Pilgrimage to the Holy Blood Walldürn — Main Pilgrimage Period

Pilgrimage to the Holy Blood — One of Germany's Largest Pilgrimages

The Pilgrimage to the Holy Blood in Walldürn is one of Germany's most significant eucharistic pilgrimages. It draws around 40,000 pilgrims annually from across the German-speaking world to the small town of Walldürn (approx. 11,200 inhabitants) in the Neckar-Odenwald district. The event is organized by the Pilgrimage Parish of the Holy Blood in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Freiburg, coordinating the four weeks of the main pilgrimage period.

The Miracle of the Blood of 1330

The origin of the pilgrimage dates back to 1330: According to tradition, the priest Heinrich Otto knocked over a chalice filled with consecrated wine during the consecration in the Walldürn church. Fearing punishment, he tried to hide the traces, but the corporal — as the legend goes — showed the image of the crucified Christ, surrounded by eleven other Christ heads. This corporal cloth is venerated as the Holy Blood Relic and is kept in the magnificent Blood Altar of the Basilica of St. George. The pilgrimage itself has been documented since 1445.

Four Weeks of Main Pilgrimage

The main pilgrimage period begins in 2026 on Trinity Sunday (May 31) — one week after Pentecost — with the solemn opening of the Holy Blood shrine. It concludes on Sunday, June 28, 2026. During these four weeks, over 100 services, high masses, pilgrim masses, and pontifical masses are held. Highlights include the five pilgrimage Sundays with a pontifical mass at 9:30 AM — featuring various choirs and orchestras — as well as individual pilgrim masses and confession opportunities in the basilica and the nearby Lourdes Grotto.

Highlights 2026

Corpus Christi: Thursday, June 4, 2026 — Starting at 4 AM with musicians ascending the basilica towers, followed by flower carpets and a procession with the monstrance and the Holy Blood shrine through the town center. Great Blood Feast: the most important pilgrimage day, where an Archbishop or Auxiliary Bishop from the Archdiocese of Freiburg celebrates the pontifical mass with over 40 priests; in the evening, a candlelight procession concludes the festivities. Day of the Sick: with the Holy Blood Relic within reach of sick pilgrims. St. Rita's Day: 3,000 roses adorn the adoration altar, with rose petals falling during the final hymn.

Anniversary 2026 — 400 Years of the Holy Blood High Altar

2026 is a special pilgrimage year: The magnificent Holy Blood High Altar of the basilica celebrates its 400th anniversary. It was created between 1622 and 1626 by sculptor Zacharias Juncker — a masterpiece of South German Early Baroque sculpture. Additional ceremonies, concerts, and guided tours are planned for the anniversary — details will be published in spring 2026 on wallfahrt-wallduern.de.

Walldürn and the Basilica

Walldürn is located in the southern Odenwald forest along the historic salt route and belongs to the Neckar-Odenwald district in Baden-Württemberg. The Basilica of St. George was elevated to a Papal Basilica minor in 1958 and is the main attraction of the pilgrimage. The town is prepared for the large influx of pilgrims during the main pilgrimage period: pilgrim groups are officially welcomed at the town limits and escorted to the basilica by altar servers with banners and parish representatives.