Strehla Kite Festival

Strehla Kite Festival — when the wind dictates the day

Strehla is a small town on the Elbe, on the northern edge of the Meißen district, located roughly between Riesa and Torgau. In autumn, when the kite winds are most reliable, the town annually invites visitors to the Elbe meadows — an open meadow landscape directly on the river — for the Kite Festival. The festival is designed for all generations: children come with their own kites or receive them on-site, kite artists from Saxony and beyond demonstrate their tricks with stunt kites and large kites, and on the ground, there are stalls with food and drinks.

A recurring element is the ferry service on the Elbe — the Strehla ferry connects the town and the festival meadow, turning the Kite Festival into a small harbor excursion at the same time. The combination of wind, water, and meadow gives the festival its special character, distinguishing it from pure city festivals or folk festivals (Volksfest).

Strehla and the Saxon Elbe

Strehla is located in the so-called «Elbland», the region between Riesa and Torgau where the Elbe meanders through Saxony in wide loops. The Meißen district is known for its wine villages (Diesbar-Seußlitz, Sörnewitz), the porcelain city of Meißen, and the Renaissance castles along the river. Strehla itself, with its castle, is one of the lesser-known jewels of this stretch; the Kite Festival makes the autumn weekend a good occasion to explore the region.