Rutenfest Ravensburg

Over 200 Years of Festival Tradition

When Ravensburg speaks of "the festival," it always means the Rutenfest — without further explanation. Since 1812, the people of Ravensburg have celebrated their major heritage and children's festival on a weekend in July, which has become an identity-defining event for the city over more than two centuries. The Rutenfest Commission organizes the five festival days in close cooperation with Ravensburg schools, clubs, shooting guilds, and the city administration. In 2026, the festival week runs from Friday, July 24, to Tuesday, July 28 — with the concluding event on Saturday, August 1, on the Veitsburg.

The Five Festival Days at a Glance

On Friday, July 24, the festival begins with the traditional handover of insignia from the previous year's holders to the new drum and fife kings. At 6 p.m., the official opening takes place at the Lederhaus in the old town, followed by theater performances and youth concerts on the festival grounds in the evening.

Saturday, July 25, is dedicated to the "Froher Auftakt" (Happy Start) on Marienplatz — one of the most popular program points, where old acquaintances meet again and new ones are made. Parallel to this, there are drum and fife parades, shooting competitions by the marksmen, and family activities on the Kuppelnau.

On Sunday, July 26, the day begins at 8:30 a.m. with an ecumenical Rutenfest church service in the Liebfrauenkirche. This is followed by the parade of the old marksmen and school performances in the Oberschwabenhalle.

The highlight is Monday, July 27: The Historical Rutenfest Parade moves from the city center to the Kuppelnau and unites hundreds of schoolchildren from all Ravensburg elementary schools in historical costumes. This is followed by the elementary school jumping competitions on the Kuppelnau, awards ceremonies, and archery competitions.

The festive conclusion is on Tuesday, July 28: At 12:30 p.m., the marksmen's parade and the eagle shooting by high school students take place on Kuppelnauplatz — a tradition of over two hundred years, where high school students compete for the title of king. At 10:30 p.m., the grand closing fireworks mark the end of the official festival week.

Rutenvergraben — The True End

Although the official festival week ends on Tuesday, the actual conclusion takes place just under a week later: On Saturday, August 1, 2026, drummers, pipers, and marksmen gather on the Veitsburg hill above the old town for the traditional Rutenvergraben — a ritual where the ruten (the arrows/sticks) are symbolically buried. This marks the definitive end of the festival.

Marienplatz, Kuppelnau, and the Festival Badge

The festival takes place at several locations simultaneously. Marienplatz in the old town is the stage for major festive events — opening, "Froher Auftakt," parade stops — and is only accessible with the current festival badge. The Kuppelnau festival grounds on the edge of the city center hosts the folk festival with rides, beer gardens, tents, and the shooting ranges for the eagle and archery competitions.

Ravensburg — City of Towers and Fortress City

Ravensburg (Ravensburg district, postal code 88212, district code 08436, around 51,000 inhabitants) is known as the "City of Towers" — the historic old town with its Mehlsack, Blaserturm, Grüner Turm, and Veitsburg is one of the most intact old town ensembles in southern Germany. In summer, the medieval city wall silhouette becomes the perfect backdrop for the Rutenfest: When the Historical Parade marches through the narrow streets in front of the towers on Monday, the festival feels like it's from the era of the free imperial city.