International German Cup for hot air balloons in Pforzheim
In 1986 the city marketing organisation of the day initiated the "Europa Cup", the first hot air balloon event to be held in Pforzheim. The event has now developed into the international German Cup for hot air balloons which is usually held every two years in September.
During the weekend event (Friday to Sunday) there are five balloon races for the main trophy sponsored by the Sparkasse Pforzheim-Calw plus the KeyGrab race (Sunday evening) and the Nightglow (glowing balloons) on Friday evening. On average 45 balloon teams take part from five countries, with a number of special balloon forms.
Around 30,000 visitors flock to the area where the event is held. The event has been voted by the readers of the Pforzheim local newspaper to be the most popular event in the region and the races are closely followed by a wider audience. In balloonist circles the German Cup in Pforzheim is judged to be the best event in Germany due to its friendly atmosphere and professional organisation. There is a supporting program for visitors and balloon teams for the whole of the event.
In 2008, the international German Cup, sponsored by the Sparkasse Pforzheim-Calw, celebrated its 10th jubilee with an appropriately extended program. The aim was to strengthen the image of Pforzheim, market the city in areas outside the immediate region and therefore raise the brand awareness of the city.
