Vechta is home to the Stoppelmarkt Fair , which takes place every summer. It is first mentioned in records in 1298. Many merchants from many European countries would come to Vechta and sell their wares on the streets within the fortress walls. In 1577, plague forced the fair to an open field outside the city walls. Today it attracts up to 800 000 people and is one of the biggest annual fairs in north-west Germany.