Bad Griesbach - Karpfhamer Fest & Rottalschau

The huge amusement park, 6 festival tents, traditionally called ‘Hütten’ in Karpfham, with around 19,000 seats, the Rottal Show and the performances of the famous ‘Rottaler Zehnerzug’ attract almost half a million visitors to Karpfham every year.

History of the Karpfham festival

The small village of Karpfham, first mentioned in a document in 903, lies in the centre of the Lower Bavarian spa triangle of Bad Füssing, Bad Griesbach and Bad Birnbach.

Karpfham - a village in the Rottal, like any other, church, inn, rural tranquillity, just the way spa guests seeking relaxation or the ever-increasing number of visitors to the surrounding golf centres love it.

But once a year, Karpfham awakens to unexpected activity, namely at the end of August, when the well-known ‘Karpfhamer Fest’ takes place.

The ‘Karpfhamer Fest’ - a real Lower Bavarian folk festival with an ancient tradition, which probably owes its origins to a horse market or horse show hundreds of years ago. Unfortunately, there are no records or clues to the origins of the festival in the historical record. Only an oral tradition from generation to generation places its origins in the Middle Ages.

The year 1800:

In records dating back around 200 years, however, we can already read about prize-giving ceremonies (agricultural awards for animals, produce or services), which were already attended by a large number of people at the time.

The fact that horses and equestrian sporting performances must have been involved can be inferred from the vernacular. The ‘Karpfham Riding’, the ‘Prize Distribution’ or the ‘Prize Meadow’ (today's fairground) have been talked about since time immemorial.

Over the years, this rural event developed into a popular folk festival that has grown to its current size.

The 60s and 80s:

In the past, the festival traditionally lasted 3 days - from Friday to Sunday. In the 60s and 80s of the last century, Monday and then Tuesday were added.

Since 2009...

...the festival has lasted 6 days every year - from Thursday to Tuesday. After individual festival hosts had already held events such as beer tastings or political meetings on Thursday evenings, it was decided in 2009 to open the Karpfham festival in full on Thursday with the official tapping of the first keg of beer.

The Rottalschau:

The ‘Karpfhamer Fest’ experienced a real boom when the ‘Rottalschau’ - an agricultural trade show - was added. Of course, at an event where thousands of visitors gathered, there were always a few companies exhibiting or offering for sale agricultural equipment, machinery, etc. However, this always took place within a limited area. However, this was always within the range of around 20-30 exhibiting companies.

It was not until around 50 years ago, when the ‘Lower Bavarian Agricultural Machinery and Trade Show’, as it was called at the time, was vigorously expanded, renamed the ‘Rottalschau’ and specifically advertised for agricultural exhibitors, that it began to grow to its current size.

The ‘Rottalschau’ is now one of the most important agricultural exhibitions in southern Germany. The exhibition still only opens its doors on Friday.

Source: Karpfhamer Fest e.V., organiser of the Karpfhamer Fest and the Rottalschau

Travel information:

By public transport:

- By bus - bus stop at the festival site, bus timetable at https://www.karpfhamerfest.de/anfahrt-parken/busfahrplaene/

By car:

- Venue: Karpfham fairground

Parking facilities:

- 15 car parks around the festival site