Isn’t it great when the time comes to wave goodbye to winter? The days start to get warmer, and the sun (usually) starts to make its presence felt a bit more. Mother Nature starts to do her thing and begins to bring the plants and flowers back to life again. Generally, the collective mood improves. Surely that’s worthy of some kind of celebration? Well, the good folks of Eisenach certainly think so. Enter Sommergewinn, one of the most important fixtures in the central German town’s calendar. Allow us to give you a bit of a lowdown...
Sommergewinn is a centuries-old spring festival that is rammed full of energy, tradition and an abundance of local charm. Happening three weeks before Easter, the annual celebration marks the end of winter and the return of summer. It features parades, festive music, and a few playful traditions that have been passed down through generations.
At its core, it’s a spring ritual deeply tied to the Christian calendar. Long ago, locals would symbolically drive out the cold grip of winter by burning a straw figure. Today, that spirit lives on in the Festumzug (a parade), which culminates in a spirited debate between the personified figures of summer (Frau Sunna) and winter (Herr Winter). We don’t think it’s too much of a spoiler to tell you that Frau Sunna always wins the argument.
With over 1200 participants, 40+ marching groups, 10 bands, and more than 40 festively decorated floats winding through Eisenach’s streets, it’s fair enough to consider the Festumzug the headline event, but the fun doesn’t actually start on parade day, oh no. A key element of Sommergewinn is the Kommersch - a series of pre-festival evenings held at the Werner-Aßmann-Halle. These events mix music, dance, and a dash of local “Stiegker” humour (to save you looking it up, it’s a dialect), all of which sets the tone for the main celebration itself. Originally born from student parties, the Kommersch has been continually evolving since the early 20th century and remains a beloved and important kick-off to the festivities.
One thing that we really appreciate about Sommergewinn is the sense of community that surrounds it. There’s genuinely a feeling that almost the whole city buys into it. If you are a native or a German speaker, we think it’s a must visit and something you should definitely experience, even if you’ve visited other Volksfest before. If you aren’t one of our German-speaking friends, we still think it is worth checking out. It offers a great insight into some enduring cultural traditions and if nothing else, you can definitely enjoy the food and rides without worrying about understanding all of the regional dialect.
Pentahotel Eisenach is located a short distance from the "Spicke" fairground, which is on Adam-Opel-Straße, meaning that when you factor in the big comfortable beds, the relaxed yet welcoming atmosphere, and the general all-around good vibes that we can offer you... well, let’s just say that we know pretty much the perfect place to rest your head after Sommergewinn. If you still need convincing that Eisenach is worth visiting, you can check out a couple of our other blogs here and here, but needless to say we think it is, and there’s no time like the present... book your stay today.
Foto: Werbeagentur Frank Bode GmbH
