Fishing at Moritzburg Castle attracts thousands of visitors

Thousands of onlookers gathered at the weekend for the traditional fishing of the Moritzburg castle pond in the north of Dresden. The carp ponds around the famous hunting lodge were fished by the Moritzburg pond management company until Sunday.

While the sunny autumn weather on Saturday attracted numerous people, stormy weather and rain on Sunday thwarted the plans of some traders and visitors. "The morning was still good," said Gundula Bleul, Managing Director of Kulturlandschaft Moritzburg. In the afternoon, however, events such as the birds of prey show had to be canceled and some of the traders dismantled their stands due to the stormy weather.

According to initial estimates, between 10,000 and 12,000 visitors came on Saturday and around 5,000 people on Sunday. "We are satisfied with that despite the weather," said Bleul.

Fresh carp and show cooking

Fresh fish could be bought on site or tasted at the show cooking. The most magnificent specimens were auctioned off in the marquee, with the proceeds going to a good cause.

According to Henry Lindner, head of Teichwirtschaft Moritzburg, new carp were added to the pond this year following a viral disease in 2024. "The first fish run has shown that the carp have grown normally," said Lindner. It will only be possible to say how the carp harvest will turn out after the end of the fish runs. The pond manager is assuming a normal harvest and is hoping for around seven tons of carp. "There's still a lot left in the pond."

The fish pulls are the highlight of the Moritzburg Fish and Forest Festival. Last year, around 30,000 guests came to Moritzburg.