Wipperfürth City Festival

Oldest Town in the Bergisches Land

Wipperfürth, located between Cologne and the Sauerland in the Oberbergischer Kreis district, proudly bears the title of oldest town in the Bergisches Land — the town was first mentioned in a document in 1217. The medieval-influenced center with its market square, Hochstraße, and the baroque parish church of St. Nikolaus serves as the stage for one of the most important municipal festivals in the Oberbergischer Kreis district in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.

City Festival with a Clear Rhythm

The Wipperfürth City Festival follows a well-established structure: Friday afternoon the town center is closed to traffic, Saturday is the main festival day with children's and family programs lasting late into the evening, Sunday is the Sunday shopping day with special acts on stage and a morning pint (Frühschoppen). The festival is organized by the City of Wipperfürth together with the Werbe- und Entwicklungsgemeinschaft Wipperfürth (WEG).

Cultural Mile, Market Square, and Art Mobile

What distinguishes the Wipperfürth City Festival from many other city festivals is its explicit cultural emphasis. On the Kulturmeile (cultural mile) in front of the city library, collaborative chalk drawings are created annually, the KunO-Kunstmobil (art mobile) offers free art and movement workshops, and there are dance performances by local schools and sports clubs. On the main stage at the market square, bands from Cologne (in the past, for example, Kuhl un de Gäng) play, musically symbolizing the relationship between the Bergisches Land and the Rhenish metropolis — Wipperfürth is located about 50 km east of Cologne, and the Cologne influence is noticeable in everyday life.

Connection with the City Run

Directly before the city festival, on the eve of the event, the Wipperfürth City Run takes place: a public run through the town center with distances ranging from a children's run to 10 km, organized by the local TV Wipperfürth club. The combination of the sports event on Friday and the festival weekend starting on Saturday attracts additional visitors to the town and makes the weekend the highlight of Wipperfürth's event calendar.

Bergisches Land — A World of Its Own

Geographically, Wipperfürth lies at the transition from the Rhineland to the Sauerland — a low mountain landscape with dams, forests, and small industrial towns. The Bergisches Land is not a classic tourist destination but has a strong regional identity: Rhenish in dialect, Sauerland-like in landscape. The Wipperfürth City Festival perfectly captures this mix — bands from Cologne on a medieval market square stage.