Plaza Culinaria Freiburg

Plaza Culinaria — Three Days of Culinary Delights in Freiburg

Since 2004, the Plaza Culinaria has been Southern Germany's leading gourmet fair and one of the most significant events on the culinary scene between Karlsruhe and the Swiss border. Organized by FWTM (Freiburg Wirtschaft Touristik und Messe), it draws around 30,000 visitors to the Messe Freiburg at Neuer Messplatz every November. The concept: high-quality culinary experiences and conscious nutrition as a lifestyle — no mass-produced goods, no Volksfest (traditional folk festival) street food, but curated providers, top chefs, workshops, and tastings.

Thematic Worlds 2026

The hall concept of Plaza Culinaria is divided into thematic worlds:

• GenussAsien — Far Eastern specialties, sushi, ramen, Korean street food, tea ceremonies
• Genuss in Balance — healthy eating, vegan trends, superfoods, functional food
• Genussreich Schwarzwald — Black Forest specialties: Black Forest ham, trout from mountain streams, Black Forest Kirschwasser (cherry brandy), wine from Markgräflerland and Kaiserstuhl
• GenussFestival — Creations by top chefs, show cooking on the central stage
• Food Rockerz — Innovative startups and newcomers in the food scene

Live Cooking and Workshops

In the Kochstudio (Cooking Studio), live cooking demonstrations by renowned chefs from Southern Germany, France, and Switzerland take place daily — from haute cuisine to confessed regional experts. In parallel, workshops are held where visitors can get hands-on: pasta workshops, chocolate truffle courses, sommelier introductions, bread baking, sushi rolling. Workshop tickets are purchased separately and are usually fully booked in advance — early booking is recommended.

Plaza Late Night and Genusslounge

A special feature of Plaza Culinaria are the evening special formats. The Plaza Late Night opens on Friday and Saturday evenings with wine tastings, gin specialties, and aperitif tastings, led by sommeliers and spirits experts. The Genusslounge offers a 5-course menu as a special event — table and menu booking required.

Tri-border Region Germany/France/Switzerland

Freiburg im Breisgau (a city in Baden-Württemberg) is located at one of Europe's most culinarily rich intersections: the Markgräflerland with its wines, Alsace with its Flammkuchen (tarte flambée) and Choucroute (sauerkraut), and the Swiss cantons of Aargau and Basel with their own culinary traditions. This diversity shapes the Plaza Culinaria — about a third of the exhibitors come from France and Switzerland, and the audience speaks a pleasant mix of Alemannic, French, and Swiss German.