Summer Tastes of Beer, Autumn of Wine: Food Festivals in the Karlovy Vary Region and the Ore Mountains 2026

Food festivals in this region have a rhythm of their own. June belongs to beer, July to street food, August to wine on the spa colonnades — and once the outdoor season closes, everything moves up to a castle for St Martin's goose. It is no coincidence: beer events need afternoon sun and a lawn, wine festivals thrive on the promenade atmosphere of the spa towns, and St Martin practically asks for a castle courtyard.

This overview follows dates, not genres. For every event you will find what it costs, whether you need to book and what to watch out for. Most festivals are free to enter and you pay only for what you consume — we list the exceptions.

Quick overview by date

June: three festivals in one day and beer straight from the tank

The second Saturday of June is the busiest food day of the year in the region. On 13 June three events take place at once — fortunately each in a different corner of the region, so you choose by where you happen to be, or what is closest. And if you are in the mountains that day, a fourth option awaits just across the border in Vejprty — more in the Saxon chapter below.

Beer festival at Červený Hrádek chateau

From 11 am the chateau grounds near Jirkov host a showcase of craft beers from local breweries, with live music and food. Admission is free; you pay for a tasting glass — around CZK 120 in past editions. If you want a beer festival without the crush and with a chateau view, this is it.

Kadaň Beer Festival

Kadaň has gone for a grander format: the Franciscan Garden, regional breweries, the "Kadaň Tankard" competition, beer quizzes and NaPlech from Klášterec or Dívá Bára on stage. Admission CZK 100 (children over 130 cm half price, smaller ones free) — and tours of the Franciscan monastery are included, which turns an ordinary beer afternoon into a rather decent cultural programme. From 1 pm to 8 pm. Dogs and bikes must stay at home; the grounds do not allow them.

Burger Chilli Fest Březová

If meat and hot peppers are your thing, head to Březová near Sokolov. The amphitheatre of the cultural centre and the adjacent pedestrian zone fill with stalls, food competitions and concerts. Free entry, from noon to 10 pm.

Plasy Wine Festival — the premiere

A week later, on 20 June, a brand-new event launches at Plasy Monastery — the first Plasy Wine Festival, which also opens this year's Wine Tour by the Czech Wine Festivals association. The Baroque monastery on the bank of the Střela river is exactly the setting you imagine for wine. From 1 pm to 10 pm; the programme and admission will be confirmed by the organiser at festivalyvina.cz.

Permon Open Day vol. 2

The last Saturday of June, 27 June, belongs to two completely different events. The Permon brewery in Sokolov opens its yard: tap your beer straight from a lager tank, meet the brewmaster and the owner, with burgers, hot dogs and DJs from the Henhouse Crew. Capacity is limited to 400 people and tickets (CZK 100, the first hundred half price) are sold online — do not leave this one to the last minute.

Tasty Street Food Festival Bílina

On the same day, stalls with food from all over the world gather on Mírové Square in Bílina — burgers, tacos, Asian noodles. From 10 am to 8 pm, free entry, live music all day. Classic family street food with no admission fee and no big plans.

Across the border: beer and markets on the Saxon side of the Ore Mountains

The German side of the Ore Mountains builds its food season differently — instead of big food festivals you will find beer festivities, nature markets and themed town markets where food meets local tradition. From the Karlovy Vary region it is a short drive, and this year mid-June lines up so neatly that you can put together a whole Saxon food weekend.

Saxon-Bohemian Beer Festival Bärenstein–Vejprty

The best cross-border food tip of the year. On Saturday 13 June from 2 pm, beers from Saxon and Bohemian breweries flow in the shared centre of the twin towns Bärenstein and Vejprty — literally on the border line. Add specialities from both sides of the border, live music into the evening and a nail-driving contest. You can walk to the festival straight from Vejprty, which settles the question of who drives today.

Angrillen in Schneeberg

A smaller but charming tip for Thursday 18 June: the Schneeberg weekly market celebrates the opening of the grill season with the themed day "Angrillen — mit Genuss in die Saison". From 9 am to 2 pm the square of the mining town (UNESCO) hosts regional producers' stalls complemented by grill specialities and tastings. An ideal morning stop on a trip through the Saxon Ore Mountains.

July: a gourmet picnic below the castle and beer in the spa town

Wine tasting among horses

The holidays open with an intimate curiosity: on 11 July from 7 pm, Moravian wines are tasted at the Aris Riding Club grounds in Pláně — among horses, with cheeses, bread and commentary on each sample. Places are few and booking is required (tel. 721 338 621). If you are after a summer evening for two, this is a safe bet.

Food Wine Delicacies at Krajinka

The very next day, on Sunday 12 July, a gourmet picnic spreads out below Cheb Castle. The Krajinka park is built for it: blankets, a lawn by the Ohře river, stalls with world cuisines and wines from Czech and international winemakers, plus a summer set by DJ Garlic. Free entry. It is the second edition — last year's found its audience fast.

Craft Beer Fest Mariánské Lázně

On 18 July from noon to 10 pm, small and mid-sized breweries take over the Main Colonnade in Mariánské Lázně with dozens of beer styles. The combination of an Art Nouveau colonnade and craft beer may sound improbable, but it works beautifully — with street food and music thrown in.

6th Sokolov Food Festival

The same weekend, 18–19 July, the castle park in Sokolov hosts the sixth edition of the local food festival. Two days, free entry, stalls with Czech and international cooking and an afternoon award for the best stall. A good choice with children — the park can handle a pram, a blanket and an escape to the playground.

Burger Street Festival Karlovy Vary

The turn of July and August (31 July–2 August) belongs to the burger classic in front of the Thermal hotel. Three days, the best burger makers far and wide and the backdrop of the spa promenade. Free entry, you pay for what you eat. The dates overlap with the peak of the town's summer season, so expect crowds — Friday tends to be quietest.

August: wine moves up to the colonnades

Sokolov Wine Festival

August opens with wine at the Sokolov chateau. On 1 and 2 August the courtyard of the historic Zámek Sokolov hosts the 8th Sokolov Wine Festival: a tasting of Moravian wines from ten regional and family wineries, with live cimbalom music and DJ sets. Both days start at 4 pm, admission CZK 100, tickets in advance at vstupenky.mdksokolov.cz. The chateau courtyard frames a weekend of wine differently from the spa colonnades — more intimate, with shade for a hot afternoon.

Street food festival Jáchymov

On 15 August from 11 am to 8 pm, the Agricola spa park in Jáchymov turns into one big open-air dining room: burgers, tacos, wraps, Balkan and Asian cuisine, Italian specialities, cocktails, vegetarian and vegan options. Free entry. It pairs nicely with a walk around the town — Jáchymov is a UNESCO site and the historic mining centre makes a fine stroll between courses.

Wine Festival Mariánské Lázně

On 22 August from noon to 10 pm, wine returns to the Main Colonnade. The same spot as July's beer festival, a different mood — a promenade tasting suits late summer well. Programme details and the list of wineries will be added by the organiser at festivalyvina.cz.

PUPP-UP Wine Fest

The peak of the wine summer: on 28 and 29 August the small square in front of the Grandhotel Pupp fills with stalls of Moravian and Czech winemakers. A DJ with a saxophonist plays both days, the festival glass costs CZK 100 and payment is strictly cashless — leave your cash at home, it would be useless anyway. If you only make one wine festival this year, make it this one: the atmosphere in front of the Pupp is a chapter of its own.

September: hops in Žatec, wine in Chomutov

Žatec Dočesná (4–5 Sep)

The first September weekend is worth a trip just beyond the region's edge: on 4 and 5 September Žatec celebrates its 69th Dočesná, the biggest hop and beer festival in the EU. Dozens of breweries, a hand hop-picking competition, dancing with a tankard on your head and all stages free. It is half an hour by car from Kadaň.

Chomutov Wine Festival

If you are staying in the region, 5 September from 1 pm to 10 pm brings a wine festival to Chomutov's náměstí 1. máje. It closes this year's regional leg of the Wine Tour — and with it the outdoor food season on the squares.

November: St Martin rides to Loket

St Martin's Festival at Loket Castle

When autumn arrives, food moves from the squares up to the castle. On Saturday 14 November Loket comes alive with the St Martin's festivities: roast geese and ducks, St Martin's croissants, cakes, mulled wine, a craft fair, a fairy-tale trail through the castle for children — and in the evening a lantern procession through the town with St Martin on a white horse and a fire show to finish. The event peaks after dark, so it pays to arrive in the afternoon and stay into the evening.

How to plan your season

There is no point chasing everything — the festivals repeat in a rhythm and every month has its favourite. If beer is your thing, mark 13 June (and choose by mood: chateau, monastery garden or chilli) and 18 July on the Mariánské Lázně colonnade. Wine lovers have it clear: Plasy in June to open the season and PUPP-UP at the end of August as the highlight. Street food is strongest in July and August — Krajinka in Cheb is the most picturesque of them, the Thermal the busiest and Jáchymov the easiest to combine with a day trip.

And two things to arrange ahead: buy tickets for Permon Open Day right away, the 400-person capacity will fill; the tasting in Pláně requires booking by phone. Everything else is open access — you come, you taste, you pay only for what you eat and drink.

The autumn calendar will keep filling up — wine harvest festivals, St Martin's menus and Advent markets are yet to be announced. You will find current dates in the events calendar.