Leonhardifahrt, Bad Tölz

A visit to the annual Leonardifahrt, had long been on my wish list. A day full of Bavarian tradition!

St. Leonhard, first patron of the prisoners, is also called “Kettenheiliger”. He was especially venerated from the 11th century onwards in Old Bavaria, where he was regarded as an emergency aid, but above all as a patron of cattle, especially for the horses. The Volksmund gave him the nicknames “Bavarian Herrgott” or “Bauernherrgott” St. Leonhard is called by peasants, horse-drawn sleighs, truckmen, smiths and locksmiths, as well as fruit traders and miners.

The best known is the Leonhardifahrt in Bad Tölz, which always takes place on the 6th of November, unless it falls on a Sunday – then it is carried out on Saturday before.

As the largest and most important Leonhardiffahrt, Tölzer Leonhardifahrt was recognized as an immaterial cultural heritage in Bavaria in July 2016 and was included in the national list of the intangible cultural heritage by the German Commission for UNESCO in December 2016.