50th Lake Constance Wine Festival Meersburg

Meersburg — Wine Tradition on the Shores of Lake Constance

Meersburg is one of the most beautiful towns on Lake Constance — a small medieval town in the Bodenseekreis district, with a castle, palace, historic old town, and a location directly on the water that is one of Southern Germany's most photographed postcard motifs. Wine has been cultivated in Meersburg since the Middle Ages — the slopes on the northern shore of Lake Constance are among Germany's northernmost wine-growing regions, benefiting from favorable climatic conditions due to the lake's influence. The winemakers of Meersburg and the surrounding area (Hagnau, Konstanz, Bermatingen, Bermatingen-Ahausen) form a closely connected wine region with its own distinct character — the Bodensee wines.

Program 2026 — 50th Anniversary Edition from September 11th to 13th

The 2026 edition is the 50th anniversary of the Bodensee-Weinfest — founded in 1974, celebrated annually, half a century of wine tradition on Lake Constance. The anniversary will be marked with a festive and packed program. Venue: Schlossplatz Meersburg, directly on the shore of Lake Constance, with views of the castle and the lake. Three days of program:

• Friday, September 11th, 2026: 4:45 PM Opening — Festive speech by city leadership, city bands kick off the weekend, festival operations until midnight
• Saturday, September 12th, 2026: 11:30 AM to midnight — Full festival day with continuous stage program
• Sunday, September 13th, 2026: 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM — with family program and "Wine Festival Brunch" in the morning, earlier closing

Participating Winemakers

The most important Lake Constance winemakers will be present on Schlossplatz:

• Meersburg Winemakers — including the Staatsweingut Meersburg and private family businesses
• Hagnau Winemakers — from the neighboring town east of Meersburg, the wine-growing hub of the Lake Constance region
• Konstanz Winemakers — from the west bank of Lake Constance
• Bermatingen — winemakers from the inland locations

The typical grape varieties of the region: Müller-Thurgau, Weissburgunder (Pinot Blanc), Grauburgunder (Pinot Gris), Spätburgunder (Pinot Noir), Bacchus, Riesling, and the Lake Constance classic Spätburgunder Weissherbst — a light, fruity rosé made from Spätburgunder grapes.

Lake Constance Culinary Delights

Regional cuisine is inextricably linked with wine culture on Lake Constance:

• Fresh Lake Constance Fish — Whitefish, Pike, Zander from the lake
• Lake Constance Cheese — typical hard and mild soft cheeses
• Hagnau Sausage and Farmer's Bacon
• Lake Constance Bread — hearty rye-mixed bread
• Lake Constance Fruit and Desserts — apples and pears from the rich Lake Constance fruit culture
• Lake Constance Views — the culinary advantage of eating with a view of the lake

Two Stages: Brass Music and Live Acts

The musical profile is clear: Brass music as the backbone (city bands from Meersburg, Hagnau, Friedrichshafen, and the entire region), plus cover bands, folk dance groups, and occasional solo acts. Two stages distribute the performances across Schlossplatz, allowing for program overlaps. The atmosphere is classically Southern German — beer benches, long festival tables, brass music in the background, Lake Constance waves in the foreground.