Gimmeldingen Almond Blossom Festival — 1st Weekend

The Gimmeldingen Almond Blossom Festival is a Palatinate institution and the first wine festival of the year in all of Germany. It traditionally takes place as soon as the almond trees on the Haardtrand unfold their pink splendor — usually in mid-March — and lasts for a total of about two weeks. The first weekend, from Friday, March 13th to Sunday, March 15th, 2026, marks the official start with the festive crowning of the Almond Blossom Royalty at the König-Ludwig-Pavillon.

The Gimmeldingen district, one of eight wine villages of the city of Neustadt an der Weinstraße, is nestled between vineyards and almond tree avenues. During the festival, Neubergstraße transforms into a long festival mile with around thirty wine stands where Gimmeldingen vintners serve their wines. Characteristic are the bright Palatinate white wines — Riesling, Weissburgunder, and Grauburgunder — as well as regional sparkling wine from traditional bottle fermentation.

The culinary scene is dominated by Palatinate specialties such as Saumagen (pig's stomach stuffed with pork, bread, and spices), Leberknödel (liver dumplings), Bratwurst (fried sausage), Flammkuchen (a type of flatbread pizza), Quetschekuche (plum cake), and of course, the almond sweets that give the festival its name: roasted almonds, almond brittle, almond horns, and sweet almond pastries. In addition, regional artisans present their work at stalls along the festival mile.

Due to the enormous visitor numbers, the city of Neustadt relies on an expanded shuttle concept: free buses run regularly between Neustadt main station and Gimmeldingen, as the wine village is largely closed to individual traffic during the festival. Traveling by Deutsche Bahn to Neustadt Hbf and then taking the shuttle is by far the most convenient option.

Those visiting the festival for the first time should not miss the Almond Blossom Panorama Trail: a well-marked walking path through the vineyards along Haberackerstraße, Fürstenweg, and Weinlehrpfad, offering spectacular views of the pink blooming almond trees against the backdrop of the Rhine plain. Viewing points for lingering are available at several spots.