15. Linsenfest Gussenstadt

Swabian Harvest Festival on the Alb

The Linsenfest Gussenstadt is one of the most original harvest festivals on the Swabian Jura and in 2026 celebrates its 15th edition. The venue is the community hall of the small Alb village of Gussenstadt — today a district of the municipality of Gerstetten in the Heidenheim district. The festival honors the Swabian lentil tradition: on the barren Alb soils, the famous "Albleisle" — the Alb lentils — used to grow primarily before they almost disappeared from agriculture after World War II. Since the 2000s, the Alb lentil has experienced a renaissance thanks to dedicated organic farmers; the Linsenfest celebrates precisely this rediscovery.

Dates 2026 — Three Festival Days

In 2026, the Linsenfest runs from Friday, September 11 to Sunday, September 13. The main event with the central lentil meal takes place on Sunday, September 13, starting at 11 AM. Friday is barbecue night with sausages, fries, and music by the Gussenstadter Blasmusik. On Saturday, the local clubs organize a festival service and a "Hocketse" (gathering) with musical accompaniment. Sunday is the actual "Lentil Day" — lentils with Spätzle, lentils with Saitenwurst, lentils with Schnitzel and Spätzle, lentil stew, vegetarian lentil pan.

Linsen mit Spätzle und Saitenwurst — the Swabian Crown Class

The original Swabian national dish "Linsen mit Spätzle und Saitenwurst" is once again the centerpiece of the festival in 2026. The DRK Gussenstadt unit serves over 600 portions — cooked in the traditional Swabian-Alb style with a rich lentil sauce, hand-shaved Spätzle, and the thin Saitenwurst from the Swabian smoking shelf. In addition, there are vegetarian and vegan options (lentil pan, lentil stew), bratwurst and fries for children, and Swabian cake specialties from the local women's association.

Gussenstadter Blasmusik — Musical Backbone

The Gussenstadter Blasmusik forms the musical backbone of the festival. The music association organizes the festival service on Saturday, the "Frühschoppen" concert on Sunday morning, and the afternoon program. Guest bands from the Alb region (Heidenheim, Heuchlingen, Steinheim) alternate on stage. Swabian-Alb music with polka, marches, and Swabian folk music shapes the soundscape.

Gussenstadt — Alb Village between Heidenheim and Geislingen

Gussenstadt, with around 1,700 inhabitants, has been a district of the municipality of Gerstetten in the Heidenheim district since 1975. The Alb village is located at an altitude of about 690 meters on the Swabian Jura — a rugged, treeless plateau with a sheep farming tradition and the barren, stony soils that historically yielded only the hardy Alb lentils, rye, and oats. Today, Gussenstadt preserves the memory of this history with the Linsenfest, the local history museum, and the rediscovery of the Alb lentil by local organic farmers. The Alb landscape around Gussenstadt is a hiking paradise and part of the Swabian Jura Geopark.