11 Best Performing Arts in The Pfalz and Rhine Terrace, Germany

Beer and pretzels are central to this annual celebration held in Speyer over the second weekend in July. Other highlights include carnival rides and games, fireworks, and a grand parade.

During the Oppenheim Festival, from the end of August till the end of September, concerts are held at St. Catherine's, and open-air theater takes place in the Burgruine Landskron, the 12th-century imperial fortress ruins. From here, there's a wonderful view of the town and the vineyards, extending all the way to Mannheim and Frankfurt on a clear day. The castle ruins are northwest of the church. Follow Dalbergerstrasse north; from there it's a short, steep walk up to the ruins. For tickets to the open-air theater performances contact the Oppenheim tourist office.

For two long weekends in August, the wine town of Deidesheim fills up with stalls where visitors can sample local wines and hearty cuisine. Deidesheim's wineries also stay open late, offering live entertainment most nights during the festival.

In Neustadt, the German Wine Queen is crowned during this 10-day wine festival in late September–early October. The festival includes wine tastings, the largest wine festival parade in Germany, and a huge fireworks display on the final night.

The Pfalz is home to the world's largest wine festival, held in Bad Dürkheim in mid-September in front of the world's largest wine barrel. Some 400,000 pounds of sausage are consumed during eight days of merrymaking.

Concerts, art exhibits, and wine festivals are held at the Herrenhof in the suburb of Mussbach. Owned by the Johanniter-Orden (Order of the Knights of St. John) from the 13th to 18th century, it's the oldest wine estate in the Pfalz, also home to a wine museum that displays 19th- and 20th-century winemaking equipment (open for groups with advance booking, or during various events). Contact the Neustadt tourist office for event program details and tickets.

Walk into the town-hall courtyard to enter the Kulturhof Flachsgasse, home of the city's art collection and special exhibitions.

In addition to carnival rides, a craft market, fireworks, and plenty of food and drink, live performances from local and international bands, as well as theater and cabaret performances, take place on six stages in the city center in late June. Since the festival is at least nominally in honor of Johannes Gutenberg, printers' apprentices are dunked in water in front of the Gutenberg Museum as part of a "printers' baptism" ceremony.

The Staatstheater Mainz comprises two halls, the Grosses (great) Haus and the Kleines (small) Haus; together they offer opera, drama, and ballet from national and international performers. The U17 stage offers performances from Mainz's youth theater group.

A state-funded foundation for young European musicians, this is also a traditional setting for chamber music concerts, just a short walk up the hill from the main train station.

Carnival rides, traditional folk music and dance, jousting on the Rhine, and fireworks create a jovial atmosphere at this annual festival, starting in late August, which honors the city's fishermen.