Weinfestival Thermenregion is one of the wine festivals that anchors the Lower Austria calendar, drawing both local visitors and international wine travellers each year. It is held at Various venues across Thermenregion in Lower Austria, in the heart of one of Austria's most distinctive wine areas. It has been running since 2002, with a long unbroken local tradition behind it.
The most important wine event in the Thermenregion; features wine seminars, sparkling night, Wein im Park with variety winner awards, winery programs and vintage bus tours; region covers ~1,900 ha of vineyards. Wine festivals across Europe typically combine producer tastings with food pairings, live music, and a strong sense of place. Visitors can expect access to wines from a range of producers in the appellation, alongside food stalls offering regional specialities, masterclasses or vineyard walks for those who want to learn more, and an opportunity to buy directly from producers at cellar prices. Many events run across multiple days or weekends, allowing visitors to sample different parts of the programme according to interest, and combine well with the area's wider tourism offer. The event is organised by Thermenregion DAC / Weinfestival Thermenregion organisation, which sets the tone and direction of the programme each year.
Lower Austria (Niederösterreich) is Austria's largest wine region, accounting for around 60% of national vineyard area, and home to the country's most internationally celebrated whites. The region divides into eight distinct DAC sub-zones along the Danube and its tributaries: Wachau (the small but world-famous river-gorge zone, with terraced vineyards on Urgestein primary rock), Kremstal and Kamptal (producing some of Austria's finest Grüner Veltliner and Riesling on loess and Urgestein), Traisental, Wagram, Weinviertel (Austria's largest sub-region, defined by peppery Grüner Veltliner), Thermenregion (the southernmost, with indigenous Zierfandler and Rotgipfler whites) and Carnuntum (red-focused, with Zweigelt and Blaufränkisch). Grüner Veltliner is the regional flagship grape, accounting for around half of all plantings.
The 2026 edition is scheduled for 21-25 May 2026. Cost details are best confirmed directly with the organiser ahead of travel. Full programme, ticketing and updated information are published on the official site at https://www.weinfestival.at/. Visitors are advised to check directly with the organiser for the latest schedule, as festival programmes are sometimes updated close to the event date.
Lower Austria is reached most easily via Vienna airport (the entire wine region sits within 1-2 hours of the capital). Krems and Dürnstein in the Wachau, Langenlois in the Kamptal, and Mistelbach in the Weinviertel are the main wine-tourism bases. The Wachau Danube gorge between Melk and Krems is itself a UNESCO World Heritage cultural landscape. Lower Austrian cuisine pairs the wines with Wiener Schnitzel (Austria's national dish, originating in this region), Tafelspitz (boiled beef), Marillenknödel (apricot dumplings, especially with Wachau apricots), Bauernschmaus, and the area's strong Alpine cheese traditions. The Wachau apricot harvest in late July is itself a major regional event.
