The traditional costumes anniversary is a celebration in honour of the Bavarian garbs. This event always takes place in summer in Schliersee. The members of the societies for traditional costumes then wear their festive costumes and this way give the traditional costumes anniversary a very special appearance.

The traditional costumes for men is a grey heavy jacket with deer antler´s buttons, a linen shirt, leather trousers, hose, shoes and a traditional hat from Miesbach. This hat is garnished with egret feathers. The traditional hat from Miesbach is made out of soft and green fur felt. The heavy jacket is mad out of stuff. It is coloured in many shades of grey. The double-breasted jacket are completed with rounded lapels, patch pockets and a green banded collar. One pocket is sewed on the upper left side and the other two on each side. The linen shirt is worn under the jacket and is pleated at the chest. The folds run from the top to the bottom.

Women wear the so called Miesbacher Hütl, an ankle-length, fluted gown, a Bavarian Janker, a girdle vest, hand knitted white stockings and laced black shoes  during the traditional costumes anniversary and church events. The girdle vest is worn over the Bavarian Janker and under it a so called Schmiesl is worn. The Schmiesl is a shirt which is tied together on the side. The neckline is oblong and garnished with lace. The hat is made out of a stiffened felting and is lined in the inside and the underpart.

The traditional costumes of the Schliersee region has been developed during the last centuries. The locals wear their costumes especially on very special occasions e.g. the church consecration festival  in Altschliersee, Leonhardi ride and other traditional events.

The so called „Altschlierseer Kirchtag“ is a very special event being celebrated every year at the beginning of August. This centuries-old tradition, taking place during the fair of the parish church St. Sixtus in Schliersee almost had been lost. But the members of the  local costume group of Alt-Schliersee revive this custom for many years.

During the old days the residents of Fischhausen paddled with their floral decorated wooden boats, also known as „Plätten” to the other side of the lake. This custom is nowadays maintained by the local costume group of Alt-Schliersee. On festive decorated replicas made out of larch wood, they paddle from Fischausen to Schliersee. The trip starts at 9.00 a.m. and takes about one hour. The boats float along the eastern lakeside to the spa gardens in Schliersee.

Also very nice are the historical garments, which the members of the local costume group of Alt-Schliersee wears on the day, also known as „kloana Kirta“ (little fair day). At the spa gardens in Schliersee the Mayor of Schliersee, bangers, costume groups from Uper Bavaria and the visitors welcome them. During their arrival also the church bell rings and a concert takes place.

At about 10.30 a.m. the parade to the parish church St. Sixtus starts. At 11.00 a.m. a patrocinium mass is being held. At about 12.00 p.m. the procession moves to the Lautererstraße, Bahnhofstraße and the Country Theatre at the „Terofalplatz”. This is where the church consecration festival is being celebrated with Bavarian dance music until late noon.

One of the most important feast days of the Catholic Church is Corpus Christi. This holiday is always celebrated on Thursday after Trinity Sunday, 60 days after Easter Sunday. Because Easter is a relocatable holiday, Corpus Christi can take part on a Thursday during May 21st and June 24th.

Corpus Christi is the solemnity of the body and blood of Christ. During the last supper Jesus handed over the „living body of the Lord” in form of a piece of bread (this symbolises the Body of Christ) and Wine (symbolises the Blood of Christ) to his disciples. The Catholic Church celebrate the presence of Jesus Christ during this holiday.

The Corpus Christi religious service takes place at the spa gardens in Schliersee during nice weather conditions. Afterwards a procession takes place and leads through the whole village. In case of bad weather the believers meet inside the Catholic Church St. Sixtus.

Josef Geisler is the historical Blacksmith shop in Neuhaus-Josefstal and still forges tools made out of steel like during the old days. The building has been built in 1720. Since he moved into the workshop in 1952, Josef Geisler shows how hand tools like pickaxes, bark-peeling machines, axes and hatchets for forest workers and for household use are being made. According to old craftsmanship, he still works with an open fireplace, an anvil and heavy trip hammers. These are being moved by a transmission belt.

During a visit you can watch every single work step. First the coal is being lightened. When it has reached a temperature of 1.000 degrees, a workpiece made out of steel is being placed into the fire. With the help of claws the glowing material is being taken to the trip hammers which beat the glowing steel in form. The Blacksmith needs a lot of strength. Some parts have to be hammered by hand on the anvil.

If you are walking around the Josefstal, you can hear the hammering of the Blacksmith in his shop. You can buy some handmade tools and some souvenirs at the shop of Josef Geisler. You will be delighted about the good quality and how the tool lies in your hand. Anytime you can have damaged working tools repaired at the historical Blacksmith shop.

Historische Hammerschmiede (Historical Blacksmith Shop)

Josef Geisler Schliersee

Neuhaus im Josefstal

Aurachstraße 2,

+49(0)8026 71004

Every year in September it´s time to collect the cattle from the Alpine meadows and bring them back to the valley. During summer, they stayed on the Alpine meadow grazing and the Alpine herdsmen and -women as well as the dairymen and -women took care of the animals.

Depending on the weather conditions, the Schliersee ceremonial driving down cattle from the mountain pastures into the valley takes place on different days. Hikers, Bikers and walkers mostly experience this tradition by chance, because this occasion is not being organised.

Before bringing the cattle back down to their owners in the valley, the Alpine herdsmen and -women and the dairymen and -women winterise the Alpine huts. If the year was a good one, the animals are being decorated with a bell around their neck and with fir-tree green, Alpine flowers, mirrors and colourful ribbons on their head.

The bells can be heard everywhere. In former days, the locals believed that demons, which were waiting for the people and the animals on the roadside, could be banished this way. As soon as the cattle arrives in the valley, they are being taken to their home stables. During the beginning of summer of the following year, the cows can go back to the mountain pasture. Driving the cattle up to the Alpine pasture is very  unspectacular and the animals are not being decorated.

Every year, during the first Sunday in November, one of the most beautiful horse pilgrimages of the Schliersee region takes place - the so called Leonhardifahrt (Leonhardi pilgrimage) from Schliersee to Fischhausen. It is one of the oldest Christian traditions in Bavaria. For this reason horsemen and teams of horses from nearby and visitors of the metropolitan area of Munich come by. They all want to take part at the camp service next to the Leonhardi Church.

On this day, all horses are being smarten up, the teams of horses are decorated and the people wear their Bavarian garbs. The procession in remembrance of Saint Leonhardi, the guardian of horses and horsemen, starts at 9.00 a.m. The route stretches along the lake to the St. Leonhard Church. After the Leonhardi pilgrimage, the church service starts. The autumn-like procession ends with the blessing of the horses and the horsemen. If you are planning to take part at the service in front of the Leonhardi Church, better leave your car at home and travel by train. The Bayerische Oblerlandbahn leaves hourly from Munich to Fischhausen-Neuhaus. The pilgrimage church is nearby the main train station. The road between Neuhaus and Schliersee on the A-Road 307 is closed from 9.00 a.m. to 01.00 p.m. on the day of the Leonhardi pilgrimage. Cars will be redirected to the Leitzachtal Valley and have to calculate on a time extension of 15 minutes.