Oppenheim Medieval Market at Landskron Castle Ruins

The Landskron Castle Ruins have towered over Oppenheim and the Rhine since the early 13th century. In the very place where the Staufen emperors once built their imperial castle, the Middle Ages come alive again for a weekend. The Oppenheim Medieval Market combines the unique backdrop of the ruins with the expansive Bürgerwiese meadow in front to create a stage for historical customs, crafts, and conviviality.

Over forty carefully selected stalls form the heart of the event. Merchants offer leather and felt goods, blacksmith art, drinking horns, herbs, mead, medieval clothing, and handmade jewelry. Craftspeople demonstrate their skills: at the loom, in the forge, with pottery, and in leatherworking. Children can try their hand at candle dipping or test their skills at archery.

Several encampments from various groups line the meadow. Between tents, open fires, and improvised guard posts, reenactors tell of daily life in the 12th and 13th centuries, of the lives of castle inhabitants, servants, and traveling minstrels. Music groups with hurdy-gurdy, bagpipes, shawm, and drums move through the market, creating a dense, almost meditative atmosphere with their sounds.

The market is a cooperation between the city of Oppenheim and the event organizer group Lorraine Médiévale, known nationwide for their atmospheric medieval markets. The concept focuses on authentic costumes, handmade goods, and a familial coexistence between participants and visitors.

For visitors, the ascent to the castle ruins also offers a wide view over the vineyards of Rheinhessen, the Rhine Valley, and, in clear weather, as far as the Taunus mountains. The combination of history, landscape, and medieval revelry makes the Oppenheim Medieval Market one of the most charming events in the region's calendar.