Markgröningen Schäferlauf

Swabian Traditional Festival with Five Centuries of History

The Markgröningen Schäferlauf is one of the oldest and largest traditional festivals in Southern Germany. Its roots reach back to the 16th century when the Württemberg shepherds celebrated their profession in Markgröningen with annual gatherings and competitions. Today, the event is a four-day folk festival (Volksfest) that draws around 100,000 visitors each year to the medieval half-timbered town on the last full weekend of August. In 2026, the event runs from August 28 to 31.

The Schäferlauf — The Festival's Symbolic Core

At its heart is the event that gives the festival its name: young shepherds run barefoot for about 300 steps across a prepared stubble field. The winner is crowned the 'Shepherd King' or 'Queen' and is ceremoniously presented during the grand festive parade. This element directly connects the festival to Württemberg's agricultural and pastoral history — and makes the Markgröningen Schäferlauf unique in the German festival calendar.

Bartel-Spiel, Festive Parade, and Craft Market

The Bartel-Spiel — a professionally staged play titled 'Der treue Bartel' (The Faithful Bartel) — is performed several times over the festival weekend. It tells the story of a shepherd's servant whose loyalty has become legendary. The grand festive parade on Sunday brings together over 50 groups — shepherd guilds, historical costume groups, brass bands, and traditional costume groups from all over Baden-Württemberg. In the old town, with its approximately 200 half-timbered houses, a craft market with around 150 stalls runs concurrently, alongside an amusement park with carousels and rides, and international gastronomy.

Markgröningen and Württemberg's Festival Heritage

Markgröningen, with just under 15,000 inhabitants, is located in the Ludwigsburg district in the state of Baden-Württemberg, just a few kilometers west of Ludwigsburg. The historic old town, with its dense half-timbered architecture, is one of the best-preserved medieval townscapes in Württemberg. The Schäferlauf brings this backdrop to life for four days — making the festival a fixed date in the calendar for the entire state.