Lichtenfels, Germany, is a charming Bavarian town of about 20,000 residents renowned for its tradition of basket weaving, earning the affectionate title of “Basket City.” Each year, the town hosts the International Basket Market, one of Europe’s largest and most prestigious events dedicated to basketry.

Lichtenfels is located along Obermain River, north of Bamberg. The town was once the center of the basket trade, and the craftsmanship can still be experienced at markets, in various exhibitions and through street art.

The historic weaving trade in Lichtenfels is quite famous, but not forgotten. Weaving is an ancient craft, long the economic foundation for the people living along Obermain River. The willows from the main valley provided the raw material that was later imported. The basket business in the town began to really increase in 1846 when the railway network connected Lichtenfels to other parts of Germany. Eventually, Lichtenfels baskets were traded all over the world.

At its peak, 14 trading houses were active and thousands of craftsmen were working. They would deliver their baskets to the traders on Saturdays, and special trains would deliver them throughout Europe.

At the beginning of the 20th century, almost 4,000 train carriages of wickerwork left the Lichtenfels station every year.  However, by the middle of the century, basketry began to lose its importance. Today, basket weaving lessons for visitors are always available, as it is an intangible cultural heritage in Bavaria, and Lichtenfels is home to the only vocational school for basket weaving in Germany.

Every year on the third weekend in September (this year, Sept. 18–20), Lichtenfels hosts the International Basket Market. And on one weekend in May, the regional Wickerwork Market welcomes visitors, where local artisans set up their booths at the Marktplatz, offering baskets, as well as other gardens and art pieces.

At German Basket Museum in Michelau, close to Lichtenfels, the final works of the eight graduates of the State Vocational School for Wickerwork Design have been on display since mid-August 2021. Thematically linked to the exhibition in the Stadtschloss, Lichtenfels’ City Palace Event venue in the center of Lichtenfels, it is entitled flech(t)raum – a new generation of wickerwork on its way from Lichtenfels to the world, a wonderful exhibition about traditional baskets.