Puppet Theatre Days Altena Castle

Puppets and Figures in a Castle

Perched on a rugged rock above the small Sauerland town of Altena, Altena Castle is one of Westphalia's best-preserved hilltop castles. Built in the early 12th century, the castle is one of the defining structures of the Märkischer Kreis and is considered the birthplace of the German Youth Hostel movement (1914). Once a year — in early November — the historic walls transform into a stage for one of North Rhine-Westphalia's most beautiful puppet and figure theatre festivals: the Puppet Theatre Days.

November 8th-13th, 2026 — Six Days of Puppets

The 2026 edition runs from Sunday, November 8th to Friday, November 13th, 2026. The programme follows a well-established weekly structure:

• Weekday mornings (9:30 AM and 11:00 AM) — School performances for kindergartens and primary schools from the Märkischer Kreis and surrounding areas
• Weekday evenings — Adult plays, often with literary or musical accompaniment
• Weekends (Sat/Sun) — Family matinees and children's plays in the afternoon

Puppet and figure artists from all over Germany participate — solo artists with marionettes, hand puppet ensembles, blacklight theatre, table-top figure theatre, shadow theatre. The programme changes every year and is presented in summer/early autumn on burg-altena.de and maerkisches-sauerland.com.

Past Highlights — What the Festival Offers

Previous years have featured, among others:

• “Pettersson and Findus” — the classic for families
• “Dracula” — an adult play with live music
• “The Apprentice Sorcerer Leopold” — a family matinee
• Classic fairy tales adapted for figure theatre

The 2026 programme selection will be published before the season on burg-altena.de. Tickets can be booked from October.

Altena Castle — History and Function

Altena Castle was built in the early 12th century by the Counts of Berg/Mark and is considered the ancestral seat of the Counts of the Mark. Today, it houses the Märkischer Kreis Museum, focusing on castle studies, the age of knights, and the wire industry (via the affiliated German Wire Museum). The world's first youth hostel was founded at Altena Castle in 1914 — by Richard Schirrmann, who initiated an international movement with the youth hostel idea. The youth hostel is still active at the castle today. The adventure lift within the rock provides convenient access to the castle — a modern solution for a historic structure.

Tickets via Märkisches Sauerland

Tickets for the Puppet Theatre Days can be booked via maerkisches-sauerland.com — usually from early October. School performances are reserved in advance for educational institutions; remaining tickets for individual family tickets are available. Popular family matinees often sell out quickly — book early.

Altena — The Town in the Lenne Valley

Altena (around 16,000 inhabitants) is located in the Lenne Valley in the southern Sauerland region, the district town of Märkischer Kreis. Known primarily for the castle, but also for the wire industry — Altena was a centre of German wire production for centuries. Those travelling for the Puppet Theatre Days can ideally combine it with a visit to the German Wire Museum, also housed in the castle.