Vianden Nut Market 2023;
Credit: Jazmin Campbell / Chronicle.lu
Thousands of people gathered in the narrow streets of Vianden for the town's traditional Nut Market (Veiner Nëssmoort) on Sunday 15 October 2023.
On the second Sunday of October each year, up to 20,000 people come from near and far to purchase walnuts in bulk (and other nut-themed products, such as soap and baked goods), enjoy food (nutty treats but also grilled meat and chips) and music, as well as an array of nut flavoured alcoholic beverages, from liqueur (Nëssdrëpp, Nëssliqueur, Nësscème...) to wine and gin; other drinks such as beer and soft drinks (without a nutty flavour) were also available.
The first Vianden Nut Market took place in 1935. Over the years, it has grown to become a popular folk festival, run by the Veiner Nëssmoort asbl (composed of local associations and businesses). As the organisers noted, Vianden was historically the "secret nut capital" of Luxembourg - about 20% of all nuts in the Grand Duchy came from Vianden in the early 1900s.
This year, thousands flocked once again to the medieval town for this traditional festival and braved the intermittent sun showers, as they browsed the many stands and sampled local delicacies, all against the backdrop of the renowned Château de Vianden.
The town centre was closed to traffic for the duration of the festival on Sunday, with visitors travelling by car able to make use of park and ride (P+R) facilities and a free shuttle bus.
