Nagolder Traumzeit at Hohennagold Castle Ruins

Nagolder Traumzeit — The Premiere of a New Festival Format

On September 5th and 6th, 2026, Nagold celebrates the premiere of a completely new event format: Nagolder Traumzeit at the Hohennagold Castle Ruins. The city is thus bidding farewell to its previous castle festivals and replacing them with a modern family festival with a clear focus on magic, fairy tales, and fantasy — an enchanted weekend in the Northern Black Forest.

Program — A Fairy-Tale World at the Castle

Nagolder Traumzeit transforms the historic castle complex high above the city into an immersive fairy-tale world. Confirmed program elements:

• Stilt walkers in imaginative costumes will accompany visitors on their way through the castle ruins
• Acrobats and artists will perform at various stations
• Storytellers will take children and adults on fantastic journeys — both in the castle courtyard and in quiet corners of the ruins
• Magicians and illusionists will perform small walking acts and stage shows
• Enchanted Trees — an illuminated and installation component will transform the old trees of the castle complex into magical beings
• Fairy-tale music, stage program, and culinary offerings

The exact program and performance times will be published on nagold.de.

Why the City is Changing the Format

The previous castle festivals at Hohennagold had a more classic medieval concept. With Nagolder Traumzeit, the city is focusing on a fantasy and child-friendly emphasis for the first time in 2026: "Story Hour Instead of Medieval Market". This clearly tailors the festival format to families and develops a unique profile in the Southern German festival landscape.

Hohennagold Castle Ruins — City Landmark

The Hohennagold Castle Ruins sit enthroned on a 528 m high mountain above the city of Nagold. Built in the 12th century, the castle was the seat of the Counts of Hohenberg for centuries and is today considered one of the landmarks of the Northern Black Forest. From the castle rock, there is a wide view over the Nagold valley town, the Schönbuch, and on clear days, to the Swabian Jura. The castle ruins are accessible on foot via several hiking trails from the city center.

Nagold — Half-Timbered Town in the Northern Black Forest

With around 23,000 inhabitants, Nagold is an important medium-sized town in the Calw district on the northern edge of the Black Forest. The town on the Nagold, with its characteristic half-timbered old town, the historic town hall, and the town church, forms the gateway to the Black Forest from Stuttgart. In addition to Traumzeit, Nagold, with its other events — Nagolder Frühling, Urschelherbst, Lichternacht, Nordschwarzwald-Triathlon — is one of the festival-strong cities in the region.