A Schützenfest celebrates the marksmen sharpshooters, and it's a traditional regional celebration held in various villages and towns across Europe.
Here is what to expect and how to experience an authentic Schützenfest.
Jump to:
What is a Schützenfest?
A Schützenfest is the celebration of marksmen in all German-speaking areas and neighboring countries in Europe.
A marksman is a skilled shooter and Schütze means marksmen in German, and it also means protector. Fest is the celebration of the local heroes and protectors.
These events are mainly held in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, South Tyrol (Italy), and Liechtenstein but also in Poland, France, and the Netherlands.
This manifests itself in the shape of a fair on a weekend, mostly a Sunday, from mid-spring to late summer.
You can expect to see the marksmen from various villages, towns, and groups show up in a parade. These parades can take 1 hour or more.
Back in the day, they would shoot into the air to start the event, but due to safety concerns they might not do that anymore (depends on the region).
Once the parade is over, the marksmen head to the lunch tent.
These large tents consist of tables and benches and food stalls selling local food specialties.
A shooting competition determines the best shooter, and the king and queen are nominated.
What to expect as a Visitor?
In a parade, you will spot locals wearing “Trachten” which are specific traditional dirndl-like dresses and Lederhosen (leather pants as per regional custom).
Each group or village has a Schützenkompanie and occasionally a town can have more than one.
In some parts of Austria, for example, you will also see local Kapellenmeister brass band groups and Schuhplattler (alpine folk dance) groups taking part in the Schützenfest parade and fair.
Our district, Schützenfest in Tyrol, has heavy artillery from the liberation wars added to their parade walk and so every region and area has its customs and specialties.
No Schützenfest is the same. Therefore, you will come across different events.
Usually, some people watching and participating in the event also wear Dirndl and Lederhosen, and visitors from around the world are encouraged to do the same.
These events are freely accessible, that means, normally there is no entry fee. But it depends on the size of the event. Large gatherings might impose an entry fee.
Here is a full video that we filmed of the Schützenfest in the mark town of St.Johann in Tirol in 2023.
Tip: Learn how to wear a Dirndl dress.
Where to see a Schützenfest in 2025?
I can mainly speak about the Schützenfest in my region, Tyrol in Austria.
The village Schützenfest in the alpine towns in Austria and South Tyrol, Italy, are held in May and June.
For example, Waidring in Tyrol near Berchtesgaden in Bavaria, celebrated the Bataillons-Schützenfest in mid-May in 2024.
This year, you can head to Kirchdorf in Tirol on the 4th to 6th July 2025, where they celebrate the 900-year anniversary with a huge Schützenfest parade.
Incidentally, the European marksmen fair is celebrated every 3 years and in 2024 it was held at the Mondsee lake in Austria between the 30th August and the 1st September. The next one hasn't been announced yet.
One of the most significant marksmen events in Germany, the Schützenfest Hannover, will be hosted between the 4th and 13th July in 2025. Here you can expect fun rides and food stalls, reminiscing of the Oktoberfest in Munich.
Comments
No Comments