The Fisherman's Joust

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If you are among the category of people who believe sports today have become too soft, then the Egyptian Fisherman’s joust probably would have been the sport for you. This was essentially a contest between two teams of boatmen engaging in hand, foot and pole combat to knock each other off of their rickety papyrus boat. Oh yeah, and it usually took place on the Nile river where hippos and crocodiles could be lurking.    

The ancient sport is credited to the Egyptians, because the earliest known record of its existence can be found in bas-reliefs from Egyptian archaeological sites.  It was picked up by the Greeks, passed down to the Romans and spread throughout Europe where some local maritime communities continue their own form of the joust, although a much more modern and safe version, only confirming the assumption that today’s sports have become too soft.

Passing judgment on society is not why we are writing about this, rather celebrating the modern communities that have done so well to preserve this tradition in a festive fashion.  Different styles of the fisherman’s joust exist today in France, Germany, Switzerland, Austria and Belgium. 

The jousts are not all annual events, so if you miss your chance to catch a particular joust, the punishment of waiting for the next one only worsens, but it will give you plenty of time to plan and save for that next European vacation when you can take in a fishermen’s joust. These are the most popular from each country, maybe you can check them all off your list.

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The Ulmer Fischerstechen – Ulm, Germany

The Ulmer Fischerstechen was first held in 1545 and is a quadrennial festival that spans two weekends in July.  It commences with an extensive parade of 300 dancers, musicians and jousters marching in historic costume and uniform.

The Ulm variety of the joust, known as Fischerstechen, is a competition among 16 duelists, who play the roles of different historical or imagined characters.  Each knight stands on a platform at the rear of their boats while their three oarsmen row towards the other vessel at high speed, giving the duelists a short window to knock each other into the waters of the Danube with their button-tipped lance. They can only strike at the chest, and ducking will disqualify a competitor.

The most recent event was this past summer and won’t occur again for four more years, so mark your calendar for July, 2021 for the next Ulmer Fischerstechen.

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What else is there to do in Ulm?

Ulm is a historical and cultural center of great tourist interest and is split by the Danube river, divided into Ulm and Neu Ulm. It is also recognized as the birthplace of Albert Einstein.

If you love photography or architecture, or if you are like us and you love architectural photography, then Ulm is a must visit.  The Ulmer Münster (Ulm Cathedral) alone could occupy an afternoon of picture taking by itself. It was the tallest church in the world before the Sagrada Familia in Barcelona and stands as an excellent example of late Gothic architecture.  There is also the Rathaus (Town Hall), built in the 14th century, and the Fischerviertel, a charming old fisherman’s quarters whose cobbled streets are lined with restaurants, galleries and courtyards inviting visitors to be explored.

Neu Ulm, on the Bavarian side of the Danube, houses more modern recreational activities, including the Edwin Scharff Museum – an art museum housing the works of it’s namesake, the Turtle and Reptile Zoo of Neu-Ulm, Glacis Park – a city park with playgrounds and a restaurant that hosts events and concerts in the summer. The Danube Promenade is a fine place to walk, or run, along the river. Canoe rentals are also available down along the Promenade.

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The Saint Louis Feast – Séte, France

Nobody needs water jousting as an excuse to visit the South of France, but if you happen to be near Séte in late August, there should be no excuse for missing The Saint Louis Feast.  The festival itself is six days, and draws locals and tourists alike to the Cadre Royal and the surrounding streets and squares for a multitude of street shows.  The main attraction of the feast is the world championship and final jousting tournament of the year.

The Languedoc tradition of nautical jousting differs greatly in appearance from the Ulm version, but the objective is the same.  Here, the boats are much bigger, one red, one blue, and the jousters are perched much higher.  They stand on a larger platform on the bow of the boat, as opposed to the rear, two meters above the water.  As you can imagine, the falls are more spectacular in this tournament.  The duelists are equipped with shields as well.  Behind them are ten boatmen and behind them sit an oboist and a drummer playing rhythmic jousting tunes to keep the oarsmen in sync.

Another difference is simply the emphasis of the competition, whereas theatrics play more of a role in the Ulm Fischerstechen, here it is all about winning.  In fact, the winner of the heavyweight division has their name etched into a shield that is kept in the Paul Valéry Art Museum.  This is by far the biggest festival surrounding water jousting that we can find and is one that can be enjoyed by everyone as there is plenty to do outside the tournament and bars and restaurants stay open late all week. Now is the time to start planning for the next Feast which should be taking place August 21st – 26th, 2018.

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What else is there to do in Séte?

If you are in Séte during the Saint Louis Festival, then you may find you don’t want to do anything else, but if you are the type that must squeeze in as much as you can on your trips, then here are some things that might benefit you for your time.  In Séte alone, there are a number of sites worth visiting, including a couple interesting cemeteries, the Maritime Cemetary where Paul Valéry is entombed and the Le Puy Cemetery, the final resting place of Georges Brassens.  Beautiful sunset views can be had at the top of Mont Saint-Clair or in the terrace of the Notre Dame de la Salette Chapel.  Being a seaside town, naturally there is plenty of swimming and boating that can be done in Séte as well.

Other coastal towns near Séte worth visiting are Valras-Plage, La Grande Motte, known for its architecture, and Le Cap-d'Agde.  They are all unique in their own French beach-setting way. 

Just inland are the Haute-Languedoc Natural Park, and Cirque de Navacelles. Both provide an abundance of natural beauty for the outdoor type.

For the quaint little commune experience, where the local food and shopping can be exquisite, Pézenas and Lodéve are both great towns that have that medieval fairy tale feel.  If you are looking for more options of cultural offering that a larger city would have, then Montpelier is your place. 

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Schifferstechen – Zurich, Switzerland

The Schifferstechen on the Limmat River is a more recent incarnation of the joust, paying homage to the knight’s tradition since 1979.  This is a triennial event, that won’t be happening again until July, 2020.  Unlike the aforementioned festivals, this is a one-day event, but still draws quite a crowd to the Weinplatz by the Hotel Storchen.

The Schifferstechen resembles the Ulm Fischerstechen in form, and only slightly differs in the combatant’s costume.  26 men, donning the colors of their respective guild take their turns at one another until there is one man standing.   The competition itself transpires in about three hours, but people settle along the banks hours before, enjoying their wine and cigars.

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What else is there to do in Zürich?

Like Séte, Zürich is not a place you need an excuse to visit, especially in the summertime.  There is plenty to do and a vista to record at every turn.   Nestled alongside Lake Zürich with the Swiss Alps on the horizon, this is one of those cities that have so much to offer, but you could be perfectly content just walking the streets and looking around.

One of the more popular places to walk is the Niederdorf, a promenade of shops and restaurants to enjoy in the day that converts to a vibrant nightlife later on. A couple of architectural and historic gems in this city are the Fraumünster, a middle-age church which houses some stunning stain glass windows in addition to some Paul Bodmer frescoes, and St. Peter’s Church, which may not be as impressive from the outside, but is spectacular in design inside, not least of all for it’s impressive pipe organ.

Tired of looking at buildings, a stroll through the Botanical Garden, with over 9000 varieties of plants, or a walk alongside the penguins during the penguin parade at Zoo Zurich might serve you well.  Of course, if you are drawn to water then taking a boat out on Lake Zürich may be the way to go.

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Festival of the Tyrol Sport and Vital Park – Achenkirch, Austria

The Achendsee’r Fisherstechen is a more egalitarian competition, open to men, women and children, in their own respective categories.  The competition occurs at the biannual day-long Festival of the Tyrol Sport and Vital Park which caters to families more than the other events mentioned. They have zip lines, bounce houses, and climbing towers.  There are classes for children to learn the joust in the morning, and really anybody can sign up for the joust.  The event is neither as competitive nor theatrical like the ones in other countries, but still fun. Here the jousters stand on the front of the boat and have only one rower.  Unlike the other jousts, the boats don’t carry a lot of speed towards one another, in fact the rowers just kind of get their combatant in range of the opponent and stop to let them duke it out with a pole affixed with a boxing glove on the end.  This is a very local affair, and feels like the festival that might be held in your town.  Because of this, we love it. There is no better way to experience a culture than to be among the locals and do as they do.  The next Festival is scheduled for early August, 2018.

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What else is there to do in Achenkirch?

Achenkirch is a lesser-known location and more remote than Ulm, Séte and Zürich, but still worth the visit for some inspiring views and plenty of outdoor activities.

Located on the north end of Achen Lake and just an hour drive from Innsbruck, this is the mountain lake getaway that outdoorsmen daydream at work about, with hikes and bike trails and a golf course to draw them out of their cubicle. The town itself is very family friendly with an Adventure Park, and nearby Achen Lake has beaches, boating, and numerous water activities.  The town itself is a small village with limited places to stay and only a few more options to eat, but more than enough to cover your options for an extended weekend stay.