Zerbster Spargelfest

Zerbst — Town in Anhalt with Asparagus Tradition

Zerbst/Anhalt is located in the Anhalt-Bitterfeld district, about 35 km east of Magdeburg. The town with just under 22,000 inhabitants has a rich past: it was the residence of the Principality of Anhalt-Zerbst, and it was in this very castle that the princess was born in 1729 who would later rule Russia as Empress Catherine II (the Great). The castle itself was destroyed in World War II, but the castle garden and the historic castle grounds were preserved as event locations.

Asparagus has a tradition in Zerbst just as long as the castle. The fertile sandy soils of the Middle Elbe between Wittenberg, Dessau, and Magdeburg are ideal for growing asparagus — and Zerbst has made a name for itself as an asparagus town. The town has been celebrating its Asparagus Festival every spring since 1993, and 2026 will mark its 33rd edition.

Asparagus Peeling World Championship

The highlight of the festival is the 29th World Championship in Asparagus Peeling. In several rounds, peelers from all over Germany and Central Europe compete against each other, judged by a jury, with stopwatches and precise quality criteria (peeling thickness, breakage resistance, treatment of the asparagus tip). The winner receives the coveted 'Golden Asparagus' and a title that is highly respected in the professional asparagus world.

Market, Stage, Children's Program

The usual town festival builds around it: a market around the Schlossfreiheit with specialties from Anhalt, a stage program with local bands and dance groups, a children's area with carousels and activities, and of course, asparagus everywhere — grilled, cooked, in risotto, in stew, with ham and Hollandaise sauce.

Anhalt-Bitterfeld as a Reason to Travel

Visitors to the festival can easily combine a trip to Zerbst with a visit to Wörlitz Park or the Bauhaus Dessau — both are part of the UNESCO World Heritage region 'Dessau-Wörlitz Garden Realm' and are reachable within a 30-minute drive. Zerbst Castle itself, or rather what remains of it after reconstruction, can also be visited — a castle support association is working on its gradual restoration.