Straubing
Straubing, on the Danube in Lower Bavaria: the Gäubodenvolksfest, 13 to 23 August 2027, its seven beer tents and five local breweries.
At a glance
- Home of the Gäubodenvolksfest, 13 to 23 August 2027
- Bavaria’s second-largest Volksfest, according to the town
- Five local breweries pour in the festival’s seven tents
- Free entry to the festival and to the Ostbayernschau fair next to it
- About 1.3 million visitors, says the town’s tourism page
- 1food festival
Food festivals in Straubing
DALIBRI, CC BY-SA
Map of Straubing
What to taste in Straubing
Karmeliten beer
From the Karmeliten Brauerei Karl Sturm, poured in the Greindl tent at the Gäubodenvolksfest.
Arcobräu
The beer of the Reisinger tent at the festival.
Schlossbrauerei Irlbach
A castle brewery of the area, on tap in the Krönner tent.
Bavarian tent food
Roast chicken and pork knuckle are the classics of Bavarian beer tents, with pretzels on the side.
Straubing sits on the Danube in Lower Bavaria, at the heart of the Gäuboden, the flat and fertile farming plain that gives its name to the town’s August festival, the Gäubodenvolksfest. The town’s tourism page calls it Bavaria’s second-largest Volksfest and counts 1.3 million visitors from around the world.
The town of the Bierstadt
For eleven days in August, the Festplatz Am Hagen hosts a “Bierstadt”, a beer town of seven tents where five local breweries pour, alongside the rides. Next door, the Ostbayernschau, a fair for eastern Bavaria, runs at the same time.
- Organiser: the Straubinger Ausstellungs- und Veranstaltungs GmbH, a company owned by the town.
The beer is the local part of the trip: Karmeliten, Arcobräu, Erl, the castle brewery of Irlbach and the Heimatbrauerei each have their tent, and the tents seat about 27,500 people in all, according to the organiser.
The festival opens with a procession to the Festplatz, the Auszug zum Festplatz. In 2026 it fell on Friday 7 August.
The Stadtturm and its two squares
The town tower, the Stadtturm, was built from 1316 to the end of the 16th century in the Neustadt, the new town founded in 1218 that forms today’s historic centre.
- Height: 68 metres over eight storeys, crowned by five spires.
- The squares: the tower splits the Stadtplatz into the Ludwigsplatz and the Theresienplatz, where two early Baroque fountains honour the town’s patron saints, St. Jakob and St. Tiburtius.
Guided visits of the tower are booked through the town’s tourist information, Fraunhoferstraße 27. The view takes in the Danube valley, the Gäuboden and the foothills of the Bavarian Forest.
Around Straubing
The old town lies along a long central square, with the town tower in the middle, and the Danube flows along its northern edge. Regensburg, upstream on the Danube, is the nearest large city.
- By train: Straubing has a railway station with regional services towards Regensburg.
Before you go
- When: the town fills for the Gäubodenvolksfest in August. In 2027, from 13 to 23 August.
- Beds: book early for the festival, which draws about 1.3 million visitors.
- Getting to the festival: special bus lines run to the Festplatz from the surrounding districts on festival days.
- Parking: about 5,000 paid spaces near the Festplatz.
- Tables: reserve with the tent landlords themselves. At least 40 percent of seats stay free for walk-ins.
Frequently asked questions
When is the Gäubodenvolksfest 2027?
From 13 to 23 August 2027, in Straubing, according to the organiser.
Is the Gäubodenvolksfest free?
Yes. Entry is free, to the Volksfest and to the Ostbayernschau held next to it.
How many beer tents are there at the Gäubodenvolksfest?
Seven, with beer from five local breweries, in what the organiser calls the Bierstadt.
Where is the Gäubodenvolksfest held?
On the Festplatz Am Hagen, in Straubing (postcode 94315).