Triberger Ham Festival with Black Forest Costume Parade

Black Forest Ham in the Spotlight

Black Forest Ham — air-dried, cold-smoked over fir wood, seasoned with juniper berries — is one of Germany's best-known food products and enjoys EU-wide protected geographical indication. The Triberg Ham Festival celebrates precisely this product: Ham manufacturers and butchers from all over the Black Forest present their products at stalls around the Kurhaus, provide information on ripening times and smoking techniques, and offer tastings and ham platters. The atmosphere is cozy and enjoyable — not a mass Volksfest, but a tribute to a regional cultural asset.

9th Black Forest Costume Parade

The actual highlight is the Black Forest Costume Parade on Saturday afternoon. Over 800 costume wearers from costume associations throughout the Black Forest march from 2:00 PM through Triberg's town center — accompanied by fanfare bands, music clubs, and drum corps. The parade is not only culturally and historically valuable but also a visual spectacle: the black-red-white Bollenhut hats of unmarried women and the black Bollenhut hats of married women, the black costumes of the men, the regional variations from the different valleys of the Black Forest — Gutachtal, Glottertal, Kinzigtal, Wiesental — make the parade a living encyclopedia of traditional costumes.

Triberg and the Waterfalls

With just under 5,000 inhabitants, Triberg is not a large town, but with the Triberg Waterfalls — Germany's highest waterfalls (163 m total drop height) — it is one of the most important tourist destinations in the Black Forest. The falls are located directly on the outskirts of the town and are a worthwhile detour during the Ham Festival. The Kurhaus, the park, and the central streets are the main stage during the festival — the historical and tourist character of the town enhances the atmosphere.

Flea Market and Regional Gastronomy

Besides ham and costumes, there is a large flea market around the Kurhaus, stalls with Black Forest specialties — cheese from the Hochschwarzwald, Black Forest Kirschwasser, Black Forest Cherry Cake, fir honey, ham sausage, game from the surrounding forests. Several stages play traditional Black Forest folk music, occasionally also modern Schlager bands.