. Those wishing to participate with an accompanying boat or their own vessel can join.

Folk Festival

Admission to Wiener Platz with funfair and stage program: free. Food and rides: individual prices.

A 500-Year-Old Tradition

The Mülheim God's Procession is a major religious and folk cultural event in the Cologne district of Mülheim. First documented in the 16th century, it is now the largest boat procession on the Rhine and attracts thousands of believers and tourists every year for Corpus Christi. The procession is organized by the Catholic parish of St. Clemens and Mauritius together with the St. Sebastianus Marksmen's Brotherhood of Mülheim, one of Cologne's oldest marksmen's brotherhoods.

The Boat Procession

The procession starts at 11:00 AM in the Liebfrauenkirche (Church of Our Lady). From there, it proceeds to the landing stage north of the St. Clemens Church, where the Blessed Sacrament is placed on the main processional boat, the MS RheinFantasie. The boat sails up the Rhine to the former Mülheim town limits, then back to the vicinity of St. Clemens Church, where the blessing is given over the Rhine and the land. The main boat is accompanied by smaller boats, yachts, and motorboats — hence the term "boat procession".

Marksmen's and Folk Festival on Wiener Platz

Following the procession, the traditional Marksmen's and Folk Festival of the St. Sebastianus Marksmen begins on Wiener Platz, the central square in the Cologne district of Mülheim. In 2026, the 590th/591st edition will be celebrated — the festival spans four days (Thursday to Sunday, June 4–7). On the program: Corpus Christi funfair, beer tent, live music, and the traditional festival parade.

Religious and Cultural Significance

The God's Procession is more than a religious event — it is an expression of 500 years of unbroken popular piety on the Rhine. The word Gottestracht refers to the medieval "carrying God" (Eucharistic procession); the boat format of the procession is a legacy of Mülheim's shipping history. Until the 19th century, Mülheim was an important Rhine shipyard and boatmen's community.

Cologne-Mülheim Today

Cologne-Mülheim is now a district in the northeast of Cologne on the right bank of the Rhine — multicultural, undergoing change, with a vibrant marksmen's brotherhood. The God's Procession is an identity-forming event here, making the district known beyond the borders of Cologne.