- Bergkirchweih
The Bergkirchweih is an annual fair taking place in
Erlangen ,Germany .Locals nickname it Berch, which is the Franconian pronunciation of the German word Berg, meaning mountain.The Bergkirchweih starts every Thursday before
Pentecost at 5PM. The opening ceremony called "Anstich", which is carried out by the City's mayor, takes place in a different beer cellar every year. Thousands gather to watch the opening spectacle with a huge fight for beer.Twelve days later the last beer barrel is buried in the cellar where the next Anstich will take place.The Bergkirchweih area is located in the northern extremities of the city ofErlangen and is roughly a kilometer long (0.6mi).It contains beer cellars, booths and rides, and its huge Ferris wheel is the Berch's traditional landmark.With its ale-benches under elms, chestnuts and oaks it is the biggest Open-Air-
Biergarten of Europe with more than 11,000 seats.The Bergkirchweih has taken place since 1755. Nowadays the time when the fair takes place is called the "fifth season". Roughly a million people - about ten times the town's population - visit the event, making the Bergkirchweih the third biggest fair in
Bavaria after theOktoberfest inMunich and theGäubodenvolksfest inStraubing .ee also
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Beer festival External links
* http://www.der-berg-ruft.de/
During the Bergkirchweih season you can find various Photos and Web-Cams, Bulletins and other links regarding the Bergkirchweih. The rest of the year the page hosts a countdown till the next Anstich.
* http://www.bergkirchweih.de/ Alternative (also in German) [not updated since 2006]
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