Kirchseeon – Perchten traditions, local history and moorland

Kirchseeon’s traditions throughout the year

Every year on 30 April, the witches of Kirchseeon dance in the market square. The following day, 1 May, a maypole is raised. The location changes from year to year, alternating between Kirchseeon, Buch, Eglharting, Kirchseeon-Dorf and Ilching. Local associations organise the tradition and the months-long preparations: the tree is felled, transported, stripped of its bark and painted; a maypole watch is then set up. So if you are planning a stay around the maypole raising, the date and location are two separate considerations. The date remains 1 May, while the village changes each year.

The Kirchseeon Perchten procession takes place in the run-up to Christmas and attracts many visitors every year. In March 2024, it was added to Germany’s register under the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage. The “MASKEUM” Perchten Museum is dedicated to Kirchseeon’s tradition, Perchten masks, stories and the mysticism of the Rauhnächte. The tradition has been practised again in Kirchseeon since 1954. This offers two different perspectives: the procession is part of the annual calendar, while the museum explores the tradition and its themes.

Local history and public art

The historic bathhouse dates from the 17th century and originally came from Ramerberg. It has been in Kirchseeon since the summer of 1956. Its history combines an early construction date with a later change of location: the building predates its time in the market municipality. More recent art is also tied to a place and a year. In the railway underpass on Karl-Birkmaier-Straße is “4 Kirchseeoner Motive,” a graffiti mural by Raphael Gerlach, aka “Satone,” dating from 1998. There is also a bronze Perchten fountain from 1993 in the market square. Here you can encounter different forms of local history: a historic building, a dated mural and a fountain connected with Perchten traditions.

Moorland and local history museum

Remnants of a former moraine lake have been preserved in the area of what is now the Kirchseeon Moor. This trace of the landscape offers a different focus from local traditions and works of art, directing attention to an earlier lakeside landscape. The exhibition at the Kirchseeon Local History Museum offers another way to explore the past. It traces the lives of people in the area of today’s market municipality, spanning finds from the Bronze Age as well as the Celts and Romans. The museum and the bathhouse thus represent different ways of engaging with the past: one explores people and historical periods in the municipality, while the other tells the story of a single building and its origins.

For orientation, the Kirchseeon market municipality’s hiking and leisure map is available at the town hall. If you would like to use it to plan your trip, briefly check its availability there in advance.

A summer event

The Bürgerfest takes place every year on the first Saturday in July in Kirchseeon’s market square. As with the other festivals, it helps to plan your stay around the specific occasion: Walpurgis Night, the maypole and the Bürgerfest each have their own dates and locations, while the Perchten procession takes place in the pre-Christmas season. Since the Bürgerfest falls on a different calendar date each year, check the exact event date before travelling.

Discover more destinations: Ebersberg, Oberpframmern, Grafing bei München, Hohenlinden, Glonn, Zorneding, Baiern, Anzing.

Return to the regional travel overview: Ebersberg District.