Historisches Festspiel „Der Meistertrunk“ (The Master Draught) sweeps through Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Germany each Pentecost weekend (late May or early June), commemorating the Thirty Years’ War legend in which Mayor Georg Nusch saves the town by downing a 3¼-liter wine tankard to win General Tilly’s mercy. Watch the dramatic play in the Kaisersaal of the town hall, then follow the historic parade, bustling soldiers’ camps, and costumed street scenes that turn the medieval walls into living history.
DATES & TIMES
• Festival dates (2026): Friday, May 22–Monday, May 25, 2026. Organizer overview · Rothenburg Tourism Service listing.
• The organizer posts the detailed schedule (performances, parade, market, camps, etc.); confirm exact times and venues in the official program and ticket pages. Program · Tickets & prices.
LOCATION
• Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany. Open in Google Maps.
• The event takes place across the Old Town; the tourism service lists the main venues as the festival meadow and the Imperial Hall (Kaisersaal) at the Town Hall. Venue overview · Town Hall (map) · Town Hall address.
TICKETS & ENTRY
• The organizer publishes prices for the Pentecost Festival, including weekend and day tickets (some elements are included; others are sold as single-event tickets). Tickets & prices (2026).
• Performances of “The Master Draught” in the Kaisersaal are ticketed (tiered pricing); the organizer notes the show is in German. Kaisersaal tickets.
GOOD TO KNOW
• This is the city’s main Pentecost weekend historical festival; the tourism service notes activities throughout the Old Town and multiple performances of the play in the Kaisersaal. Rothenburg Tourism Service.
• The organizer states children and young people under 14 have free entry to festival events except the Kaisersaal performances. Entry rules.
• Entry at the city gates (Sat. & Sun.) and the historical handicraft market (Fri. & Mon.) are listed as paid items on the organizer’s price list; confirm what applies to your visit on the official tickets page. Price list.