Altendorf: Parish Fair, Pumpkin Festival and Carp Trail

Altendorf can be discovered through a variety of events and attractions: the parish fair and pumpkin festival are highlights of the calendar, the Carp Trail leads through the Regnitz Valley to Seußling, and the parish church of St. Sigismund is a listed historic building in Seußling. Between festivals, trails and culture, you can choose the focus of your stay to suit the time of year and your interests.

Festivals Throughout the Year

Altendorf’s parish fair is celebrated on the fifth weekend in August. If August has no fifth weekend, it takes place on the first weekend in September. The fairground tree is traditionally erected on the Saturday of the fair; the Kerwasbuam fetch it from the forest in the morning. The date rule and the tradition give the festival a definite place in the late-summer calendar.

The pumpkin festival takes place every year on the first Sunday in October. Numerous farms in Altendorf open their gates for the occasion. Visitors can see pumpkins of different sizes, shapes and colours, and enjoy culinary treats made with pumpkin. The festival day thus celebrates both the variety of pumpkins and their uses in the kitchen.

In Advent, Altendorf’s “Adventszauber” Christmas market follows. It takes place every year on the third Sunday of Advent in the schoolyard in Altendorf. Together, the parish fair, pumpkin festival and Christmas market offer different seasonal occasions around which to plan a stay—from late summer through Advent.

Trails and Activities

The Nuremberg–Bamberg railway line has a direct stop in Altendorf at Buttenheim station. From the station, the Carp Trail leads through the Regnitz Valley to Seußling. This named route links a clearly defined starting point with a destination within the municipality, giving you a specific direction for planning your walk.

The Regnitz Cycle Route is another leisure activity in Altendorf. This means you can plan either a walk through the Regnitz Valley to Seußling or a cycling trip, offering two different ways to explore the area. Since 2021, the FC Altendorf sports and leisure grounds have also been home to a calisthenics facility. It adds another sporting option to the area’s trails and festivals.

St. Sigismund in Seußling

In Seußling, a district of the municipality of Altendorf in the Bamberg district, stands the listed Roman Catholic parish church of St. Sigismund. Its precise location makes Seußling a local cultural point of interest for anyone wishing to complement the festivals and activities with a glimpse of the area’s ecclesiastical heritage.

Culture and Nature in the Wider Bamberg Destination

Within the wider Bamberg destination, Weissenstein Palace near Pommersfelden is one of Germany’s great Baroque complexes. Its extensive gallery houses art-historically significant works by French, Italian, German and Dutch painters. A visit to the palace therefore offers a close look at art from several European countries.

Ebrach Abbey offers another perspective on architectural history: in the 18th century, Leonhard Dientzenhofer extensively remodelled it into a palace-like Baroque complex. The Gothic church, with its rose window, was preserved. For those interested in culture, Baroque design and a surviving Gothic architectural feature can thus be seen side by side.

Those wishing to include nature in a trip to the Bamberg destination can take the Methusalem Tour around Ebrach, through the Spitzenberg Nature Reserve. It leads to trees up to 250 years old or older, with trunks up to 144 centimetres thick. The tour offers a different focus from the palace and abbey complexes: its highlights are the old trees and the nature reserve through which the route passes.

Discover More Destinations

Discover more destinations: Zapfendorf, Bischberg, Pommersfelden, Pettstadt, Bamberg, Burgebrach, Viereth-Trunstadt, Stegaurach.

Back to the main travel overview: Bamberg.