Medieval Menagerie on the Neckar

Location:
Germany

medieval fair, jousting, market

By Nadia Stadnycki

A seven-foot tall man with navel-length braided pigtails is taking deep swigs of grog from a massive horn bound around his neck with two leather straps. Beer runs down his frazzled, pointed beard and splits into trails down his bare potbelly. A mother hands her daughter up to him in a pink laced dress and pointed princess hat, and they both grin for a quick picture. He is the most authentic, not to mention most gargantuan, twelfth-century townsman at the fair.

Southern Germany is famous for its festivals and celebrations. The lesser-known good-time summer events are the Medieval and Roman fests held annually across the country. A friend and I spent a hot June Sunday in Horb, a historical city on the Neckar River outside of Stuttgart, and were rocketed back into the era of monarchs, knights, sword fights, jousts and, most obviously in the heat, uncomfortable armor.

Horb itself is built in a valley with narrow cobblestone alleys that wind up through traditional German houses and towering church steeples. A market lined the main streets with handmade wares for sale, fun and games for the children and somewhat intimidating medieval delicacies that included roasted pig, skewered meat sticks and a gulasch-esque stew. Crowds came in masses, sharing the merriment of an hour-long parade of belly dancers, sword fighters, musicians, royalty and men on stilts. Participants were well received with “Ooooh”s and “Aaaaaah”s before the public made its way to bleachers to cheer on the favorite princes, knights and warriors in a joust-event held in a large, outdoor arena. Children waved red and blue flags depending on which king’s court they were supporting.

Following the main event, there was hardly a seat free at the dinner tables, where tourists and townspeople alike feasted and laughed as the village drunks made a ruckus and chivalrous men amused with tricks and talents like juggling and axe throwing. Kids bellowed deeply as they heaved (smaller) axes at the axe-throwing tent. Next door, a jousting maze challenged, brave, young fair goers, and an iron works tent where they could melt and mould iron slabs into tiny figures. Fun for all ages came in the form of jewelry-making, small traveling theater groups and minstrels, a falcon tamer and fortunetellers. The path out twisted through the official medieval campgrounds, where each tent was marked with a family shield and heavily-clad men and women reenacted medieval cooking, clothes washing, sewing, and trade working.

Also famous for it’s celebration of its Roman inhabitance, the town of Aalen hosts a similar festival, “Roemertage,” or “Roman Days,” in early Fall. Gladiators dressed in full Roman attire demonstrated Roman war tactics on a present-day soccer field. Similar to Horb, Aalen’s festival includes all manner of entertainment, including belly dancing, sword fights, cannon launches, campfires and weapon making. While this event was not as expansive, it was next to the Ancient History Museum, which gave visitors the chance to see actual artifacts and trace the Roman civilization’s inhabitance of the area.

Further Information

Other helpful information: Bring your imagination as well as your wallet, as there are many handmade wares worth your money.

Must see/do at this place: Indulge in the authentic food and make sure to see some of the city you're in as well as the fest itself.

You should avoid here: Avoid the town drunks!