37th Palatinate Wine Festival Landau a.d.Isar

The Story Behind the Festival — Palatinate-Lower Bavarian Friendship

The history of the Palatinate Wine Festival in Landau a.d.Isar dates back to the 1950s: Following a devastating flood in Landau a.d.Isar, the residents of the similarly named Palatinate town of Landau in der Pfalz provided immediate aid — a gesture that was not forgotten in the Lower Bavarian town and laid the foundation for a town twinning. In 1987, this friendship gave rise to the Palatinate Wine Festival — as a joint "wine enjoyment idea" by vintner Gustav Zimpelmann and the then-mayor Jürgen Stadler. Since then, the festival has gained cult status and is considered one of the most unconventional wine festivals in Southern Germany.

Landau a.d.Isar — Town in the Vilstal Valley of the Dingolfing-Landau District

Landau a.d.Isar is located in Lower Bavaria (state of Bavaria), in the district of Dingolfing-Landau, on the Isar river in the Vilstal valley. The town has around 13,000 inhabitants. In contrast to the wine-growing tradition of its Palatinate namesake, Landau a.d.Isar is not a wine town itself — which makes the Palatinate Wine Festival all the more remarkable: it brings wine to a beer region and creates a cultural connection beyond the region.

Palatinate Wine in Lower Bavaria

During the three festival days, vintners from the Southern Palatinate present a wide selection of Palatinate wines — from Rieslings and Burgundy varieties to typical Palatinate Weissburgunder and Spätburgunder. The wines are accompanied by Palatinate specialties — Saumagen (pig's stomach stuffed with meat and potatoes), Leberknödel (liver dumplings), Bratwurst (grilled sausage), and of course "Pälzer Brot" (Palatinate bread) — as well as Bavarian festival dishes, to bridge the gap between the two culinary worlds.

Musical Accompaniment — Palatinate Meets Bavaria

Over the three festival days, Palatinate and Bavarian music groups perform. Palatinate folk theater, dialect, social singers, and bands from the Palatinate play, as do Bavarian traditional music bands and folk music ensembles. The connection of the two musical traditions is a deliberate cultural bridge-building effort — it makes the festival an event of regional identity.

Location — Stadtgraben-Park near the Stadthalle

The festival takes place in the Stadtgraben (town moat), a green park around the Stadthalle Landau a.d.Isar (Stadtgraben 3). The natural oasis ambiance of the Stadtgraben, combined with the urban architecture of the Stadthalle, offers a pleasant festival atmosphere — no commercial mega-stages, but a family-friendly town festival with culinary and musical depth.