Pfingstritt-Museum Bad Kötzting

Riders' Pilgrimage and Whitsun Wedding The small but charming museum is housed in the Bad Kötzting Kirchenburg, a late-medieval defensive complex with a fortified cemetery, church and castle. In the museum room, historical objects and a rich collection of materials document the well-known Kötzting "Pfingstritt" and the subsequent symbolic Whitsun wedding. An outstanding exhibit is the "market banner" (Marktfahne) from the late 18th century, the first pictorial source of the Pfingstritt. The event is held annually on Whit Monday by about 900 riders and attracts thousands of spectators. In the museum, parts of traditional costumes, precious "virtue wreaths" (Tugendkränzchen) and "favorites" (Favoriten), horse trappings, awards, and the splendid dress of a Whitsun bride from the 19th century, as well as texts and photographs, illustrate the historical and contemporary significance of the custom. Also worth mentioning is a particular feature of the museum room: it is located above the old dungeon, into which prisoners were lowered through the so-called "fear hole" (Angstloch). If you are interested in the nearly 600-year history and background of the long-established, widely known riders' pilgrimage, a visit to the Pfingstritt Museum in the Kirchenburg is likely to be a worthwhile detour.