Princely Medieval Market in Schillingsfürst

Medieval Times in the Cardinal's Garden

The Princely Medieval Market in Schillingsfürst takes place every Pentecost in the Cardinal's Garden of Schillingsfürst Castle – one of the most beautiful baroque castles in Middle Franconia. The park-like garden and rampart complex around the castle provides the ideal backdrop for a three-day medieval spectacle: old trees, moats, stone walls, the castle as a backdrop.

Craft Market with Blacksmiths, Glassblowers, Woodturners

At the market, real craftspeople work live on their pieces:

• Blacksmiths and armourers – glowing iron, sword forging
• Glassblowers – drinking vessels, jewellery, beads
• Woodturners – wooden vessels, candle holders, toys
• Wool spinners – felting and spinning with a hand spindle
• Embroiderers and jewellers – metalwork and medieval jewellery
• Basket weavers, rope makers, candle dippers, leather workers
• Toy makers – historical wooden toys for children

Between the workshops, traders sell medieval goods – clothing, jewellery, fabrics, books, drinking horns, medicinal herbs.

Camp Life and Knight Tournament

Camp groups set up their tents between the market stalls and demonstrate authentic medieval community life: campfires, simple cooking, combat training, crafts in the camp. The highlight on Saturday and Sunday afternoons is the knight tournament with sword fighting, equestrian games, and medieval combat demonstrations. In addition, falconers perform with birds of prey, stilt walkers roam the market, and medieval bands play in various locations.

Jesters, Fire Show, and Midnight Spectacle

The performances by Fabio, King of Jesters, the ensemble Der Narrenkai, and rotating medieval bands (market music, folk metal, medieval classical) are renowned. In the evenings, the fire show provides spectacle; on Saturdays, the market runs until midnight.

Cookshops, Taverns, Mead and Beer

The culinary aspect is explicitly historical: cookshops with suckling pig, wild boar legs, ribs and cabbage rolls; soup kitchens with pea soup, lentil stew, and bread soup; bakeries with wood-fired bread; smokehouses with fish and sausages; taverns with mead, medieval beer, apple cider, and mulled wine.

Schillingsfürst – Hohenlohe Residence

Schillingsfürst is a small town in the Franconian district of Ansbach, on the Romantic Road. It is known for Schillingsfürst Castle, the ancestral seat of the Princely House of Hohenlohe-Schillingsfürst, with its castle museum, falconry, and show kitchens. The medieval market attracts thousands of visitors annually from Franconia, Swabia, and the entire southern German region, and is one of the most famous medieval markets in Bavaria.