Events
Along the Southern Wine Route
We Palatines like to celebrate. Preferably with our guests. That's why our wine festivals, local festivals and markets are always a warm invitation to join in. And to enjoy the wines, rural produce and Palatinate cuisine with us. Because the main protagonists in the calendar year of the Southern Wine Route are the wine, the food, the landscape, the people and their festivals! Come and enjoy a varied programme. From spring right through to winter, a wide range of festivals and events invite you to enjoy yourself, whether alone, as a couple or with the whole family. We look forward to seeing you!
Palatinate Almond Weeks
Start of the Year with Pink Almond Trees and Colourful Blossoms
Spring starts earlier in the Palatinate than anywhere else in Germany: the lush blossoms of the almond trees often begin to shine in delicate shades of pink as early as March. Every year in March and April, this natural spectacle is celebrated with the "Palatinate Almond Weeks" and numerous events centred around the almond. One of the highlights during the almond blossom is the Edenkoben Almond Mile, the date of which depends on the state of the blossom and is only finalised at short notice. The Almond Mile stretches along the almond tree-lined Villastraße to Villa Ludwigshöhe Castle, where guests can stroll from station to station and enjoy the musical and culinary programme. The almond blossom is also celebrated in the picturesque wine village of Gleiszellen-Gleishorbach, for example. The spring kick-off is celebrated here with music and entertainment at the Dionysius Chapel - in the midst of a marvellous sea of blossom.
Palatinate Chestnut Days
Kulinarische Keschdezeit
From October to mid-November, the colourful hustle and bustle of autumn reigns and the chestnut is a must! The sweet chestnut is mainly found in Mediterranean countries and regions and is very unusual by German standards. But that is no reason not to appreciate its unique flavour. The people of the Palatinate love their chestnuts and celebrate their harvest time during the Chestnut Days from 1 October to mid-November with festivals and hikes on the subject. Information, recipes and delicacies are shared and enjoyed with visitors. For example, at the "Keschdefeschd" in Annweiler am Trifels, which showcases the versatility of this delicacy. From chestnut bread to soups and sweet specialities, fans of the delicacy can buy and taste a wide variety of Keschde at the market stalls. The highlight is the crowning of the chestnut princess. Or at the wine and chestnut market in Edenkoben: Idyllically situated in the surroundings of Villa Ludwigshöhe Castle, sheltered by the mighty crowns of numerous sweet chestnut trees, the chestnut is celebrated here.
Magical Advent Season
Winterland Southern Wine Route
As the days get shorter and shorter and winter arrives in Germany, the cosiest and, for many, most beautiful time of the year approaches. The small towns and villages along the Southern Wine Route are transformed into little Christmas worlds and the wooden houses and decorated courtyards are filled with the scent of fir trees, spices and steaming hot mulled wine. From Christmas-decorated wine press houses to medieval market hustle and bustle with Swedish fires and mulled wine, numerous Christmas markets make your eyes light up - each in its own unique way.
The artisan Thomas Nast St Nicholas Market in Landau is known far beyond the region's borders. It is named after the caricaturist Thomas Nast, who was born in Landau in 1840 and became famous in America. The market traditionally opens every year on the Thursday before 1 Advent and delights its visitors until the fourth Sunday in Advent. The two large heated artisan pavilions, in which more than 30 artists and craftspeople demonstrate their skills, are particularly characteristic of the Thomas Nast Nikolausmarkt.
