Events and festivals in Saarland this weekend: a medieval spectacle by Lake Losheim, plus the Viez apple wine festival, the Oktoberkirmes fair and a children's book fair between Merzig and Saarbrücken.
Tents from the medieval reenactment scene line the shore of Lake Losheim this weekend. Losheim am See opens the eleventh edition of its medieval spectacle on 3 October 2026. Between the knights by the lake and the rest of the programme across Saarland, the weekend of 3 and 4 October draws visitors from across the region for the Viez festival, the Oktoberkirmes fair and a book fair.
Knights, Falconers and Camels by Lake Losheim
The eleventh edition of the medieval spectacle on the shores of Lake Losheim opens on 03.10.2026 and runs through the following day. The group Heimdalls-Erben has organised the event since 2014, turning the lake into a medieval world each year in early October, complete with camps, craft stalls and period costume all along the shore.
Craftspeople and traders sell jewellery, leatherwork, horn items and carvings. Camp groups pitch their tents and demonstrate historical crafts and fighting techniques. A falconer flies his birds of prey in circles, camels and miniature ponies delight the youngest visitors, and a knights' tournament is held just for children. Fortune tellers, a historical tattoo stand and staged combat round out the picture.
By day the band Maleficius takes the stage, and in the evening Spilldeyvel takes over, alongside the entertainer Timolino and belly-dance performances by Tribal Zariefe. Bagpipes, shawms and drums give the market its sound. On 3.10.26 and the day after, thousands of visitors head for Lake Losheim.
Losheim am See counts close to 16,000 residents and lies at the northern tip of Saarland, in the holiday region known as Saarschleifenland. Visitors with time to spare after the market can also find the historic Merzig-Büschfeld heritage railway along the shore. Admission costs eight euros for adults, and children under sword height get in free.
The Rest of the Weekend Between Merzig, Homburg and Saarbrücken
In Merzig's town centre, the Merzig apple wine festival marks its 55th edition right on German Unity Day, with three stages, 35 club stands and around 30,000 visitors expected from Germany, Luxembourg and France. It opens at 10:30am on the town hall square with an appearance by the reigning Viez queens, Laura IV, Jolina and Margarete. In Saarbrücken-Burbach, the Saarbrücken Oktoberkirmes fair runs through the last of its ten days, with 45 stalls and rides across the 20,000-square-metre Saarterrassen fairground and a beer garden for visitors from across the wider Saar-Lor-Lux region. The fairground stays open until 11pm on Saturday and 10pm on Sunday.
In the 2,000-resident village of Körprich near Nalbach, the Körprich St Michael fair opens on Sunday with a high mass in the 1926 church, followed by festivities around the Michaelshalle hall. On the French border, the extra day off around German Unity Day stretches the Kirb fair in Kleinblittersdorf to three days, from Friday to Sunday, with a Sunday morning gathering and visitors from neighbouring Grosbliederstroff. Local clubs and the fire brigade handle the catering.
In the Eurobahnhof quarter, the European Children's and Youth Book Fair closes on Saturday after four days of readings, book islands and the presentation of the Franco-German Youth Literature Prize. Its motto since the first edition has been “Books Build Bridges”. At the same time, in the Völklingen Ironworks, the Urban Art Biennale continues, with 55 artists from 17 countries turning the UNESCO World Heritage site into an open-air gallery until November.
At Am Forum in Homburg, the flea and antiques market opens as it does on every first Saturday of the month, with up to 1,000 dealers. Collectors travel in from Saarland, the Palatinate and Lorraine to browse. The market runs from 8am to 4pm, and cash is the safer option there. On the Klosterberg hill in Homburg's Wörschweiler district, the wine festival at the monastery ruins offers Palatinate wine and views over the Blies valley, with free admission. Live music starts there at 11am. The Klosterruine foundation has held this gathering every year on exactly 3 October since 2012.