🍷 From March to December: best Moselle wine festivals 2026

In September, Bernkastel-Kues becomes the wine capital of Germany for five days. But the wine year on the Moselle starts long before autumn.

Below is the calendar of festivals, fairs, and events for 2026 along the Moselle and Saar. We checked dates and venues against the Moselle tourist office calendar and city websites (as of: 09/2026). Use it as a basis for your trip: most festivals run for one or two days, and you can easily combine them with a visit to Trier or Cochem.

Autumn Moselle vineyards above the river and small town

The wine year on the Moselle in 2026

💡 In short:

Main event of the year: Weinfest der Mittelmosel in Bernkastel-Kues, September 3-7.
High season falls in May and August: almost every weekend there is a fair or tasting.
For a short trip, pick one town, Cochem, Trier, or Bernkastel-Kues, so you don't waste time traveling between places.
Festival dates and venues: 09/2026, checked against the official Moselle tourist office calendar.

The season opens in March and ends with Christmas markets in December. Spring brings fairs and tastings, summer brings open-air festivals, autumn brings the harvest and open cellar days. In winter, wine stands move into cellars, tents, and halls. This way you can plan your trip around your vacation and not depend on one big weekend.

Our picks for a first trip:

Festival	2026 dates	Town	Why it's worth visiting
Weinfest der Mittelmosel	September 3-7	Bernkastel-Kues	the largest wine festival on the Middle Moselle, fireworks on Saturday
Moselwein-Festival	July 10-13	Traben-Trarbach	festival mile by the water, tastings in cellars
Altstadtfest	June 26-28	Trier	around 100,000 visitors, more than 100 food and drink stands
Burgfest	August 1-2	Cochem	medieval market on the grounds of Reichsburg
Nature One	July 30 - August 2	Kastellaun	one of the largest electronic music festivals in Europe
Federweißenfest	November 6-8	Cochem	young wine in a large festival tent

Dates in the table are checked against the Moselle events calendar and official city websites (as of: 09/2026).

March 2026: season opening

The first festivals of the year mostly attract locals; there are still few tourists here.

March 8, Alken. At the 778th Moosemann-Fest, the main roles are played by a boy covered in moss and a knight on horseback. The program includes a procession, stands, and free entry to Burg Thurant and the old St. Michaelskirche church. Frühschoppen starts at 11:00, the procession at 14:30. Come for the opening if you want to catch the festival without the crowds.
March 20-29, Bernkastel. Season opening "Bernkastel-Kues blüht auf!" with wine stands, a fairground area, a music night, city tours, and a flea market.
March 28-29, Fell. At the Feller Maximiner Weinspektakel, around 70 wineries present more than 500 wines and sparkling wines. There is also a crafts fair and a vintage car exhibition.

Number of participants and dates: 09/2026, according to the Moselle tourist office calendar.

April 2026: fairs and first tastings

April 5, Winningen. Season opening with Eierkibben: two participants battle with Easter eggs while guests drink Eierwein. Starts at 11:00 at the Weinhof.
April 11-12, Cochem. Blütenmarkt for the Moselle vineyard peach at Endertplatz. From 11:00 to 17:00, vendors sell and offer tastings of jam, liqueur, pralines, and other products made from the local peach.
April 12, Burgen. The largest wine, farmers, and crafts market in Rhineland-Palatinate: more than 140 stalls along a 1.4-kilometer loop on the community road. Open from 11:00 to 18:00. Besides wine, you'll find goat cheese, game, handmade goods, and jewelry.

Number of stalls and opening hours: 09/2026, Moselle festival overview.

May 2026: hikes, sports, and tastings

In May, festivals take place almost every weekend, and you should pick two or three of them.

The Moselle River winding through green hills

May 1, Wehlen. Waldfest at the Schutzhütte Dreifaltigkeit hut. Wine and beer stands open from 10:30, kitchen is serving.
May 1-4, Veldenz. Mosel-Trophy: nearly 100 pilots from different countries compete in paragliding for the fastest time. Meet at the sports field.
May 2, Zell. In the "Gieh roff off dat Häisje" festival, a procession leaves Marktplatz at 11 a.m. through the vineyards to the Collis-Turm tower, with stops and tastings.
May 8-10, Winningen. During Winninger Kunsttage, artists turn the village into an open-air gallery.
May 9-10, Pommern. Kelten und Römerfest on Martberg hill: ancient crafts, mulsum and Roman soup. Starts at 11:00.
May 16-17, Winningen. Steillagenfest in the vineyard, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Along the four-kilometer route, winemakers and restaurateurs offer food and wine.
May 17, Klüsserath. Seifenkistenrennen soapbox races: families come to cheer on the young pilots. Starts at 10:30, stands serve wine, fries, burgers and sausages.
May 29-31, from Kesten to Zeltingen. Mythos Mosel ("Eine Rieslingsreise"): wine tasting from around 120 wineries.

Moselle bend with vineyards and a village in spring

If you are traveling in late May, book accommodation and tickets in advance: at this time towns fill up, and trains run with extra cars.

Dates: 09/2026, general list of May festivals.

June 2026: wine week and town festivals

June 3-7, Cochem. Mosel-Wein-Woche: local winemakers pour around 200 wines and sparkling wines on Endertplatz. The program includes fireworks.
June 7, Hatzenport. Tag der offenen Burg: the old walls open to visitors only once a year.
June 10-12, Trier. Zurlaubener Heimatfest with live music and rides, one of the region's best-loved events.
June 26-28, Trier. Altstadtfest between Porta Nigra and Viehmarkt. The festival draws around 100,000 people, with more than 100 food stands along the festival mile. Come in the morning to get spots near the stage.

Guest numbers and dates: 09/2026, Mosel tourist office calendar and Trier tourism portal.

July 2026: festivals by the water and in the fields

July 3-5, Cochem. Weinlagenfest on the bank in Cond with views of the old town and Reichsburg.
July 5, Reil. Motocross at Heißen Stein with races, music and wine. Organizers have not yet confirmed the date.
July 10-13, Traben-Trarbach. Moselwein-Festival along the Mosel riverbank: winemaker stands, live music and cellar tours with tastings.
July 17-18, Pommern. Uferrock-Festival: two days of different bands playing on the riverbank.
July 24, Zeltingen. Opening of the Operetten-Festspiele "Zeltinger Himmelreich", performed by residents of the municipality. Other dates: July 25, 28, 31 and August 1.
July 27-28, Kinheim. Sucellus-Römerspektakel on the Mosel riverbank: gladiator fights, birds of prey shows, Roman cuisine.
July 30 - August 2, Kastellaun. Nature One at the former Pydna missile base. This is one of the largest electronic music festivals in Europe.
July 31 - August 2, Raversbeuren. Lott Festival in a field in the Hunsrück: bands from different genres, film and poetry slam.

Dates and venues: 09/2026, Mosel events calendar and Traben-Trarbach website.

August 2026: Harley, Romans, and the harvest

August is the busiest month: some weekends have three events at once.

August 1-2, Perl. Römertage at Römische Villa Borg: gladiators in the arena, legionaries with weapons, merchants and artisans showing Roman daily life.
August 1-2, Cochem. Burgfest at Reichsburg: knights, jesters, artisans, and staged combat. Officially the festival runs from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Sunday.
August 6-8, Ürzig. Harley & Wein: the international Harley-Davidson community has been coming to Heimatfest for 27 years, with a ride through neighboring communities.
August 7-9, Piesport. Pferdefestival: a music and cultural festival above the vineyards, though there are no horses in the program.
Through August 10, Ediger-Eller. Wein- und Heimatfest Ediger Osterlämmchen, one of the main events on the calendar. The main day is the Edschara Stohlgang on Monday.
August 14-18, Wittlich. Säubrenner-Kirmes: the town center turns into a fairground for several days, and the local legend of the Säubrenner is told right on the spot.
August 22, Trier. Viezfest at Domfreihof: a celebration of the local apple wine, which is listed as UNESCO intangible cultural heritage.
August 23, Nittel. St. Rochus Weinkirmes, the largest wine festival of the Upper Moselle. At the same time, Wäin-Schmaachen takes place in Machtum, Luxembourg, with a free ferry running between the towns.
August 27-31, Cochem. Heimat- und Weinfest on Marktplatz and the Moselle waterfront, with live music, a parade, and fireworks on Sunday.
August 28 - September 6, Winningen. Germany's oldest wine festival: ten days around the Weinhexbrunnen.
August 28, Saar. SaarRieslingSommer: 15 wineries together with around 30 invited winemakers between Serrig and Konz-Filzen.

Cochem market square with town hall and half-timbered houses

Dates and times: 09/2026, Moselle overview page and Reichsburg Cochem website.

September 2026: the main wine event of the year

September 3-7, Bernkastel-Kues. Weinfest der Mittelmosel, the largest wine festival of the Middle Moselle. Thousands of guests walk through the narrow streets, bands play in the evening, and fireworks go off on Saturday at 9:00 p.m. The date is confirmed by the city's official website.
September 4-6, Enkirch. Europe's largest and oldest gathering of motorhome travelers: hundreds of participants arrive in all kinds of vehicles.
September 18-21, Fell. Feller Markt, one of the region's largest folk festivals. The main program items: Weinprobe XXL and an animal exhibition with awards.
September 19-20, Cochem. Erntemarkt des Moselweinbergpfirsichs at Endertplatz: liqueurs and infusions, jams, ice cream, and punch. You will see the full autumn palette of the local peach.

Bernkastel-Kues street with stone and half-timbered houses

Dates and venues: 09/2026, official Moselle calendar.

October 2026: cellar days and distilling

October 2-4, Piesport. Kellerfest, formerly Kelterfest: guests go from winery to winery, and there are tours of the Roman press at the edge of the village.
October 4, Erden. Winzer-, Wein- und Straßenfest: wine from a dozen local wineries and Moselle cuisine classics, including Winzersteak.
October 24-25, Brennertage. Around 30 producers of fruit spirits along the German and Luxembourg Moselle open their doors. You can expect tours, tastings, and conversations with the makers.

Dates: 09/2026, Moselle and Saar events calendar.

November 2026: young wine and Christmas markets

November 6-8, Cochem. Federweißenfest in a large tent at Endertplatz, with musicians playing pop and Schlager. Admission is free.
November 20 - December 20, Bernkastel-Kues. Christmas market on Marktplatz and in the surrounding alleys.
November 20 - December 20, Trier. Christmas market in the old town.
November 20 - February 1, Traben-Trarbach. Unterirdischer Mosel-Wein-Nachts-Markt in the town's cellars: you will find rare wines here.
November 28, Zell. A small Adventsmarkt around Marktplatz. At 5:30 p.m., a Märchenumzug with illuminated vehicles starts through the old town.

Dates: 09/2026, autumn Moselle wine calendar.

December 2026: Advent on the Moselle

December 12-13, Cochem. Burgweihnacht at Reichsburg: always on the third weekend of Advent, with a nativity scene and stalls in the Rosenhof courtyard.
December 13, Zell. Zeller Raiffeisenbank-Adventslauf: more than 500 runners start in the old town. If you want to watch the race, come in the morning.

Dates: 09/2026, winter Moselle calendar.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

How much does it cost to enter wine festivals on the Moselle?

Most festivals have free admission, and you only pay for wine and food. Tickets are rarely needed, usually only for individual concerts. Admission to Weinfest der Mittelmosel in Bernkastel-Kues and Altstadtfest in Trier is also free. Check the exact details with the organizers before you travel.

When is the best time to go to wine festivals?

The main festival of the year takes place in September in Bernkastel-Kues. High season falls in May and August, when festivals run almost every weekend. If you don't like crowds, choose October: there are noticeably fewer visitors. In summer, open-air music festivals are added, and Christmas markets start in late November.

How do you get to the region without a car?

A railway line runs along the Moselle, connecting Koblenz, Cochem, Zell, Traben-Trarbach, and Trier. Regional trains and buses run between the towns, and many festival grounds are right next to stations. If you are going to an evening festival, check the last train time in advance: at small stations it leaves early.

What should you try on the Moselle besides Riesling?

Besides Riesling, you should try Federweißer, a young cloudy wine served in autumn. Another local flavor comes from Moselweinbergpfirsich products: jams, liqueurs, and pralines. In Trier, Viezfest pours Viez, an apple wine with a tart edge. Many festivals focus on regional cuisine, so you will also get to try cheeses, sausages, and soups.

Do you need to book accommodation in advance?

Yes, for major festivals, accommodation in Cochem, Bernkastel-Kues, and Trier is booked months in advance. During Weinfest der Mittelmosel, there are almost no rooms left in the center. If you are going for one day, look at hotels in neighboring towns along the Moselle: they are cheaper, and the train ride is short. For small village festivals, you can still find accommodation a couple of weeks out.

In short: what to book

If you have one free weekend, go for September and Bernkastel-Kues. If you are traveling with family, Feller Markt in September and Säubrenner-Kirmes in Wittlich in August are good fits. Medieval enthusiasts should plan for Burgfest in Cochem in early August or Burgweihnacht in December. For a relaxed tasting, choose the May Steillagenfest and Winninger Kunsttage.

Book accommodation for major holidays well in advance, and check current dates and rescheduling in the Moselle tourist office calendar.

Calendar of Moselle wine festivals: what and when in 2026