Bread festival in the Lesachtal: A festival for tradition and cuisine!

Bread festival in the Lesachtal: A festival for tradition and cuisine!

On Sunday, September 7th, 2025, the Lesachtal was transformed into a festival for the senses at this year's 40th Bread Festival in Liesing. Visitors from near and far flocked to celebrate the intangible world cultural heritage, Lesachtal bread. How meinkreis.at reports, the event was all about tradition and craftsmanship that has grown over generations in the region.

Central to the festive events was the special bread, which is produced according to strict guidelines. Only loaves that are made from the grain grown in-house, carefully ground and baked with natural sourdough are allowed to bear the coveted banderole. Ferdinand Stadlober, a prominent representative of the region, emphasized how important bread is for the culinary and cultural identity of the Lesachtal. This happened not only in the ceremonial speeches, but also during the show bread baking, which attracted both children and adults and gave them the opportunity to experience the art of bread baking up close.

Tradition and enjoyment combined

The festival offered a variety of regional delicacies. From the traditional bratwurst in Lesachtal bread to Tyrolean dumplings, Lesachtal bread burgers and tasty Schlipfkrapfen, there was something for every taste. The sweet tooth was also catered for, as homemade sweets complemented the culinary offerings. The Liesing traditional costume band provided the musical accompaniment and contributed to the cheerful atmosphere.

The festival placed a particular focus on the youngest visitors. In addition to pony rides, games and workshops were also offered to promote children's sensitivity to good food and baking bread. Stadlober emphasized how important it is to pass on the knowledge about bread making to the next generation.

Proud guests of honor and the importance of rye

The guests of honor at the festival included Mayor Hans Windbichler, Deputy Mayor Bernhard Knotz and National Council member Gabriel Obernosterer. Windbichler emphasized the cultural stability and great importance of Lesachtal bread for the region. Obernosterer highlighted the advantages of the Lesachtal and announced that the region will continue to be promoted as a true center of bread tradition. Hans Unterguggenberger, the initiator of the bread festival, was also honored, praising the healthy rye harvest and emphasizing the importance of baking bread in the everyday life of the Lesachtal village community.

Rosa Lanner, who has been baking bread at the festival for 25 years, received a special honor. The celebratory highlight of the day was the joint cutting of bread, during which the freshly baked loaves were distributed to the festival participants. The festival once again proved that tradition, cuisine and community are closely linked in the Lesachtal.

Bread production in the Lesachtal is not only an important part of the cultural heritage, but also actively contributes to the maintenance of the cultural landscape and the preservation of regional dialects. According to information on unesco.at It is mainly local families who take over the cultivation and grinding of the grain in their own mills and thus play an important role in preserving this traditional craft.

Through regular events such as the mill festival in Maria Luggau, the knowledge of bread making is not only passed on intergenerationally, but also carried beyond the borders of Austria. A Lesachtal bread oven was even built near Tokyo, spreading the tradition internationally, which is an impressive sign of the preservation of this unique cultural heritage.

Overall, the 40th Bread Festival in the Lesachtal shows once again how valuable and lively the tradition of bread making is. The interplay of culinary enjoyment, cultural heritage and community interaction makes events like this enriching for everyone who feels connected to the region.