14th German Cheese Market Nieheim

How it all began

Nieheim is a small town in the far east of North Rhine-Westphalia — five minutes from Hesse, in the Höxter district. Yet, it has managed to establish a themed festival that is unique in Germany. Since 2000, the town has organized the German Cheese Market — an event that uses the heavyweight of Ostwestfalen-Lippe's cheese tradition (with the famous Nieheimer Käse as its flagship) as a marketing position. In 2026, the 14th edition will run for three days: September 4–6.

The Numbers — Why It's Impressive

• 60,000 visitors in three days — a town of 6,000 inhabitants temporarily multiplies its population tenfold.
• 60+ dairies from all over Germany — from Allgäuer Bergkäse to Tilsiter to French-style Brie from Hesse.
• 500+ types of cheese for tasting and direct sale.
• 10 vintners with matching wines — Riesling, Spätburgunder, Silvaner.
• Germany's longest cheese counter in the 'Room of Taste' at the German Cheese Museum.

The Venues

The festival is spread across the Market Square, the pedestrian zone, and the German Cheese Museum (Stiftsgasse). The Cheese Museum houses not only the permanent exhibition on German cheese tradition but also the central tasting counter on market days. Around it: stalls of dairies, vintners, bakers with traditional breads to accompany cheese, olive oil producers, and live cheese-making demonstrations.

Supporting Program

Spread over the three days: live music on the main stage (Market Square), walking acts in the alleys, children's program with hands-on activities and cheese workshops for the little ones. Sunday is also Family Sunday with extended shopping hours from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Arrival by Shuttle

Those arriving by car can park on the outskirts and use the free shuttle bus, which runs at short intervals from Friday afternoon until Sunday evening. This eases the burden on the small town center and everyone's nerves — an exemplary traffic solution for an event of this magnitude.

Nieheim and Cheese

Nieheimer Käse is a protected regional specialty: a tangy, aromatic quark cheese made from skimmed quark, refined in small cubes with nigella seeds and hops. Produced in Nieheim for centuries, it is considered the town's culinary flagship — the cheese market is the annual reaffirmation of this tradition. Anyone who tries it understands why it needs its own festival.