Frankenthal (Pfalz): City Festival, Culture and Leisure

Plan a stay in Frankenthal (Pfalz) around your specific interests: the Straw Hat Festival marks the start of summer, while the weekly market and guided city tours add further dates to the city calendar. StrandBad and Petersau offer different ways to spend time outdoors. The city also has churches, a monastery ruin and a venue for concerts and open-air cinema.

Festivals, Markets and Guided City Tours

Every year in early summer, the Straw Hat Festival turns downtown Frankenthal into a large festival zone. It is the largest street festival in the Palatinate and attracts around 250,000 visitors from Frankenthal and the surrounding region. The dates vary from year to year. If you choose the festival as the reason for your trip, plan around the calendar for that year.

The weekly market is held on Rathausplatz on Tuesdays and Fridays. Most of the goods on offer are regional products. As the city lists these as regular market days, it is advisable to check the current market arrangements before your visit. This lets you plan a market visit independently of the festival season.

The city tour program listed for 2026 includes Saturday tours at 2 p.m. from April to October; there are no tours in June because of the Straw Hat Festival. Participation is free, but registration is required. If you’re traveling in a later year, check the schedule in effect at that time.

Leisure at StrandBad and on the Rhine

StrandBad is a 168,000-square-meter complex with mature trees, a bathing lake, and large swimming and non-swimming pools. Seasonal use is an important consideration when planning: outside the swimming season, the complex offers walkers and recreational athletes a place to relax and exercise. Access arrangements may vary; check them before your visit.

Petersau is part of Frankenthal’s municipal area and is a popular destination for day trips. From there, you can walk along the Rhine. The two places offer different ways to spend time outdoors: leisure and sports activities at StrandBad, and walks along the Rhine from Petersau.

Churches, Ruins and City History

The ruins of the former Augustinian Canons’ monastery feature a magnificent Romanesque portal dating from the 12th century. The Dreifaltigkeitskirche is Baroque, while the Zwölf-Apostel-Kirche is Neoclassical. The Speyer Gate is considered a landmark of Frankenthal. Architecture enthusiasts can explore different styles and periods.

The former monastery church is now used as a venue for concerts and open-air cinema screenings by Frankenthal’s Lux-Kinos. If you want to attend a specific event, check the relevant dates in the program in advance.

The Erkenbert Museum’s collection includes Frankenthal porcelain dating from 1755 to 1800. The permanent exhibition on city history is currently closed during renovations. If you’re planning a museum visit, check current access information in advance.

Discover more destinations: Neustadt an der Weinstraße, Worms, Speyer, Mainz, Zweibrücken.

Return to the regional travel overview: Rhineland-Palatinate.