St Martin's procession

Every year at 5.00 pm, up to 3,000 children from various schools gather at Berliner Platz for the grand St Martin's procession through Bocholt town centre.

Carrying homemade lanterns or traditional beetroot torches, the children follow Saint Martin on his horse, singing as they go.

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

You, as spectators, are warmly invited to see the children's eyes light up and to join in the singing as they pass by.

At the end of the procession, every child receives a St Martin's bag in front of the historic town hall, filled with fruit, pastries and a small sweet.

The Bocholt town centre St Martin's procession first took place back in 1910, making it the oldest St Martin's procession in Westphalia. The Verein für Heimatpflege e.V. organises 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.