Fun events in Germany this summer

Jesters and minstrels, knights in shining armor and damsels in distress: Prince Luitpold of Bavaria founded the annual Kaltenberg Knights Tournament in 1979. Set on the premises of a 13th-century castle east of Munich, the festival is said to be one of the largest of its kind worldwide. From July 14 to July 30, you can see real knights jousting - professional stuntmen, of course!

Concerts, workshops and an educational program: The Ruhr piano festival offers 69 events in different cities in the densely populated Ruhr area, featuring newcomers as well as international piano stars - just follow the trademark red piano! The festival, which has was launched in 1988 and has more than 50,000 visitors every year, started on May 5 and continues through July 20, 2017.

Set on the day the official summer break season for schools in the state of North Rhine-Westphalia starts, on July 15, the city of Cologne holds its popular, gigantic annual fireworks display. Impressive, synchronized with music, it lights up the skies at night along the stately Gothic cathedral and the Rhine River. The event draws hundreds of thousands of people.

Every year, thousands of people flock to the Redefin Stallion Parades, which were first held in 1935. Horses have been bred since the beginning of the 18th century at the State Stud Farm at Redefin, in Germany's eastern state of Mecklenburg. Redefin has 30 breeding stallions. The horse shows take place on three consecutive Sundays, beginning September 10, 2017.

The scenic Tegernsee Valley will once again draw thousands of nature buffs this year from October 18 to 22, for the fifth Tegernsee International Mountain Film Festival. Grand mountain landscapes and breathtaking adventures: Film submissions from all over the world compete in different categories. "K2 - Touching the Sky" (picture) won first prize last year in the Mountain Experience category.

Pirates of the Caribbean, beware: the annual Störtebeker Festival on the Eastern German island of Rügen is an open air theater that tells the story of Germany's very own medieval privateer and pirate, the legendary Klaus Störtebeker - a veritable Robin Hood of the Seas. The fun spectacle is acted out on one of Europe's largest open air stages, from June 24 to September 9, 2017.

For the Cruise Days event, held from September 8 to 10, 2017, six mammoth cruise ships - along with 24 smaller ships - stream into Germany's northern city of Hamburg. The total length of the cruise ships on the water is more than one and a half kilometers. At night, the port eerily illuminated through the Blue Port Hamburg light art installation.

Another event in the northern port city: From September 13 to October 15, 2017, Hamburg hosts the Harbourfront Literature Festival. National and international authors will present their new books through 79 events, reading to audiences at the most spectacular locations in and around Hamburg's harbor. This year, the festival focuses on literature from Turkey.

Finally, an event that sounds like a lot of fun if you own or simply adore the sturdy, energetic pint-sized dogs, and happen to be in or near the German capital: the eighth International Pug Meeting in Berlin on August 19. The annual highlight: the pug race!