SHARE
COPY LINK

FESTIVAL

The nine best events taking place across Germany this March

From beer to Easter festivities, here's how you can welcome in the spring this March.

The nine best events taking place across Germany this March
Photo:DPA

1. Munich Strong Beer Festival, March 10th – April 2nd 

Photo:DPA

Think you could drink even the sturdiest of Bavarian's under the table? Think again. At this festival, the beers are particularly hard-hitting. 

Perhaps lesser known than its sibling Oktoberfest, the Starkbierfest (Strong Beer Festival) takes place over three weeks this month in breweries across Munich. 

The Paulaner am Nockherberg brewery will be celebrating from March 10th – April 2nd, where the public festival first took place in 1870.

The festival’s roots can be traced back to Paulaner monk Brother Barnabas, who had a desire for a strong beer to fill his tummy when fasting for lent.

With a 7.5 percent alcohol content, it seems he fulfilled his mission with the 'Salvator' beer. 

Other breweries have since developed their own versions of the Salvator, and serve them during this time.

2. Martin Luther rock musical concert, Kaiserslautern, Rhineland-Palatinate, March 10th

Photo: DPA

To mark the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, a three-act rock musical has been written about the the father of Protestantism, Martin Luther.

“Luther – a man between God and the Devil”, is actually due to open in April, but a teaser concert for the show will take place this month in the Stiftskirche in Kaiserslautern.

All songs from the show will be debuted, alongside a narration of the historical events documented in the musical.

The audience will be serenaded by 12 instrumentalists, eight solo singers and a choir.

3. Fish Festival, Saarland, March 11th – 19th
 

Photo: DPA

Though the region is nowhere near the sea, the state of Saarland is making the most of the fruits of its river by putting on a week-long fish festival.

The Saar-Hunsrück area is host to trout, char, whitefish and pike which can be enjoyed at around 20 participating restaurants.

You can also receive lessons on how to cook fish properly, have tours to understand how the fish are produced and enjoy workshops on how to pick the best fish when shopping.

As if that wasn’t enough, you can also go on a hike, where you will be supplied with a fish dish and the specific wine to go with it to serve as sustenance along the way.

4. St Patrick's Day, 12th March

Photo: DPA

Known for being one of the biggest parties around the world, the St Patrick's Day parade in Munich will take place on March 12th. There could be nowhere better to hold the main German celebrations than Munich, a city so famous for it's beer consumption.

About 25,000 people are expected to take to the streets to drink beer and watch the parade, where approximately 1,200 people will march through the the centre of town.

The parade will include everything from bands of Gaelic bagpipers, to “walking pints” – people dressed as pints of beer. The parade will, of course, be followed by celebrations long into the night.

The revellers won't be drinking German beer, but the traditional Irish Guinness instead.

And of course other German cities like Berlin are sure to have their own festivities planned on the actual holiday, March 17th.

5. Nights of Crime, Stuttgart, March 14th – 27th

Photo: DPA

A scene from famous German crime series Tatort. Photo: DPA

Now in its eighth year, this unique festival is not for those easily spooked!

The programme promises improvised theatre plays and musicals, readings from national and international authors, film screenings and lectures all based on the theme of crime’.

The “crime scenes” are to be found in a myriad of locations around Stuttgart that the public would not normally have access to, from table dance bars, to the ministry of justice and the crematorium.

Act quickly – according to the website, tickets for some events are already sold out. 

6. Leipziger Buchmesse, March 3rd – 26th

Photo: DPA

One of the biggest book fairs in Germany, second only to Frankfurt, the Leipziger Buchmesse is the perfect gathering for all you bookworms out there.

With around 3,000 events, the fair allows publishers and authors to present their upcoming books, and to talk to readers and fans about their previous work. This year one of the world's most famous pianists, Lang-Lang, will be playing.

With quarter of a million people attending over the weekend, this centuries-old festival has a reputation for being less commercial than its Frankfurt rival – it is the book lover's book fair.

7. Berlin Alternative Fashion Week, March 31st – April 1st 

Photo: DPA

Starting on the final day of March, Berlin's Alternative Fashion Week returns for its third year and aims to promote new, innovative, and alternative designers who might not be featured at the regular fashion weeks.

Taking place in the world-famous club Berghain, this event is a must for those who don't think they will able to get through the pearly gates the regular way.

At the event there are shows put on by designers from around Europe, with the 2015 show involving 60 designers from 25 different countries. There are also pop-up shops selling clothes by the designers, so if you're not interested in the shows but want to get some edgy shopping done, then this is the place for you.

8. Ostermarkt, Nuremberg, March 31st – April 17th

Photo: DPA

The very end of the month sees the opening of the Ostermarkt, Nuremberg’s oldest market – going since 1424 – which anticipates the celebration of Easter.

Open daily between 10 am and 7pm in the Hauptmarkt, you can treat yourself to sweets or something fresh from a bakery stall as you browse through traditional Easter decorations such as intricately hand-painted eggshells.

The market also boasts clothes and household goods from over 100 traders – and the Easter Bunny drops by for a daily visit. 

A cheerful way to see off the long cold winter!  

9. Prenzlauerberginale, Berlin (throughout March)

Photo: DPA

Last month we had the Berlinale – one of the world's biggest film festivals – which has in the past hosted stars like Meryl Streep, Hugh Jackman, and George Clooney.

But for those not interested in the big Hollywood blockbusters and the glitz and glamour of the red carpet, this smaller film festival throughout March could be just right for you.

In the Berlin district of Prenzlauer Berg, a small art cinema called Babylon is showing a range of documentaries and short films on the topics of “love, daily routine, and socialism.” Many of the films focus on life along the Berlin Wall, including documentaries on those who were both killed and successful in escaping to West Berlin.

A selection of videos of life with the Wall, as well as the Oscar-nominated Mauerhase (Rabbit à la Berlin), will be shown, along with an art exhibition of photos of Prenzlauer Berg in the 1970s.

EVENTS

How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dressing up, singing, and drinking: On Friday, countless Jecken (revelers) in Cologne will once again celebrate the start of the Carnival session.

How Cologne is preparing for the start of Carnival on Friday

Dubbed Germany’s “fifth season” by locals, the event starts every year on November 11th at 11:11 am, and typically stretches into February or March, when colourful parades spill into the streets.

Carnival stronghold Cologne in particular is preparing for the onslaught of tens of thousands of people who will flock to its Altstadt (old town), and especially to the student quarter, starting early Friday morning. 

READ ALSO: 10 unmissable events in Germany this November

“Far too many people want to celebrate in far too small a space,” city director Andrea Blome told DPA. “We can’t stop anyone from coming to Cologne now.” 

More security this year

In the popular Kwartier Latäng student quarter, there have been regular bouts of drinking by young partygoers in the past, who crowded into a confined space, leaving litter everywhere and publicly peeing on the corners of buildings. 

Google Maps shows the location of the so-called Kwartier Latäng part of Cologne.

But with a new security plan, the city and police hope to keep the situation under control.

Several checkpoints and road closures have been set up to secure the safety of the revelers and relieve the burden on worried residents, according to Blome. Visitors will only be able to enter the closed-off area around Zülpicher Straße via a single access point. 

On Friday, Cologne is also set to send a total of 150 employees from the Ordnungsamt (public order office) onto the streets, who will be supported by 520 private security guards. 

A glass ban will again apply in the celebration zones, and several hundred toilets will be set up at the hotspots, “which nevertheless will probably not be used by all visitors,” Blome predicted.

READ ALSO: 10 words you need to know at Cologne’s Carnival

Up to 1,100 police officers are expected to be on duty on the day – about 200 fewer than last year, said head of operations Rüdiger Fink. But he expected to keep the situation “under control with a new security plan.”

What to expect

On Cologne’s Heumarkt, there will be a stage program all day with bands such as the Bläck Fööss, the Paveiern and Brings. 

Google Maps shows Cologne’s Heumarkt along the Rhine River.

According to the Willi Ostermann Society, about 10,000 tickets were sold in advance for the event, which will be aired by German WDR for several hours.

Meanwhile, in Düsseldorf, the day will start at 11:11 a.m. with the “Hoppeditz Awakening” in front of City Hall. 

According to a spokesman, the police will be adequately prepared for the start of the season, with a particular focus on the Altstadt, where there will certainly be celebrations.

“But 11.11. is a very different event here in Düsseldorf than in Cologne,” he said, referring to a more orderly start and fewer guests.

READ ALSO: What you need to know about celebrating Carnival in Germany

SHOW COMMENTS