Step into the World of Our Ancient Ancestors
One of the important Celtic festivals is known as Lughnasad, which celebrates the harvest and fertility of the land. The presence of the Celts can be seen across Europe, including the Czech Republic. People can join in the Lughnasad festivities with the Celts in Nasavrky during the last weekend of July. The celebration includes music, dancing, tasty food, traditional crafts, activities for both children and adults, informative history talks, and engaging workshops, all part of an exciting agenda created for guests. This festival marks its seventeenth year – and it will be held for the seventh time at the Nasavrky Celtic Open Air Museum.
During Lughnasad 2025, attendees will learn about the lives of ancient people, including the Celts, Romans, and Germans. A thrilling stage battle will depict the story of a courageous Gallic leader from the Arverni tribe, famous for rallying the Gallic tribes against the Roman conquest directed by Julius Caesar. In 52 BC, he led a revolt against Roman authority. Though Vercingetorix succeeded at uniting the Gauls against Caesar, he was eventually defeated in the Battle of Alesia. The Romans managed to encircle the city with two fortifications, leading the Gauls to surrender due to lack of food. Vercingetorix was then taken to Rome and executed.
You will find a Marketplace in the festival space offering a wide range of products, including festival merchandise. Visitors can enjoy a variety of delicious foods and beverages, with options available for vegans and vegetarians. Kids are welcome to join in Celtic-Roman mini-battles, art workshops, or unwind with a play and a reading of a Celtic story. Those eager to participate more actively can explore various workshops and lectures, such as Breton dances, the creation of shamanic drums, and a festival quiz. The major event of the day is the lughnasadh ritual, featuring a procession on Saturday afternoon.
Musical and historical events enhance the fair
A memorable highlight of the festival is the evening music program along with a fire show. You can anticipate performances from artists such as Tempus, Asonance, Tomáš Kočko & Orchestr, Sukuba Ensemble, Irish Rose, Moravian Bastards, and Two Doooo.
Engaging lectures will also be significant, transporting attendees back to the time of the Celts and ancient Romans. This year, distinguished historians will tell real stories from those eras, including The story of Chief Vercingetorix, “Vercingetorix. The Two Lives of the Gallic Chieftain”, the legend of Lugh’s Oath, and archaeological insights into the lives of our Celtic ancestors. Topics will cover The elite in Gallic space around the time of Christ through archaeological discoveries in tombs, “Investigations on religion from the Bronze Age” (Slovak National Museum – Archaeological Museum Bratislava), “Roman weaponry from the Trebic area based on material analyses”, “Celtic community life drawn from archaeological findings in Sadska”, “Trade with the barbarian“, and “The Celts in Italy, Greece, and the Eastern Mediterranean.” Additionally, other fascinating subjects will be discussed such as “The history of beekeeping and bee products”, “Tattoos and Symbolism“, and “Beads made from a kangaroo.”
Throughout the event, visitors will have the chance to taste traditional local mead and food featuring many choices provided by Czech market vendors. As a memento, participants can acquire special festival merchandise or handmade goods from the craft fair.
Perfume and natural scents or a trip to the oppidum
You can join a workshop on crafting natural skincare products called “Perfumes and natural fragrances“. Here, aspiring home crafters will learn various techniques and tips for creating their own natural, traditional cosmetics and drugstore items. If you want to dig deeper into the craft, you can sign up for the course that will be held after the afternoon lecture, which includes a printed guide about the production process. The highlight will be creating your personalized perfume or soap that you can take home with you after the course.
After a few years, you can experience The way to the oppidum – a popular trail leading from Nasavrky, now a vibrant oppidum, to Lhotice, the original oppidum, where life thrived more than 2,000 years ago. A specialist in the Younger Iron Age will guide you along this scenic path through forests and meadows for about two hours. Tomas Mangel will meet you on Saturday after 10 a.m. at the entrance stand of the festival grounds.
How to buy tickets and their prices
Tickets can be bought at the entrance: Friday for 670 CZK, Saturday for 750 CZK, and a combined ticket for both days is available for 1130 CZK. The Celtic Village program will be active on Friday starting at 10:30 a.m. The historical program at the Celtic Village will continue until 5:30 p.m. on Friday and until 6:30 p.m. on Saturday, after which the village gates will close, and the music program will commence. Events on Saturday will begin at 9:30 a.m., with the Celtic Village open throughout the day until the evening concerts. During this period, there will be a range of activities for children, with adults encouraged to join in on the fun. Bands will perform until Saturday night, and audiences can also enjoy a wonderful fire show. Once the evening performances wrap up, the area will close at 2 a.m. on both days.
