A summer of festivals in the Upper Palatinate

Summer nights, historic backdrops, and unforgettable moments – the Upper Palatinate’s festival season is calling.

The sun slowly sinks behind ancient castle walls. The air still holds the warmth of the day. Then the lights go up – and the stage comes alive. Welcome to the Upper Palatinate’s festival season.

The Burgfestspiele Vilseck opens the season. From 26 June to 11 July 2026, the courtyard of Dagestein Castle will transform into a vibrant open-air stage. Taking centre stage is Eilles – Das Beste ist gerade gut genug!, a historical play about Joseph Eilles – the unconventional son of a Vilseck baker who made a name for himself as a celebrated delicatessen entrepreneur in Munich. Written by award-winning author Gerda Stauner and performed by the local Stadtbühne “Lolamannen”, it is a play rooted in the region, made for everyone. What began in 2018 as a bold cultural project has grown into a highlight of the regional events calendar. Performances start at 8:00 p.m., with doors open from 7:00 p.m. – perfect for a leisurely summer evening beneath the open sky.

From 10 to 19 July 2026, the Thurn and Taxis Schlossfestspiele in Regensburg returns for the 22nd time, welcoming guests into the courtyard of the Princely Palace. Verdi’s masterpiece La Traviata launches the festival, followed by a grand opera gala and concerts spanning classical, rock, and Latin genres. For ten days, Regensburg – the UNESCO World Heritage City just half an hour from our hotel – becomes one sweeping open-air stage, with more than 30,000 visitors filling the baroque splendour of St. Emmeram’s Palace each year.

Two festivals, two stages, one underlying truth: the Upper Palatinate is a cultural region that truly blossoms in summer. And after your unforgettable evening? You return to the Romantik Hotel Hirschen, unwind at the bar, or simply fall happily into bed. The Hirschen is your base for a summer of culture that stays with you long after the curtain falls.