Sommerfest GTEV Auerbergler at Kloster Baumburg

Folk Costume Festival with Monastery Backdrop

The Sommerfest of the GTEV Auerbergler Altenmarkt takes place on the historic grounds of Kloster Baumburg – a former Augustinian monastery founded in 1107 by Count Berengar von Sulzbach. The late Baroque collegiate church of Baumburg is considered the 'Rococo jewel of the Chiemgau'. Against this backdrop, the folk costume association 'Auerbergler' hosts its annual Sommerfest with Preisplatteln, a Dirndldrahn competition, folk music, and Brotzeit (a traditional snack/meal).

The GTEV Auerbergler

The Gebirgs-Trachten-Erhaltungs-Verein 'Auerbergler' Altenmarkt is part of the Chiemgau-Alpenverband (the umbrella organization of Upper Bavarian folk costume and heritage associations). Members preserve regional folk costumes, practice Schuhplattler (a traditional Bavarian dance) in men's and youth groups, dance the Dirndldrahn, and regularly perform at Gaufeste (regional folk costume festivals), Heimatabende (heritage evenings), and traditional events in the Chiemgau region. Club life is intergenerational – from children in traditional dress to seniors in Lederhosen.

What Happens at the Sommerfest

• Vereinspreisplatteln: The men's groups compete against each other in a Schuhplattler competition; a jury awards points for synchronicity, power, and style.
• Dirndldrahn Competition: A traditional couple dance where the Dirndl (traditional dress) is lifted by the men during a spin.
• Folk Music: Stubnmusi (chamber music), Tanzlmusi (dance music), Blasmusik (brass band music).
• Brotzeit: Bavarian Schmankerl (delicacies), sausages, cheese, bread.
• Beer from Klosterbrauerei Baumburg: The local monastery brewery supplies the festival directly on-site.

Kloster Baumburg – The Most Beautiful Festival Site in the Chiemgau?

The former Augustinian monastery of Baumburg is located on a rocky spur 30 meters above the Alz river, with a view of the Alztal valley and the monastery brewery. Today, parts of the grounds belong to the parish and parts to the monastery brewery. The gravel area in front of the collegiate church serves as the festival site for regional events such as the Baumburger Kultursommer and the Auerbergler Sommerfest. In midsummer, it is one of the most atmospheric festival backdrops in Upper Bavaria.

Altenmarkt an der Alz

The small municipality (around 3,700 inhabitants) is located in the Traunstein district, on the eastern shore of Lake Chiemsee, near Trostberg. Its location between Lake Chiemsee, the Salzach river, and the Berchtesgaden region makes it an ideal starting point for summer tours in the Chiemgau – and the Sommerfest at Kloster Baumburg is the perfect opportunity to experience a real, unadulterated folk costume festival, away from the tourist crowds at Lake Chiemsee.