Welcoming the New Year with gun salutes and trumpets
Every year on January 1, the New Year is traditionally welcomed in Gerolstein with celebratory gun salutes and trumpet fanfares from Löwenburg Castle.
When the bells of the fountain town ring at noon on New Year's Day, the moment has come for the people of Gerolstein to welcome the new year with a special ritual. The traditional New Year's shooting with New Year's hike will take place on Thursday, January 1, 2026, at the Löwenburg ruins in Gerolstein. After the official New Year's greeting, the initiator Klaus Wollwert and his salute shooters will open the festive New Year's salute shooting. Shooters and brass players will perform in changing formations, their sounds echoing off the mighty dolomite cliffs. This creates an acoustic experience that underscores the special atmosphere of New Year's Day. But it's not just the music and the salute that characterize this day: the Eifelverein Gerolstein invites you to its annual New Year's hike. Hiking enthusiasts meet at 10:00 a.m. at the fountain square near the Eifelverein information board. From there, the approximately 1.5-hour, free, guided hike leads up to the Löwenburg rock. Those who venture up the climb will be warmly welcomed and rewarded with an impressive view. Registration is not required. Whether locals or visitors: everyone is welcome to start the new year together with exercise, nature, and community. The DRK - Ortsverein Gerolstein e.V. will provide refreshments, as is tradition. All participants look forward to welcoming many visitors and wish everyone a happy and prosperous 2026.
