St Martin's procession 2024

At 5.15 pm, up to 3,000 children from various schools meet at Berliner Platz for the big St Martin's procession through Bocholt city centre.

Wearing self-made lanterns or carrying the traditional Runkelfackeln torches, the children follow St Martin on his horse singing.

Countless volunteers, teachers and many music groups accompany the pupils on their way through the city centre.

As spectators, you are cordially invited to see the shining eyes of the children and to support the children singing along the way.

At the end, each child receives a Martinmas bag filled with fruit, biscuits and a small sweet in front of the historic town hall.

The Bocholt city centre Martinmas procession took place for the first time in 1910, making it the oldest Martinmas procession in Westphalia. The Verein für Heimatpflege e.V. is the organiser of the procession in cooperation with the City of Bocholt's Department of Culture and Education.

The Bocholt St Martin's procession traditionally starts at Berliner Platz. The schools and running groups gather there and then set off across the car park at Mariengymnasium, cross the bridge along the Schanze and along Brückenstraße.

Finally, the route runs along the Südwall , along the Ostmauer and the Nordmauer and finally through Niederbruch and Wesemannstraße along Langenbergstraße back to the Südmauer/Osterstraße junction. Via Osterstraße , the route finally continues along Königsstraße to the historic town hall, where the procession disperses.