Zwiesel Glass Night

Glass – Zwiesel's Identity

Zwiesel in the Regen district is the secret capital of Bavarian glass. Glass has been blown, cut, melted, and crafted here since the 17th century. Today, Zwiesel is world-renowned for its glass artists, University of Applied Sciences for Glass, Glass Museum, and glassworks – including brands like Schott and Zwiesel Kristallglas. The Glasstraße (Glass Route), a tourist holiday road, leads through the glass region from the Bavarian Forest to the Upper Palatinate Forest.

A Night Celebrating Glass Itself

The Zwieseler Glasnacht is the town's annual homage to its own culture. Under the motto "Glass – Fire – Light", the town center transforms into a light parcours for one night: glass candles mark the paths, thousands of floating lanterns are reflected in the fountains, Swedish torches burn on every corner, and illuminated glass sculptures are staged in shop windows and squares.

Live Glassblowing Demonstrations

Highlights for many visitors are the live glassblowing demonstrations: glassblowers work in the middle of the town at melting furnaces, blowing glass before the eyes of the public, shaping sculptures and colorful vases. The glassworks in and around Zwiesel open their workshops and offer workshops and special demonstrations. The Glaskönigin (Glass Queen) – an annually elected ambassador of glass culture – opens the festival together with the mayor.

Program of Music, Art, and Culinary Delights

Several stages in the city center offer live music and DJs; cover bands, singer-songwriters, and jazz combos play well into the night. The museums and galleries – especially the Waldmuseum (Forest Museum) and the Glasmuseum (Glass Museum) – are open free of charge. Glass artists exhibit their works in special exhibitions. Food stalls along the festival route offer regional specialties from the Bavarian Forest: roast pork, sausages, grilled fish on a stick, mushroom soup, and sweet doughnuts.

The Bavarian Forest as a Backdrop

Zwiesel is located in the heart of the Bavarian Forest, at the foot of the Großer Arber, the region's highest mountain (1,456 m). The town is a starting point for hikes, winter skiing, and the Bavarian Forest National Park. Visitors to the Glass Night often combine the town festival with a weekend in the region's forests and lakes.

A Festival Unlike Any Other

What makes the Zwieseler Glasnacht unique: it could not take place anywhere else because it grows so deeply from local craftsmanship. Glass, fire, light – three elements that have been interacting here for centuries. Anyone walking through Zwiesel on this August night can feel it.