A welding torch, in particular a handheld welding torch, for a melting welding wire, which is guided in a wire core arranged within a protective hose, fastens the protective hose and the welding core within a torch housing of the welding torch independently from one another. For minimizing stresses on the welding torch by the hose package, the protective hose is fastened rotatably and pivotably and the wire core is fastened rotatably to the torch housing.