Röslau Altkirchweih

Altkirchweih as the main ecclesiastical festival

The Röslau Altkirchweih is the original Kirchweih of the town of Röslau – the annual festival commemorating the consecration of the church. It stands in contrast to the large Röslau Volks- und Wiesenfest in July, which is more focused on folk festival traditions as an Upper Franconian Wiesenfest. In 2026, the Altkirchweih runs from Friday, June 19th to Sunday, June 21st.

Kirchweih procession and festive church service

The highlight is the Kirchweih procession on Sunday, June 21st, starting at 9:00 AM from the community center to the church, followed by a festive church service and a communal Weißwurst breakfast. The festival thus follows the classic Kirchweih choreography of Bavaria: opening on Friday evening, traditional Kirchweih day on Sunday.

Difference from the Röslau Wiesenfest

Röslau celebrates two major festivals per year:

• Altkirchweih (June) – the original Kirchweih with a procession and festive church service, with a village-ecclesiastical character
• Volks- und Wiesenfest (July) – the Upper Franconian Wiesenfest with a parade, school dance, festival tent operations, and Bavarian State Inventory of Intangible Cultural Heritage

The dual structure is typical for many Upper Franconian communities: Kirchweih as a religiously and traditionally connected festival, Wiesenfest as a folk festival with a broader audience.

Röslau in the Fichtelgebirge

Röslau is located in the district of Wunsiedel in the Fichtelgebirge, a low mountain range in Upper Franconia between Bayreuth, Hof, and the Czech border. With around 2,500 inhabitants, the municipality calls itself the 'center of the Fichtelgebirge'. The Fichtelgebirge is one of Germany's oldest low mountain ranges, with the Schneeberg as its highest point (1,053 m) and a traditional region for hiking and winter sports.

Lively Kirchweih tradition

The Altkirchweih is jointly organized by the municipality of Röslau and local clubs. It is an expression of the vibrant Kirchweih culture of the Fichtelgebirge, where numerous small communities maintain their own Kerwa – a piece of Upper Franconian identity that clearly differs from the more recent Wiesenfest tradition.