Autumn is Extra Special at German Pumpkin Farms

You can find them in all forms: for eating, carving, or decorating-pumpkins. In German pumpkin farms during the fall, you can choose from thousands of varieties. The travel reporter reveals the best pumpkin hotspots.

The travel reporter tells you where you can find almost half a million pumpkins beautifully arranged, family-friendly farms for pumpkin carving plus kids' programs, and where it gets spooky if you want to participate in the longest Halloween pumpkin carving street.

Pumpkins galore can be found at the Gertrudenhof Adventure Farm near Cologne. The pumpkin paradise presents a variety of types until November 3, and in the 'Pumpkin Park,' there's even a pumpkin pyramid for fall vegetable fans. But don't just look; you can also indulge: the local café offers a variety of pumpkin dishes.

While access to the farm market at Gertrudenhof is free, tickets are needed for the 'Pumpkin Park' experience ground. This features a pumpkin exhibition, pumpkin pyramid, bouncy castles, a bungee trampoline, and a covered XXL straw barn. Kids who love animals will enjoy the Gertrudenhof's petting zoo.

Under the motto 'Flames. Sparks. Pumpkin Fire,' the Spargel- und Erlebnishof Klaistow hosts the largest pumpkin exhibition from August 31 to November 10 near Berlin and Brandenburg. Daily from 9 am to 6 pm, you can admire over 100,000 pumpkin family specimens, see 500 varieties from around the world, and marvel at giant pumpkin-decorated figures with a 'fire' theme, including Fred Flintstone, Fireman Sam, a giant fire fish, and a fire truck.

A pumpkin market also offers culinary and decorative pumpkins and professional carvings. Adults pay 4 euro on weekdays and 4.50 euro on the weekend, while children under 12 are free. If you can't get enough of these decorative vegetables, dine in the farm restaurant or stock up on pumpkin products like pumpkin candy and pumpkin wine.

35 kilometers from Hamburg is the pumpkin paradise Pumpkin Barn. Every fall, there's a big pumpkin festival. Here you can stock up on eating pumpkins and find perfect ones for your Halloween decorations. The barn is open Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm for this.

A special feature of the farm is pumpkin carving. You can do this as a family or large group (with prior registration), creating the perfect look for your decorative pumpkins. Templates and carving tools are available on-site. If that seems too labor-intensive, you can find pre-carved or painted pumpkins at the Pumpkin Barn. Besides the pumpkin products, the farm is also home to about 120 dairy cows that you can visit in the barn.

In the fall, when pumpkins are in season, Karls Adventure Village in Rövershagen near Rostock becomes a spooky adventure village. From September 20 to November 3, the family-friendly adventure park is all about pumpkins. Besides the large pumpkin market and handmade pumpkin products from the workshops, you can also taste vegetable specialties in the farm kitchen.

Offering pumpkin carving, the farm also celebrates Halloween in October with spooky attractions for families. This includes a spooky tractor ride and a scaredy-cat barn with a haunted maze.

The Spargel- und Kürbishof Roelen becomes a pumpkin paradise in the fall. The farm began growing pumpkins with just 18 types in 2001. Today, it's an incredible 400 different types, each with its unique shape and color, that you can find on the farm.

How varied the pumpkin varieties are, you can guess by their weight: The decorative and edible pumpkins range from 0.2 to 160 kilograms. Open hours: Monday to Friday between 9 am and 6 pm, and Saturday between 9 am and 4 pm. At the pumpkin festival on September 21 and 22, culinary pumpkin treats are also offered.

Here's something to see! The botanical garden Blühendes Barock, surrounding Ludwigsburg's Residenzschloss, hosts the world's largest pumpkin exhibition until November 3, 2024, celebrating its 25th anniversary. Special exhibitions highlight the pumpkins' origins and variety.

In addition to enormous pumpkin patches, pumpkin sculptures are featured, representing famous personalities and modern icons such as Pippi Longstocking, Frida Kahlo, and resistance fighter Sophie Scholl. Besides the visual spectacle, enjoy culinary highlights like Germany's biggest pumpkin soup, pumpkin waffles, or spaghetti pumpkinese. Special events include the giant pumpkin carving festival and the German championships in pumpkin weighing.

The Steinbrücker Hof at Farmer Lipp comes alive with color during pumpkin season. Large, small, gray, yellow, and bright orange pumpkins decorate the farm's exhibition. All the varied specimens are grown on their fields, amounting to over 150 different types.

You can get active here too. Pumpkin carving for all ages and culinary offerings from savory to sweet, all centered around pumpkins, complete the options. The pumpkin exhibition charges weekdays 4 euros per adult and 3 euros per child, with a 1 euro increase per person on weekends and holidays. The exhibition is open daily from 10 am to 7 pm until November 3. Right behind the farm, you can also test your navigation skills in a 40,000-square-meter corn maze.

Want to claim the freshest pumpkin for yourself? Then you're at the right place at the Sunshine Pumpkin Farm of Guhl Farm in Rhineland-Palatinate. They allow you to pick your pumpkin directly from the field. In October, this is possible every Saturday and Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm.

Over 40 types of pumpkins are available, and if you don't want to pick them yourself, find a freshly harvested one in the farm shop. For refreshment, homemade pumpkin pie is offered on October weekends, and visitors can also meet the farm animals. Since 2020, an artistically designed corn maze is open on October weekends as well.

Between Ulm and Lake Constance lies the Pumpkin Paradise Spieler. Since 1992, the focus has been on breeding the red Limousin cattle, but from late August to mid-November, pumpkins take center stage. The farm offers a wide variety of decorative, carving, and edible pumpkins from over 120 different types.

Additionally, the Pumpkin Paradise offers the ability to order pumpkins with custom engravings.

Instagram fans flock to Krewelshof in Mechernich to snap photos in front of the impressive 'Pumpkin Pyramid' with countless pumpkins. But even without a penchant for social media, North Rhine-Westphalia's largest pumpkin show at Krewelshof in the Eifel has much to offer.

The artistically pumpkin-decorated figures at the farm are presented under the 2024 theme 'musical legends,' depicting icons like Elvis Presley and the Rolling Stones' legendary tongue. The pumpkin show is open from September 1 to mid-November, and to avoid queues, it's worth purchasing your ticket in advance.

Looking for more inspiration? Find tips for all top travel destinations at the travel reporter.