Bad Dürkheim “Wurstmarkt”

The Bad Dürkheim Wurstmarkt, or as we say in the Palatinate, “de Derkemer Worschtmarkt,” is much more than just the largest wine festival in the world – though that alone is quite impressive. It’s a piece of history, so deeply rooted in the region that in 2024, we will be celebrating the Wurstmarkt for the 608th time. Wurstmarkt translates to “sausage market” and you will soon know why it’s called like that.

For more than 600 years, thousands of visitors have flocked to our small town of Bad Dürkheim each year to celebrate our Palatinate wine, our history, and our Ferris wheel – the Jupiter. But how did it all begin?

The roots date back to 1417 when our beloved Wurstmarkt was nothing more than a small church fair in honor of Saint Michael. The market served as a stopover for pilgrims who were traveling to the nearby St. Michael’s Chapel, where they could replenish their supplies with wine and sausages – which is where the modern name “Wurstmarkt” comes from.

In the 15th century, Bad Dürkheim was an important stop for pilgrims on their way to St. Michael’s Chapel. The region was heavily agricultural at the time, and the church fairs served as significant marketplaces for local products. Even back then, vintners took the opportunity to sell their Palatinate wines to the thirsty pilgrims.

Over time, the small church fair grew and gradually became a medieval gathering point for suppliers and customers from all over southwestern Germany. Many years later, the sales fair evolved into the folk festival we know today.

In the middle of the vineyards on the Wurstmarkt grounds at the saline stands the landmark of the Wurstmarkt: our Dürkheimer Giant Barrel – it is the centerpiece. The Dürkheimer Giant Barrel was designed in the 1930s by Fritz Keller, a visionary entrepreneur who wanted to create the barrel as a symbol of the region’s wine culture. The construction of the barrel was a technical masterpiece of its time, and it quickly became a landmark of the Wurstmarkt. In 1934, the barrel was finally completed with a diameter of over 12 meters and a capacity of 1.7 million liters. Although it was never used for aging wine, inside the barrel is a restaurant that can accommodate nearly 650 guests and offers culinary delights. After our seminar “From Tree to Barrel,” we ourselves like to gather here with our partners and enjoy good Palatinate cuisine with a delicious Palatinate wine. Who else can say they’ve dined inside a wooden barrel?

Even though the focus has shifted more towards socializing and wine over time, you can still see where the Wurstmarkt originated. In the “shopping street,” regional companies sell their Palatinate goods – from the traditional glasses, the “Dubbeglas” and Palatinate wine to cheese, sausages, kitchenware, and socks. There’s something for everyone.

There is plenty of food and drink – at the 36 “Schubkarchstände”, which are the traditional wine booths, local vintners sell their wine, according to Palatinate tradition, as a 0.5l wine spritzer in a “Dubbeglas.” For the vintners, the Palatinate Wine Festival is the perfect opportunity to showcase their wines to a broad audience and reach people directly. As a visitor, it’s exciting to have so many different vintners in one place and to sample the various wineries.

I still vividly remember my first visits to the Wurstmarkt as a child. The many stands, the smells of grilled sausages and roasted almonds, and the laughter of people around me – all of it fascinated me every year anew. The Wurstmarkt visit became an annual tradition in my family. We often strolled through the shopping street on the edge of the wine festival. We children were always allowed to pick one thing we wanted – which wasn’t easy given the wide selection. My mother had the privilege of choosing two things before being stopped by my father. Even today, I enjoy the Wurstmarkt just as much as I did back then, only now with a little more wine.

There’s also plenty of cultural offerings: At the literary morning pint on the first Wurstmarkt Monday around 9 a.m., songs, poems, and speeches in the Palatinate dialect are presented in a convivial setting. My personal highlights are the two colorful fireworks and the wine tasting on the Jupiter Ferris wheel, for which tickets are always in high demand.

For anyone in a party mood, the “Hamel” festival tent offers the right atmosphere. With live music, plenty of wine and spirits, setting the stage for dancing the night away. From Schlagermusic to rock and ’90s music, every music fan will find something to enjoy with one of the bands.

Der Bad Dürkheimer Wurstmarkt ist also mehr als nur ein Weinfest in Deutschland – er ist eine kulinarische Bühne für die lokalen Winzer, er ist Treffpunkt für Jung und Alt und das wichtigste – er ist unvergleichlich!

Auf dem Wurstmarkt kommt „die Welt zusammen“. Unabhängig von Alter, Geschlecht, Herkunft oder sonstigen Unterschieden – der Wurstmarkt heißt alle willkommen und ist jedes Jahr mein persönliches Derkemer Highlight. Ich freue mich jetzt schon drauf mit Freunden und Bekannten bei einem Schorle die ausgelassene Stimmung und den Spätsommer zu genießen – sind wir ehrlich, vermutlich wird es mehr als ein Schorle werden ?

Besuchen Sie den Wurstmarkt, kommen Sie vorbei und erleben Sie die Stimmung am besten selbst! Sie werden es nicht bereuen.

See you!

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