From Friday, October 2, through Monday, October 5, 2026, the traditional Michaelkirmes will once again take place in Zülpich. The four-day fair at the Kölntor parking lot begins on Friday, October 2, at 2:00 p.m. After that, lively fair fun is on the agenda until around 9 p.m. On Saturday, October 3, and Monday, October 5, the fair will be open from 2 p.m. to around 9 p.m., and on Sunday, October 4, from 11 a.m. to around 9 p.m. True to the motto “En Zöllechs ahle Muure, do ess höck widder jett loss!” (There’s always something going on at the old walls!), visitors can look forward to a range of attractions—from a children’s carousel to can and dart tosses to a shooting gallery. In addition, this year’s Michaelkirmes will feature a wide selection of sweets, a snack bar, a crêpe stand, and a beverage pavilion.

The name “Michaelkirmes” derives from Saint Michael the Archangel, whose feast day is September 29—the day of the dedication of St. Michael’s Church on the Via Salaria in Rome. Around this date, Michaelmas markets and events of the same name take place in many German cities—including the Zülpich Michaelkirmes. One famous example is the St. Michael’s Market in Bad Dürkheim. It is considered the predecessor of the Bad Dürkheim Sausage Market, which is now the world’s largest wine festival.

Since the Middle Ages, St. Michael has been a sort of secondary patron saint of what was then the Zülpich provost church of St. Peter—today’s parish church—which once belonged to the Benedictine Abbey on Siegburg’s Michelsberg. During the reconstruction of St. Peter’s Church after 1945, a concrete plaque was affixed to the south wall, depicting the Archangel battling the dragon.

The Michael’s or Michaelis Market was once the oldest of what later became up to four medieval markets in Zülpich. Of these four, only this one was considered to be of “supra-local significance.” It was not a livestock market but a general goods market, featuring stalls run by traveling merchants (“Krämer”) who also offered goods produced in other regions and imported items. A fair was associated with the market. It usually took place on the first Sunday after St. Michael’s Day (September 29) and lasted two to three days.

To revive the town’s economy following its decline during the severe plague years, the Archbishop of Cologne granted the town of Zülpich permission in 1436 to hold a second fall market, specifically on St. Martin’s Day (November 11). According to the decree, the regulations for this market were to follow those of the established St. Michael’s Market, which had apparently been in existence for quite some time by that point.

Due to the Michaelmas Fair, the electric charging station in the parking lot at the Kölntor will be unavailable from September 29 through October 6.

Hours: Fri., Sat., and Mon. from 2:00 p.m., Sun. from 11:00 a.m.
Cost: Free
Location: Zülpich, parking lot at the Kölntor
Info: 02252. 52274