year on the first weekend in September) – with, among other things, a parade and fireworks Christmas market in the mediaeval town. Many local vendors sell everything from mulled wine to handmade trinkets. Tage alter Chormusik (“Days of Choir Music”, each year in the week after Easter International rowing regatta on the Moselle for the Grüner Moselpokal (“Green Moselle Cup”) in September Mittelalter-Spectacel (a mediaeval spectacle, every other year) Bernkastel-Kueser Reitertage (“Riding Days”) Moselfestwochen (classic music festival) Straßenfest (street fair) in the constituent community of Kues Tage der offenen Weinkeller (“Open Wine Cellar Days”) in the constituent community of Kues where the winemakers of Kues present and sell their wine in their own wine cellars. Annual horse show on the Easter weekend Economy and infrastructure Public institutions Education Nikolaus-von-Kues-Gymnasium Freiherr-vom-Stein-Realschule Hauptschule with all-day school Grundschule Kues (Cusanusschule) (primary school) Grundschule Wehlen (primary school) Professional training schools (Berufsbildende Schulen) with professional school (Berufsfachschule) I and II, upper professional school (Berufsoberschule) Hotelfachschule and Höhere Berufsfachschule für Hotelmanagement Medizinisches Ausbildungszentrum Moseltal, Fachschule für Physiotherapie (medical training centre, specialization in physiotherapy) Burg-Landshut-Schule für Lernbehinderte (for students with learning difficulties) Rosenbergschule (special school with focus on holistic development) Authorities Amtsgericht Bundesagentur für Arbeit (Federal agency for labour) Cusanus-Krankenhaus (hospital, part of CTT Verbundkrankenhaus Bernkastel-Wittlich) Dienstleistungszentrum Ländlicher Raum (a Rhineland-Palatinate institution that concerns itself with a broad array of matters relating to agriculture, winegrowing and oenology, schools teaching in agricultural disciplines, and many other related things, in both advisory and developmental capacities) Finanzamt Bernkastel-Wittlich (financial office – branch location) Kraftfahrzeugzulassungsstelle Bernkastel-Wittlich (vehicle licensing centre – branch location) Polizeiinspektion (police service) Verbandsgemeindeverwaltung Bernkastel-Kues (Verbandsgemeinde administration) Vermessungs- und Katasteramt (surveying and cadastral office) Wasser- und Schifffahrtsamt Trier (water and shipping office – branch location) Wasserschutzpolizei (water protection police) Established businesses Mageba, a producer of textile machinery Median Kliniken GmbH with its rehabilitation centre, biggest employer in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district Moselland eG, biggest winemaking cooperative in Rhineland-Palatinate, turnover: €47,500,000 Peter Mertes Weinkellerei GmbH, biggest German winery, turnover: €130,000,000 (2004) Winegrowing Historically, the most important economic sector has been winegrowing. Within the Bernkastel area, vines are worked overwhelmingly in steep-slope vineyards in an area of 5,844 ha. There are still many wineries in Bernkastel-Kues today. Riesling is the customary grape variety, although smaller quantities of other varieties, such as Burgunder, Rivaner, Kerner and Dornfelder, are also grown. Within town limits, the winemaking appellations – Großlagen – Münzlay (Wehlen), Badstube (Bernkastel)