Cannstatter Volksfest: Stuttgart's beer and harvest festival

The Cannstatter Volksfest fills the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart with beer tents, rides and Swabian food every autumn. Less touristy than Oktoberfest but just as lively, it offers brass bands, traditional costumes and long tables full of locals.

Fun facts

• King Wilhelm I of Württemberg founded the festival in 1818 as a harvest celebration after years of famine.
• Its symbol is the Fruchtsäule, a tall column topped with a huge crown of fruit.
• It is often described as the second-largest beer festival in the world after Oktoberfest.

What to see

• The Fruchtsäule fruit column at the heart of the festival grounds.
• The Mercedes-Benz Museum, a short walk from the Wasen.
• The Stuttgart TV Tower, the world's first reinforced-concrete TV tower, opened in 1956.

What to taste

• Maultaschen, large Swabian pasta pockets filled with meat and spinach.
• Käsespätzle, soft egg noodles baked with cheese and crispy onions.
• Beer from Stuttgart breweries, served in one-litre mugs.

What to do

• Visit the tents in the afternoon, when finding a seat is easier.
• Explore the Porsche Museum in Zuffenhausen.
• Taste local Trollinger wine in a Stuttgart wine tavern.

💡 Tip: The S-Bahn links Stuttgart airport with Bad Cannstatt. Tent tables for weekend evenings are usually reserved, so go earlier or on weekdays.