When are the wine festivals on the Rhine and Mosel?

Mostly in August and early September. Rüdesheim's Weinfest is usually the third weekend of August, Cochem's the last weekend of August, the Mainzer Weinmarkt spans the turn of August and September, and Bernkastel-Kues holds the Weinfest der Mittelmosel around the first weekend of September.

What is the best month for a wine river cruise?

September. It has the most wine festivals on the German rivers, the Budapest Wine Festival and Vienna's wine hiking day on the Danube, Saxony's harvest festivals on the Elbe, and the start of the harvest in the Douro.

When is the Würzburg wine festival?

Würzburg has two. The Würzburger Weindorf runs for about ten days in late May and early June, and the Weinparade for about ten days in late August and early September, both on the market square.

Are the 2027 festival dates confirmed?

Not yet for most of them. Organizers usually publish the new year's dates in spring, so this page lists each festival's usual timing and its most recent confirmed dates. Check the town's tourism site before booking around one.

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Wine festivals on European river cruise routes

Last checked October 2026

If your cruise dates are flexible, a wine festival is the best reason to pick one week over another. Most of them happen in towns where river ships already dock, often within walking distance of the pier.

The German wine towns celebrate from late May through September, the Danube and Elbe in September, and Beaujolais in November. Dates shift a little every year, so each festival below shows its usual timing and its most recent confirmed dates.

Month by month

Festival	When	Town and river	Most recent dates
Würzburger Weindorf	May and June About ten days, late May into early June	Würzburg, Main	29 May to 7 June 2026
Rüdesheimer Weinfest	August Usually the third weekend of August	Rüdesheim, Rhine	15 to 18 August 2025
Cochem Heimat- und Weinfest	August The last weekend of August, running into early September	Cochem, Moselle	28 August to 1 September 2025
Mainzer Weinmarkt	August and September Two weekends, the last of August and the first of September	Mainz, Rhine	27 August to 6 September 2026
Weinparade	August and September About ten days, late August into early September	Würzburg, Main	22 August to 1 September 2024
Weinfest der Mittelmosel	September Around the first weekend of September	Bernkastel-Kues, Moselle	4 to 8 September 2025
Budapest Wine Festival	September Four days in early to mid-September	Budapest, Danube	9 to 12 September 2026
Herbst- und Weinfest Radebeul and Meissen Weinfest	September Usually a weekend in the second half of September	Radebeul and Meissen, Elbe	18 to 20 September 2026
Wiener Weinwandertag	September The last weekend of September	Vienna, Danube	26 and 27 September 2026
Douro harvest (vindima)	September and October Harvest runs through September into October	Douro Valley, Douro	Every year
Beaujolais Nouveau	November The third Thursday of November	Lyon and Beaujolais, Rhône & Saône	Every year

What to expect at each one

Würzburger Weindorf · Würzburg: Wine stands from Franken producers fill the old market square below the Marienkapelle. Silvaner in the Bocksbeutel, poured by the glass.
Rüdesheimer Weinfest · Rüdesheim: Rheingau Riesling in the old-town market square, a short walk from the Rhine landing and the famous Drosselgasse.
Cochem Heimat- und Weinfest · Cochem: Mosel Riesling poured in the old town and along the riverfront below the Reichsburg castle.
Mainzer Weinmarkt · Mainz: Rheinhessen winemakers pour in the city park. Mainz calls itself a wine capital, and this is the week it earns it.
Weinparade · Würzburg: Würzburg's second wine festival, on the lower market square, with Franken wineries pouring by the glass.
Weinfest der Mittelmosel · Bernkastel-Kues: One of the Mosel's biggest wine festivals, in a half-timbered town that sits right among the vineyards.
Budapest Wine Festival · Budapest: Hungarian producers pour Tokaji, Furmint and Bull's Blood in the Buda Castle district, high above the Danube.
Herbst- und Weinfest Radebeul and Meissen Weinfest · Radebeul and Meissen: Saxony's harvest festivals, on the same weekend in two towns a few train minutes apart, with Saxon wines from the Elbe terraces.
Wiener Weinwandertag · Vienna: Free wine hiking day on marked routes through Vienna's own vineyards, with Heurigen pouring Gemischter Satz along the way.
Douro harvest (vindima) · Douro Valley: Not a single festival but the whole valley at work. Some sailings include grape treading at a quinta.
Beaujolais Nouveau · Lyon and Beaujolais: The year's first Beaujolais is released at midnight, and Lyon's bouchons celebrate. Late-season sailings sometimes catch it.

Planning a cruise around a festival

Festival weekends rarely line up exactly with a ship's call, so check the time in port as well as the date. An afternoon call on the opening Friday is ideal; a morning call on a Monday may find the stands still closed.

For the bigger picture on timing, see the best months for a wine river cruise, and if you plan to bring festival bottles home, the customs allowances.

Common questions

When are the wine festivals on the Rhine and Mosel?: Mostly in August and early September. Rüdesheim's Weinfest is usually the third weekend of August, Cochem's the last weekend of August, the Mainzer Weinmarkt spans the turn of August and September, and Bernkastel-Kues holds the Weinfest der Mittelmosel around the first weekend of September.
What is the best month for a wine river cruise?: September. It has the most wine festivals on the German rivers, the Budapest Wine Festival and Vienna's wine hiking day on the Danube, Saxony's harvest festivals on the Elbe, and the start of the harvest in the Douro.
When is the Würzburg wine festival?: Würzburg has two. The Würzburger Weindorf runs for about ten days in late May and early June, and the Weinparade for about ten days in late August and early September, both on the market square.
Are the 2027 festival dates confirmed?: Not yet for most of them. Organizers usually publish the new year's dates in spring, so this page lists each festival's usual timing and its most recent confirmed dates. Check the town's tourism site before booking around one.