Easter in Bavaria: 10 Things You Have to Do

Blazing Easter fires, giant eggs, artfully adorned Easter fountains, colorful Easter markets with centuries-old tradition, and prehistoric eggs: If you know where to go, Easter in Bavaria has a lot to offer! These 10 tips for Easter trips in Bavaria are especially worthwhile.

What do dinosaurs and fountains have in common during Easter in Bavaria? Everything revolves around the egg! Would you expect the most beautiful Easter outings in Bavaria for families to take you back to prehistoric times or at least a few centuries? There are some open-air museums and dino parks where participation and experience are emphasized during Easter, offering fantastic extra programs. In the heavily Catholic state of Bavaria, some believers might roll their eyes and say, “Dinosaurs and the Middle Ages have nothing to do with Easter, the most important Christian festival!” That’s true. But they do have something to do with (prehistoric) eggs and some almost forgotten Bavarian Easter traditions and customs that are tremendous fun, like “Oarscheib’n.” Easter in Bavaria is not just a religious festival; it’s also a colorful spectacle full of traditions, festive customs, and culinary delights.

Some of you may have Easter vacations or at least 4 days off during Easter. Nature is awakening, making it the perfect time for Easter outings in Bavaria. Pack your good mood and your loved ones and embark on a trip to beautiful colorful Easter markets, admire (and photograph) artistically decorated Easter fountains, go on a prehistoric or medieval Easter egg hunt, and bid farewell to winter once and for all with a fantastic Easter fire. Of course, you can also meet the Easter Bunny and hunt for Easter eggs in many places in Bavaria. These 10 tips for Easter outings in Bavaria ensure varied Easter days!

Looking for more excursion tips to the most beautiful places in Bavaria? These destinations in Franconian Switzerland, in the Allgäu, and in Upper Bavaria are, for me, some of the most beautiful places in all of Bavaria!

1. Giant Eggs, Easter Eggs, and the Easter Bunny in the Olympic Park at Easter in Bavaria

Where do Munich’s best Easter bunnies hop? At the traditional Easter festival in front of the Olympic Tower in Munich. Every year, a colorful entertainment program is offered, especially enjoyable for families with children. Children can paint and craft giant eggs in the Easter Egg Garden, get their faces painted, and watch games, interviews, and competitions on the stage. There are also some showmen and rides, and the Easter Bunny is on the move, distributing chocolate bunnies.

• Where: Easter festival in the Olympic Park Munich
• Current Info: Olympic Park Website
• When: Easter Sunday, from 11 a.m.
• Cost: Free admission

2. Eggs for the Animals – Easter Rally at Hellabrunn Zoo

Easter at Hellabrunn Zoo is not only characterized by cute animal babies (and impressive egg-stealing predators) but also by a diverse Easter program for the whole family. Small and big visitors can participate in Easter crafting activities, make gifts for the animal residents, get their faces painted, and, with a bit of luck, witness chicks hatching and learn a lot about eggs.

The highlight for my children is searching for the numerous wooden figures in the animal enclosures and among early bloomers during the Easter rally. How many Easter eggs, Easter bunnies, and Easter chicks are hidden in the zoo? With a bit of luck, all those who enter the correct number on a participation card and throw it into boxes at the exit can win a prize.

• Where: Easter in Bavaria at Hellabrunn Zoo
• Current Info: Hellabrunn Zoo Website
• When: Check current information on the website, rally usually on Easter Sunday
• Cost: Admission Adults: €14, Children (4 years and older): €5

3. Hunting Prehistoric Eggs – Easter Excursions into the Prehistoric Era

Why not search for dino eggs instead of bunny eggs at Easter? What a fantastic idea to offer kids search-and-find fun during the Easter outing on the adventure path through the prehistoric era. Two prehistoric museums had the same thought, making them great destinations for Easter outings in Bavaria.

During the dino egg hunt, you explore the fauna and flora of the dinosaurs, including a over 3-meter high giant leg of a Brachiosaurus in Taufkirchen. The somewhat expensive Dinosaur Museum in the Altmühltal is worth every euro for all small and big dino fans. Highlights include the skeleton of a young T-Rex, the pterosaur Dracula, and an ancient bird. In the hands-on hall, everyone can prepare fossils, crack geodes, and search for shark teeth.

Check the museums’ websites to see if an Easter rally is being offered this year. In the past, there have been fantastic offers:

• Where: Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal and Prehistoric Museum Taufkirchen (Website unfortunately just in German) near Munich
• When: Check current information on the websites
• Cost: Admission Dinosaur Museum Altmühltal Adults: €19.90, Children (4 years and older): €14.90 | Admission Prehistoric Museum Taufkirchen: Adults: €8, Children (4 years and older)

4. Easter at Munich Airport – Why the Bunny Lands in Bavaria at Easter

Do modern Easter bunnies travel by plane to lay their eggs all around the world in time? At Munich Airport, the Easter Bunny definitely makes a stop, and there are some eggs and surprises to find. In recent years, the Children’s Land has offered a fantastic program for families: Easter crafting with professional supervision, egg hunts, and even vouchers for the airport visitor shop to search for and find. Admittedly, this is primarily an attractive Easter outing destination for Munich residents.

• Where: Easter egg hunt and Easter crafting in the Children’s Land at Munich Airport
• When: In recent years, on Easter Monday
• Cost: Admission Adults: €14, Children (4 years and older): €5

5. Easter Excursion to Glentleiten Open Air Museum

At Easter, there is a lovely ladybug hunt in Bavaria’s largest open-air museum. Children can exchange the found ladybugs for colorful organic eggs. For those who wish, you can also craft your own Easter basket in the workshop.

In the Glentleiten Open Air Museum in the Oberbayern district, the season starts this year on March 19. In addition to the Easter program, there are around 60 historical buildings to explore, experience rural techniques such as sharpening stones, mills, and forges. It showcases rural life, living, and working in past centuries.

• Where: Easter at Glentleiten Open Air Museum in Großweil
• When: Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
• Cost: Admission Adults: €9, Children up to 15 years: free

6. Easter Egg Market in Florian Stadl at Andechs Monastery

Beautiful monastery, delicious beer, and perhaps the most beautiful Easter eggs in all of Bavaria can be found at the Easter Egg Market in Andechs Monastery. In Florian Stadl, you can not only buy the artistic eggs for the Easter branch or collection but also watch the creation of these round masterpieces.

A small pilgrimage at Easter to the Holy Mountain is worth it not only to visit the Easter Egg Market. Andechs Monastery has been a pilgrimage site since the 12th century and is also located on the Camino de Santiago. At Easter, the highest festival in the Christian liturgical year, you can make a beautiful short or long pilgrimage to one of the most beautiful Easter excursion destinations in Bavaria.

• Where: Easter Egg Market at Andechs Monastery
• When: Good Friday to Easter Sunday – check current information on the Andechs Monastery website
• Cost: Admission Adults: €4.50, Children up to 14 years: free

7. Easter Fountain Festival and Easter Market in Bad Wörishofen

Especially artistically decorated Easter fountains with music can be found on Easter Sunday in Bad Wörishofen. With 13 beautifully decorated Easter fountains, the Kneipp town in Bavaria gets particularly spruced up for Easter. There are plenty of great photo opportunities, and interested visitors can pick up a flyer at the spa house that contains all the information to view the Easter fountains without a guided tour and without missing anything.

Additionally, an Easter egg market takes place in the spa house, showcasing artworks made of glass, clay, paintings, and intricately decorated Easter eggs.

• Where: Bad Wörishofen
• When: on Easter Sunday
• Cost: Free

8. Häferlesmarkt in Nuremberg – Excursion to One of the Oldest Markets at Easter in Bavaria

As the first market of the year, the Easter market on Nuremberg’s main market square is often bustling. The market offers everything for daily needs, arts and crafts, as well as many Easter eggs, Easter decorations, Easter books, and other Easter items. There are around 100 stalls every year.

To refuel during the Easter outing, the Beautiful Fountain offers culinary delights: from tree strudel, original Nuremberg grilled sausages, almonds, langos, pretzels to fish specialties.

• Where: Easter market on Nuremberg’s main market square
• When: Around 2 weeks around Easter, including Easter Saturday, Easter Sunday, and Easter Monday – the market is closed on Good Friday!
• Cost: Free

9. Easter Fire against the Stunning Backdrop of Lake Starnberg with Music and Beer Tent

The Easter fire blazes high on the Seeshaupt community square in front of Lake Starnberg. For more than 10 years, the Seeshaupt Burschenverein has been lighting the Easter fire, offering rustic Bavarian music and a heated marquee, as it often gets quite cool in the evening.

• Where: Easter fire on the community square at the campground in Seeshaupt
• When: Easter Sunday, the fire is lit after nightfall
• Cost: Free

10. Egg Rolling at the Bauernhausmuseum Amerang near Rosenheim

Who can discover how many colorful Easter eggs between museum gardens and historical farmhouses at the Bauernmuseum Amerang? On Easter Sunday and Monday, children, supported by parents and grandparents, are allowed to go on the hunt. But the most fun comes after the egg hunt: now it’s time for egg rolling!

“Oarscheib’n,” that’s Bavarian for egg rolling. This is an old custom where a track is formed with wooden rakes, and you push eggs along it. At the bottom, the eggs collide with other eggs, each of which used to carry a penny. The winner is the one who pushes the most pennies off an egg.

For families with children, this is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful Easter outings in Bavaria!

• Where: Bauernhausmuseum Amerang
• When: Easter Sunday and Easter monday
• Cost: Admission Adults: €5.50, Children up to 16 years: free

What Bavarian Traditions are there for Easter in Bavaria?

They still exist: old Bavarian Easter traditions. You can mainly discover them in the countryside, in quaint villages and small towns. In Bavaria, Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, and Holy Saturday are still called “silent days,” and all events that “do not correspond to the serious character of these days” are prohibited, according to the Ministry of the Interior. Those who do not comply may face a fine!

Easter Fountains in Bavaria

In many Bavarian villages, the village fountains are festively decorated for Easter. Colorful ribbons, painted eggs, and spring flowers transform the fountains into true works of art. This custom symbolizes fertility and the beginning of spring.

Easter Markets and Handicrafts – The Most Beautiful Markets at Easter in Bavaria

In many Bavarian cities and villages, traditional Easter markets are held during the Easter season. Here, artisans and local vendors showcase their goods, often handmade with great attention to detail. From intricately decorated Easter eggs to handcrafted Easter ornaments, the variety is impressive. Visitors have the opportunity to sample regional delicacies and get into the festive spirit in a cozy atmosphere.

I have gathered the most beautiful markets happening in Bavaria at Easter here and will add to the list as I come across more.

Markets Worth Visiting as Easter Destinations in Bavaria

• Easter Market Nuremberg on the Hauptmarkt
• Easter Market in Bad Tölz in the historic Marktstraße
• Easter Market in Ingolstadt at Paradeplatz with the Easter fountain adorned with 10,000 eggs
• Easter Market in Schwangau in the hall of the Castle Brewery with products from numerous artisans
• Easter Egg Market in Erlangen in the Redoutensaal at Theaterplatz
• Easter Market in Neumarkt in der Oberpfalz only on Palm Sunday
• Easter Market in Aschaffenburg at Hofgut Unterschweinheim
• Easter Market in Gundelfingen an der Donau on Bleiche-Insel and Bleiche-Stadel
• Easter Egg Market in the Kurhaus and Easter Fountain Festival in Bad Wörishofen with 12 decorated Easter fountains in the town
• Easter Market at Burg Gruttenstein in Bad Reichenhall
• Easter Market in Buchloe
• Easter Market at Tanzhaus in Reichstraße in Donauwörth
• Easter Market in Dachau

Easter Fires

The Easter fire is an age-old tradition in Bavaria meant to drive away winter and welcome spring. In many communities, people gather on Holy Saturday to jointly ignite large fires. The Easter fire is often accompanied by social gatherings, creating a warm and festive atmosphere that enhances the anticipation of Easter.

Rumpeln, Leiern, and Karfreitagsratschen at Easter in Bavaria

“Karfreitagsratschen,” also known as “Rumpeln” and “Leiern” in Lower Franconia, is a tradition, especially prevalent on Good Friday, the Christian memorial day of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The “Ratschenkinder” are usually children and teenagers who roam the streets on Good Friday, creating noise with wooden rattles. The rattles are designed to produce a loud clattering sound when turned. Symbolically, these rattles replace the bells that are not rung on Good Friday. Bell ringing is a form of mourning in Catholic tradition and is avoided on Good Friday to symbolize the silence and sorrow over the death of Jesus.

Easter Monday Tradition

On Easter Monday, so-called “Ratschenkinder” (rattling children) move through some Bavarian regions. They use wooden rattles to make noise and symbolically replace the sound of church bells, which remain silent during Holy Week.

Traditional Easter Meals

Bavarian cuisine offers some traditional treats for Easter. The Easter braid, a sweet yeast pastry in the shape of a braid often decorated with colorful Easter eggs, is particularly popular. Easter lamb and Easter roast are also frequently on the menu. Families come together to eat and enjoy the festive time.

Easter Walks

The Bavarian landscape comes to life in full bloom during spring, and Easter walks are a popular tradition. Families and friends take the opportunity to enjoy nature, whether in the picturesque Bavarian forests or along the shores of scenic lakes. Spring is also the time when Bavarian gardens and parks bloom in vibrant colors, enhancing the Easter mood even further.

You can try out some more Easter traditions with the excursion tips.

We wish you a happy Easter and an eventful time in Bavaria!

Looking for more tips for activities in Bavaria and surroundings? Explore the Free State with us and discover its most beautiful places, such as Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Bamberg. On our blog, we write about the most beautiful corners all over Germany and aim to inspire you to try new things and explore. Get ideas for activities with children, with friends, or for couples – every week brings new ideas!

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