Landshut Things to Do

You've likely heard of the "Oktoberfest" in Munich, but do you know about the "Landshuter Hochzeit" in Landshut, Germany? It's a festival held every 4 years to celebrate the marriage of the Polish princess Jadwiga with Prince Georg of Landshut in 1475. It is the largest historical pageant in Germany. The town citizens dress in costume and welcome everyone with a wave and a "Hi-Lo!" The celebrations are usually in July. There is a huge "wedding" parade, followed by a medieval-style tournament, once every weekend for 4 weeks, and beer, bread and other kinds of food are made and served at many events just as they were at the time of the original royal festivities. The next festival will be in 2005, and many visitors reserve hotel rooms a year in advance. It's time to get going!!! (See more pictures in the Travelogue section).

Landshuter Hochzeit will be made every 5 years, last time was the summer in 2009 and I really liked it very much ! Nice costuemes and some hundred of partizipants, cooking like in Middelages, old music and I am sure I shall go there again in 2014 when they have it again.
Its in July for 2 weekends only !

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Held throughout December, until Christmas eve, a chance to buy gifts and food associated with the season, also a good oppotunity fo a glüwein on a cold and wet day. Visited twice, fairly quiet during the daytime but very busy in the early evening.

The Basilika St. Jodok is in a distance of 500 meters from St.Martin Cathedral, and in my opinion it is even party more beautiful from inside than the main church of Landshut. The church dates back to 1388 and it needed 62 years to be built by rad bricks and with a tower, 70 meters high.
The most beautiful part in that church of St.Jodok is the main altar .

The townhall of Landshut consists of 3 different gothic buildings, that were combined by a neo-gothic facade in 1861. The most precious room of the townhall is the Rathausprunksaal , the ornate audience-hall where the bride and the groom of the historic wedding of 1475 had their first dance togeather. In 1880 that room was decorated with scenes from that historic wedding and it is still used for special festivities, concerts and theatre-performances. The Fest & Tanzspiel is performed there during the Landshuter Hochzeit.
You may visit this Prunksaal beteen 02.00 and 0.00p.m.
every monday till friday or after appointment.

"Neustadt" is the name of a street parallell to "Altstadt" and although it is the german expression for "new town" it still dates back to the year 1300. That street is a bit wider than Altstadt and was used for the regular markets since the medieval times.
Neustadt is also full of great facades with beautiful details.

Heiliggeistkirche (church of the holy spirit) dates back to the year 1407 and the architect was first Hans von Burghausen and lateron Hams Strethaimer, who finished the construction in 1461. The church was built in connection with the hospital and today it is normally closed , but used for church services of course and partly also used as a museum. Something that you may see any time from outside is the lovely entrance-gate and the sculptured tomb-stone that you may see on my picture - it is on the right, when you stand in front of the church. In front of Heiliggeistkirche you will also see a small "medieval restaurant" during the "Landshuter Hochzeit" - see a picture of it in my restaurant-tips.

Ländtor is one of the remaining towers and gates of the medieval townwall of Landshut and during the time of "Landshuter Hochzeit" this gate is also a gate back into our century with cars, trafic lights etc., while inside the gate you sometimes really get the feeling to be back in the year 1475.