Bad Kötzting

Bad Kötzting has the charming character of a small town and offers quite a variety of attractions for tourists. The locals pride themselves with having one of the largest mounted religious processions in the world, the "Kötztinger Pfingstritt". Legend has it that in the year 1412, a man who got injured during forestry was asking for the last rites before dying in a village approximately 7 kilometres (4 miles) away from Kötzting. The local priest was unable to comply with the wishes of the man because he needed protection from bears, wolves, and other dangers luring along the way. After asking the young men of the village to protect him, they accompanied the priest to the dying man. After a safe journey, the participants vowed to repeat the ride every year. That is how it remained ever since. Every Whit Monday, the ride of over 900 horses and riders is repeated. The horses wear ornaments and the riders wear traditional Bavarian clothes. The ride starts in Kötzting and goes to the village "Steinbühl", where according to the legend, the man asking for anointment, was dying. Only men from the region are allowed to participate in the procession, the participating horses, however, come from all over Bavaria.[2] The annual fair is also in town when the procession takes place. A local "Bierzelt" and numerous rides invite the public.

Bad Kötzting is divided into 51 districts:[4]

There are nine Gemarkungen within the municipality area: Arndorf, Bad Kötzting, Gehstorf, Haus, Liebenstein, Sackenried, Traidersdorf, Weißenregen und Wettzell.[5]

• Since 2014: Markus Hofmann (* 1975) [6]

• Benedict Stattler (1728–1797), Catholic theologian of the enlightenment
• Anton Schwarz (1858–1931), composer and music teacher
• Helmut Brunner (politician) (born 1954), politician (CSU) and Bavarian Minister
• Thomas Dworzak (born 1972), photographer
• Matthias Aschenbrenner (born 1972), mathematician

Notes