Schneefest Schleid (Maria Schnee)

400 Years of Pilgrimage Tradition in the Thuringian Rhön

The Schneefest or Maria Schnee Festival in Schleid is one of the oldest and most significant pilgrimages in Thuringia. Its roots date back to 1626: At that time, the citizens of Schleid vowed to celebrate the Feast of Mary, Snow — August 5th — annually, in thanks for the village's salvation from plague, war, and hunger during the Thirty Years' War. Since then, the vow has been kept year after year. In 2026, the start of the pilgrimage will be 400 years old.

Festival Mass and Pilgrimage Station

The venue is the Maria Schnee Church in Schleid, a district of the municipality of Schleid in the Wartburgkreis at the foot of the Rhön. On August 5th, hundreds of pilgrims from the region gather for the High Mass, the Sacrament Procession, and the Pilgrim's Blessing. The festival is considered the largest vow festival of the Diocese of Fulda — historically, pilgrimage groups from the entire Thuringian-Franconian border region walked to Schleid.

Maria Schnee — the Feast Day on August 5th

Maria Schnee (Our Lady of the Snows) commemorates the legendary miracle of snow in Rome on August 5th, 358, which is said to have led to the founding of the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore. In Germany, Maria Schnee was an important pilgrimage day, especially in the Catholic south and in the Catholic enclaves of Thuringia, the Rhön, and Eichsfeld.

Schleid and the Catholic Eichsfeld of the Rhön

Schleid is located in the Wartburgkreis district in the state of Thuringia, on the border with Hesse and on the edge of the Rhön. The municipality belongs to the predominantly Catholic strip of Thuringia, which has maintained a strong pilgrimage culture for centuries. Those arriving for the Schneefest can easily combine the visit with a hike in the Rhön, a trip to the Wasserkuppe (Hesse's highest mountain), or the nearby town of Bad Salzungen.