The Romantic Cities take you to new culinary heights and open the door to Rhineland-Palatinate’s viniculture. All sorts of delicacies are to be found in the cosy wine taverns or at the convivial festivals and events along the Rhine and the Moselle.
Speyer gives gourmets and connoisseurs a good run for their money in summery August: try local dishes and international specialities, hearty meals and exquisite culinary delights at the Emperor’s Table. Speyer restaurateurs and hoteliers are at their best from 10 to 12 August.
2,000 years go the Romans brought wine to the Rhine and to Koblenz where it has been cherished and cultivated ever since. You can have a glass of chilled Riesling, enjoy a strong Pinot Noir or taste a fruity Dornfelder. The best way to find out is to try it for yourself at a wine tasting in one of the many vineyards, in a classy wine bar or in a Strausswirtschaft tavern.
Speaking of the Rhine, the Mainzstrand (Mainz beach) is the place to be for beachgoers in sunny weather. Feel the sand between your toes, enjoy a cool cocktail while lounging about or burn off excess energy in a game of beach volleyball, all the way through to the end of September. The Mainz Wine Market is literally a wine lover’s paradise. In late August, early September the city offers a varied programme which includes live music and culinary delights.
‘Ahoy’ will once again be the operative word in Worms as of 25 August! The traditional Backfischfest (Battered Fish Festival) dating back to 1933 immerses the city on the Rhine in its very own atmosphere. Young and old alike gather for a party in the festival marquee, admire the parade, cheer on the tug-of-war contestants or jump onto the carousel to enjoy the evening breeze in their faces. This singular mix of wine and folk festival attracts pleasure seekers until 2 September. And here’s a tip: Hollywood star Terence Hill will be visiting Worms to promote his new film on the eve of the official opening of the Backfischfest!
You can also thoroughly enjoy the summer weather in Trier. Where? At the Sparkling Wine Gala premiere in the palace gardens (10-13 August), where the most renowned sparkling wine estates in Trier and the region present their sparkling wines, to the accompaniment of entertaining live music. Or at the fisherman’s cottage built in 1800 or thereabouts, on the Zurlauben promenade directly on the Moselle, where you can relax and enjoy a glass of sparkling Riesling.
Gemstones, which, by the way, are not edible, and all kinds of trinkets are to be found at the Idar Gemstone Market, where you can also learn all there is to know about the more than 500-year gemstone and jewellery tradition (11 August and 08 September). The Hunsrück cuisine too has some culinary delights of its own. A meal at one of the restaurants would perfectly round off your visit to EdelSteinLand(gemstone country): you definitely must try the traditional Idar-Oberstein spit-roasted meat or ‘grandma’s stuffed dumplings’. There is something to suit every taste in Idar-Oberstein!
The Directorate General for Cultural Heritage invites you to ‘zu Tisch!’ (to take a seat at table), with the promise of enjoying the culinary culture in Rhineland-Palatinate in all senses of the term: authentically laid tables in historic settings, food markets promoting regional delicacies and exciting experiences of wining and dining in the times of the Romans and the knights. The culinary journey of the Cultural Heritage of the state of Rhineland-Palatinate includes set menus, workshops and other events. Further information is available in the ‘Your Culinary Journey’brochure.
