Osterwieck Middle Street Festival

Half-timbering, Day of Regions, and a Small Market

With over 400 half-timbered houses, Osterwieck is one of the most impressive half-timbered towns in the northern Harz foothills. This historic setting is precisely the stage for the Mittelstraßenfest: once a year, traditionally on the last Sunday in September, the town closes its old main axis to traffic and fills it with stalls, stages, and activities. The festival is officially held as a local contribution to the nationwide Tag der Regionen (Day of Regions) – an initiative that showcases regional economy, short supply chains, and local identity.

In the Harz District

Osterwieck is located in the north of the Harz district in Saxony-Anhalt, at the transition from the Harz foothills to the Magdeburger Börde, close to the state border with Lower Saxony. The Mittelstraßenfest is a prime example of how small towns off the main tourist routes cultivate their own cultural life – far from big city formats, but with their own unique character.

Regional, Honest, Well-Organized

The exhibitors at the Mittelstraßenfest come almost exclusively from the Harz foothills and the Börde region: small food manufacturers, beekeepers, cheesemakers, bakers, blacksmiths, glassblowers, potters, woodturners, artists, clubs, and initiatives from Osterwieck and the surrounding area. The town's pharmacy presents itself, schools and kindergartens showcase craft activities, and music clubs perform on the small stage. Vegan, vegetarian, classically hearty – the culinary mix reflects the rural life of the Harz foothills.

Day of Regions – Background

The Day of Regions has been celebrated nationwide annually at the end of September since 1999, under the motto "Consciously buy regional, promote regional identity." Dozens of towns and municipalities participate in Saxony-Anhalt every year; Osterwieck is one of the most traditional locations in the northwestern Harz region.