Schwörmontag
The highlight of a week long festival with origins going back to the fourteenth century!
Every year in July, a traditional one-week festival takes place in Ulm, it’s highlight is the ‘Schwörmontag’, which is generally on the third Monday of the month. It is an extremely popular event, not only for those who live in Ulm itself but also for visitors from far and wide!On this Monday, usually at 11 am, Ulm’s mayor swears a traditional oath (which goes back to 1397); nowadays the whole event is more a symbolic act during which the mayor looks back on the past year and tells the people of Ulm about political, economical and cultural plans for the next year.
In the afternoon, usually around 3pm, the traditional 'Nabada' takes place. It can probably best be described as some kind of carnival on the river Danube. There are countless colourful boats on the river; anybody can take part and many people do. Many people choose a particular theme for their boats, so many of the boats are decorated lavishly or come in unusual shapes. But there are crowds of people without boats – not only those that watch from a safe distance in order not to get wet, but others that enjoy themselves swimming and partying in the river.
On the Saturday before the ‘Schwörmontag’ there is the ‘Lichterserenade’; everybody gathers in the ‘Friedrichsau’ and as soon as it is dark, around 5000 candles float down the Danube.
Additionally, there are concerts on Sunday and Monday night.
