Rhineland-Palatinate is a state in western Germany defined by the Rhine, Moselle, and Nahe rivers, rolling vineyard hills, and dense forests. It is home to the Rhine Gorge and the legendary Loreley rock, Germany's oldest city Trier with its Roman Porta Nigra, the romantic hilltop castle Burg Eltz, and the Romanesque Speyer Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The state is also Germany's wine heartland, crossed by the historic Deutsche Weinstrasse (German Wine Route) through the Palatinate Forest.
Best souvenirs
Authentic items worth bringing home.
Pfalz Riesling and Dornfelder
Bottles bought direct from a Weingut's own Vinothek along the Deutsche Weinstrasse, spanning crisp dry Riesling to deep-coloured Dornfelder reds
Price: EUR 6-25 per bottle (approx USD 6-27)
Where: Weingut tasting rooms along the Deutsche Weinstrasse, Bad Durkheim and Deidesheim wine shops
Mosel Riesling
Steep-slate-terrace Riesling from the Moselle valley, prized for its mineral character and lower alcohol style
Price: EUR 8-30 per bottle (approx USD 9-32)
Where: Weingut cellar doors along the Moselle wine route, Bernkastel-Kues and Piesport producers
Saumagen and Palatinate Wurst
Vacuum-packed Saumagen and regional cured sausages that travel well, sold ready to reheat
Price: EUR 5-15 (approx USD 5-16)
Where: Metzgerei (butcher) shops in Pfalz towns, Wurstmarkt stalls in Bad Durkheim
Westerwald Salt-Glazed Stoneware
Grey-and-cobalt-blue salt-glazed stoneware jugs, steins, and jars, a centuries-old craft of the Kannenbaeckerland (jug-baker land) around Hoehr-Grenzhausen
Price: EUR 15-120 (approx USD 16-130)
Where: Hoehr-Grenzhausen pottery workshops and the Keramikmuseum shop
Idar-Oberstein Gemstones
Cut and polished gemstones and jewellery from Idar-Oberstein, Germany's historic gemstone-cutting town, ranging from agate to imported precious stones
Price: EUR 20-500+ (approx USD 22-540+)
Where: Idar-Oberstein gem workshops, the Deutsches Edelsteinmuseum shop, and the Weiherschleife cutting mill
Gutenberg Bible Facsimile Pages
Facsimile pages and print-history souvenirs referencing Johannes Gutenberg's 42-line Bible, printed in Mainz around 1455
Price: EUR 8-40 (approx USD 9-43)
Where: Gutenberg-Museum shop, Mainz old town bookshops
Roemer Wine Glasses
Traditional green- or amber-stemmed Roemer glasses used for German white wine, a classic tableware souvenir of the wine regions
Price: EUR 4-15 per glass (approx USD 4-16)
Where: Wine-village shops and Weingut Vinotheken along the Deutsche Weinstrasse
Christmas Market Ornaments and Handicrafts
Wooden ornaments, candles, and Advent decorations from the region's historic Christmas markets
Price: EUR 3-30 (approx USD 3-32)
Where: Trier, Mainz, and Koblenz Christmas markets (late November-December)
Zwetschgenkuchen Mix and Preserves
Regional plum-cake mixes, fruit preserves, and orchard produce from the Vorderpfalz
Price: EUR 4-12 (approx USD 4-13)
Where: Farmers markets in Mainz and Neustadt an der Weinstrasse
Sekt (Sparkling Wine)
Traditional-method Sekt produced by Pfalz estates with long sparkling-wine histories, a distinctive regional alternative to Champagne
Price: EUR 10-35 per bottle (approx USD 11-38)
Where: Bad Durkheim sparkling-wine estates and Weinstrasse Vinotheken
Traditional markets
Where locals shop and travellers find treasures.
Trier Hauptmarkt
The medieval market square at the heart of Trier, Germany's oldest city, ringed by historic facades and the site of a long-running weekly farmers market alongside its winter Christmas market
Where: Hauptmarkt, Trier
Hours: Weekly farmers market Tue and Fri mornings; square itself always accessible
Mainz Wochenmarkt
One of Germany's largest and oldest farmers markets, filling the square beside Mainz Cathedral with fresh produce, wine, flowers, and regional specialties three days a week
Where: Domplatz and Markt, Mainz
Hours: Tue, Fri, Sat mornings, approx 7AM-2PM
Duerkheimer Wurstmarkt
Billed as the world's largest wine festival despite its 'sausage market' name, with roughly 300 wine stands and 36 pushcart stalls filling the festival ground for over 600 years of tradition
Where: Wurstmarktplatz, Bad Durkheim
Hours: Second and third weekends of September (9 days total)