Your Best Guide to Speyer’s Brezelfest

Germany is renowned for its vibrant festivals, each offering a unique glimpse into the country’s cultural tapestry. Among these, the Speyer’s Brezelfest stands out as a particularly delightful celebration dedicated to one of Germany’s most beloved snacks: the pretzel. Held annually in the historic town of Speyer, this festival is a must-visit for anyone looking to experience German traditions, culinary delights, and festive fun. Here is your ultimate guide to visiting Brezelfest in Speyer, Germany.

*This site contains affiliate links! When you book anything or purchase through the links on this site, I make a small commission at no additional cost to you.*

History of Brezelfest

The Brezelfest  in Speyer began in 1910, making it one of the oldest festivals dedicated to a single food item. Originally a modest local event, it has grown into a significant cultural celebration that attracts visitors from all over the world.

The festival was initially started to boost the local economy and bring the community together, and it has succeeded beyond its founders’ wildest dreams.

There were quite a few years where Brezelfest did not take place due to the wars and pandemic, but now with over 85 years of the festival, Brezelfest is the biggest festival on the Upper Rhine.

The festival plays a crucial role in preserving and promoting local traditions. From the baking of pretzels using age-old recipes to the wearing of traditional costumes, Brezelfest ensures that these cultural practices are passed down through generations.

Brezelfest Details

Here is everything you need to know about when, where, and what is happening at Brezelfest in Speyer.

When & Where

Brezelfest is held annually over the second weekend of July, spanning five days from Thursday to Monday.

The 2025 Brezelfest starts Thursday July 10th until Tuesday July 15th.

The festival takes place in the heart of Speyer, a picturesque town located in Rhineland-Palatinate, along the banks of the Rhine River. Located near the Speyer Cathedral, Brezelfest is a short walk away in a large parking lot they close down for the festivities.

Festival Address: Geibstraße 1, 67346 Speyer | Google Maps

Speyer is about an hour and a half south from Frankfurt. If you’re a military family located in Germany, Speyer is about an hour drive away from the KMC, about 1 hour and 20 minutes from Wiesbaden, and a little less than 2 hours from Stuttgart.

How to Get There

Speyer is easily accessible by various means of transportation. You can arrive to Speyer from car, train, or bus depending on your origin.

If you’re flying in from out of the country, the closest major airports are Frankfurt International Airport and Stuttgart Airport. From there, you can take a train or rent a car to reach Speyer.

If you choose to take public transportation, either the bus or train, your final destination will be Speyer Hbf, which is an easy 25 minute walk to the festival grounds. I do believe they also offer a shuttle for a small fee from the train station every 10 minutes per their website.

If you want the flexibility and plan to drive to Speyer, there are plenty of parking areas in the city near the festival grounds with an easy 10 to 20 minute walk. If you arrive early enough, you can possibly find street parking, but pay attention to “resident only” parking streets. Here are a few options nearby Brezelfest:

• Parking Garage 1 
• Parking Garage 2 
• Parking Lot 1 

If you plan on drinking while attending the festival, I highly recommend taking the train for your safety and to not drink and drive. Germany has quite strict drinking and driving laws, and you can easily lose your license.

Events & Activities Throughout Brezelfest

This 6 day festival has so much to offer during the time it’s open. For the full details of festival, check out the Brezelfest program for times and details for each day.

Traditional Night

On Saturday night, Nacht der Tracht is held where guests are encouraged to don their traditional dirndls and lederhosen for the Dirndl Revival Party. People have worn their dirndls and lederhosen on the other day soft the festival as well.

At the 2013 Brezelfest, 1,973 dirndls gathered in a large group. At that time, it became a world record with entry in the Guinness Book of Records to Speyer!

The Dirndl Revival Party starts at 6:00 pm on Saturday night, with a chance to win prizes if you’re dressed up!

Sunday Parade

The Brezelfest parade is held on Sunday afternoon at 1:30 pm and travels throughout the streets of Speyer. The parade starts on Friedrich-Ebert-Straße and weaves its way through the streets of Wormser Landstraße, Hirschgraben, Bahnhofstraße, Postplatz, then to Via Triumphalis and ends at the fairground.

Starting at 1:30 pm at the start of the route, the parade didn’t get towards the end of the route near the festival grounds for about an hour, so keep that in mind for planning on where to stand and when to show up. The parade itself lasts about an hour and a half, then everyone makes their way to the festival grounds.

The line up consists of 70 floats or groups walking throughout the parade. It’s filled with huge floats of exaggerated caricatures and animals, performers, businesses in Speyer, all the recreational sports in the city, and more.

If you’re looking for a festival to have pretzels thrown at your face, look no further than the Brezelfest parade. I actually got hit in the head with a flying pretzel because I wasn’t paying attention!

In addition to throwing pretzels, plenty of floats or cars threw candy to the children. I even saw one business give out bundles of carrots, while others threw out bags of flower seeds, plastic water bottles, and even toiletry bags.

Make sure to bring a reusable bag for all the candy and pretzels they throw your way. It seemed like the majority of candy was thrown more to children, which was fine for us. Also, don’t forget to bring a cup. There are people walking along side the floats pouring wine or beer into everyones cups.

You’ll also notice quite a few groups or floats spraying everyone with water guns. Thankfully, this festival takes place in July with usually hotter weather during this time of year in Germany, so it can be quite refreshing.

Unless you’re targeted by some of the younger children that will continuously spray you with their water guns and absolutely soaks you.. ask me how I know!

Family Day Tuesday

The final day of Brezelfest is on Tuesday and it’s considered “family day” with discounted prices throughout the afternoon. Enjoy one final day of live music, DJ’s and of course fireworks.

All the lights at the festival are shut off and the fireworks show starts around 10:30 pm. Finish your night enjoying pretzels, drinking, and the ambiance until 1:00 am when the Brezelfest finally comes to an end.

Pretzels!

You cannot visit the largest pretzel festival without trying any of the pretzels! There are options to sample a wide variety of pretzels, from different sizes or shapes, to the classic salty or cheesy pretzels.

You can even purchase a string of 5 or 10 mini pretzels to keep with you throughout the day to snack on.

Live Music

Music is a significant part of the Brezelfest, with various stages set up around the festival grounds featuring live performances. From traditional folk music and brass bands to contemporary rock and pop acts, there is something for everyone.

Throughout the festival grounds, there are live music and DJ’s located on three different stages around the Biergartens and tents. The live music starts mid afternoon and usually ends around midnight each night.

Games & Carnival Rides

The festival grounds are transformed into a vibrant fairground, complete with amusement rides and games for all ages.

With over 10 different carnival rides on the festival grounds, this is the perfect atmosphere for the whole family. From thrill seeking rides to rides for smaller children, there are rides for every age. Don’t forget to catch a ride on the ferris wheel to catch a panoramic view of the whole festival!

There is also a whole aisle on the festival grounds dedicated to carnival games. You’ll have a chance to win prizes, big or small. You can find mostly stuffed animals at the games, while some offer other prize options.

Shopping & Souvenirs

There are numerous Brezelfest souvenirs to purchase throughout the festival. From magnets, to decorated flags, cups and beer mugs, pins, t-shirts, jewelry, and more. The majority of the Brezelfest souvenirs were quite affordable, with prices being under €20.00, with the few items that were more.

The magnet and pretzel necklace I purchased came to €10.00, €5.00 for each.

As for other shopping, right when you enter under the big welcome arch, there were stalls of people selling shoes, clothing, bags and purses, flags, jewelry, and a few more items.

Food & Drink

Like many of the festivals that take place in Germany, there are plenty of options for food and drink throughout Brezelfest that you usually see elsewhere.

You can never go wrong with any type of bratwurst sausage they offer. The käsewurst (cheese filled bratwurst sausage) is my absolute favorite to get at any German festival. They also offer crepes, fries, pork or steak sandwiches, mushrooms, pizza, corn, slushies, ice cream, and so much more.

For the drinks, plenty of alcoholic options, as well as alcohol-free (alkoholfreie), such as fruit juices, Coke, Fanta, sparking and still water. The price for non-alcoholic drinks are around €4.00 with an additional pfand of €3.00.

As for the alcoholic drinks, wine, beer, and cocktails are sold throughout. The price for drinks range from about €5.00 to €10.00, with an additional pfand of €3.00 once again.

If you’re new to Germany, a pfand is a deposit for the glassware of your drinks. If you return the glass once you’re done drinking, you will receive your pfand back in euro coins that you paid originally. You can forfeit your pfand if you don’t return your glass, or if it breaks, which usually happens as festivals tend to get rowdy as the drinking continues.

Depending on the festival, or even Christmas market, I’ve kept a few cups or mugs and forfeited my pfand to take them home.

Tips for Visiting

There are quite a few tips to keep in mind when planning your visit to Speyer’s Brezelfest.

Cash, Card & Spending

Brezelfest is free to attend, you just have to pay for any food, drink, games, or rides you wish to do. For me personally, I only spent about €35.00 on a bratwurst, two wine drinks, and my Brezelfest souvenirs.

Also to keep in mind, this festival, like many others in Europe, are euro cash only for almost everything. We did find one drink stand, Schwarzwaldmädel, that took card and returned your pfand in coins and cash.

What to Bring with You

Things to pack to make your experience better.

Like I mentioned before, always pack a reusable or recyclable bag for anything you choose to purchase. In this case, the bag is also perfect for the parade to hold all your pretzels and candy in.

I brought my reusable water bottle in my bag to stay hydrated with the sun and while having some drinks. Bringing your own water also saves a little bit on not having to purchase water. This is such a staple when traveling anywhere in Europe, especially at festivals.

While it may be anywhere from 70°F to 90°F (21°C to 32°C) outside, I love to pack my mini handheld fan to keep cool. It’s small enough to keep in almost any bag. This one in particular, has a power bank as well to help with keeping your phone charged.

Are Dogs Allowed?

Like other festivals in Germany, dogs are allowed at your own discretion. If you want to bring your pup, I recommend arriving at the start of the festival day before the crowds start and the glass starts to break. I did see a few dogs Sunday at the festival grounds before the parade started when it wasn’t too busy.

Dogs are also allowed at the parade. Keep in mind there will be plenty of excited and screaming children, loud music and noises, and pretzels and candy being thrown everywhere.

Exploring Speyer

If you arrive early, or have time after visiting Brezelfest, explore the city of Speyer a little.

Speyer itself is worth visiting for its stunning cathedral. It’s one of the largest and most important Romanesque edifices in Germany, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. You can visit the cathedral daily from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm.

The Technik Museum Speyer is a must-visit for anyone interested in technology and transport. The museum’s vast collection includes aircraft, locomotives, vintage cars, and even a space shuttle. Interactive exhibits and the IMAX Dome theatre make it an engaging experience for visitors of all ages.

The Technik Museum is open daily from 9:00 am until 6:00 pm. Admission prices are €29.00 for adults and €24.00 for children ages 5 to 14.

The Altpörtel (Old Gate) is one of the largest and most well-preserved medieval city gates in Germany. The gate itself is a fascinating historical structure, providing insight into the town’s medieval fortifications.

Speyer’s Brezelfest is a celebration of tradition, community, and culinary delight. It offers a unique opportunity to experience German culture in a vibrant and festive setting. Whether you’re a local or a visitor from afar, the festival provides an unforgettable experience that combines history, entertainment, and of course, delicious pretzels. So, mark your calendar for the second weekend of July and prepare to immerse yourself in the joyous celebration of Brezelfest in the charming town of Speyer.