"Bad Hersfeld - Home of the Oldest Party in Germany" Bad Hersfeld by Weissdorn

Bad Hersfeld Travel Guide: 47 reviews and 138 photos

A bonfire for St. Lullus Day (Oct. 16) - Bad Hersfeld

Saint Lullus' Day Party

Saint Lullus (710-786) didn't have it easy as Bonifatius' cousin. Lullus wasn't even a German to begin with - he was English. His cousin convinced him that God's Holy Work was to disperse heathen believe in Charlemange's Empire and bring the light of Christ to everyone (whether or not they liked the idea). And the Chatten people in the Rhön were hard customers, so Bonifatius pulled in reinforcements from the homeland. What started off as a little wooden shack, that Lullus opened for God's Holy Business, grew to be one of the more impressive Romanic architectural landmarks of the day - the Charity Monastery Church in Bad Hersfeld.

Although Lullus, a Celtic Monk, then later Abby for the Bendictine Monastery, and finally Archbishop of Mainz, was not a martyr like his cousin was, he was a stickler for enforcing Catholic rules, and when he died they buried him in the Charity Church (Stiftskirche). Later he was sainted for bringing the Light of Christ into the Darkness of Chatten Germany, and every year the Bad Hersfelders celebrate during the festival period by renewing the Light of Christ Fire during an annual party, called Lullus or "Lols" by the locals. It's reputed to be THE oldest Folksfestival in Germany.

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Go Live to Bad Hersfeld!

TRY a new road in Germany! If you want to see some of the most interesting half-timbered houses in Germany, try the TRAVELOGE The Half-Timbered House Road for a DIFFERENT ROAD to travel in Germany.

Or visit the individual pages:
Grünberg
Lich
Butzbach
Gelnhausen
Steinau an der Strasse
Fulda
Lauterbach
Schlitz

Last visit to Bad Hersfeld: Jun 2002
Intro Updated May 15, 2004
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Reviews (7)

Family Atmosphere in Gasthof Eichhof - Bad Hersfeld

Typical German Restaurant Restaurants (1)

Wide variety of typical German food - home cooking style - with a family atmosphere. They also have rooms available at... more travel advice

Staying Overnight in a Fortress Hotels (1)

Actually, I wanted to list this under "Things to See", but there is also a Hotel here, so I thought it might be good to... more travel advice

Wooden Gear Collection in Bad Hersfeld - Bad Hersfeld

Bad Hersfeld Town Museum Things to Do (5)

This little museum has a nice display of town history, history about how the Catholic Church played an immense role in... more travel advice

Medieval Castle near Bad Hersfeld - Herzberg - Bad Hersfeld

Herzberg Castle Things to Do (5)

Herzberg Castle is not directly in Bad Hersfeld - it's just a short distance away - but well worth visiting, especially... more travel advice

Comments (3)

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deecat Aug 22, 2007 at 2:25 PM

What a delightful place with the baths, the castle, and the great restaurant tip.
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Nemorino Dec 5, 2004 at 2:00 AM

Informative tips and beautiful photos, as always! I often go through Bad Hersfeld on the train, but have never stopped there up to now. Maybe next summer for the Festspiele...
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LoriPori Sep 21, 2004 at 1:04 PM

WOW Celeste, you are the very first to rate my Windsor pages. I am honored. I will have to visit more of your pages soon. Hugs from Canada. Lori.