SchlemmerMarkt Rhein-Maas Wassenberg

Wassenberg — Castle town in western North Rhine-Westphalia

With just under 17,000 inhabitants, Wassenberg is one of the smallest towns in the Heinsberg district, located in the westernmost tip of North Rhine-Westphalia, directly on the Dutch border and less than 15 kilometers from the Dutch town of Roermond. Wassenberg Castle with its characteristic keep dominates the townscape, and the historic Roßtorplatz forms the economic and social center. It is precisely here — at the transition from the Rhineland to the Netherlands — that the SchlemmerMarkt Rhein-Maas has been held since the 1990s.

Gastronomic city festival with tradition

The market is organized by the City of Wassenberg and the WFG Heinsberger Land. The name Rhein-Maas is programmatic: it refers to the geographical location between the two European rivers, but also to the cultural connection between the Rhineland and the Netherlands, which is unusually strong in the Heinsberg region. 2026 marks the 32nd edition — the market is thus one of the oldest culinary city festivals in the Lower Rhine region.

Top chefs, regional producers, and international specialties

More than 20 restaurateurs, wine producers, and specialty dealers set up their stalls at Roßtorplatz and Patersgraben during the market. The spectrum ranges from upscale Heinsberg cuisine, Maas fish, Dutch cheese and Bockwurst, international specialties (Italian, French, Asian) to desserts, ice cream, wine, beer, and cocktails. Most of the participating chefs come from Wassenberg and the surrounding area — the market is a self-presentation of the local gastronomy scene.

Golden Schlemmerente 2026 — Stefano Zarella

A traditional program item is the presentation of the Golden Schlemmerente — an award for outstanding services to the promotion of food and drink culture. In 2026, the award goes to the well-known food blogger Stefano Zarella, popular on German social media channels for Italian family recipes and likeable appearances. The award ceremony will take place on Thursday evening (market opening August 6) at 5:30 PM — a kickoff with media attention and well-attended spectator stands.

Live music and family program

Parallel to the culinary program, there is live music on the market stage — from cover bands and singer/songwriter acts to small jazz trios and Dixieland combos, tailored to the average age of the market visitors. A children's program with small hands-on activities, carousels, and ice cream vans ensures the family-friendliness that the market has established as its hallmark.

In the Heinsberger Land — Tourism and Identity

The Heinsberger Land is a tourism region that has consciously strived for visibility in recent decades. The Heinsberg district, one of Germany's westernmost districts, is characterized by its landscape of stream and heath valleys, small castles, and Dutch-German border villages. The SchlemmerMarkt Rhein-Maas is one of the region's best-known supra-regional calling cards — and attracts guests from Roermond, Maastricht, Mönchengladbach, and Aachen. In the state of North Rhine-Westphalia, Wassenberg is thus one of the most beautiful examples of cross-border tourism that thrives on culinary and cultural identity.