🗺️ When Christmas markets open in 2026: dates by city

German Christmas markets run for almost two months. The first ones open in early November, and the last ones close in the first week of January. We have put together a calendar for the 2026/2027 season: more than 80 cities in Germany, Europe, and the US with market opening and closing dates.

We checked all dates against the official websites of cities and organizers (as of 09/2026). The selection includes classics like Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt as well as Christmas Garden light shows. For each city, you will find the first and last day the market is open.

Ad: this article contains affiliate links, we earn a commission if you book through them, at no extra cost to you.

Which Christmas markets will take place in 2026 and 2027

💡 In short:

Most German markets open on November 23-25, 2026 and close on December 22-24.
Vienna and Prague markets run longer, some until January 6, 2027.
Christmas Garden tickets are sold in advance, entry is by the time slot on your ticket.
Market dates: 09/2026, verified on the official Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt website.

Hundreds of markets operate in Germany every winter. Below we have broken them down by city and provided exact dates. Important: the dates in the list are as of September 2026, so check the organizer's website before you travel.

Hamburg

More than ten markets open in Hamburg, and some start even before the first Advent. The main one, the historic Rathausmarkt, runs from November 23 to December 23, 2026 (according to the city of Hamburg, as of 09/2026). Admission is free, and at the end of the day a flying Santa Claus passes over the market.

Rathausmarkt: 11/23-12/23/2026
Hafencity: 11/16-12/30/2026
Jungfernstieg: 11/19-12/23/2026
Spitalerstraße: 11/19-12/27/2026
Santa Pauli: 11/09-12/23/2026
Winter Pride St. Georg: 11/16-12/22/2026
Wandsbeker Winterzauber: 10/31/2026-01/03/2027
Apostelkirche: 11/12-12/22/2026
Winterdom: 11/06-12/06/2026

Book accommodation in central Hamburg well in advance for December. Look for places to stay near the market on Trip.com.

Berlin

Berlin hosts more than a hundred markets, and some open as early as late October. The most famous one, on Breitscheidplatz, runs from November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027 (according to berlin.de, as of 09/2026). Admission to the city markets is free; you only pay for food and rides.

Breitscheidplatz: 11/23/2026-01/03/2027
Alexanderplatz: 11/23-12/26/2026
Rotes Rathaus: 11/23/2026-01/03/2027
Potsdamer Platz: 10/30-12/31/2026
Historischer Weihnachtsmarkt (Friedrichshain): 11/12-12/22/2026
Gendarmenmarkt: 11/23-12/31/2026
Schloss Charlottenburg: 11/23-12/27/2026
Lucia Weihnachtsmarkt (Prenzlauer Berg): 11/23-12/22/2026
Spandau Zitadelle: 11/23-12/22/2026

You can walk from Gendarmenmarkt to Alexanderplatz in half an hour, so you can easily cover two markets in one evening. Book central accommodation in advance: there are few rooms available in December.

Cologne

Cologne runs eight major markets, and almost all of them operate during the same weeks. The market by Kölner Dom and Heinzels Wintermärchen on Heumarkt open on November 23, 2026. Heumarkt has one of the largest ice rinks in the city, and you can skate right between the stalls.

Heinzels Wintermärchen am Heumarkt: 11/23/2026-01/06/2027
Kölner Dom: 11/23-12/23/2026
Altstadt (Alter Markt): 11/23-12/23/2026
Rudolfplatz: 11/23-12/23/2026
Markt der Engel: 11/23-12/23/2026
Veedelsadvent: 11/19-12/23/2026
Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt: 11/20-12/29/2026
Stadtgarten: 11/19-12/23/2026

Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral in the evening

Munich

Munich hosts the classic Christkindlmarkt at Marienplatz and Pink Christmas for the LGBTQ+ community. The main market starts on November 23 and closes on December 24, 2026. You can reach Marienplatz by U-Bahn and S-Bahn; it is about a 15-minute walk from the station.

Christkindlmarkt (Marienplatz): 11/23-12/24/2026
Weihnachtsdorf in der Münchner Residenz: 11/16-12/22/2026
Pink Christmas: 11/23-12/23/2026
Weihnachtsmarkt am Chinesischen Turm: 11/19-12/23/2026
Märchenbazar im Olympiapark: 11/26-12/28/2026
Tollwood-Winterfestival: 11/24-12/23/2026

Nuremberg

Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt is considered one of the oldest and most famous in the world. In 2026 it runs from November 27 to December 24 (according to the official website, as of 09/2026).

Christkindlesmarkt: 11/27-12/24/2026
Weihnachtsmarkt Laufamholz: 11/28-12/24/2026

Book hotels in Nuremberg two to three months in advance: on Advent weekends you will have almost no options.

Dresden

Striezelmarkt on Altmarkt opens on November 25 and runs through December 24, 2026 (according to Dresden, as of 09/2026). This is Germany's oldest Christmas market, and here you can try authentic Dresden Stollen.

Entrance arch of the Striezelmarkt against the sun

Striezelmarkt: 11/25-12/24/2026
Augustusmarkt: 11/25/2026-01/03/2027
Winterzauber an der Frauenkirche: 11/25-12/24/2026

Dortmund

In Dortmund, the main market takes over the city center and runs from mid-November to late December.

Dortmunder Weihnachtsstadt: 11/19-12/30/2026

Düsseldorf

Düsseldorf has two central markets, both opening on November 19 and closing on December 30, 2026.

Weihnachtsmarkt am Marktplatz: 11/19-12/30/2026 (as of 09/2026, visitduesseldorf.de)
Weihnachtsmarkt Nordstraße: 11/19-12/30/2026 (as of 09/2026, visitduesseldorf.de)

Frankfurt

In Frankfurt, the city Christmas market in the center runs from November 23 to December 22, 2026 (as of 09/2026, visitfrankfurt.travel).

Christmas market on Römerberg square at night

City center: 11/23-12/22/2026

Stuttgart

Stuttgart opens its city market on November 25 and closes it on December 23, 2026.

City center: 11/25-12/23/2026

Other markets in Germany

Beyond the major cities, markets open in dozens of other places. Below is a full list of cities with dates for the 2026/2027 season. All data was collected from official city websites (as of 09/2026).

Aachen: 11/20-12/23/2026
Augsburg: 11/23-12/23/2026
Bayreuth: 11/23-12/23/2026
Bielefeld: 11/19-12/30/2026
Braunschweig: 11/25-12/29/2026
Bremen: 11/23-12/23/2026
Bremerhaven: 11/23-12/30/2026
Bochum: 11/19-12/23/2026
Bonn: 11/20-12/23/2026 (Dreikönigsmarkt 12/27/2026-01/06/2027)
Chemnitz: 11/27-12/23/2026
Coburg: 11/27-12/23/2026
Cottbus: 11/25-12/23/2026
Darmstadt: 11/16-12/23/2026
Duisburg: 11/12-12/30/2026
Erfurt: 11/24-12/22/2026
Esslingen: 11/24-12/22/2026
Essen: 11/13-12/23/2026
Flensburg: 11/23-12/30/2026
Fulda: 11/26-12/30/2026
Gießen: 11/23-12/30/2026
Göttingen: 11/23-12/29/2026
Hagen: 11/20-12/30/2026
Halle (Saale): 11/24-12/23/2026
Hanau: 11/23-12/22/2026
Hannover: 11/23-12/22/2026
Heidelberg: 11/23-12/22/2026
Ingolstadt: 11/25-12/23/2026
Kassel: 11/23-12/30/2026
Koblenz: 11/20/2026-01/03/2027
Konstanz: 11/26-12/23/2026
Krefeld: 11/19-12/23/2026
Landshut: 11/20-12/23/2026
Leipzig: 11/24-12/23/2026
Leverkusen: 11/19-12/30/2026
Ludwigshafen am Rhein: 11/11-12/23/2026
Lübeck: 11/23-12/30/2026
Lüneburg: 11/26-12/30/2026
Magdeburg: 11/19-12/29/2026
Mainz: 11/26-12/23/2026
Mannheim: 11/23-12/23/2026
Münster: 11/23-12/23/2026
Oberhausen: 11/14-12/23/2026
Oldenburg: 11/24-12/22/2026
Osnabrück: 11/23-12/22/2026
Paderborn: 11/20-12/23/2026
Passau: 11/24-12/22/2026
Pforzheim: 11/23-12/22/2026
Potsdam: 11/23-12/28/2026
Regensburg: 11/23-12/23/2026
Rosenheim: 11/27-12/24/2026
Rostock: 11/23-12/22/2026
Schwäbisch Hall: 11/26-12/20/2026
Schwerin: 11/23-12/25/2026
Siegen: 11/20-12/23/2026
Trier: 11/20-12/22/2026
Ulm: 11/23-12/22/2026
Weimar: 11/24/2026-01/03/2027
Wernigerode: 11/20-12/22/2026
Wolfsburg: 11/20-12/29/2026
Würzburg: 11/27-12/23/2026
Zwickau: 11/23-12/22/2026

Traditional German Christmas market with wooden stalls

Christmas Garden 2026: light parks in Germany

Christmas Garden turns parks and zoos across Germany into illuminated trails. In the 2026/2027 season, the show runs in eight locations around the country (according to christmas-garden.de, as of 09/2026). You walk along a lit path, and the installations change from year to year.

Augsburg: 11/26/2026-01/09/2027
Berlin (Botanischer Garten): 11/18/2026-01/10/2027
Berlin (Weihnachten im Tierpark): 11/20/2026-01/09/2027
Dresden (Schloss & Park Pillnitz): 11/19/2026-01/10/2027
Hamburg: 11/13/2026-01/10/2027
Insel Mainau: 11/19/2026-01/09/2027
Koblenz (Festung Ehrenbreitstein): 11/19/2026-01/10/2027
Stuttgart (Wilhelma): 11/18/2026-01/16/2027

Christmas Garden tickets are sold in advance and by time slot, and popular evenings and weekends sell out quickly (according to christmas-garden.de, as of 09/2026). If you are going with a group, book one slot for everyone and arrive 15 minutes before your entry time.

Tours and tickets

Guided tours, skip-the-line tickets and activities — most offers can be cancelled free of charge.

See offers on GetYourGuide

The widget loads once you give your consent.

Christmas markets in Europe and the US

Neighboring countries run their markets longer than Germany does, so you can combine a trip with the New Year holidays. Below are markets in eleven cities across Europe and the US with dates (according to official city websites, as of 09/2026).

Vienna

In Vienna, the main Christmas market takes place on Rathausplatz. In the 2026 season it is open from November 13 through December 26 (according to christkindlmarkt.at, as of 09/2026). In addition, markets operate at Stephansplatz and at Schönbrunn Palace, with the latter running until January 6, 2027.

Christkindlmarkt am Rathausplatz: 11/13-12/26/2026
Weihnachtsmarkt am Stephansplatz: 11/06-12/26/2026
Schloß Schönbrunn: 11/06/2026-01/06/2027

Accommodation in Vienna in December costs more than in the off-season. You can book a hotel in advance on Trip.com.

Prague

In Prague, the markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from November 28, 2026 through January 6, 2027 (as of 09/2026). Both are open during the New Year period, so you will catch them even after Catholic Christmas.

Old Town Square: 11/28/2026-01/06/2027
Wenceslas Square: 11/28/2026-01/06/2027

Copenhagen

In Copenhagen, Tivoli Gardens opens on November 13, 2026 and runs until January 3, 2027. The market at Nytorv closes earlier, on December 21.

Christmas market with a carousel at Tivoli in the evening

Tivoli Gardens: 11/13/2026-01/03/2027
Nytorv: 11/07-12/21/2026

London

Three large markets operate in London, and the longest-running one, Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, goes until January 3, 2027. Southbank Winter Market and Christmas at Kew start in early November.

Christmas market by the Royal Festival Hall at night

Southbank Winter Market: 11/02/2026-01/03/2027
Christmas at Kew: 11/13/2026-01/03/2027
Hyde Park Winter Wonderland: 11/19/2026-01/03/2027

New York

In New York, the Union Square market opens on November 12 and closes on December 24, 2026. Bryant Park Winter Village runs the longest, until March 7, 2027.

Christmas market in Union Square in the snow

Union Square Holiday Market: 11/12-12/24/2026
Bryant Park Winter Village: 10/23/2026-03/07/2027

Other European cities

Christmas markets also open in other European cities. We checked the dates below through city tourism offices (as of 09/2026).

Strasbourg: 27.11-27.12.2026
Colmar: 23.11-29.12.2026
Salzburg: 19.11.2026-01.01.2027
Brussels: 27.11.2026-03.01.2027
Basel: 26.11-23.12.2026
Zurich: 19.11-23.12.2026

Strasbourg and Colmar turn into one continuous market, and it's easy to stop by for a day.

Christmas market on a European town square

Winter cruises run along the Rhine with stops at the markets of Alsace and the Black Forest.

Colmar is more compact than Strasbourg, but its market is just as dense.

Practical tips for visiting the markets

Entry to city markets is usually free; you pay for food, drinks, and carousels. Between major German cities, it's convenient to travel by train: stations are in the center, and the markets are nearby. Over one weekend you can fit in two markets if you choose neighboring cities.

If you're traveling between Christmas and New Year's, some markets are already closed. In that case, look for the ones that run into January:

City	Market	Open until
Prague	Old Town Square	06.01.2027
Cologne	Heinzels Wintermärchen	06.01.2027
Vienna	Schloß Schönbrunn	06.01.2027
Dresden	Augustusmarkt	03.01.2027
Hamburg	Wandsbeker Winterzauber	03.01.2027
London	Hyde Park Winter Wonderland	03.01.2027
Berlin	Breitscheidplatz	03.01.2027

Book train tickets in advance, so you have a wider choice of departures. Check schedules and prices on Trip.com: trains in Germany.

Christmas tours and ready-made offers

If you don't want to plan the route yourself, there are ready-made short trips. Below are four options we found on sale for the 2026/2027 season (as of 09/2026).

Strasbourg: two days at the markets of Alsace

A short two-day trip with an overnight stay in central Strasbourg. The markets run until late December.

Check prices and available dates in advance: that way you'll find a hotel in the center.

Rhine cruise to Alsace and the Black Forest

A four-day cruise with stops at the markets and overnight stays on board. A good fit if you want to see several cities at once.

River cruise ship on the Rhine in the snow

See options and dates on GetYourGuide: Christmas tours.

Vienna: two days at Rathausplatz

A two-day trip with a hotel in central Vienna and a walk through the city's main market. Some markets run until January 6, so dates are flexible.

Book central hotels for your dates in advance, otherwise you'll end up only on the outskirts.

Colmar: two days in France

A short trip to Colmar with an overnight stay and a walk through the market in the old town.

Christmas market in the old town of Colmar

Book hotels in Colmar in advance, so you'll have options.

⁉️🤔 Frequently asked questions

When do Christmas markets open in Germany in 2026?

Most markets start on November 23-25, 2026 and close on December 22-24. The earliest to open are the markets in Hamburg and Berlin, some as early as late October. The longest-running are Heinzels Wintermärchen in Cologne until January 6 and Augustusmarkt in Dresden until January 3, 2027.

Is entry to Christmas markets paid?

City markets are usually free to enter; you only pay for food, drinks, and attractions. The exception is Christmas Garden: it requires a ticket, sold in advance by time slot. Tickets for popular evening slots sell out as early as November.

Is it worth visiting the markets during the New Year holidays?

Some markets close on December 22-24, but many run into early January. In Prague, Vienna, and London, markets are open until January 3-6, 2027. If you want to extend the season, choose these cities: the markets there don't end right after Christmas.

Which Christmas markets are the most famous?

The classics are Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt and Dresdner Striezelmarkt, both running from late November to December 24. In Nuremberg, the market square opens with the Christkind, and in Dresden you can try real stollen. Outside Germany, Vienna's Rathausplatz is worth the trip.

How do I get to the markets without a car?

Between major cities, it's convenient to travel by train: stations are in the center, and markets are usually a 10-20 minute walk away. Prague, Vienna, and Cologne are connected by direct trains. Book tickets and hotels in advance: a month or two before your trip, there's more choice and lower prices.

In short: what to book

If you're going for one day, choose a city with a direct train: Nuremberg, Dresden, or Hamburg. For a multi-day trip, book a hotel in the center so you can walk to the markets. For a light show, plan for Christmas Garden in Berlin or Stuttgart, and for a classic market, head to Nuremberg.

For the classics: Nuremberg or Dresden.
For a light show: Christmas Garden in Berlin or Stuttgart.
Without a car: by train between cities.

You can book a central hotel in advance on Trip.com.

Christmas markets 2026: opening calendar by cities in Germany and Europe