Summer Festival First German Tile Museum Boizenburg

Wall Tiles from Boizenburg

Anyone visiting Boizenburg an der Elbe and wondering why the town calls itself "Tile City" will find the answer at Reichenstraße 14: There, the association Fliesenreich operates the First German Tile Museum, the only museum of its kind in Germany. On display are wall and floor tiles from two centuries, with a focus on the production of the once-important Boizenburg tile works, which produced millions of square meters of tiles for bathrooms, kitchens, and public spaces throughout Germany and the GDR from 1903 until the early 1990s.

The Summer Festival as an Open Day

Once a year, the museum opens its courtyard and exhibition rooms for the Summer Festival: an afternoon open day with guided tours, small cultural contributions, coffee and cake from the in-house café, and the opportunity to chat with the volunteer staff. Admission is free. The format is deliberately relaxed: less a classic festival and more an afternoon where the museum presents itself to the local community and promotes the work of the association.

What You Can Experience on This Day

• Exhibition tours through the collection – including less well-known topics such as advertising tiles, picture tiles, and industrial wall tiles
• Cultural program in the courtyard – small musical performances, readings, sometimes live demonstrations of ceramic restoration
• Courtyard café – coffee, cake, and small snacks, often with homemade offerings from association members
• Conversations with the association's board about current projects and the future of the museum
• Opportunity to have your own tiles from a private collection expertly identified

More Than Just a Summer Festival – Other Dates in 2026

The museum runs several recurring event formats throughout the year:

• September 12, 2026, 10 a.m.–4 p.m. — Tile Exchange: Collectors and dealers trade, buy, and sell old tiles. Stall fee €25 (1 table) or €35 (2 tables), for association members €15. Registration deadline: August 12, 2026.
• December 12–13, 2026 — Christmas Bazaar with ceramics, wool products, tiles, coffee and cake, plus vintage items.

When a Visit is Worthwhile

Anyone combining the summer festival with a day trip to Boizenburg can extend the afternoon with a walk through the old town with its market square and half-timbered houses, a stroll along the Elbe promenade, and lunch in one of the local restaurants. Boizenburg is accessible from Hamburg by train in about 50 minutes, and by car via the A24 in a similar time.