Dithmarscher Kohltage in Heide

Heide and Dithmarschen Cabbage

Heide is the district town of Dithmarschen in the state of Schleswig-Holstein. With around 21,000 inhabitants, it is manageable — but the Heide market square, at 4.7 hectares, is the largest undeveloped market square in Germany. The Dithmarschen region is Europe's largest contiguous cabbage-growing area: around 90 million heads of white, red, pointed, and savoy cabbage are harvested here every year. The 'Dithmarscher Kohltage', first held in 1986, celebrates this agricultural identity.

Program Pillars

• Festival tent on the market square with cabbage specialties and stage program
• Farmers' market with fresh vegetables directly from the region
• Craft market with Dithmarschen manufactories
• Themed menus in Heide's participating restaurants — cabbage in all variations, at special prices
• Sunday with open shops in Heide's city center
• Motorcycle church service at St. Jürgen Church on the closing Sunday — one of Northern Germany's largest motorcycle events

The Motorcycle Church Service

A special feature that shapes the event: On the closing Sunday, the motorcycle church service takes place at St. Jürgen Church in Heide. For over 20 years, thousands of motorcyclists from all over Northern Germany have come — 5,000 to 8,000 bikes in good weather. The service is ecumenically open, and the subsequent ride through Dithmarschen is a tradition.

An Identity Event

The Dithmarscher Kohltage are more than a food event — they are an identity event for the region. Visitors from Hamburg, the West Coast, or Schleswig-Holstein get to know a Northern Germany shaped by agriculture, which is often left out of the urban media discourse.