Name: Waderner Herbst- und Wildmarkt 2026
Start: 2026-10-24T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-10-25T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Marktplatz Wadern

Wildmarkt Wadern

About Wildmarkt Wadern

Wild boar bratwurst, pumpkin soup, and fine spirit tastings, accompanied by hunting horns, falconry, and around 40 stalls full of delicacies from forest, field, and meadow: The Waderner Herbst- und Wildmarkt is the most traditional culinary autumn event in the Hunsrück and Hochwald. Every last weekend in October, Wadern's market square transforms into a meeting point for gourmets and nature lovers.

Dates 24 Oct — 25 Oct 2026

Venue Wadern (10042)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Wildmarkt Wadern — edition 2026

The Waderner Herbst- und Wildmarkt 2026 opens on October 24 and 25 at Wadern market square. 40 stalls with game dishes, fine spirits, beekeeping, and mushroom advice. Sunday with open shops and alphorn players and acoustic music.

The 2026 edition runs on Saturday, October 24, 2026 (9 AM–3 PM) and Sunday, October 25, 2026 (12 PM–6 PM) at Wadern market square. The market kicks off this year's Waderner Wildwochen, which will continue afterwards in the town's restaurants.

Sunday features open shopping hours – the shops in the town center open concurrently with the market.

Highlights Wildmarkt Wadern 2026

40 regional stalls with game dishes, fine spirits, and honey
Hunting horns on Saturday, alphorn players on Sunday
Falconry demonstrations both days
Sunday shopping in Wadern
Start of the Waderner Wildwochen in the gastronomy

Programme Wildmarkt Wadern 2026

Saturday, October 24, 2026 (9 AM–3 PM)

9:00 AM — Market opening with tapping and welcome
Ongoing — Hunting horn choirs Wadern and Grimburg in the market square
Ongoing — Falconry demonstrations with local birds of prey
Ongoing — Mushroom advice from the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park
Ongoing — Tastings at distillery and wine stalls
3:00 PM — Market ends Saturday

Sunday, October 25, 2026 (12 PM–6 PM)

12:00 PM — Market opening and Sunday shopping in Wadern town center
Ongoing — Alphorn players in the market square
Ongoing — Beekeeper demonstrations at the beehive
Ongoing — Falconry and mushroom advice
From 3:00 PM — Live unplugged music in the market square
6:00 PM — Market ends and official start of the Waderner Wildwochen in the gastronomy

Prices Wildmarkt Wadern 2026

Free admission. Food, drinks, and products payable at the stalls.

Practical information

Practical information — Wildmarkt Wadern

Getting There

By car via the A1 (exit Nonnweiler or Reinsfeld) or the A8 (exit Merzig), then continue on the B268 to Wadern. Getting there by public transport is a bit cumbersome – bus from Trier or Saarbrücken via Losheim am See.

Parking

Several parking lots in Wadern town center, with additional areas designated on market days. Arriving before 10 AM on Saturday is recommended.

On Site

Plan for cash, even though some stalls now accept cards. If you try the fine spirits, don't drink and drive.

Accommodation

Hotels in Wadern, Schloss Dagstuhl (conference and castle hotel), holiday apartments in the Hochwald. Trier (40 km north) and Merzig (25 km south) are also suitable as overnight locations.

Tips

Combine Sunday with a stroll through the town during the open shopping hours. The alphorn players perform on Sunday morning – a special moment in the market square.

The Oldest of its Kind

The Waderner Herbst- und Wildmarkt kicks off the Waderner Wildwochen (Wadern Game Weeks) every year – a whole month during which the town's restaurants showcase game dishes. The market itself is considered the oldest purely culinary autumn market in the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park and the Hochwald, a low mountain range region on the border between Saarland and Rhineland-Palatinate, long shaped by hunting, forestry, and agriculture.

When Does the Market Take Place?

Traditionally on the last weekend of October. In 2026, the market will open on Saturday, October 24 (9 AM–3 PM) and Sunday, October 25 (12 PM–6 PM) at Wadern market square. Sunday is also a Sunday with open shops in the town center – the shops in the Hochwald town will be open.

What You'll Find at the Market

Around 40 stalls offer specialties and products sourced directly from the region:

Game dishes: Wild boar bratwurst, deer salami, wild boar ham, game goulash
Fine spirits from Hochwald distilleries (tastings at the stall)
Regional wines – the Mosel is just a stone's throw away
Honey from beekeepers in the Saar-Hunsrück Nature Park
Mushrooms, fresh pumpkins, wild herbs, jams
Handicrafts, felt work, wood carvings

Accompanying Program

The market is more than just a row of sales stands. Throughout Saturday, hunting horn choirs from Wadern and Grimburg will perform, and on Sunday, alphorn players take over. From 3 PM on Sunday, there will be live acoustic music. A falconer will present local birds of prey, the nature park offers mushroom advice, and beekeepers explain their work at an open beehive.

Location and Surroundings

Wadern is located in the district of Merzig-Wadern, in the north of Saarland, where the Saarschleifenland transitions into the Hunsrück. With just under 8,000 inhabitants, the town is small, but the historic market square with nearby Dagstuhl Castle makes it a charming excursion destination. Those who want to explore the region can combine a visit to the market with a hike in the Hochwald or a detour to the Saarschleife near Mettlach.

Hochwald Tradition

In the Hunsrück, hunting has been a part of everyday life for centuries. The Waderner Herbst- und Wildmarkt celebrates this connection between people and the forest in its modern, culinary form. Here, you won't find imported specialties, but rather what the surrounding forests, fields, and meadows truly offer – honest, regional, seasonal.