Schollenfest Finkenwerder
Traditional early summer fishing festival on MS Altenwerder in Finkenwerder Kutterhafen – freshly prepared plaice, smoked plaice, and live music
About Schollenfest
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Schollenfest al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Finkenwerder, Hamburg's Southern Elbe District
Finkenwerder is a district in Hamburg-Mitte, located on a marsh island between the Süderelbe and Aue rivers. Historically shaped by fruit cultivation in the Altes Land region and by plaice fishing, the district has preserved its own identity over centuries. This is where the plaice cutters landed their catch, and where plaice fillets were salted and smoked. The tradition of "Finkenwerder Scholle" – fresh North Sea plaice fried with diced bacon, onions, and parsley – is one of the classic dishes of Hamburg cuisine.
The Schollenfest and MS Altenwerder
The Schollenfest picks up on this tradition and brings it into a compact festival format. The venue is the historic cutter shed harbor around MS Altenwerder, a decommissioned harbor ferry that now serves as a floating cultural ship moored in Finkenwerder. Onboard and on the forecourt, plaice is freshly prepared and offered in several variations: Kutterscholle (fried in the classic style), Räucherscholle (cold-smoked), and Dörrscholle (air-dried, an old North German preservation method).
Music, Readings, Harbor Views
Programmatically, the Kulturkreis Finkenwerder complements the plaice offerings with live music – often North German folk, shanties, acoustic concerts, and chamber music performances. The harbor view of the cutters and the Aue bridge forms the backdrop. The event is compact – usually a single afternoon and evening – but densely packed.
A Northern Commitment in the State of Hamburg
In Hamburg's festival calendar, the Schollenfest is one of the few purely fishing festivals that preserves the old occupational tradition of the southern Elbe bank. While Hamburg city focuses on the Harbor Birthday and Altes Land celebrates its apple blossom, Finkenwerder maintains its cutter harbor event – short, regionally anchored, with a clearly recognizable profile. In the state of Hamburg, the district with the Schollenfest is among those places that actively preserve regional identity.
Schollenfest — edition 2026
The 2026 edition continues the established tradition: plaice freshly caught by Finkenwerder cutters, offered on board and on the harbor forecourt in several preparation styles. The classic Finkenwerder Scholle (fried with bacon cubes, onion, and parsley) is complemented by Räucherscholle and Dörrscholle as regional specialties.
Live acts from the Kulturkreis Finkenwerder will accompany the afternoon musically – North German folk, shanties, chamber music. The Schollenfest remains compact in format: one afternoon and evening, not a folk festival character, but rather a harbor festival for the local community and Hamburg plaice fans from across the state.
Programme Schollenfest 2026
Saturday, May 30, 2026
- 12:00 p.m. – Start, plaice serving in the cutter shed
- 1:00 p.m. – First live music (Acoustic/Folk)
- 3:00 p.m. – Main stage MS Altenwerder, Shanty program
- 5:00 p.m. – Chamber music block (regular MS Altenwerder format)
- 7:00 p.m. – Jam session
- 10:00 p.m. – Wind-down
The exact performance schedule will be announced shortly before the date via finkenwerderinfo.de and the website of the Kulturkreis Finkenwerder.
Highlights Schollenfest 2026
- Classic Finkenwerder Kutterscholle (fried plaice with bacon and onion)
- Räucherscholle and Dörrscholle as regional specialties
- Live music in the cutter shed harbor (Folk, Shanty, Chamber Music)
- Harbor view of the Finkenwerder cutters
- Free admission, a meeting point for Hamburg plaice fans
Prices Schollenfest 2026
Practical information — Schollenfest
Getting There
MS Altenwerder, Kutterhafen Finkenwerder, 21129 Hamburg. Hadag ferry 62 or 64 from 'Landungsbrücken' pier to 'Finkenwerder' (approx. 25 min, then 10 min walk). By car via A7 / Köhlbrandbrücke, parking is limited.
Admission and Times
Free admission. Starts at 12 p.m. (Saturday, May 30, 2026). Food and drinks according to stand prices (Kutterscholle approx. €14–€18, Räucherscholle separately).
On Site
Onboard MS Altenwerder with seating, standing area outside with harbor view. Cash is recommended; some stands accept cards. Family-friendly, dogs on a leash welcome. Ship access partly involves stairs – clarify mobility restrictions with MS Altenwerder in advance.
Festival-goer photos
No photos yet. Share yours!
Share your photos
Max. 5 photos, 5 MB per photo (JPG, PNG, WebP)
Spotted an error or missing information?
Help us keep this listing up to date. Each suggestion is reviewed by our team before being published.
Festival-goer reviews
No rating yet — be the first!
No comments yet. Be the first!
Were you there?
Share your experience with the community.
Travel to this festival
Reserva tu tren o autobús para llegar a Schollenfest al mejor precio.
Sponsored link
Where it takes place Schollenfest
MS Altenwerder im Kutterhafen Finkenwerder
Kutterhafen Finkenwerder, 21129 Hamburg