Nature and Fishermen's Festival Rietschen

Erlichthof Rietschen — where Lusatia celebrates itself

The Erlichthof in Rietschen is a Saxon peculiarity: old timber-frame houses from the region have been faithfully reconstructed on the grounds — an open-air museum documenting the craftsmanship and daily life of Lower Lusatia. With adjacent ponds, meadows, and forests, the area forms the backdrop for the annual Nature and Fishermen's Festival at Erlichtteich pond.

The festival is part of the «Lusatian Fish Weeks» — a regional initiative celebrating Lusatian carp and other freshwater fish from late September to late October. Lusatia, with its over a thousand ponds, is one of the largest carp farming regions in Europe. The fish catch — the traditional emptying of the ponds in autumn, which brings the fishermen ashore — is a spectacle that attracts generations.

Program: Fish Catch, Market, Mushrooms

During the day, fishermen organize the public fish catch at Erlichtteich pond. Alongside, the festival program unfolds: Nature market with regional vendors (honey, Lusatian mustard, fresh carp, smoked carp, game products), mushroom exhibition with identification assistance, live music (typically with the band TAM TAM), snack stands with Lusatian specialties. In parallel, a «Bike Tour into the Wolf Area» offers the opportunity to learn more about the return of wolves to Lusatia.

Rietschen, Schleifer Land, and Sorbian Lusatia

Rietschen is located in the district of Görlitz, in the Schleife parish — one of the seven Sorbian costume regions. The combination of Wendish-Sorbian culture, fishery, and the Lusatian heathland makes the place one of the distinctive points of Eastern Saxony.