Traditional Harvest Festival Kößlarn

A Harvest Festival with a Long Tradition

The traditional Harvest Festival in Kößlarn is one of the oldest and most impressive harvest festivals in Altbayern. It takes place every year on the second Sunday in September and is supported by the citizens together with the parish of Kößlarn. Kößlarn is located in the gentle hilly landscape between the Rott and Inn rivers in the state of Bavaria, district of Passau, and is one of the oldest pilgrimage sites in Bavaria.

The Pilgrimage Church

The focus is on the Pilgrimage Church of the Holy Trinity, once one of the most important Marian pilgrimage destinations and today one of the few completely preserved fortified churches in Altbayern. The Harvest Festival also commemorates the consecration of this church over 500 years ago.

Course of the Festival

The festival combines religious celebration with lived tradition:

• Solemn festive service in the pilgrimage church
• Colorful harvest procession through the market
• Historical children's groups depicting old professions and crafts – such as bakers, butchers, fishermen, woodcutters, beekeepers, brewers, rope makers, and hunters
• Processional poles, saint figures, and the Rosary Madonna refer to the spiritual background
• Joint lunch and convivial gathering of local associations

Religious Background

Unlike purely folkloric events, the religious character is paramount in Kößlarn: The Blessed Sacrament, carried by the priest under a canopy, forms the center of the procession. The festival expresses people's gratitude for the harvest, work, and livelihoods, and commemorates historical times of hardship such as floods, fires, plague, famine, and war.