Rákóczi Festival
The Rákóczi Festival (now established spelling: Rakoczy Festival) is the largest city festival in Bad Kissingen . It has been held annually on the last weekend in July since 1950 and lasts for three days. During this festival, the city celebrates its historical past, in which a large number of prominent spa guests such as Empress Sisi of Austria, Tsar Alexander II of Russia or the German Chancellor Otto von Bismarck played a role.
Naming
The Rákóczi Festival is named after Prince Ferenc (Franz) II. Rákóczi , a Hungarian freedom fighter, like the Rákóczi spring (the most famous healing spring in Bad Kissingen) . At the time the spring was discovered by the famous architect Balthasar Neumann and the local pharmacist Georg Anton Boxberger, it enjoyed a certain popularity. This led to the fact that the spring was named after Rákóczi, although he never visited Bad Kissingen.
Character and highlights
On the one hand, the festival is a city festival with music all over the city center, to which Bad Kissinger residents who have moved away regularly come back; on the other hand, the historical past of the health resort is celebrated.
At this festival, which takes place every year on the last weekend in July, citizens of Kissingen dress up as historical personalities from the city's past. So they perform both on Saturday at the Rákóczi Ball and on Sunday at the big pageant. There is an actor for every historical spa guest who has stayed in Bad Kissingen, as well as for Prince Rákóczi, after whom the festival is named.
There are also numerous other attractions such as the balloon glow in Luitpoldpark or the lighting of many candles on the Saale ("The Saale is burning"). The festival ends with a traditional firework display.