Schwetzinger Spargelsamstag

Schwetzingen — Germany's Asparagus Capital for 358 Years

Few cities claim an official title as clearly as Schwetzingen claims that of Germany's Asparagus Capital. Since the 17th century, the white noble vegetable has been grown on the sandy soils around the electoral Palatinate residential town in the Rhein-Neckar district — a tradition of 358 years was highlighted by Mayor Matthias Steffan at the opening of the 2026 season on April 18. The Spargelsamstag on May 9, 2026, is the highlight of the season's festival calendar.

A City Center as an Asparagus Mile

On Spargelsamstag, the city center between Schlossplatz and Marktstraße transforms into an open-air asparagus mile. Schwetzingen restaurants and caterers offer their asparagus dishes on the street — from classic Schwetzingen asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and Kratzete to asparagus bratwurst and asparagus cream soup, as well as creative asparagus tapas. Local winemakers will serve the matching Riesling and Grauburgunder from the Palatinate and Kraichgau regions, along with beer from the regional Welde brewery.

Asparagus Queen and Peeling Competition

At the center of the festival are the appearances of the reigning Asparagus Queen and her princess. In 2026, Emilia I. wears the crown, with the newly crowned Asparagus Princess Marlen I. by her side — both come from Schwetzingen asparagus farming families and officially represent the farmers. Both opened the season together with Mayor Steffan on April 18, 2026, with the first asparagus harvest at Spargelhof Renkert. On Spargelsamstag itself, the traditional asparagus peeling competition will also take place, where professionals and hobby cooks compete for the title of fastest peeler of the year.

More Than a Market — An Identity

The Spargelsamstag is not just a culinary festival, but also a civic self-image: Schwetzingen actively markets itself as the Asparagus Capital. For the season opening, guests from other German asparagus regions like Schrobenhausen and Wachenheim, as well as from the southern French town of Wachenheim, and representatives of other growing regions were invited. The tradition shapes the cityscape down to the smallest detail: asparagus fountains, asparagus figures in shop displays, asparagus menus in restaurants from the start of asparagus harvesting in mid-April until St. John's Day on June 24.