Lichtenberg Castle hosts medieval market

The eighth medieval summer spectacle on Lichtenberg Castle near Kusel will take place Saturday and Sunday.

Visitors can enjoy a historical atmosphere with many attractions. Vendors and actors in medieval costumes will present how life was in former times. The wooden stands and tents will be set up like in the Middle Ages. Food specialties won’t include fast food, but medieval dishes made from regional products.

The medieval market will open at 2 p.m. Saturday with 12 gun salutes.

On Sunday, activities will begin at 10 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. Knights will demonstrate medieval combat in their camps. More than 40 vendors will sell merchandise such as clothes, jewelry, swords, horns, soap and felt items, and former craftsmen such as a blacksmith, shoemaker and a broom maker will show off their skills.

Jugglers and fire-eaters will entertain visitors and music groups will perform medieval music on unique instruments. Visitors can test archery and crossbow shooting.

Children can have their faces painted and take rides on donkeys or in a hand-driven merry-go-round.

After dark, torches will be lit and a funeral procession, accompanied by morbid music, will proceed from the upper to the lower castle. During the procession, visitors will experience the darker side of the Middle Ages when people died from the plague.

Admission fee is €5 for adults and €3 for adults in medieval costumes. Children shorter than a sword (under 4 feet) are admitted free.

Lichtenberg Castle is one of the most impressive castle complexes in Germany. With a length of almost 1,400 feet, it is one of the biggest castles in Germany. It was built in the 12th century and the castle is well preserved.

For more information, visit www.burglichtenberg-weihnachtsmarkt.de.