Knight games Monsheim - medieval festival at Reitschule Popp

Monsheim lies south of the Biet plateau in Enzkreis, around 30 minutes by car from Schellbronn. The town is small, but once a year the Grenzbachhof at Reitschule Popp turns into an event stage. For almost 20 years, riding instructors and students have organized the medieval knight games here, growing from an internal celebration into a regional weekend event.

© Pforzheimer Zeitung

Across two days in mid-May, usually on a weekend, tournament scenes mix with market and entertainment. In the arena you see ring jousting, Roland riding and mounted quadrilles, while performers, musicians and amateur theater with mounted knights fill the breaks. The ongoing saga around King Martinus of Weissenstein links the shows, including the Black Knight whom the crowd traditionally boos.

Around the arena: medieval camp atmosphere, craft stalls, food and drink - wooden swords and wonder for children, a relaxed day for adults. In rain, the indoor riding hall serves as fallback. According to the organizer, opening times are usually around Saturday 11:00-24:00 and Sunday 11:00-18:00; check reitschule-popp.de before visiting.

For visitors in the Northern Black Forest, this is a good May outing between calm forest days and a change of pace - not off-the-shelf kitsch, but a grounded festival at a real riding farm. Admission and program may change each year; current information: Reitschule Popp, Muhlpfad 1, 71297 Monsheim.