Wachau apricot season and the Spitz Marillenkirtag

What it is and what you see

In July the Wachau smells of apricots. The Danube valley between Krems and Melk has about a hundred thousand apricot trees, and its fruit, the Wachauer Marille, has protected designation of origin: it is grown by 227 member producers. For a few weeks, restaurants serve Marillenknödel, the dough balls filled with apricot, plus cakes and jams, and producers sell freshly picked fruit at their farms.

The festive moment is the Marillenkirtag in Spitz, the apricot festival that fills the church square of this north-bank village. Three days of food and drink with the fruit as the star: Marillenknödel, cakes, jams, spirits, liqueurs and Wachau wines, with live music, folk music and dancing. It even has a vending machine for hot Marillenknödel, one of the festival's attractions. On Sunday the parade sets out, with the women in golden bonnets, the group in regional dress, the brass band, the firefighters and the apricot royal couple, King Marillus and Queen Aprikosia; the Goldene Marille is also presented, Spitz's recognition of people who have worked for the region.

When

The harvest begins in July and lasts three to four weeks. In 2026 the producers' association expected the bulk of the picking around 12–15 July, and by 1 August it was over. The apricots around Krems ripen first; a few days later, those of Spitz and Arnsdorf, and last those of the upper Wachau: Willendorf, Aggsbach-Markt, Aggstein and the Spitzer Graben. Frost, hail or storms can shift the dates and reduce the harvest, so check the status on the association's website before going.

The Marillenkirtag is held in July, from Friday to Sunday. In 2026 it ran from 17 to 19 July: Friday from 17:00, Saturday from 12:00 and Sunday from 9:00. The 2027 dates have not yet been announced.

How to buy real apricots

The fruit is sold almost only at the farm, ab Hof, or in the orchard itself. The association recommends phoning a producer first and reserving, because what is sold is whatever is ripe each day; on its website you have the list of producers and an offers exchange. Look for the European designation-of-origin seal and the Original Wachauer Marille mark on the boxes, and the association's flags and parasols at the stalls. Be wary of boxes that say only "frisch-saftig" or "Marillen aus der Region". Ripe fruit does not keep long and bruises easily: eat or cook it by the next day at the latest. The association does not recommend sending it by parcel service.

Admission and price

Seeing the valley and buying fruit costs nothing beyond what you take away. For the Marillenkirtag, in 2019 people paid €8 per day or €10 for all three days from age 16. We have not found a more recent price: ask at the Spitz tourist office, on +43 2713 2363 or at [email protected].

Getting there

Spitz is on the north bank, on the Wachau train line that comes from Krems, and is a stop for the boats between Krems and Melk. If you go by bike, the Donauradweg runs along the river through the valley. The festival websites do not publish car parks or traffic closures; the train or the boat saves you looking for a space in a small village on a festival weekend.

Practical tips

Sunday, with the parade, is the fullest day of the Kirtag. With children, the Marillenknödel machine and the parade work well; with a pushchair, go early, before the square fills up. For fruit, book by phone before going to the farm.

Combine apricots with the rest of the valley: the July Heuriger at the Domäne Wachau in Dürnstein or Melk Abbey.