Fränkisches Weinfest Volkach

The heart of Franconian wine culture

When the Stadtallee between the old town and the Main riverbank is adorned with white benches, wine stands, and fairy lights in mid-August, Volkach's most important wine year event begins. The Fränkisches Weinfest is considered the largest wine festival in Franconia and one of the oldest in Bavaria: it has been celebrated here every year in mid-August since 1949, and hardly any event embodies the lifestyle of the Main loop as directly as these five days under the old chestnut and plane trees.

Wine from 22 locations on the great Main bend

Volkach is located in the Kitzingen district, in the middle of the Volkacher Mainschleife (Volkach Main loop) vineyard area, one of Bavaria's most renowned wine-growing regions. Seven independent wineries and four winegrower cooperatives present their products from 22 locations around the great Main bend. Around 60 open wines are expected, and with bottled wines, the selection grows to over 100 varieties – from the typical Franconian Silvaner to classic Rieslings and modern cuvées. Accompanying this is everything the Franconian cuisine has to offer: bratwurst from a charcoal grill, Blooz (a type of flatbread pizza) from a stone oven, Schäuferla (pork shoulder), cheese platters, and sweets.

Music, parade, and family program

The musical program specifically caters to different generations: during the day, brass bands like the Musikkapelle Escherndorf, the Stadtkapelle Volkach, or the Symphonisches Blasorchester play, while in the evening, party bands take over the festival tent. On Friday morning, the Fränkisch Swing Big Band accompanies the wine breakfast, followed by the grand brass music breakfast on Sunday. The highlight of the program is traditionally the grand parade on Sunday afternoon, which winds through Volkach's old town with the Franconian Wine Queens, historical groups, and music bands. For children, there is a small amusement park with carousels and games.

A tradition that shapes the entire region

The wine festival is more than just an event: it is the region's most important calling card and a meeting point for wine lovers from all over Germany. The Volkacher Mainschleife Tourist Information organizes the festival together with the region's wine producers. Many families from Mainfranken consciously plan their summer holidays around these days, and regular guests also travel from the rest of Bavaria, some for decades.

Atmosphere under chestnut and plane trees

The charm of the festival lies in its contrasts: fine wine and cozy beer benches, dignified proclamation of the wine queens and exuberant party evenings, regional down-to-earthness and supra-regional reputation. The Stadtallee with its tall trees offers protection from the August heat, and when the lights come on in the evening, an atmosphere is created that you will hardly find anywhere else in Bavaria in this form.