Pfifferdaj: the fiddlers' festival of Alsace
Dragons, knights, witches, vagrants and troubadours invade a small village of Ribeauvillé, lost somewhere in the Alsatian vineyard, during the feast of the Ménétriers: it is the Pfifferdaj, the oldest festival of Alsace. We discovered it last year absolutely accidentally, and I've been dreaming to see it once again ever since. Born of a legend, this popular festival perpetuates the links between the lords of Ribeaupierre and the minstrels they protected. It is by far the most colorful and fairy-tale like festival one can witness these days, and it's less than 2h drive from Zurich! Here I want to give you a glimpse of how it looks like, and hope you'll get a hint of how it feels too! Ready to dive into Middle Ages?
Each year, this great, authentic encounter with the Middle Ages takes place on the first Sunday in September. The theme conjures up different images of Mediaeval history: peasant life, castle life, domestic or fabulous animals, buildings, travel, discovery, work, trades, beliefs, fortunes and misfortunes. The Pfifferdaj puts together all of it: a medieval market , a carnival, balls, a large procession of floats with jugglers, fire-eaters, drums, fanfares ... And they even have a usual market with carousels for the youngest visitors!
As a photographer, I was particularly impressed by the costumes, masks and make up - so many details, so much care, love and hard work put into it it's simply unbelievable and truly inspiring! Here are some close-ups to show you what I mean
In the neighboring villages of Ribeauvillé this festival is eagerly awaited every year by everyone, although it's not that popular outside the country. But it is especially loved and cherished by those who make this festival a must-attend event: the members of the associations that build the tanks. For more than two months all the associations are gathering in a huge shed regularly, and as the days go by, the tanks take shape.
While the atmosphere is fabulous during the day, the evening is even more glorious since the party they through is colossal. They like to say "after an effort comes the comfort", so after a hard day of carving , forging, wearing, plastering, sawing ... it's an opportunity to indulge, dance and party hard.
At 3 pm, fateful moment , the parade begins. For about three hours, more than 25,000 people, including Germans, English, Swiss and even Australians come to admire the tanks, the groups on foot, the fanfares ... which animate the city. Hundreds of extras dressed in medieval costumes faithfully reconstituted participate in the procession and make it a must-see event in Alsace.
During this hectic day, visitors are able to listen and watch all kinds of musical entertainment on the Grande Rue and Ribeauvillé squares. You can also discover a small medieval market located in a large traditional Alsatian courtyard. A walk in Ribeauvillé will allow you to admire the half-timbered houses , the famous Tour des Bouchers, so take advantage of this event to discover the city in a new light!
- What they don't tell us, is that at the end of the parade, in front of the town hall, it is no longer water flowing from the fountain, but white wine ... Ribeauvillé is indeed a wine village, which is why wine growers join party and pour white wine for free.
So yeah, I've already booked us a short weekend getaway to this magnificent fairy-tale, and am very much looking forward to the pure magic :) Have a great September, everyone!
0 коммент.