Alphorn Mass

The Willinger Alphorn Mass, held every year on the last Sunday in August, is a fixed part of the annual event calendar and a truly special experience. Those who have attended once are sure to return—around 5,000 Christians each year.

On the last Sunday in August, the wake-up call of numerous alphorns can be heard on the Willinger mountains as early as 8:00 AM. They call to the Alphorn Mass on the 838-meter-high Ettelsberg and set the tone for the unique atmosphere of this ecumenical mountain service, to which hut host Siggi von der Heide, the Catholic parish of St. Augustinus Willingen, and the Protestant parish of Willingen invite.

Numerous alphorn players, music groups, singers, and bands from Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands contribute to the musical design of the service. When melodies of well-known hymns like "Großer Gott, wir loben dich" rise from thousands of voices and the gaze sweeps over the magnificent mountain panorama, one feels close to heaven, and it seems there could be no more fitting place for God's joyful message. The well-known folk song "Kein schöner Land," which is sung together after the service, marks the beginning of the subsequent "Festival of Encounter" at Siggi's hut.

You can combine your visit to the Alphorn Mass with a lovely hike, or you can conveniently take the Ettelsberg cable car to the 838-meter-high Ettelsberg. With hopefully good weather, the mountain service will be an impressive and joyful event with a festive character.