Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt

The Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt is a wine festival in Bad Dürkheim, in the Palatinate, which the town calls the largest wine festival in the world. The name means sausage market, but wine is what the fair is about: the regional tourist board counts more than 600,000 visitors, 36 traditional wine stands, a wine village and around 300 wines, all prize-winning and from local vineyards.

In 2027 the Wurstmarkt runs over two weekends, from Friday 10 to Tuesday 14 September and from Friday 17 to Monday 20 September, on the Brühlwiesen festival ground. The dates come from the town of Bad Dürkheim, which has already published them up to 2030. Entry is free and no ticket is needed.

What to taste

• Palatinate wine at the Schubkarchstände. The 36 wine stands are the heart of the fair: narrow wooden benches at narrow tables, under canvas, where locals and visitors sit shoulder to shoulder over a Pälzer Schobbe, the local glass of wine. The name recalls the winemakers who once pushed their barrels to the fair on wheelbarrows (Schubkarch) and served from them.
• The Weindorf, the wine village created in 1992, for a quieter glass: 13 wine tents and 4 food tents serve whites, reds and hand-riddled winegrowers’ sparkling wine in stemmed glasses, with more elaborate dishes.
• Sausages. The fair owes its name to the quantity of sausages eaten there, which gave the old Michaelismarkt its popular nickname in the early 19th century. Food stalls surround the wine stands. The motto of the Monday morning literary gathering, “Stimmung, Lewwerworscht un än guude Palzwoi”, sums up the menu: good mood, liver sausage and good Palatinate wine.
• The Dubbeglas, the dimpled Palatinate wine glass, sold in a Wurstmarkt edition on the festival ground and at the tourist office.

Programme

The 2027 programme published by the town includes:

• Friday 10 September: concert on Ludwigsplatz at 5 pm, parade to the festival ground at 5:30 pm, then at 6 pm the historical opening play (in German), the tapping of the first barrel and the official opening at the Gradierbau.
• Monday 13 September: the Literarischer Frühschoppen, songs and poems in Palatinate dialect from 10 am to 1 pm at stands 20 to 24. The wine stands open at 7 am that day. In the evening, the new Bad Dürkheim wine queen is crowned in the Weindorf.
• Tuesday 14 September: fireworks at 9 pm.
• Wednesday 15 and Thursday 16 September: the Zwischenmarkt, a pause between the two weekends when only some wine stands and food stalls open, from noon to 10 pm.
• Friday 17 September: wine tasting in the Ferris wheel at noon.
• Monday 20 September: Pälzer Poesie in the festival tent at 10 am, then the closing fireworks at 9 pm.

Practical tips for the Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt

• Hours. On festival days the fair opens at 11 am at the latest (6 pm on opening day) and serves until the last guest leaves. Rides close at midnight at the latest.
• When to come. For the wine stands without the crush, aim for a weekday afternoon of the first week. For the Frühschoppen, arrive early to find a seat. Bring a cold breakfast if you like, as cooking on gas stoves is forbidden.
• Fireworks. The best view is from the Ferris wheel, which keeps running during both displays.
• Access. The town strongly recommends public transport. Tram lines 4 and 9 stop at the station forecourt, Deutsche Bahn trains are reinforced, and the regional network runs trains and buses until 3 am. Drivers will find about 2,200 paid and 1,500 free parking spaces. Cyclists have a secured bike park behind the Gradierbau.
• Bags. Leave large bags and backpacks at home: they are checked at the entrances.
• Accessibility. The whole festival ground is step-free, with accessible toilets near the Riesenfass (Euro key needed).
• Budget. Entry is free. You pay for wine, food and rides. An ATM stands on the ground by the Riesenfass.
• Where to stay. Rooms in Bad Dürkheim go early for both weekends. Towns along the wine route or in the Rhine-Neckar area, linked by the late trains, are an alternative.