# Christmas in Europe: full content > The complete text and data of https://christmasineurope.com. The shorter link map lives at https://christmasineurope.com/llms.txt. Every entry lists the sources its facts come from and the month they were checked. Prices are in euros, Swiss francs, Czech korunas, Hungarian forints, Polish zlotys, Danish kroner and British pounds, each with the year it applies to. The site earns affiliate commission on some bookings; paid links are marked, and https://christmasineurope.com/disclosures explains how. ## Regions ### Franconia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/franconia Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt leads, and the city counted more than two million visits to it in 2024, so expect a full Hauptmarkt. Stay in Nuremberg and take day trips out to Bamberg for the nativity cribs and smoked beer, or spend a night inside Rothenburg's walls once the day visitors leave. Most of Franconia's markets close on 23 December, and Nuremberg's own shuts at 14:00 on Christmas Eve. ### Bavaria URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/bavaria The Christkindlmarkt under the New Town Hall on Marienplatz leads Munich's five markets, and direct trains run from the city to Augsburg and Regensburg. Couples like Regensburg, where one of the markets fills the Thurn und Taxis palace courtyard and charges entry. If Lake Constance is on your list, go to Lindau between Thursday and Sunday, because the harbour market stays shut midweek. ### Saxony and the Ore Mountains URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/saxony Dresden puts the Striezelmarkt and three other markets within walking distance of each other, and December is the city's busiest hotel month, so book early. Leipzig threads about 300 stalls through its compact centre. In the Ore Mountains Seiffen sells woodcraft straight from the workshops that make it, and since its stalls close at 17:00 on weekdays, a Saturday visit gives you the evening as well. ### Berlin and Brandenburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/berlin-brandenburg Berlin gives you a different big market every evening, from the lit-up Gendarmenmarkt, which charges entry outside weekday lunchtimes, to the ice rink and big wheel at the Rotes Rathaus. Potsdam makes an easy day out from the city, and its Weihnachtszauber stretches along the old-town shopping street. Plan Christmas Eve with care, because the markets at the Rotes Rathaus and Charlottenburg Palace both close that day. ### The Rhineland URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/rhineland Cologne makes the natural base, since four big markets sit within walking distance of the cathedral and fast trains run out to Aachen and Düsseldorf. The cathedral market on Roncalliplatz is the classic scene, and in 2026 the garage under it is being repaired, so keep some room in your plans. Couples after wine and quiet can head up the Moselle to Bernkastel-Kues, which you reach by bus or car. ### Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/rhine-main Frankfurt suits a first night off a long-haul flight, because the S-Bahn runs from the airport straight to a market spread across six squares of the Altstadt. The S8 carries on to Mainz and Wiesbaden for their own markets, and Michelstadt makes a half-timbered day out in the Odenwald from Wednesday to Sunday. Frankfurt's market ends on 22 December, so anyone arriving later finds the squares cleared. ### Stuttgart and the Neckar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/neckar Stuttgart's market of about 250 stalls leads, and from one hotel there the S-Bahn takes you out to Esslingen's medieval market or Ludwigsburg's baroque square. Tübingen and Heidelberg make longer day trips by regional train. Weekend evenings get crowded, and Esslingen's organizer asks wheelchair users and parents with prams to come on a weekday. ### The Black Forest URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/black-forest Freiburg makes the practical base, because its market spreads through the old town and trains stop there on the Rhine valley main line. Gengenbach opens a window of its Rathaus Advent calendar at 18:00 each evening, and Baden-Baden keeps its Kurhaus market going until 6 January 2027. The Ravenna Gorge market needs a timed ticket bought online, and the sale opens on 14 October. ### Alsace URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/alsace Strasbourg spreads its markets over eight sites around the cathedral, and first-timers head for the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie. Colmar packs six smaller markets into its old town, and shuttles and buses run from there to the wine villages. Both cities fill up at weekends, so walk the squares early in the week and keep Kaysersberg for an Advent weekend, because its juried craft market opens only then. ### Lyon and the Alps URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/rhone-alpes Lyon builds its December around the Fête des Lumières, when the city lights up with free installations from 5 to 8 December 2026 and about 2 million visitors pour in, so book a bed early. The Christmas market on Place Carnot beside Perrache station fills an hour or two and closes early on festival nights. Outside those four nights you come to Lyon for the food. ### Vienna and Lower Austria URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/vienna-lower-austria Vienna has more than ten markets within reach of the U-Bahn, and the Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz leads them with the lit City Hall and a skating rink. On weekends you can head out to the Wachau Advent in Dürnstein or the palace market at Schloss Hof. Rathausplatz gets so crowded on weekend evenings that a stroller barely moves, so bring small children on a weekday morning. ### Salzburg and the Salzkammergut URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/salzburg-salzkammergut Salzburg holds four Advent markets and sends trains and buses out to the lakes, and its Christkindlmarkt on the Domplatz keeps going to New Year's Day. Boats link the Wolfgangsee villages of St Wolfgang and St Gilgen, whose markets shut on Mondays and Tuesdays. Hallstatt fills with day visitors, so sleep in Bad Ischl and arrive early on a weekday morning in Advent. ### Tyrol URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/tyrol Innsbruck makes the base, since one organizer runs seven markets across the city and the classic one fills the narrow lane under the Golden Roof. Trains along the Inn Valley reach Hall in Tirol for an evening, or Rattenberg, which lights its lanes by candle on Advent weekends. The Golden Roof lane packs shoulder to shoulder on Friday and Saturday evenings, so see it on a weekday morning. ### Graz and Styria URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/styria You can walk between all of Graz's old-town markets in an evening from a hotel near the Hauptplatz, and the ice nativity in the Landhaushof costs nothing to see. The squares are small, so Friday and Saturday nights get packed. For a quieter night away, Mariazell holds its market in front of Austria's best-known pilgrimage church from Thursday to Sunday, and the basilica hosts concerts on most market evenings. ### Switzerland URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/switzerland Switzerland suits a short market trip by train, since the stalls stand close to the main stations. Zurich gives you several markets within a short walk of its station hall, and Montreux strings its chalets and big wheel along the quays of Lake Geneva. Budget for Swiss prices on every mug and fondue, and get to Einsiedeln's abbey market early in the season, because it closes on 6 December. ### South Tyrol URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/south-tyrol Bolzano makes the practical base, because its station sits beside the old town and regional trains run out to Merano and Brixen. Couples who want a spa town go to Merano, where the stalls line the river and the thermal baths sit across the footbridge. These markets run on to 6 January 2027 with a break on Christmas Day, and Bolzano's square fills up at weekends. ### Trentino and Northern Italy URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/northern-italy Trento fills Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra with 77 huts, and its market suits food lovers and anyone travelling over Christmas, because it opens on Christmas Day, when the South Tyrol markets stay shut. The organizer counted about a million visitors in 2024. Stay in Trento for an Italian-speaking city and ride the Brenner line north to Bolzano's market. ### Czechia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/czechia Prague leads, and its markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run until 6 January 2027, so a trip after Christmas still finds stalls. Old Town Square is the city's busiest and dearest, and Náměstí Míru in Vinohrady sells Czech crafts for less. Český Krumlov suits a slow Advent weekend at its small market below the castle. ### Hungary URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/hungary The two big markets in Budapest stand on Vörösmarty tér and in front of St Stephen's Basilica, and both run from 13 November 2026 to the turn of the year. Their prices are set for tourists, so head out to Fő tér in Óbuda for a neighbourhood market. On Christmas Eve the markets cut their hours and public transport stops at about 16:00, so book dinner near your hotel. ### Poland URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/poland Kraków's fair on the Main Market Square leads, and on the first Thursday of December the szopka makers carry their nativity cribs onto the square for the city's contest. Wrocław fills all four sides of its Rynek with a fair that runs on to 7 January 2027. Gdańsk's big market in the old Hanseatic centre closes on 23 December, so put the Baltic coast early in your trip. ### Slovenia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/slovenia Ljubljana suits a couple on a slow weekend, and its wooden huts stand in small clusters along the Ljubljanica, so the evening turns into a riverside walk. The fair opens on the Friday before Advent, when the city switches on its lights, and in 2025 it carried on into January. December nights by the river are damp and often foggy, so bring layers. ### Croatia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/croatia Zagreb runs Advent as a citywide festival from 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027, and its stalls climb from the parks of the Lower Town into the Upper Town. Families and groups who like a different corner each evening do well here, and the ice rink on King Tomislav Square stands in front of the main station. Expect to walk between sites, and dress for standing outdoors after dark. ### Belgium URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/belgium Brussels makes the easiest base, because Winter Wonders spreads over eight squares of the lower town and direct trains run out to Bruges and Ghent. Bruges suits a couple on a slow weekend, and its small market under the gables of the Markt pairs well with the covered ice rink and a beer café. Ghent's Winter Festival opens only on 3 December, so a late-November trip misses it. ### The Netherlands URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/netherlands Valkenburg holds two Christmas markets inside marl caves under the town, and Maastricht makes the base, since the Vrijthof market stays open late and the caves are a short train ride east. Book a timed cave slot for a weekday if you can, because weekend slots sell out first. Amsterdam builds its December around the Light Festival on the canals and keeps one small Christmas Village on the Museumplein. ### Denmark URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/denmark Copenhagen is the base, and Christmas in Tivoli runs beside the main station into January with its rides and stalls behind one ticketed gate. The free square markets just off Strøget close before Christmas, so come between late November and mid-December to catch them with Tivoli. December light goes by mid-afternoon, which leaves the mornings for sightseeing. ### Estonia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/estonia Tallinn's market fills Town Hall Square inside the walled Old Town every day from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, so a New Year trip still finds the stalls open. All the huts stand on that one square, and the space around the tree gets tight while the stage programme runs from Friday to Sunday. Pack proper boots, because the Old Town cobbles turn icy. ### Latvia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/latvia Riga's market fills Dome Square under the cathedral from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and in 2025 most of its traders were Latvian makers and food producers. The whole thing sits on one square, which suits families and couples who want an easy wander between dinner and the hotel. It opens a week after Tallinn's, so a Baltic loop in late November should start in Tallinn. ### Lithuania URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/lithuania Vilnius suits travellers who come for the tree as much as the stalls, because the city redesigns its Cathedral Square tree every year and sets a small Christmas town beside it. The season opens when the tree lights up on the last Saturday of November. The Christmas town closed on 28 December in 2025, so plan Vilnius for the weeks before Christmas. ### England URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/england York lines Parliament Street with chalets inside its medieval walls, and Bath spreads more than 180 of them through the streets around the Abbey, so both suit a compact weekend on foot. London leans towards big fairs, and the one in Hyde Park sells entry by timed ticket. Bath's market closes on 13 December and York's shuts every Tuesday, so check the calendar before you book. ### Scotland URL: https://christmasineurope.com/regions/scotland Edinburgh's market fills East Princes Street Gardens below the castle from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, so a stay can run from Christmas into Hogmanay. Waverley station opens right onto the market. The narrow garden paths crowd at peak times, and weekdays are easier, since every gate is open then and level access works from any entrance. ## Towns and neighbourhoods ### Aachen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/aachen Type: Town Also known as: Aken, Aix-la-Chapelle Region: The Rhineland Area: North Rhine-Westphalia Coordinates: 50.77620, 6.08380 Kind: City Population: 263,703 Cathedral: Entry to Aachen Cathedral is free. Guided tours, the only way into the choir hall and up to Charlemagne's throne, cost €8.50 from 1 September 2026. Totensonntag: On Sunday 22 November 2026 the Christmas market opens only from 18:00 to 21:00. Summary: Aachen suits rail travellers on the Brussels to Cologne line who want one compact, food-led Christmas market under Charlemagne's cathedral. It is small enough to see in half a day, so most people pass through rather than stay a week. The market runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026 around the cathedral and the town hall, and Aachener Printen, the city's protected gingerbread, is what everyone carries home. The cathedral was the first German cultural site on the UNESCO World Heritage List, in 1978. Tips: - Buy Printen straight from an Aachen maker such as Nobis. Q: Is Aachen worth visiting for the Christmas market? A: Yes, as a half-day or overnight stop. The Aachen Christmas market runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026 around the cathedral and the town hall, and the city sits on the direct line between Brussels and Cologne. Q: Is Aachen a good place to stay? A: Aachen sits on the main line between Brussels and Cologne, so it works as a first or last night in Germany with a compact old-town market at the door. The whole market fits between the cathedral and the town hall, which keeps every walk short. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1017 https://aachenweihnachtsmarkt.de/ https://www.aachenerdom.de/ort-der-besichtigung/faqs/ https://www.aachenerdom.de/ort-der-geschichte/ https://www.nobis-printen.de/ ### Amsterdam URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/amsterdam Type: Town Also known as: Mokum, Amsterdam in December, Amsterdam at Christmas Region: The Netherlands Area: North Holland (Noord-Holland) Coordinates: 52.36670, 4.88330 Kind: City Population: 921,468 Light Festival information point: Amstel 1 (the Stopera), open Thursday to Sunday 16:30 to 21:00 and daily from 19 December to 3 January, apart from 25 and 31 December. Museumplein: Trams 2, 3 and 5 stop at Museumplein, beside the Christmas Village market. Sinterklaas: Sinterklaas arrives in Amsterdam on Sunday 15 November 2026, two weeks before the Light Festival begins. Website: https://www.iamsterdam.com/en Summary: Amsterdam in December is a city for canal lights and concerts, and it suits couples and first-timers who want an easy arrival and evenings on the water, though its one central Christmas market on the Museumplein is small. The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, and Christmas Village on the Museumplein from 3 to 27 December 2026. Amsterdam's season starts early with Sinterklaas, who arrives by boat in mid-November, and Dutch families give their presents on the evening of 5 December, which they call pakjesavond. After that the canals take over. The Amsterdam Light Festival places around 20 artworks along the water, and you can see them free on foot or pay for a cruise. Christmas Village on the Museumplein gives you a glühwein and a browse between the big museums. If your trip is about markets, start in Amsterdam and head south by train. South Limburg holds the Dutch markets most worth the journey, in Valkenburg's caves and on Maastricht's Vrijthof, and the ride down gives you a day in the city for the lights first. Tips: - The Light Festival switches off at 21:00 on New Year's Eve, two hours earlier than usual. - Christmas Village opens on Christmas Day and Boxing Day from 12:00 to 19:00. Q: Does Amsterdam have a Christmas market? A: Yes. Christmas Village Amsterdam on the Museumplein runs from 3 to 27 December 2026, free to enter, with more than 50 stands. Q: When is the Amsterdam Light Festival 2026? A: The Amsterdam Light Festival runs from 26 November 2026 to 17 January 2027, lit daily from 16:30 to 23:00. Q: What is open in Amsterdam on Christmas Day? A: The Light Festival artworks are lit on 25 December, Christmas Village on the Museumplein opens from 12:00 to 19:00, and the Concertgebouw Orchestra traditionally plays its Christmas Matinee that day. Q: Is Amsterdam a good place to stay? A: Amsterdam builds its December around the canals: the Amsterdam Light Festival lights them every evening from 16:30, and the Concertgebouw holds its Christmas Matinee on 25 December. Schiphol and Amsterdam Centraal make it the easiest Dutch arrival point for a longer rail trip south to Maastricht and Valkenburg. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://amsterdamlightfestival.com/en/dates-hours https://icevillage.nl/ https://www.sintinamsterdam.nl/ https://www.iamsterdam.com/en/whats-on/christmas-markets https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/en/stories/the-christmas-matinee-50-1-years-of-an-orchestra-tradition/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q727 ### Annaberg-Buchholz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/annaberg-buchholz Type: Town Also known as: Annaberg, Annaberg Erzgebirge Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge Coordinates: 50.57890, 13.01060 Kind: Town Population: 18,882 Tourist office: Tourist-Information Annaberg-Buchholz, Buchholzer Straße 2, phone 03733 19433, open every day of the year. Website: https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/ Summary: Annaberg-Buchholz suits families who want a well-run Erzgebirge market and the region's largest Advent miners' parade, and you reach it by regional train or by road. The market runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026. The town sets its Christmas huts on the Markt in the timber style of the Erzgebirge. The market's elves wrap presents at the market post office and run a children's cinema, and every year the cooks choose one old local dish to serve in their own versions. The St. Annenkirche closes the Große Bergparade on Advent 4, when more than 1,000 people in miners' costume march and the bands play a final concert in front of the church. In the Bergkirche St. Marien a miners' nativity of 32 carved figures, each about 1.20 metres tall, was finished in 2015. Tips: - The Tourist-Information at Buchholzer Straße 2 opens every day of the year and sells the market's souvenirs. Q: When is the Annaberg-Buchholz Christmas market in 2026? A: The Annaberger Weihnachtsmarkt runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026, open until 19:00 Sunday to Thursday and until 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Q: Is Annaberg-Buchholz a good place to stay? A: Staying in Annaberg-Buchholz on the weekend of Advent 4 lets you watch the Große Bergparade at 13:30 without an early start, then shop the market in the evening. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/ https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/service.php https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/bergparade.php https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57944 ### Augsburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/augsburg Type: Town Region: Bavaria Coordinates: 48.36890, 10.89780 Kind: City Population: 301,786 Toilets: Step-free toilets sit inside Rathausplatz 1, and a Toilette für Alle stands between Martin-Luther-Platz and Fuggerplatz during the market. Summary: Augsburg suits families who want one market built around a show, the Engelesspiel, from 23 November to 24 December 2026; outside the Advent weekend evenings the square is a straightforward city market. The Christkindlesmarkt fills the Rathausplatz from the evening of 23 November to 14:00 on 24 December 2026. Come on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday in Advent for the Engelesspiel at 18:00, when 23 angels appear in the windows of the town hall. Christmas Garden at Augsburg Zoo adds a timed-entry light trail in the evenings, with family days at €39.90 for up to four people. Q: What is the Engelesspiel in Augsburg? A: The Engelesspiel is a short performance in which 23 angels appear in the windows of Augsburg's town hall at 18:00 on Advent Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. A former tourism director, Fritz Kleiber, devised it in 1977. Q: Is Augsburg a good place to stay? A: Augsburg works as a base for a family who want one central market with an angel show in the town hall windows. The zoo adds a lit trail in the evenings, and Munich is close by rail for a day trip. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2749 http://www.augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/ http://www.augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/engelesspiel https://www.christmas-garden.de/en/augsburg/besuch/ ### Bad Ischl URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bad-ischl Type: Town Also known as: Ischl, Bad Ischl Kaiserstadt Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Salzkammergut Coordinates: 47.71119, 13.62339 Kind: Spa town Population: 14,133 Market: The artisans' market fills the Trinkhalle at Auböckplatz 5, and the tourist office sits at the same address. Tourist office: Tourismusverband Bad Ischl answers on +43 6132 27757. Website: https://badischl.salzkammergut.at/ Summary: Bad Ischl suits a traveller who wants a calm, comfortable base between Hallstatt and the Wolfgangsee, with cake at Zauner and a small craft market. Its Advent is low-key, so come for the town as much as the market. Emperor Franz Joseph took Bad Ischl as his summer residence in 1849, and the Kaiservilla still stands on the edge of town. The spa-town feel carries into Advent with lit streets and decorated shop windows. In 2024 the town was a European Capital of Culture. The town's artisans run their Christmas market in the Trinkhalle, which opens on 20 November 2026. In 2025 it kept Wednesday-to-Sunday days. In the 2025 season a food village stood next door into January, and the town museum showed nativity scenes from late November to the end of January. Tips: - Use Bad Ischl as your base for a Hallstatt day on 8 December, then come back for the evening. - Order the Zaunerstollen at Zauner. Q: Is Bad Ischl a good base for Hallstatt at Christmas? A: Yes. It has a station and more open in the evening, and it's quieter to sleep in than Hallstatt. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://badischl.salzkammergut.at/en/welcome-to-bad-ischl/bad-ischl-advent.html?type=2026 https://www.salzkammergut.at/en/advent/oesterreich-veranstaltung/detail/430005295/christkindlmarkt-der-ischler-handwerker.html https://www.zauner.at/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bad_Ischl https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q250984 ### Baden-Baden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/baden-baden Type: Town Also known as: Baden Baden Region: The Black Forest Area: Northern Black Forest Coordinates: 48.76190, 8.24080 Kind: Town Population: 56,952 Tourist information: In the Kurhaus colonnades in the town centre Train: Baden-Baden station is in Oos, on the Rhine valley main line, with regular buses into the centre. Parking: The Kurhaus garage sits under the Kurhaus, and park-and-ride sites at Oos include Oos Nord next to the station. Low emission zone: Baden-Baden has an environmental zone; check your vehicle's sticker before driving in. Website: https://www.baden-baden.com Summary: Baden-Baden suits travellers who want a slower Advent in a spa town, with a Christkindelsmarkt in front of the Kurhaus that runs from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. The railway station sits out in Oos, so every arrival by train ends with a bus ride into the centre. Baden-Baden's centre gathers around the Kurhaus and the Trinkhalle, and in Advent the Christkindelsmarkt fills the Kurgarten in front of them. UNESCO lists Baden-Baden as a World Heritage site among the Great Spa Towns of Europe. The market runs from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily from 11:00 to 21:00. The railway station stands in the district of Oos, well outside the centre, and regular buses connect it with town. Drivers face an environmental zone and can park in the Kurhaus garage or use the park-and-ride sites at Oos, where P+R Oos Nord next to the station had 237 free spaces in 2025. Tips: - Leave time for the bus from the station in Oos to the centre on both legs of a day trip. - The tourist information in the Kurhaus colonnades books guided tours of the Christkindelsmarkt. Q: Is Baden-Baden's Christmas market open after Christmas? A: Yes. Baden-Baden's Christkindelsmarkt stays open until 6 January 2027, daily from 11:00 to 21:00, with special-day hours still to be set by the organizer. Q: How far is Baden-Baden station from the Christmas market? A: Baden-Baden station is in Oos, well outside the centre, so plan on a bus from the station to the Kurhaus and the Christkindelsmarkt. Q: Is Baden-Baden a good place to stay? A: Baden-Baden is the Black Forest base for anyone travelling between Christmas and Epiphany, since its Christkindelsmarkt stays open until 6 January 2027 right beside the Kurhaus and the Lichtentaler Allee. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.baden-baden.com/en/events/baden-baden-christmas-market https://www.wochenblatt-reporter.de/c-ausgehen-geniessen/weihnachtsmarkt-baden-baden-2025-christkindelsmarkt-am-weltberuehmten-kurhaus_a680810 https://regional.bahn.de/regionen/baden-wuerttemberg/ausflugstipps/weihnachtsmaerkte-uebersicht/weihnachtsmarkt-baden-baden https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4100 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/4960447 ### Bamberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bamberg Type: Town Region: Franconia Area: Upper Franconia Coordinates: 49.89170, 10.89170 Kind: City Population: 77,218 Tourist information: The tourist information at Geyerswörthstraße 5 opened 09:30 to 17:00 on weekdays, 09:30 to 15:00 on Saturday and 09:30 to 14:00 on Sundays and holidays in winter 2025–26, and closed from 24 to 26 December and on 1 January. Buses in Advent: In 2024 the city made buses into the centre free on the four Advent Saturdays and opened its Park and Ride sites at Heinrichsdamm and Kronacher Straße free of charge. Website: https://www.bamberg.info/ Summary: Bamberg suits travellers who come for nativity cribs and smoked beer as much as for stalls; its Christmas market runs on the Maximiliansplatz and Grüner Markt from 24 November to 23 December 2026, according to the tourism service. The trade-off is a small market, with 45 stalls in 2024. Bamberg calls itself a Krippenstadt, and its tourism service traces the passion for crib-building back about 400 years to the Jesuits. From late November into February, cribs stand open in churches, museums and squares, and many church cribs change their scene through the season. The Großkrippe on the Schönleinsplatz puts life-size figures in a half-timbered house. The Christmas market fills the Maxplatz and the Grüner Markt from 24 November 2026, opening at 09:30 from Monday to Saturday. Shops may stay open to midnight on all four Advent Saturdays in 2026. Finish the day at the Schlenkerla, where the smoked beer comes from oak casks and a stronger Doppelbock returns from the first Sunday of Advent. Tips: - Pick up the Winter im Welterbe brochure at the tourist information to plan a crib walk. - Come on an Advent Saturday by bus if the free-bus offer runs again; in 2024 it covered the city's inner fare zones. Q: Why is Bamberg called a Krippenstadt? A: Bamberg is called a Krippenstadt, a city of nativity cribs, because many of its churches, museums and squares put cribs on public view from late November into February. Bamberg's tourism service traces the tradition back about 400 years to the Jesuits. Q: When is the Bamberg Christmas market in 2026? A: The Bamberg Christmas market runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026 on the Maximiliansplatz and Grüner Markt, as announced by Bamberg's tourism service. Q: Is Bamberg a good place to stay? A: Stay in Bamberg if you want the nativity cribs and the smoked beer as much as the market. The cribs open from late November into the new year, so Bamberg rewards a slow day after the market has closed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bamberg.info/veranstaltungen/bamberger_weihnachtsmarkt-431069/ https://www.bamberg.info/krippen/ https://www.bamberg.info/media-download/pdf/downloads/flyer_broschueren/winter_im_welterbe.pdf https://www.bamberg.info/veranstaltungen/lange_einkaufsnacht_in_bamberg-912617/ https://www.stadt.bamberg.de/index.php?object=tx,3481.6&ModID=7&FID=3481.24978.1&NavID=2730.2 https://www.schlenkerla.de/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3936 ### Basel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/basel Type: Town Also known as: Bale, Basle Region: Switzerland Area: Basel-Stadt Coordinates: 47.56060, 7.59060 Kind: City Population: 176,329 Currency: Swiss francs (CHF) Languages: German; French is the city's second name language (Bâle) Website: https://www.basel.com/de/veranstaltungen/weihnachten Summary: Basel suits a two- or three-night base for anyone who wants one compact old town with two market squares a few minutes apart, and its trade-off is that the stalls shut for the year on 23 December. The 2026 market runs from 26 November to 23 December on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, open 11:00 to 20:30, and the city's Christmas lights stay on until 3 January 2027. Basel runs one market across two squares. Barfüsserplatz is the busier, lower square with about a hundred stalls and the candle-dipping hut, and Münsterplatz up the hill holds a smaller ring of stalls among trees in front of the red sandstone cathedral, with a fairy-tale forest for children. The canton's market office publishes the dates years ahead, and every run it lists through 2031 opens on the fourth Thursday of November and closes on 23 December. The Verein Basler Weihnacht dresses the rest of the city. Its 2024 programme hung lights along Freie Strasse and Spalenberg and set up a nativity trail of shop windows between the Spalentor and Schifflände. Those are the streets to walk between the two squares, and they keep their lights on into the first days of January after the stalls have gone. Tips: - The Münsterplatz stalls close at 18:00 on 23 December 2026 and Barfüsserplatz at 20:00, so do the upper square first on the last day. - Basel Minster closes to visitors on 24 December, so plan any visit inside the cathedral before Christmas Eve. Q: When is the Basel Christmas market in 2026? A: The Basel Christmas market runs from 26 November to 23 December 2026 on Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz, open daily 11:00 to 20:30. On 23 December Barfüsserplatz closes at 20:00 and Münsterplatz at 18:00, according to the canton's market office. Q: Is the Basel Christmas market open on Christmas Eve? A: No. The Basel Christmas market closes for the season on 23 December, so on 24 December only the street lights and the shops remain. Q: How long do Basel's Christmas lights stay up? A: Basel's Christmas lights go on officially on 26 November 2026 and stay on daily from 15:00 to 22:30 until 3 January 2027, according to Basel Tourism. Q: Is Basel a good place to stay? A: You stay in Basel in December for the short distances. Barfüsserplatz and Münsterplatz sit at either end of a short climb through the old town, and Basel SBB is the starting point for day trips across the border and around Switzerland. Arrive on the opening Thursday if you can, because the lights and the market start together on 26 November 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bs.ch/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.bs.ch/medienmitteilungen/pd/2025-die-basler-weihnacht-verzaubert-und-belebt-das-geschaeft https://www.bs.ch/medienmitteilungen/pd/2024-basler-weihnacht-2024-sorgt-fuer-zauberhafte-atmosphaere https://www.basel.com/de/veranstaltungen/weihnachten https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q78 ### Bath URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bath Type: Town Also known as: Bath Somerset, Bath England Region: England Area: Somerset Coordinates: 51.38140, -2.35970 Kind: City Population: 94,092 Market dates: The market runs only from 26 November to 13 December 2026, so a visit later in December misses it. Road closures: Roads around the market close every day it trades, and some Blue Badge spaces on Cheap Street, Westgate Street and Upper Borough Walls are affected. Quiet time: Tuesdays and Wednesdays from 10:00 to 12:00 are quiet shopping hours with no large-scale entertainment. Website: https://www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk/ Summary: Bath is a UNESCO-listed Georgian spa city that suits a short Christmas shopping break, with more than 180 market chalets in the streets around the Abbey, though the market closes on 13 December. In 2026 Bath Christmas Market runs from 26 November to 13 December. Bath was built as a spa, first by the Romans and again in the Georgian era, and its honey-coloured stone streets make a handsome setting for the market. The chalets run through the lanes between the Abbey and Milsom Street, so you see the city as you shop. Come midweek if you can. Weekends pack the narrow streets, and the council runs quiet shopping hours on Tuesday and Wednesday mornings. Tips: - Book Bath for late November or early December, since the market ends on 13 December 2026. - Use public transport, as the market streets close to traffic every day. Q: When is the Bath Christmas market in 2026? A: Bath Christmas Market runs from 26 November to 13 December 2026 in the streets around Bath Abbey. Q: Is Bath a good place to stay? A: Bath suits a weekend of Christmas shopping in a small Georgian city, with chalets spread through the streets around the Abbey from 26 November to 13 December 2026. The Roman Baths and the Abbey sit at the centre of the market. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk/ https://www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk/about-bath-christmas-market https://www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk/event-accessibility https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bath,_Somerset https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22889 ### Bautzen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bautzen Type: Town Also known as: Bautzen Saxony, Budissin Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Upper Lusatia Coordinates: 51.18140, 14.42390 Kind: Town Population: 37,306 Market office: Stadt Bautzen, culture office, phone +49 3591 534413, email kultur@bautzen.de. Group travel: The city's group-travel page lists coach parking and group offers. Website: https://www.wenzelsmarkt-bautzen.de/ Summary: Bautzen suits travellers who want a mid-sized market in a towered old town between Dresden and Görlitz, and the stalls close at 20:00 on most nights. The 643rd Wenzelsmarkt runs from 27 November to 22 December 2026. Bautzen dates its Christmas market to 1384, when King Wenceslas IV of Bohemia granted the town a free meat market up to Christmas, and it names the Wenzelsmarkt after him. The city sets out about 80 stalls in a single line from the Hauptmarkt down the Reichenstraße to the Kornmarkt. Santa opens the Advent calendar with the children every day, and the stage adds puppet shows and story hours. The city has already fixed its market dates through 2029, so you can plan years ahead. Tips: - Two Advent Sundays are shopping Sundays in Bautzen's old town. Q: When is the Bautzen Christmas market in 2026? A: The 643rd Bautzener Wenzelsmarkt runs from 27 November to 22 December 2026, the city confirms. In 2027 it runs from 26 November to 22 December. Q: Is Bautzen a good place to stay? A: A night in Bautzen lets you walk the Wenzelsmarkt from the Hauptmarkt to the Kornmarkt after dark and pair it with Görlitz or Dresden the next day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wenzelsmarkt-bautzen.de/ https://www.bautzen.de/fileadmin/media/veranstaltungen/Flyer_BautzenerSenfwochen2026.pdf https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14835 ### Berlin URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/berlin Type: Town Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Coordinates: 52.51670, 13.38330 Kind: City Population: 3,700,577 Market list: The Senatsverwaltung für Wirtschaft, Energie und Betriebe keeps an open list of Berlin and Brandenburg Christmas markets under a CC BY licence. Its newest edition covers 2025, and organizers add themselves, so several big markets are missing from it. Summary: Berlin suits a traveller who wants a different Christmas market every evening, from the WeihnachtsZauber on the Gendarmenmarkt to the palace grounds at Charlottenburg, with Potsdam an easy day out. Its trade-off is distance: the markets sit across the city, so plan each evening around one or two of them. Berlin's markets spread across the whole city, so it pays to pick them by neighbourhood. WeihnachtsZauber on the Gendarmenmarkt charges €2 and fills one of the city's grandest squares. The Rotes Rathaus market brings an ice rink and a 50-metre wheel to Mitte, and the Breitscheidplatz market keeps going into January. Further out, Charlottenburg Palace adds a light show on its front and Domäne Dahlem opens its farmyard on the Advent weekends. Two timed light trails run from mid-November, one in the Botanischer Garten and one in the Tierpark. In December the Berliner Dom stages Bach's Christmas Oratorio, and St. Hedwig's Cathedral reopened in 2024 after its redesign. Tips: - Many Berlin markets publish their hours late in the autumn, so check each one again in November. Q: Which Berlin Christmas markets stay open after Christmas? A: In 2026 the Gendarmenmarkt runs to 31 December, while the Breitscheidplatz and Rotes Rathaus markets run to 3 January 2027. The Rotes Rathaus market closes on 31 December. Q: Do Berlin Christmas markets charge entry? A: Most of the big Berlin Christmas markets are free to enter. WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt charges €2 in 2026 outside its free weekday lunchtime window, and the Domäne Dahlem Advent market charges €4.50 for adults. Q: Is Berlin a good place to stay? A: Base yourself in Berlin if you want a different big market every evening, with Potsdam's markets as an easy day out. Stay in Mitte for the Gendarmenmarkt and the Rotes Rathaus, or in the City West around Zoologischer Garten for the Breitscheidplatz and Charlottenburg Palace. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.berlin.de/sen/web/service/maerkte-feste/weihnachtsmaerkte/ https://datenregister.berlin.de/dataset/simple_search_wwwberlindesenwebservicemaerktefesteweihnachtsmaerkte https://www.visitberlin.de/en/christmas-market-weihnachtszauber-gendarmenmarkt-berlin https://www.berlinerweihnachtszeit.de/oeffnungszeiten/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q64 ### Bern URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bern Type: Town Also known as: Berne Region: Switzerland Area: Canton of Bern Coordinates: 46.94800, 7.44740 Kind: City Population: 146,455 Currency: Swiss francs (CHF); the Sternenmarkt is card-only Website: https://www.bern.ch/themen/freizeit-und-sport/markte/maerkteinbern Summary: Bern suits a couple or an older traveller who likes arcaded streets and a crafts-only market under a Gothic cathedral, and its trade-off is early closing: the Münsterplatz stalls shut at 18:30 on weekdays. The capital runs three Christmas markets in 2026, on Münsterplatz from 28 November, on Waisenhausplatz from 27 November and the Sternenmarkt by the Federal Palace from 19 November. The city lists its own Christmas calendar on bern.ch. The Waisenhausplatz market runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026, then turns into an Old Year's market from 28 to 31 December and a New Year's market from 4 to 9 January 2027. The Sternenmarkt runs on to 27 December, and it takes cards and Twint only. Tips: - The Münsterplatz market is open on 24 December 2026 from 10:00 to 16:00, and the Sternenmarkt to 16:00. - Bring a card for the Sternenmarkt, which takes no cash. Q: How many Christmas markets does Bern have in 2026? A: Bern has three main Christmas markets in 2026. The Sternenmarkt runs from 19 November to 27 December, the Waisenhausplatz market from 27 November to 24 December and the Münsterplatz market from 28 November to 24 December. Q: Are Bern's Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? A: Yes. The Münsterplatz market opens from 10:00 to 16:00 on 24 December 2026 and the Sternenmarkt until 16:00; the Waisenhausplatz market's 2026 hours were not yet published in October 2026. Q: Is Bern a good place to stay? A: Bern rewards a night or two because its markets keep different hours and suit different moods. The Münsterplatz market sells only pieces made in the stallholders' own workshops, while the Sternenmarkt runs until 22:00 with a fondue chalet for the evening. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bern.ch/themen/freizeit-und-sport/markte/maerkteinbern http://www.bernerweihnachtsmarkt.ch/ https://www.bernersternenmarkt.ch/ https://www.weihnachtsmarktbern.ch/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q70 ### Bernkastel-Kues URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bernkastel-kues Type: Town Also known as: Bernkastel, Kues Region: The Rhineland Area: Moselle, Rhineland-Palatinate Coordinates: 49.91610, 7.06940 Kind: Town Population: 6,682 Getting there: Bernkastel-Kues has no railway station; buses run from Wittlich Hbf. Market: The 2026 market runs from 20 November to 20 December and closes on 22 November. Summary: Bernkastel-Kues suits couples on a slow Moselle trip who want a small market in a half-timbered wine town, from 20 November to 20 December 2026. You need a bus or a car to get here. The market has 38 stalls in the lanes of Bernkastel's old town. More than 100 divers swim the Moselle with torches on 5 December 2026, and fireworks go up over the river on 19 December. Traben-Trarbach's cellar market lies downriver and opens on weekends. Q: Can you reach Bernkastel-Kues by train? A: No. Bernkastel-Kues has no railway station, so you take a bus from Wittlich Hbf or drive. Q: Is Bernkastel-Kues a good place to stay? A: Bernkastel-Kues is a half-timbered wine town on the Moselle with a small Advent market, a torch swim on the river and fireworks before Christmas. Stay a night or two if you want a slow, wine-led December break. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q155622 https://www.bernkastel.de/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.mosel-wein-nachts-markt.de ### Bolzano URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bolzano Type: Town Also known as: Bozen, Bolzano-Bozen, Bolzano Bozen Region: South Tyrol Area: Bolzano/Bozen Coordinates: 46.49810, 11.35480 Kind: City Population: 108,245 Names: The city is officially bilingual. Bolzano is the Italian name and Bozen the German one, and signs, timetables and menus use both. Market: The Christkindlmarkt fills Waltherplatz, the Pfarrplatz and the Domplatz, with craft stalls along the Eisackstraße to the Kapuzinerpark. Luggage: Base Camp Dolomites on platform 1 of Bolzano station stores bags daily 08:30–18:30. Tourist office: The Verkehrsamt Bozen info point at Kornplatz 11 opens daily 10:00–18:00 during the market, 10:00–14:00 on 24 and 31 December and 12:00–18:00 on 1 January, and closes on Christmas Day. Phone +39 0471 307000. Trains from Milan: Decorated Christmas trains run from Milan Garibaldi to the Brenner on the first weekends of the market, with stops along the way; tickets are sold on trenitalia.com. Website: https://www.bolzano-bozen.it/ Summary: Bolzano (Bozen in German) is the capital of South Tyrol and the most practical base for the region's Christmas markets, with its own market on Waltherplatz and fast trains to Merano, Brixen and Trento, though the main square fills up at weekends. In 2026 the Bolzano Christmas market runs from 26 November to 6 January 2027. Bolzano sits where the Eisack meets the Talfer, with vineyards climbing the slopes right behind the houses. About 108,000 people live here, speaking Italian and German side by side, and the market signs, menus and carols switch between the two languages. Stay in the old town between Waltherplatz and the arcaded Laubengasse if you can. The station is close by, so a day out to Merano or Brixen and back needs no car and no transfer. Up on the Ritten plateau above the city, the villages of Oberbozen and Klobenstein hold a smaller Advent market called the Rittner Christbahnl. Bolzano's market runs past Christmas to Epiphany on 6 January, which suits a trip that takes in the week between the holidays. Only Christmas Day is closed. Tips: - Base yourself near Waltherplatz and use the train for Merano and Brixen. - Search timetables under either Bozen or Bolzano, since both names point to the same station. - Spend Christmas Day at the Trento market, which opens that afternoon while Bolzano's stays shut. Q: Is Bolzano a good base for Christmas markets in South Tyrol? A: Yes. Bolzano has its own Christmas market on Waltherplatz from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and regional trains reach the markets in Merano, Brixen, Bruneck and Sterzing. Q: Is Bolzano the same as Bozen? A: Yes. Bolzano is the Italian name and Bozen the German name of the capital of South Tyrol, which is officially bilingual. Q: When is the Bolzano Christmas market in 2026? A: The Bolzano Christmas market runs from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, closed only on Christmas Day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mercatinodinatalebz.it/de/christkindlmarkt-bozen.htm https://www.mercatinodinatalebz.it/de/oeffnungszeiten.htm https://www.mercatinodinatalebz.it/de/bozen-mit-dem-zug.htm https://www.mercatinodinatalebz.it/de/suedtiroler-christkindlmaerkte.htm https://www.bolzano-bozen.it/de/winter-bozen.htm https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bolzano https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6526 ### Bonn URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bonn Type: Town Region: The Rhineland Area: North Rhine-Westphalia Coordinates: 50.73530, 7.10220 Kind: City Population: 323,587 Totensonntag: The Bonn Christmas market is closed all day on Sunday 22 November 2026. Last day: The market closes at 20:00 on 23 December 2026. Summary: Bonn suits travellers who want a large market with more than 160 stalls and a quieter base than Cologne, from 18 November to 23 December 2026. It opens later than most markets, at 12:00. Bonn's market runs from the Münsterplatz in front of the minster through the shopping lanes to the Friedensplatz. It opens on Wednesday 18 November 2026, earlier in the week than Cologne's, and closes all day on Totensonntag, when North Rhine-Westphalia's holiday law bars markets until 18:00. Q: When is the Bonn Christmas market 2026? A: The Bonn Christmas market runs from 18 November to 23 December 2026, daily from 12:00 to 21:00, and is closed on 22 November. Q: Is Bonn a good place to stay? A: Bonn gives you a big Christmas market in a calmer, smaller city a short train ride from Cologne. The market sits a few streets from the station, so a base here keeps the walking short. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q586 https://www.bonnerweihnachtsmarkt.de ### Brixen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/brixen Type: Town Also known as: Bressanone, Brixen Bressanone Region: South Tyrol Area: Eisacktal / Valle Isarco Coordinates: 46.71650, 11.65790 Kind: Town Population: 22,816 Names: Brixen is the German name and Bressanone the Italian one. Both appear on signs and timetables. Trains: DB and ÖBB Railjet trains link Brixen with Munich and Innsbruck without a change five times a day, with fares from €29.90. Light show: OOPS 2 runs in the Hofburg from 26 November 2026 to 9 January 2027. Adults pay €13 Sunday to Thursday and €15 on Fridays, Saturdays and holidays, and a DB or ÖBB ticket takes €2 off at the box office. Tourist office: Brixen Tourismus is at Regensburger Allee 9, phone +39 0472 275252. Website: https://www.brixen.org/ Summary: Brixen (Bressanone in Italian) is the oldest town in South Tyrol and suits a short, walkable Christmas stop on the Brenner rail line, with a market on the cathedral square and a light show in the bishops' palace, though its craft stalls close at 19:00. In 2026 the Brixen Christmas market runs from 26 November to 6 January 2027. Brixen was the seat of prince-bishops for centuries, and the old town still turns on the cathedral and the Hofburg. The market fills the Domplatz in between, so you can move from the stalls to the light show in a few steps. Arcaded lanes with small shops run off the square for gift shopping that the market does not cover. The Plose rises above the town and opens for skiing in winter. Pair a morning on the mountain with an evening at the market if you have two days here. Tips: - Arrive by Railjet from Munich or Innsbruck and keep your ticket for €2 off the light show. - Spend the evening of a Saturday in Advent here, when the food stalls stay open to 22:00. Q: Is Brixen the same as Bressanone? A: Yes. Brixen and Bressanone are the German and Italian names of the same town in South Tyrol. Q: Can you take a direct train to Brixen from Munich? A: Yes. DB and ÖBB Railjet trains run from Munich and Innsbruck to Brixen without a change five times a day, according to Brixen Tourismus. Q: Is Brixen a good place to stay? A: Brixen gives you a compact bishop's town with a market on the cathedral square and a light show in the Hofburg next door. The market runs from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and direct DB and ÖBB trains from Munich and Innsbruck stop here, so it works as a first night in Italy on the way over the Brenner. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.brixen.org/weihnachten/weihnachten/ https://www.brixen.org/weihnachten/weihnachten/weihnachtsmarkt-suedtirol https://www.brixen.org/weihnachten/weihnachten/gut-zu-wissen https://www.brixen.org/weihnachten/weihnachten/light-music-show https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brixen https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q185541 ### Brno URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/brno Type: Town Also known as: Brünn, Brunn Region: Czechia Coordinates: 49.19530, 16.60830 Kind: City Population: 402,739 Tourist information: TIC Brno, Radnická 2 (daily 9:00–18:00, +420 542 427 150) and Zámečnická (daily 9:00–20:00). Airport: Bus E76 runs from the main station to Brno-Tuřany airport. Parking: Domini park, Velký Špalíček and JD Parking serve the centre. Blue zone B is free at weekends. Population: 402,739 on 1 January 2025 (via Wikidata). Summary: Brno suits travellers who want Czech markets at Czech prices and a compact centre you can cover on foot. The trade-off is fewer set pieces than Prague, though the season runs long, from 13 November to 31 December 2026. The markets sit close together around the old centre, with náměstí Svobody to the north of Zelný trh and Petrov cathedral on the hill just south. TIC Brno says the main station is at most about ten minutes from the centre on foot, and the airport bus E76 leaves from the same station. Come on 27 November for the tree lighting on náměstí Svobody, where Brno says the country's first public Christmas tree stood in 1924. Tips: - Drinks at the TIC Brno markets come in returnable cups with a 50 CZK deposit, which you can also give to a charity cause. - Street parking in blue zone B around the centre is free at weekends. Q: Is Brno a good place to stay? A: Brno runs two market seasons side by side. The Brno-střed district opens Zelný trh, the Jošt statue and the Moravské náměstí park on 13 November and keeps them going to 31 December, with an ice rink and a 33-metre wheel. The city tourist office adds náměstí Svobody, Dominikánské náměstí and the Old Town Hall courtyard from 27 November to 23 December. Seznam Zprávy found svařák at 70 CZK across Brno's stalls in 2025, against 100 CZK on Prague's Old Town Square. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://brnenskevanoce.cz/ https://brnenskevanoce.cz/prakticke-informace/ https://www.vanocebrno.cz/ https://storyoflights.eu/park/brno.html https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/domaci-zivot-v-cesku-klobasa-za-160-svarak-za-stovku-kolik-zaplatite-na-vanocnich-trzich-293192 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14960 ### Bruges URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/bruges Type: Town Local name: Brugge (nl) Also known as: Brugge, Brügge Region: Belgium Area: West Flanders Coordinates: 51.20889, 3.22417 Kind: City Population: 118,509 Tourist offices: Historium, Markt 1; and Stationsplein 5 at the station. Phone +32 50 44 46 46. Winter Glow: 20 November 2026 to 14 February 2027; the markets and the rink run 20 November to 3 January. Population: 118,509 (2022), per Wikidata. Summary: Bruges (Brugge in Dutch) suits couples who want a slow canal city with a small Christmas market, open from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 on the Markt and the Simon Stevinplein. The market is modest, so plan your days around long walks and the covered ice rink. Bruges runs its winter season under the name Wintergloed, which Visit Bruges calls Winter Glow in English. For 2026–27 it lasts from 20 November to 14 February. The Christmas markets fill the Markt below the belfry and the smaller Simon Stevinplein. The covered ice rink and the IJsgloed winter bar sit in the Koning Albert I-park near the station. The city ended the old light walk after the 2025 edition. Mayor Dirk De fauw said in September 2025 that the crowds weighed on the neighbourhoods along the route and that the city wanted to stop on a high. A fire show is planned in its place, and no date had been set when this page was checked. Most of what a December visitor wants sits between the station and the Markt. Visit Bruges has a tourist office in the Historium at Markt 1 and a second at the station on Stationsplein 5. Tips: - The market closes at 17:00 on Christmas Eve, and some stalls stay open to 23:00. - Visit Bruges lists car-free shopping days with free public transport in the run-up to Christmas, with dates to follow. - Check belgiantrain.be before travel days; Visit Bruges flagged a national rail strike on 11–12 October 2026. Q: When is the Bruges Christmas market in 2026? A: The Bruges Christmas market runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 on the Markt and the Simon Stevinplein, according to Visit Bruges. Q: Is Bruges worth visiting at Christmas? A: Yes, for a slow weekend. Bruges has two small market squares and a covered ice rink, and the Winter Glow programme runs from 20 November 2026 to 14 February 2027. Q: Does Bruges still have the Winter Glow light trail? A: No. Bruges ended the Winter Glow light walk after its seventh edition in 2025, and the 2026–27 programme has no light trail. Q: Is Bruges a good place to stay? A: Bruges rewards a night or two, since the market squares and the covered rink both sit within walking distance of the station. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/christmas-markets https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/ice-rink https://www.vrt.be/vrtnws/nl/2025/09/10/lichtparcours-eindejaarsperiode-brugge-wintergloed-geschrapt/ https://www.devlaamschepot.be/ https://www.halvemaan.be/en https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q12994 ### Brussels URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/brussels Type: Town Local name: Bruxelles (fr) Also known as: Bruxelles, Brussel, City of Brussels, Bruxelles-Ville, Stad Brussel Region: Belgium Area: Brussels-Capital Region Coordinates: 50.84667, 4.35167 Kind: City Population: 195,546 Languages: French and Dutch are both official; signs carry both names. Market organizer: Brussels Major Events asbl, +32 2 318 64 70 Getting around: Metro lines 1 and 5 and trams 4 and 10 serve the market stations Gare Centrale, Bourse and De Brouckère. Toilets: Winter Wonders lists ramped public toilets at Place Fontainas, the Halles Saint-Géry, Gare Centrale and the De Brouckère and Bourse metro stations. Population: City of Brussels 195,546 (2024); Brussels-Capital Region 1,255,795 (2025), per Wikidata. Summary: Brussels (Bruxelles in French, Brussel in Dutch) suits a long weekend or the first stop of a Low Countries market trip, with Winter Wonders filling the lower town from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (confirmed by the organizer). Expect crowds on December weekends, and base yourself near the Bourse or Sainte-Catherine if you want to walk everywhere. Brussels is officially bilingual, so street signs and station names come in French and Dutch. The Grand-Place is also the Grote Markt, and the old fish-market square goes by Marché aux Poissons and Vismarkt, which people shorten to Vismet. In December the city's attention runs downhill from the Grand-Place. The square keeps its own Christmas tree and an evening light show, and Winter Wonders spreads its 238 chalets over eight squares from Place de la Monnaie to Place Sainte-Catherine. The 2026 edition runs from 27 November to 3 January, open 12:00–22:00. Brussels also works as a base for Bruges and Ghent, which both sit on the main line west of the capital. Ghent's Winter Festival opens later, on 3 December, so a trip in the first week of December catches all three. The City of Brussels covers the historic centre and has about 196,000 people; the wider Brussels-Capital Region holds about 1.26 million. Tips: - Gare Centrale, Bourse and De Brouckère are the stations the organizer names for Winter Wonders, served by metro lines 1 and 5 and trams 4 and 10. - On 24 and 31 December Winter Wonders closes at 18:00, and there is no Grand-Place show. - The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula marks its 800th anniversary through 2026 with a programme of spiritual and cultural events. Q: Is Brussels worth visiting for Christmas? A: Yes, for a short city break. Brussels runs Winter Wonders across eight squares of the lower town from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a light show on the Grand-Place most evenings. Q: Is Brussels called Bruxelles or Brussel? A: Both. Brussels is officially bilingual, so it is Bruxelles in French and Brussel in Dutch, and signs carry both names. Q: Can you visit Bruges and Ghent from Brussels? A: Yes. Bruges and Ghent are both day trips from Brussels by train. Check belgiantrain.be for the timetable and any strike notices before you travel. Q: Is Brussels a good place to stay? A: Brussels puts you on the doorstep of Winter Wonders and the Grand-Place light show, with direct trains on to Bruges and Ghent. Eurostar arrives at Brussels-Midi, so the city makes an easy first or last night of a trip. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://winterpret.be/infos-pratiques https://winterpret.be/ https://winterpret.be/marche-de-noel https://www.noordzeemerdunord.be/ https://www.alamortsubite.com/ https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q239 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q240 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q86321792 ### Budapest URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/budapest Type: Town Also known as: Budapest Christmas markets, Budapest Advent Region: Hungary Coordinates: 47.49830, 19.04080 Kind: City Population: 1,675,777 Currency: Hungary uses the forint (HUF), and the market stalls price everything in forints. Metro: Metro line M1 stops at Vörösmarty tér beside the market and at Opera for the Opera House. Deák Ferenc tér, where lines M1, M2 and M3 meet, lies between the Vörösmarty and Basilica markets. SisterSite: Riding Budapest (ridingbudapest.com) covers where to stay, eat and sightsee in Budapest. Summary: Budapest suits a long weekend of Christmas markets from mid-November to New Year, with its two big markets on Vörösmarty tér and in front of St Stephen's Basilica open from 13 November 2026 and still running on New Year's Eve. Both are aimed squarely at visitors, so expect crowds and prices set for tourists, and head to Óbuda for a neighbourhood market. Budapest keeps its Christmas in the centre of Pest. Vörösmarty tér at the top of Váci utca and Szent István tér in front of the Basilica hold the two markets most visitors mean, and the city's own market with an ice rink fills Városháza Park and Deák tér between them. All three were open from mid-November in 2025, and the two big ones ran past New Year's Eve into the early hours. Out in Óbuda, on the Buda side to the north, the district council runs Advent in Óbuda on Fő tér with a free ice rink and free weekend concerts. In 2025 it ran from 28 November to 23 December and opened only in the afternoon on weekdays. For music, the Opera House on Andrássy út stages The Nutcracker from 20 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, and Matthias Church on the Castle Hill sang Beethoven's Mass in C major at its Christmas Day high Mass in 2025. Tips: - Plain forralt bor was 1,500 HUF at the hot-drink points of both central markets in 2025, and every big kitchen there sold one dish at a fixed 1,600 HUF. - The craft stalls on Vörösmarty tér close after 28 December, so do your gift shopping before then. - Parts of District V, including Vörösmarty tér and Szent István tér, banned fireworks from 28 December at 18:00 to 1 January at 06:00 in the 2024 season. Q: When do the Budapest Christmas markets open in 2026? A: The Vörösmarty Square market and Advent Bazilika in Budapest both open on 13 November 2026. The Vörösmarty market runs until 31 December, and Advent Bazilika until 1 January 2027. Q: Are the Budapest Christmas markets open after Christmas? A: Yes. Budapest's two central Christmas markets stay open after Christmas and through New Year's Eve, when both stay open until 03:00. The craft stalls on Vörösmarty tér close after 28 December. Q: Are the Budapest Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? A: Yes, for part of the day. On 24 December 2026 the Vörösmarty Square market opens from 10:00 to 14:00 and Advent Bazilika from 11:00 to 15:00. Q: Is Budapest a good place to stay? A: Budapest's two central markets sit a short walk apart in District V and open every day from 13 November 2026, the Vörösmarty market until 31 December and Advent Bazilika until 1 January 2027. Because they run straight through Christmas, a trip in the week between Christmas and New Year still finds them open, and the Opera's Nutcracker plays most of that week too. Base yourself between Deák Ferenc tér and the Basilica and you can walk to both markets and catch metro line M1 to the Opera. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1781 https://vorosmartyclassicxmas.hu/nyitvatartas https://adventbazilika.hu/nyitvatartas https://adventbazilika.hu/aktualitasok/meghitt-es-biztonsagos-unnepeket-budapesten https://budapest.hu/karacsony2025 https://www.adventobudan.hu/ https://www.opera.hu/en/programme/2026-2027/the-nutcracker/ https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/informations/ https://mujegpalya.hu/jegyarak-es-nyitvatartas/ https://www.economx.hu/gazdasag/2025/11/13/itt-a-teljes-lista-ennyibe-kerulnek-az-etelek-es-a-forralt-bor-a-budapesti-adventi-vasarban-819230/ https://welovebudapest.com/toplista/karacsonyi-vasar-budapest-2025-adventi-programok/ ### Cesky Krumlov URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/cesky-krumlov Type: Town Also known as: Krumlov, Krumau, Český Krumlov, Cesky Krumlov Advent Region: Czechia Coordinates: 48.81100, 14.31520 Kind: Town Population: 12,797 Tourist information: Infocentrum, náměstí Svornosti 2, +420 380 704 622, info@ckrumlov.info. Population: 12,797 on 1 January 2025 (via Wikidata). Summary: Český Krumlov suits couples and families who want one or two slow nights in a castle town over an Advent weekend. The trade-off is a single small market with short weekday hours, so plan your visit around the Friday to Sunday programme. The town's Advent programme for 2026 runs from 21 November to 6 January 2027, and the town says the full details come out in October. On 23 December the castle's second courtyard stages a living nativity at 16:15 and 18:30, and on the morning of 24 December visitors bring fruit and treats for the castle bears at Medvědí Vánoce. The Three Kings close the season on the square on 6 January at 16:30. Tips: - Book a Friday and Saturday stay to catch the weekend concerts, which run in the afternoon and early evening. - The Infocentrum on náměstí Svornosti answers on +420 380 704 622. Q: Is Cesky Krumlov a good place to stay? A: Krumlov packs its Advent into the weekends. Bands play on the square on Friday and Saturday afternoons and Sundays go to family events. Most of the big dates land on an Advent weekend as well, from the tree lighting on Sunday 29 November to Mikuláš on Saturday 5 December. A Friday and Saturday stay gets you the concerts and an evening in the light park after the stalls close. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://storyoflights.eu/park/krumlov.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q188082 ### Colmar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/colmar Type: Town Also known as: Colmer Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 48.08110, 7.35500 Kind: Town Population: 66,970 Traffic: From 25 November to 29 December the old town is closed to vehicles during market hours, 11:00 to 19:00 Monday to Thursday and 10:00 to 20:00 Friday to Sunday. Parking: Covered car parks near the markets include Mairie, Rapp, Gare/Bleylé, St Josse and Lacarre. A free shuttle runs from the Bleylé car park to the Théâtre Municipal every 13 minutes on weekdays. Shuttles to the villages: Christmas shuttles leave Colmar for Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 27 November to 20 December 2026. A day costs €17 per person and children under 12 ride free. Guided tours: The tourism office runs Christmas guided tours in English, by day or by night, at €7 for adults and €5 for ages 12 to 18, and children under 12 go free. Summary: Colmar suits couples and families who want a market town at a smaller scale than Strasbourg. Six markets fill its old squares, and the wine villages lie close by. Weekends bring heavy coach traffic, so stay over and walk the squares on a weekday evening. The 2026 markets run from 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). Colmar spreads six markets across the old town, about 180 stalls in all, and the tourism office says most of the makers come from Alsace. The biggest is on Place des Dominicains, and families head for the children's market in Petite Venise. The gourmet market and the Ferris wheel on rue de la Montagne Verte keep going to 3 January 2027. Colmar was the first town in France to light its heritage on this scale, the tourism office says, and the scheme won a special prize from the Académie des Arts de la Rue in 1997. Check the attendance forecast on noel-colmar.com before you choose your days. Tips: - Take the Friday to Sunday Christmas shuttle to the wine villages and leave the car in Colmar. Q: When are the Colmar Christmas markets in 2026? A: The Colmar Christmas markets run from Monday 23 November to Tuesday 29 December 2026 (confirmed). The gourmet market and the Ferris wheel stay open to 3 January 2027. Q: How do you get from Colmar to the Alsace Christmas villages? A: Take the Christmas shuttle, which links Colmar with Kaysersberg, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 27 November to 20 December 2026. It costs €17 per person per day, and children under 12 ride free. Q: Is Colmar a good place to stay? A: Colmar puts six Christmas markets inside one walkable old town, and the wine villages of Eguisheim, Turckheim, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr sit close enough for day trips by shuttle or bus. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/presentation/six-christmas-markets https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/presentation/colmar-the-magic-of-lights https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ribeauville-riquewihr/discover/riquewihr-christmas-market https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q130994 ### Cologne URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/cologne Type: Town Local name: Köln (de) Also known as: Koeln, Koln, Keulen Region: The Rhineland Area: North Rhine-Westphalia Coordinates: 50.94220, 6.95780 Kind: City Population: 1,025,523 Station: Köln Hbf opens onto the cathedral, so the Roncalliplatz market starts at the top of the station steps. Cathedral: Since 1 July 2026 a sightseeing visit to Cologne Cathedral costs €12 for adults, €6 reduced and nothing for children up to 13. Services stay free. Totensonntag: On Sunday 22 November 2026 the cathedral market and the Markt der Engel stay closed all day, and the harbour market opens only from 18:00. After Christmas: Heinzels Wintermärchen on the Heumarkt reopens on 26 December and runs to 10 January 2027, and the harbour market runs to 3 January. Summary: Cologne works well as a base for a Rhineland Christmas market trip, with four big markets in the centre and fast trains to Aachen, Düsseldorf and Bonn. In 2026 the cathedral market's square sits over a garage under repair, so keep a little flexibility in your plans. The cathedral market on Roncalliplatz, the Markt der Engel on Neumarkt and Heinzels Wintermärchen on the Heumarkt and Alter Markt open within a week of each other, on 16 and 23 November 2026, and you can walk the loop between them in an evening. The harbour market at the Chocolate Museum opens first, on 13 November, and keeps going to 3 January. Plan around two quirks. Every market here except the harbour market stays shut on Totensonntag, 22 November, and most of them close for good on 23 December. The cathedral now charges sightseers €12, though anyone who comes for a service gets in free. Tips: - Book a room you can cancel, since the cathedral market's square could lose space to garage repairs in 2026. - Come on a weekday if you can; Advent Saturdays are the busiest days at every market in the centre. Q: When do the Cologne Christmas markets open in 2026? A: Cologne's harbour market opens on 13 November 2026, the cathedral market and the Markt der Engel on 16 November, and Heinzels Wintermärchen on the Heumarkt on 23 November. All of them except the harbour market close on Totensonntag, 22 November. Q: Are Cologne's Christmas markets open after Christmas? A: Some are. Heinzels Wintermärchen on the Heumarkt reopens on 26 December 2026 and runs to 10 January 2027, and the harbour market runs to 3 January. The cathedral market and the Markt der Engel close on 23 December. Q: Does Cologne Cathedral charge admission? A: Yes, for sightseeing. Since 1 July 2026 Cologne Cathedral charges €12 for adults and €6 reduced, children up to 13 go free, and attending a service stays free. Q: What does the name Cologne mean? A: Cologne comes from the local name Colonia, meaning the name comes from the Latin colonia, the rank Rome gave the town in AD 50 as Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium. Q: Is Cologne a good place to stay? A: Cologne puts four big Christmas markets within walking distance of the cathedral, and the trains from Köln Hbf make Aachen, Düsseldorf, Bonn and Koblenz easy day trips. Stay near the cathedral or in the Altstadt and you can drop your shopping at the hotel between markets. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q365 https://www.koelnerweihnachtsmarkt.com https://www.markt-der-engel.de https://www.heinzels-wintermaerchen.de https://www.schokoladenmuseum.de/news/hafenweihnachtsmarkt-am-schokoladenmuseum/ https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/neue-besichtigungsgebuehr-ab-dem-1-juli-2026 https://www.frueh-am-dom.de/ https://www.paeffgen-koelsch.de/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cologne ### Copenhagen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/copenhagen Type: Town Local name: København (da) Also known as: København, Kobenhavn, CPH Region: Denmark Area: Capital Region of Denmark Coordinates: 55.67610, 12.56890 Kind: City Population: 667,099 Airport: Copenhagen Airport (CPH). Main station: Copenhagen Central Station (København H) stands beside Tivoli, which opened an entrance facing the station in 1912. Currency: Danish kroner (DKK). Christmas Eve: Tivoli is closed on 24 December 2026, and the square markets end on 20 and 21 December. Markets: Tivoli 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; Nytorv and Gammeltorv 6 November to 21 December; Højbro Plads 14 November to 20 December; City Hall Square 11 to 20 December (announced). Website: https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/ Summary: Copenhagen is the base for a Danish Christmas trip, with Tivoli's Christmas season beside the main station from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and free square markets a short walk away along Strøget. The trade-off is daylight, because December light goes by mid-afternoon and sightseeing has to happen in the morning. December days in Copenhagen are short, and the light is gone by mid-afternoon. Put anything that needs daylight into the morning, whether that's a canal walk or a palace, and start on the markets after lunch. Tivoli and the markets on Nytorv and Højbro Plads open at 11:00 from Monday to Saturday. On Sunday the two square markets wait until 12:00. A first evening can follow one line through the centre. Start at Tivoli, cross to City Hall Square if its market is running, then walk along Strøget to the stalls and the free ice rink on Nytorv and Gammeltorv. Jul på Højbro Plads sits further on near Amagertorv. Both square markets close at 19:00 from Sunday to Wednesday, so save Tivoli for last on those nights. None of the markets in this guide open on 24 December 2026. Tivoli closes for the day, and the square markets have already finished on 20 and 21 December. Tivoli reopens on Christmas Day at 11:00, and on New Year's Eve it stays open until midnight. Tips: - Copenhagen's visitor service keeps a calendar of Christmas markets in the city and around it, including day-trip markets at Kronborg Castle in Helsingør and in Roskilde. - The Swedish church in Copenhagen holds its Christmas bazaar from 20 to 22 November 2026, and Princess Benedikte is due to open it. - Nyhavn's Christmas market had no 2026 dates on 10 October 2026, so check before you build an evening around it. - The ice rink at the Nytorv and Gammeltorv market is free with free skate hire, and Visit Copenhagen says skating at Tivoli is included once you've paid entry. Q: What are the Christmas markets in Copenhagen in 2026? A: Copenhagen's main Christmas markets in 2026 are Christmas in Tivoli from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, the Nytorv and Gammeltorv market from 6 November to 21 December, Jul på Højbro Plads from 14 November to 20 December and a City Hall Square market announced for 11 to 20 December. Nyhavn's and Christiania's 2026 dates were not published on 10 October 2026. Q: Are Copenhagen's Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? A: No. Tivoli is closed on 24 December 2026, and the square markets on Nytorv, Gammeltorv, Højbro Plads and City Hall Square end on 20 or 21 December. Tivoli reopens on 25 December from 11:00 to 23:00. Q: How do I fit sightseeing into Copenhagen's short December days? A: Do your daylight sightseeing in the morning, because the light goes by mid-afternoon in December. The Copenhagen markets open at 11:00 from Monday to Saturday and stay open into the evening, with Tivoli open until 22:00 or 23:00. Q: Is Copenhagen a good place to stay? A: Stay in Copenhagen in December because the Christmas sights sit close together. Tivoli's Christmas season runs next to Copenhagen Central Station, and the free markets on Nytorv and Gammeltorv and on Højbro Plads lie just off Strøget, which runs from City Hall Square into the old town. City Hall Square adds its own market from 11 to 20 December 2026, so for those ten days you can walk between four markets in one evening. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons https://www.tivoli.dk/om-tivoli/tivolis-historie https://julemarked.dk/planlaeg-dit-besoeg/ https://kbhjulemarked.dk/ https://visitorservice.kk.dk/en/events/christmas-market-at-the-city-hall-square https://visitorservice.kk.dk/en/events/christmas-events https://www.svenskakyrkan.se/kopenhamn/julbasaren https://visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/copenhagen/seasons/guide-christmas-and-new-years-copenhagen https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1748 ### Dinkelsbuhl URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/dinkelsbuhl Type: Town Also known as: Dinkelsbühl, Dinkelsbuehl Region: Franconia Area: Middle Franconia Coordinates: 49.07080, 10.31940 Kind: Town Population: 12,398 Arriving without a car: Dinkelsbühl has no passenger station. The nearest are Crailsheim at 22 km and Dombühl at 25 km, with buses on to the town; buses also come in from Ansbach, Ellwangen and Nördlingen. Driving: Dinkelsbühl lies on the A7 between Würzburg and Ulm; the Dinkelsbühl/Fichtenau exit is about 10 minutes from town, according to the tourist office. Tourist information: Touristik Service Dinkelsbühl is at Altrathausplatz 14; from November to April it opens 10:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 16:00 at weekends and on holidays. Website: https://www.tourismus-dinkelsbuehl.de/ Summary: Dinkelsbühl suits drivers and slow travellers who want a small Christmas market in a hospital courtyard, open from 23 November to 22 December 2026, with a big nativity crib in the Münster nearby. The trade-off is access, because the town has no railway station of its own. Touristik Service Dinkelsbühl runs the market in the Spitalhof, the courtyard of the old Heilig-Geist-Spital, under the motto Ihr Kinderlein kommet. The words to that carol came from Christoph von Schmid, whom the town claims as a son. A craft bazaar inside the hospital buildings sells one-off pieces, and the partner towns bring food stalls from Friday to Sunday. Plan your day around the bus. Crailsheim, 22 km away, is the nearest station, and buses come in from Dombühl and Ansbach as well. The Romantic Road coach only runs from April to October, so it won't help you in Advent. Weekends suit a day trip best, because the market opens at 11:00 on Saturday and Sunday and at 13:00 on weekdays. Tips: - Check bus connections on vgn.de before you leave Ansbach or Dombühl. - Leave time for the crib in the Münster St. Georg, which covers nearly 60 square metres. Q: Does Dinkelsbühl have a train station? A: No. Dinkelsbühl has no passenger station. The nearest is Crailsheim, 22 km away, and buses also run in from Dombühl and Ansbach. Q: When is the Dinkelsbühl Christmas market in 2026? A: The Dinkelsbühl Christmas market runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026 in the Spitalhof, as Touristik Service Dinkelsbühl confirms. Q: Is Dinkelsbuhl a good place to stay? A: Stay in Dinkelsbühl if you're driving the Romantic Road towns and want a small market in the Spitalhof with a craft bazaar indoors. Without a car it is a bus ride from the nearest station, so most rail travellers come for the day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tourismus-dinkelsbuehl.de/events-erlebnis/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.tourismus-dinkelsbuehl.de/ihr-urlaubsort/anfahrt https://www.tourismus-dinkelsbuehl.de/events-erlebnis/aktuelles/501/dinkelsbuehler-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q491743 ### Dresden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/dresden Type: Town Also known as: Dresden Saxony, Elbflorenz Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Elbe valley Coordinates: 51.04930, 13.73810 Kind: City Population: 562,764 Tourist office: Dresden Information service centre, phone +49 351 501 501, open Monday to Friday 9:00 to 18:00 and Saturday 9:00 to 17:00; a pavilion on the Striezelmarkt opens daily during the market. Trams to the Altmarkt: Lines 1, 2 and 4 stop at Altmarkt; lines 6, 11 and 12 and bus 62 stop at Prager Straße. Christmas Garden: Buses 63 and 83 run to Schloss Pillnitz. Website: https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit-in-dresden.php Summary: Dresden suits travellers who want several Christmas markets within a short walk of each other in a rebuilt Baroque old town, and December is the city's busiest hotel month, so book early. The 592nd Striezelmarkt opens on the Altmarkt from 25 November to 24 December 2026. The city itself runs the Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt, and it dates the market to a grant of 1434. Advent on the Neumarkt and the medieval market in the Stallhof of the royal palace lie a few minutes' walk away. Over the Augustus Bridge the international Augustusmarkt fills the Hauptstraße in the Neustadt. Dresden's tourism board lists ten markets in all, down to a small one in Loschwitz by the Blaues Wunder bridge. Music runs through the season. The Dresdner Kreuzchor sings at many of the Saturday vespers in the Kreuzkirche, and the Frauenkirche fills its Advent calendar with concerts and services. On the Saturday before Advent 2 the Stollenfest parades a giant stollen through the old town, and in 2026 that's 5 December. Dresden's hotels fill in December. Dresden Marketing's figures for December 2024 put room occupancy at 79 percent, with room rates 23 percent above the year's average. In 2025 the city's tourism company called the last Advent weekend an especially strong one for travel. Tips: - Book your room early; December is the city's fullest hotel month. - Buy Striezeltaler, 11 market coins for 10 euros, at the Dresden Information pavilion among the Striezelmarkt's show workshops. Q: How many Christmas markets does Dresden have? A: Dresden's tourism board lists ten Christmas markets for 2026, among them the Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt, Advent on the Neumarkt, the Stallhof medieval market and the Augustusmarkt. Most lie within walking distance of each other in the old town and the Innere Neustadt. Q: Which Dresden Christmas markets are open after Christmas? A: Advent on the Neumarkt, the Stallhof market and the Augustusmarkt all reopen on 27 December 2026. The Striezelmarkt closes for good on 24 December. Q: Is Dresden a good place to stay? A: Basing yourself in Dresden puts the Striezelmarkt, the Neumarkt, the Stallhof and the Augustusmarkt across the Elbe all within walking distance, and three of them reopen between Christmas and Epiphany. Freiberg and Bautzen both make day trips by regional train. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit-in-dresden.php https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit/weitere-weihnachtsmaerkte.php https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit/striezelmarkt.php https://www.dresden.de/de/rathaus/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/12/pm_052.php https://kreuzkirche-dresden.de/musik/vespern/ https://www.christmas-garden.de/dresden/besuch/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1731 ### Durnstein URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/durnstein Type: Town Also known as: Dürnstein, Duernstein, Dürnstein an der Donau Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Wachau Coordinates: 48.39560, 15.52030 Kind: Town Getting there: Take the train to Krems an der Donau and change to the Wachaubahn for Dürnstein, as the WachauerADVENT organizer suggests. Market tickets: During market hours the old town between the Kremser Tor and the Schlosshotel is ticketed: €12 a day for adults in 2026, free for children under 16. Mobility: The lanes climb steeply from the Danube over rough paving, which the organizer says makes the town hard going with limited mobility. Summary: Dürnstein is a small Danube town in the Wachau that hosts the WachauerADVENT on four long weekends from 20 November to 13 December 2026, and it suits couples who want a river setting for an Advent weekend. Its steep, rough lanes are hard work with a wheelchair or stroller. Dürnstein sits on a bend of the Danube in the Wachau, which UNESCO lists as World Heritage. In Advent 2026 the whole old town becomes the WachauerADVENT, with stalls in the abbey courtyard and the Schlosshotel and a restored DDSG steamer moored as an Advent ship. Tips: - Visit on a Friday; the market organizer says Fridays draw far fewer visitors than the weekend. Q: How do I get to Dürnstein from Vienna by train? A: Take the train from Vienna to Krems an der Donau and change there to the Wachaubahn for Dürnstein. Q: Is Durnstein a good place to stay? A: Stay in Dürnstein on a WachauerADVENT weekend and you have the market on your doorstep before the day-trippers arrive. The 2026 market opens on four long weekends between 20 November and 13 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q668600 https://wachauer-advent.eu/ https://wachauer-advent.eu/besucher/ ### Dusseldorf URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/dusseldorf Type: Town Also known as: Düsseldorf, Duesseldorf Region: The Rhineland Area: North Rhine-Westphalia Coordinates: 51.22560, 6.77670 Kind: City Population: 619,444 Christmas Eve: The markets open from 11:00 to 15:00 on 24 December 2026, close on Christmas Day and reopen from 14:00 to 21:00 on 26 December. Totensonntag: The markets are closed on Sunday 22 November 2026. Summary: Düsseldorf suits couples and shoppers who want several small themed markets, a Ferris wheel on the Rhine and Altbier taverns to finish in, open until 30 December 2026. The stalls close earlier than Cologne's, at 20:00 most nights. Seven themed markets run through the Altstadt and up to the Königsallee, from Roncalli's riverside promenade of circus wagons to the craft market between the town hall and the Alte Kämmerei. The Wheel of Vision on the Burgplatz rises to 55 metres. The Kö on Ice rink opens on the Corneliusplatz on 6 November and stays until 10 January 2027. Tips: - Pair Düsseldorf with Cologne; the cities are a short regional train ride apart. Q: How long do the Düsseldorf Christmas markets run in 2026? A: Düsseldorf's Christmas markets run from 19 November to 30 December 2026, according to Düsseldorf Tourismus. They close on 22 November and 25 December. Q: Is Dusseldorf a good place to stay? A: Düsseldorf runs its markets from 19 November to 30 December 2026, longer than Cologne's main squares, and its Altbier taverns give you somewhere warm to end every evening. Stay in the Altstadt and the markets, the Rhine and the brewery taverns sit within a few streets of each other. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1718 https://www.visitduesseldorf.de/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.visitduesseldorf.de/storys/2025/11/25/weihnachtsmarkt-duesseldorf/ https://www.uerige.de/ https://www.schumacher-alt.de/ https://www.visitduesseldorf.de/attraktionen/lichterdom-d756c672ed ### Edinburgh URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/edinburgh Type: Town Also known as: Dùn Èideann Region: Scotland Area: City of Edinburgh Coordinates: 55.95330, -3.18920 Kind: City Population: 506,520 Station: Edinburgh Waverley station sits beside East Princes Street Gardens, and the Waverley Bridge gate gives step-free access to the market. Hogmanay: The 2026/27 programme opens with the torchlight procession on 29 December and continues with the Night Afore Party on 30 December and the street party on 31 December. Festival sites: The market is in East Princes Street Gardens, the fairground rides in West Princes Street Gardens, and the ice rink and Polar Ice Bar on George Street. Website: https://edwinterfest.com/edinburgh-christmas Summary: Edinburgh suits a long Christmas stay that runs into Hogmanay, with a market under the castle that stays open from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, though the gardens get crowded at peak times. Waverley station sits right beside the market. Edinburgh's market has one of the best settings in Britain. The stalls fill East Princes Street Gardens, the valley between the Georgian New Town and the castle rock, and the big wheel turns above them. Princes Street runs along the top of the gardens. Stay long enough to see the city change gear after Christmas. The market reopens on Boxing Day and runs into the new year, and Hogmanay takes over the streets from 29 December. Tips: - Book Hogmanay events early if your dates run past Christmas. - Use the Waverley Bridge gate for step-free entry to the market from the station. Q: Is Edinburgh good for Christmas markets? A: Yes. Edinburgh's Christmas Market fills East Princes Street Gardens below the castle from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and Hogmanay follows from 29 December. Q: Is Edinburgh a good place to stay? A: Edinburgh puts its Christmas market in the gardens under the castle and runs it from 14 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, so a stay here can cover both Christmas and Hogmanay. Waverley station opens onto the market, and the Old Town and New Town sit on either side of it. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://edwinterfest.com/edinburgh-christmas https://edwinterfest.com/edinburgh-christmas/access https://edwinterfest.com/hogmanay https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edinburgh https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Princes_Street_Gardens https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q23436 ### Eguisheim URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/eguisheim Type: Town Also known as: Egsa Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 48.04310, 7.30580 Kind: Village Population: 1,729 Closed days: The Christmas market closes on 24, 25 and 26 December 2026. Tourist office: The Eguisheim office of the Pays d'Eguisheim et de Rouffach tourism office is at 22A Grand'Rue, telephone +33 3 89 23 40 33. Summary: Eguisheim suits travellers who want a small village market of about 30 makers close to Colmar, and its one catch is a three-day closure from 24 to 26 December. The 2026 market runs from 27 November to 30 December (confirmed). Eguisheim holds the Villes et Villages de Noël label, and the tourism office keeps its market to about 30 craftspeople in the medieval lanes. On weekdays before 11 December the stalls open at noon, so a weekend morning or a mid-December weekday gives you the longest day. Tips: - Pair Eguisheim with Turckheim's night watchman on the same evening. Q: When is the Eguisheim Christmas market 2026? A: The Eguisheim Christmas market runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026 (confirmed), closed on 24, 25 and 26 December. It opens at 10:00 most days and closes at 19:00. Q: Is Eguisheim a good place to stay? A: Eguisheim suits a quiet stay among the vineyards just south of Colmar, and its market of about 30 makers runs to 30 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/eguisheim/discover/the-authentic-christmas-market-in-eguisheim https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q272897 ### Einsiedeln URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/einsiedeln Type: Town Region: Switzerland Area: Canton of Schwyz Coordinates: 47.12780, 8.74310 Kind: Town Population: 15,867 Currency: Swiss francs (CHF) Website: https://www.einsiedler-weihnacht.ch/ Summary: Einsiedeln suits a day trip from Zurich for anyone who wants a big village market in front of a Baroque abbey, and its trade-off is a ten-day season: the 2026 market runs only from 27 November to 6 December. More than 140 stalls line the Klosterplatz and the Hauptstrasse, and the abbey's Christmas Masses follow later in the month. Einsiedeln is a pilgrimage village built around a Benedictine abbey, and the market's organizers point out that the abbey forecourt is the second-largest church forecourt in Europe. The stalls run from that forecourt down the Hauptstrasse toward the station. The organizers ask visitors to come by train because the main car park closes for the market. Tips: - ZVV runs a direct train from Zurich HB to Einsiedeln and back on selected market days, according to the market's travel page. - The market's opening day, Friday 27 November 2026, starts only at 17:00. Q: When is the Einsiedeln Christmas market in 2026? A: The Einsiedeln Christmas market runs from Friday 27 November to Sunday 6 December 2026. It opens at 17:00 on the first day, then 11:00 to 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays and 11:00 to 19:30 from Sunday to Thursday. Q: Is Einsiedeln a good place to stay? A: Most visitors come for the day, since the market's lower entrance is two or three minutes' walk from the station. Stay overnight if you want the abbey's Christmas liturgy, with a midnight Mass at 23:00 on 24 December 2026 and a Pontifical High Mass at 10:30 on Christmas Day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.einsiedler-weihnacht.ch/ https://www.einsiedler-weihnacht.ch/anreise/ https://www.einsiedler-weihnacht.ch/app/download/14535929189/WeihnachtsmarktEinsiedeln_Flyer2026_D.pdf https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/agenda-kultur/veranstaltungen/weihnachten https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q68950 ### Engelhartstetten URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/engelhartstetten Type: Town Also known as: Schloss Hof, Schlosshof, Schloßhof Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Marchfeld, near the Slovak border Coordinates: 48.18330, 16.88330 Kind: Village Getting there: On market days a shuttle bus runs to Schloss Hof from the MAK Hop On Hop Off stop in Vienna at 14:15, returning at 18:30, for €6 per adult with children free. Another shuttle runs from Bratislava. Summary: Engelhartstetten is the Marchfeld municipality that holds Schloss Hof, whose weekend Christmas market runs from 14 November to 20 December 2026. Most visitors come for the day from Vienna or Bratislava. Schloss Hof's Baroque palace estate stands in the municipality, and its Christmas market fills the courtyards, the farmyard and the stables on weekends in Advent. Tips: - Take the market shuttle from Vienna if you don't have a car. Q: Where is Schloss Hof? A: Schloss Hof stands in the municipality of Engelhartstetten in the Marchfeld, in Lower Austria east of Vienna toward Bratislava. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q547840 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q696851 https://www.schlosshof.at/veranstaltungen/alle-veranstaltungen/event/weihnachtsmarkt ### Esslingen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/esslingen Type: Town Local name: Esslingen am Neckar (de) Also known as: Esslingen am Neckar, Eßlingen Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt Coordinates: 48.74060, 9.31080 Kind: City Population: 95,419 Tourist information: Stadtinformation on the Marktplatz, run by Esslinger Stadtmarketing & Tourismus at Marktplatz 16, phone +49 711 396939-69. During the market it opens 11:00 to 18:00 Sunday to Thursday and 11:00 to 19:00 on Friday and Saturday, 10:00 to 12:00 on 24 December, and is closed on 31 December. Construction: The Marktplatz is being rebuilt with a fountain field due for the city's 2027 anniversary; the works pause for the Christmas market. Website: https://www.esslingen-info.com Summary: Esslingen suits families and anyone who wants a small old town with a big medieval market, a short train ride from Stuttgart. The trade-off is the weekend crowd in the narrow lanes. The Christmas market sits on the Marktplatz below the Stadtkirche St. Dionys, and the medieval market runs east across Rathausplatz and the Kleiner Markt to the Hafenmarkt. A footpath climbs from the Kleiner Markt to the Esslinger Burg above the town. The Marktplatz is mid-rebuild for 2027. The works pause for Advent, and the organizer's 2026 plan puts the stalls back across the whole square. Tips: - Visit the market on a weekday; the organizer warns that weekends get too full for wheelchairs and prams. Q: Is Esslingen a good place to stay? A: Esslingen works as a quieter base next to Stuttgart, with half-timbered lanes and a medieval Christmas market on the doorstep from 24 November to 22 December 2026. The S1 and regional trains run to Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof, so the big city market is an easy evening out. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.esslingen-info.com/veranstaltungen/mittelaltermarkt-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.esslingen-info.com/veranstaltungen/mittelaltermarkt-weihnachtsmarkt/faq https://www.esslingen-info.com/_Resources/Persistent/b04a6241d3a0d00cd1a2cca228c63ee2b9190774/Marktplan%20final%2026.pdf https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/lokales/esslingen/grossbaustelle-in-esslingen-fontaenen-fuer-den-marktplatz-kran-hievt-riesige-brunnenstube-in-die-grube-79044067.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3786 ### Frankfurt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/frankfurt Type: Town Local name: Frankfurt am Main (de) Also known as: Frankfurt am Main, Frankfort Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Hesse Coordinates: 50.11060, 8.68220 Kind: City Population: 760,656 Airport: Frankfurt Airport (FRA). S-Bahn S8 and S9 and regional trains leave from the regional station under Terminal 1; ICE and IC trains use the separate long-distance station. Market: Frankfurt Christmas Market, 23 November to 22 December 2026, Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 21:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 21:00. Nearest stops to the Römerberg: U4 and U5 to Dom/Römer, trams 11, 12 and 14 to Römer/Paulskirche. Website: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/ Summary: Frankfurt is where most North American trips to Germany's Christmas markets begin, because FRA sits a short S-Bahn ride from a market that runs across six squares of the rebuilt Altstadt. Base here for your first night or two and for day trips to Mainz, Wiesbaden and the Odenwald, and know that once you leave the Römerberg the centre turns to office towers. Here's how a first evening works off an overnight flight. Follow the signs marked S and T at Terminal 1 down to the regional station on the lowest level, where the S8 and S9 leave for central Frankfurt. If your airline uses the new Terminal 3, the airport says the SkyLine train takes about 10 to 15 minutes to reach the stations, so add that to your plan. Ride to Hauptbahnhof if your hotel is there, or to Hauptwache if you want to walk straight into the market, because the Hauptwache and Roßmarkt stalls begin at the top of the station steps. Drop your bags, sleep for two hours at most, and head out around dusk. Walk south from Hauptwache through Paulsplatz to the Römerberg, where the tree and the Römer's stepped gables make the picture everyone came for. If you land on 23, 25 or 28 November or on 2, 5, 9, 12, 16 or 19 December 2026, be on the square at 18:00, when the tower brass play from the balcony of the Alte Nikolaikirche. Keep the first evening short and close to the Römer. Drink a hot Apfelwein, eat something from the stalls and be back in bed before the market shuts at 21:00, so the jet lag doesn't swallow the next day. For a sit-down supper cross the Eiserner Steg to Sachsenhausen and eat at an Apfelwein tavern on Schweizer Straße. Zum Gemalten Haus has served cider since 1936 and is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. Apfelwein Wagner a few doors along opens from 11:00 to midnight. Order Grüne Soße or Rippchen mit Kraut, and know that cider comes in a grey stoneware jug called a Bembel. Tips: - Rail & Fly tickets bundle the train with your flight if you're heading straight on to another city, and the airport recommends them for air travellers. - If you need step-free access, tracks 2 and 3 at the airport's regional station have elevators to the departure level, and DB's mobility service asks for at least one working day's notice for boarding help. - The market closes on 22 December and nothing reopens on the 24th, so a Christmas arrival is better spent in Mainz, whose market runs to the 23rd. Q: How do I get from Frankfurt Airport to the Christmas market? A: Take S-Bahn line S8 or S9 from the regional station under Terminal 1 into central Frankfurt. Get off at Hauptwache to walk straight into the market's northern squares, or change at Hauptbahnhof for the U4 or U5 to Dom/Römer for the Römerberg. Q: Can I visit the Frankfurt Christmas Market on the day I land? A: Yes. The Frankfurt Christmas Market stays open until 21:00 every day from 23 November to 22 December 2026, so a morning arrival leaves time to check in, rest and reach the Römerberg by dusk. Q: Is Frankfurt a good base for Christmas markets? A: Yes, for the Rhine-Main markets. The S8 runs from Frankfurt to Mainz and Wiesbaden, and Michelstadt in the Odenwald has its own station on a regional line. Q: What does the name Frankfurt mean? A: Frankfurt comes from the local name Franconofurd, meaning the ford of the Franks, from the tribe's name and Furt, the German for ford, at a point where the Main was shallow enough to cross on foot. Written records first name the place in 794. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/transport-and-parking/to-from-the-airport/travel-by-train.html https://www.zumgemaltenhaus.de/ https://www.apfelwein-wagner.com/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1794 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankfurt ### Freiberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/freiberg Type: Town Also known as: Freiberg Sachsen, Silberstadt Freiberg, Freiberg Saxony Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge foothills, Mittelsachsen Coordinates: 50.91190, 13.34280 Kind: Town Population: 41,205 Tourist office: Tourist-Information Silberstadt Freiberg, Schloßplatz 6, phone 03731 273664; Advent hours Monday to Friday 10:00 to 18:00, Saturday and Sunday 10:00 to 12:30 and 13:15 to 18:00. Website: https://www.freiberger-christmarkt.de/ Summary: Freiberg suits travellers who want an old silver-mining town at Christmas, with a torchlight miners' parade and Bach in the cathedral on the same day, and its market is far smaller than Dresden's. The 35th Christmarkt runs from 24 November to 22 December 2026. Freiberg's wealth came from silver, and the city's Christmarkt keeps the mining story front and centre with themed huts and a miners' pyramid on the Obermarkt. The calendar runs from the children's opening on 24 November through the stollen cutting on Advent 1 and the torchlight Bergparade on 5 December to the Fest des Bergmanns on Advent 3. The cathedral of St. Marien holds two Silbermann organs and the Golden Portal of 1225, and its Advent concerts run from candlelit organ music to Bach's Christmas Oratorio. More than 250 shops trade in the old town lanes, and there's skating at Schloss Freudenstein. Tips: - The Tourist-Information on the Schloßplatz opens in Advent from 10:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and with a lunch break at weekends. - The old town shops open on the Sundays of 29 November and 13 December 2026. Q: What is there to do in Freiberg at Christmas? A: Freiberg holds its Christmarkt on the Obermarkt from 24 November to 22 December 2026, with a torchlight miners' parade on 5 December. Freiberg Cathedral performs Bach's Christmas Oratorio the same day. Q: Is Freiberg a good place to stay? A: A night in Freiberg lets you stay for the torchlight miners' parade at 17:00 on 5 December 2026 and an evening performance of the Christmas Oratorio in the cathedral, without watching the clock for the last train. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.freiberger-christmarkt.de/ https://www.freiberger-dom.de/dombesuch.html https://www.freiberger-dom.de/fileadmin/files/konzerte/freiberger-dom-konzertprogramm-2026-web.pdf https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q14819 ### Freiburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/freiburg Type: Town Local name: Freiburg im Breisgau (de) Also known as: Freiburg im Breisgau, Freiburg Breisgau, Freiburg Black Forest Region: The Black Forest Area: Breisgau Coordinates: 47.99550, 7.85290 Kind: City Population: 238,299 Tourist information: Tourist Information am Rathausplatz, Rathausplatz 2-4, 79098 Freiburg; October to May Monday to Friday 08:00 to 17:30, Saturday 09:30 to 14:30, Sundays and holidays 10:00 to 13:00; phone +49 761 3881-880 Train: Freiburg (Breisgau) Hauptbahnhof is on the ICE and IC line from Frankfurt and Karlsruhe to Basel, with the central bus station (ZOB) beside it. Low emission zone: Freiburg has an environmental zone that bars high-emission vehicles; check before driving in. Website: https://visit.freiburg.de Summary: Freiburg is the practical Advent base for the southern Black Forest, with a Christmas market across its old town from 19 November to 23 December 2026 and trains on the Rhine valley main line. The market is spread out, so expect to walk between squares. Freiburg's Christmas market fills the old town between the Rathausplatz and the Colombipark, and FWTM counts more than 140 stalls for 2026. The first market ran in December 1973 with 20 stalls, and FWTM says a 19th-century Christkindlesmarkt once stood on the Münsterplatz. Today the Münsterplatz holds the Münstermarkt, and FWTM traces the Lange Rote sausage sold at the Christmas stalls to that square. Freiburg Minster's tower opens 11:00 to 16:00 Monday to Saturday and 13:00 to 17:00 on Sundays, with 209 steps up to the watchman's room and the top gallery shut in winter. On Saturdays at 11:30 until Christmas the Minster plays a half-hour of organ music, and tickets cost €5. The main station sits on the ICE line from Frankfurt and Karlsruhe to Basel, with the central bus station beside it. That bus station is where the guaranteed-seat shuttle to the Ravenna Gorge market leaves, so a night in Freiburg pairs well with a ticketed evening in the gorge. Tips: - Skip Sunday 22 November 2026 for the market, which closes for Totensonntag. - Book the Ravenna Gorge shuttle from Freiburg ZOB when tickets go on sale on 14 October 2026 at 10:00, since that shuttle is the only one with a guaranteed seat. - Freiburg's tourist information sits on the Rathausplatz in the middle of the market. Q: When is the Freiburg Christmas market in 2026? A: The Freiburg Christmas market runs from 19 November to 23 December 2026, closed on 22 November for Totensonntag. FWTM, the organizer, confirms the dates on its market site. Q: Can you visit the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market from Freiburg? A: Yes. A shuttle with guaranteed seats runs from Freiburg's central bus station (ZOB, stop 7), booked as a separate ticket that includes market entry. Q: Can you climb Freiburg Minster's tower in December? A: Yes. Freiburg Minster's tower opens 11:00 to 16:00 Monday to Saturday and 13:00 to 17:00 on Sundays and holidays, and the top gallery stays closed in the winter months. Adults pay €5. Q: Is Freiburg a good place to stay? A: Freiburg works as a base for the southern Black Forest in December. Its Christmas market runs through the old town from 19 November 2026, and the booked shuttle to the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market leaves from Freiburg's central bus station (ZOB, stop 7) beside the main station. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://visit.freiburg.de/weihnachtsmarkt-freiburg https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/ https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/anreise https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/geschichte https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/leckereien https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/highlights https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/besuchen/ https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/erleben/turmbesteigung/ https://www.hochschwarzwald.de/weihnachtsmarkt-ravennaschlucht https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2833 ### Gdansk URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/gdansk Type: Town Also known as: Gdańsk, Gdansk Old Town Region: Poland Area: Śródmieście Coordinates: 54.34830, 18.65400 Kind: City Population: 487,834 Population: 487,834 on 30 June 2024 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.gdansk.pl/ Summary: Gdańsk suits a December city break built around a large market in the old Hanseatic centre, and the city has set the 2026 market for 20 November to 23 December. It closes the day before Christmas Eve, so put Gdańsk early in a trip that runs on to New Year. Stay in Śródmieście, the historic centre, and the market starts at the edge of the Old Town by Targ Węglowy. The opening weekend in 2025 brought Smaki Pomorza (Tastes of Pomerania) into the Great Armoury, with more than 20 stalls of regional food such as Kashubian cheese and smoked fish. A parade on the Saturday afternoon led to the formal opening at 16:00, so check the 2026 programme if you want to catch it. Tips: - Take the tram on December weekends, when the city changes traffic around Forum Gdańsk and the Highland Gate. - The market closes on 23 December, so plan Christmas Eve and Christmas Day elsewhere in town. Q: Is Gdansk a good place to stay? A: The Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy spreads from Targ Węglowy along Tkacka Street and into the Great Armoury, with more huts by the Katownia, on Bogusławskiego Street and in the Forum Gdańsk courtyard. In 2025 the city counted about 1.3 million visits and 222 stalls. Gdańsk also carried the title Best Christmas Market 2025 that season, won in a public vote the year before. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gdansk.pl/wiadomosci/Ponad-1-3-mln-osob-na-Jarmarku-Bozonarodzeniowym,a,302472 https://www.gdansk.pl/wiadomosci/Jarmark-Bozonarodzeniowy-czas-start-Kupujemy-i-smakujemy-juz-od-piatku,a,300328 https://www.gdansk.pl/wiadomosci/Zaglosuj-na-Gdansk-w-konkursie-na-najlepszy-jarmark-swiateczny-w-Europie,a,232213 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gda%C5%84sk https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1792 ### Gengenbach URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/gengenbach Type: Town Also known as: Gengenbach im Schwarzwald, Gengenbach Black Forest Region: The Black Forest Area: Kinzig valley, Ortenau Coordinates: 48.40420, 8.01530 Kind: Town Population: 11,135 Tourist office: Kultur- und Tourismus GmbH Gengenbach, Hauptstraße 17, 77723 Gengenbach, phone +49 7803 930143 Train: Gengenbach station is on the Black Forest Railway (Offenburg to Hausach and Konstanz), on the west side of the old town. Advent calendar: Windows open at 18:00 from 30 November to 23 December; the calendar stays lit for viewing until 6 January. Website: https://www.gengenbach.info Summary: Gengenbach suits travellers who want the Black Forest's best-known Advent custom in a small town in the Kinzig valley, and its one market square packs tight before the Rathaus opens another Advent calendar window at 18:00 each evening. Gengenbach is a small town in the Kinzig valley on the Black Forest Railway, with Offenburg below it and Hausach further up the line. Every Advent since 1996 its Rathaus on the market square has turned into what the town calls the world's largest Advent calendar house. One of the 24 windows opens at 18:00 each evening from 30 November to 23 December, and the Adventsmarkt fills the square around it from 27 November in 2026. Museum Haus Löwenberg stands a few steps from the Rathaus and has shown the original artworks behind the windows in recent seasons. The Black Forest tourist board's 2026 Advent package adds the Narrenmuseum in the Niggelturm, whose tower looks out over the lit old town. The town told the dpa news agency in 2025 that about 120,000 guests come each year, Weekday afternoons from 14:00 give you the stalls before the stage program and the evening ceremony begin. Once the market closes on 23 December, the calendar stays on view until 6 January. Coming between Christmas and Epiphany means you see all 24 windows lit at once with the stalls gone. Tips: - Arrive while the stage program is still running if you want to face the Rathaus for the 18:00 opening. The ritual reveals the window for the following day. - Take the train: Gengenbach station sits a short walk west of the Marktplatz on the Black Forest Railway from Offenburg. - The full calendar stays lit for viewing until 6 January, long after the Adventsmarkt has packed up. Q: When does the Gengenbach Advent calendar open its windows in 2026? A: One window opens each evening at 18:00 from 30 November to 23 December 2026, according to the Kultur- und Tourismus GmbH Gengenbach page, which gives these dates without a year. The finished Gengenbach Advent calendar stays on view until 6 January 2027. Q: When is the Gengenbach Adventsmarkt open in 2026? A: The Gengenbach Adventsmarkt runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026, from 14:00 to 20:00 Monday to Friday and from 11:30 to 20:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. The tourist office page shows these dates without a year, so check them again in November. Q: Can you reach Gengenbach by train? A: Yes. Gengenbach has its own station on the Black Forest Railway from Offenburg up the Kinzig valley, a short walk from the Rathaus and the Adventsmarkt. Q: Is Gengenbach a good place to stay? A: A night in Gengenbach lets you watch the 18:00 window opening without counting down to the last train, then walk the old town once the Adventsmarkt stalls close at 20:00. If the town's own beds are full, Offenburg lies a short ride down the Kinzig valley on the Black Forest Railway. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gengenbach.info/gengenbach-entdecken/adventskalender-1 https://www.gengenbach.info/pois/der-gengenbacher-adventskalender-ca423cff1e https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q505495 https://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/schwarzwald/staedte/staedte-angebote/adventsstimmung-gengenbach https://www.nordkurier.de/panorama/jeden-abend-eine-uberraschung-groesstes-adventskalenderhaus-der-welt-startet-in-die-saison-4149005 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/24220293 ### Ghent URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/ghent Type: Town Local name: Gent (nl) Also known as: Gent, Gand Region: Belgium Area: East Flanders Coordinates: 51.05361, 3.72528 Kind: City Population: 272,657 Festival access: No traffic between the city hall and the Emile Braunplein during the Winter Festival; Gent-Dampoort is the walkable station. Park and ride: Free P+R sites ring the city, with trams and buses into the centre and bike racks at each. Bikes: About 400 temporary bike spaces near the Sint-Baafsplein and 210 in the underground bike park beneath the Korenmarkt. Population: 272,657 (2025), per Wikidata. Summary: Ghent (Gent in Dutch, Gand in French) suits travellers who want a lively city around a big Christmas market. The Ghent Winter Festival runs from 3 December 2026 to 3 January 2027 and starts later than the markets in Brussels and Bruges, so a late-November trip will miss it. The Ghent Winter Festival (Gentse Winterfeesten) fills the squares between St Bavo's Cathedral and the Korenmarkt with more than 150 chalets. Its rink under the Stadshal uses real ice, and the Ferris wheel turns on the Korenmarkt. For 2026 it runs to Sunday 3 January for the first time, after the city extended it to the last Sunday of the Christmas holidays. St Bavo's Cathedral at the top of the market holds the Ghent Altarpiece. Its restoration runs until spring 2027, so seven panels in the cathedral are photographs for now, and the MSK museum shows the upper register under restoration. Timed tickets start at €12.50. No traffic passes between the city hall and the Emile Braunplein during the festival, deliveries included. The organizer suggests walking in from Gent-Dampoort station. Drivers can leave the car at one of the free park-and-ride sites and take a tram or bus, and cyclists get temporary racks near the Sint-Baafsplein. Tips: - Ghent's low-emission zone covers the centre; the Gent Zuid, Ledeberg, Het Getouw, Gent-Dampoort and Gent-Sint-Pieters car parks sit outside it. - The Fietsambassade runs a door-to-door cycle taxi for people with limited mobility during the festival. - Pakhuis is closed on 25 and 31 December and 1 January 2027, and serves lunch only on 24 December. Q: When is the Ghent Christmas market in 2026? A: The Ghent Winter Festival runs from Thursday 3 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027, according to the organizer. Q: Is Ghent or Bruges better at Christmas? A: It depends on the trip. Ghent's Winter Festival spreads more than 150 chalets over seven squares from 3 December, and the Bruges market uses two squares from 20 November with a covered rink nearby. Q: Which station is closest to the Ghent Christmas market? A: Gent-Dampoort. The Ghent Winter Festival organizer names Gent-Dampoort as the station within walking distance of the centre. Q: Is Ghent a good place to stay? A: Ghent puts a big Christmas market inside a working city, and it sits on the rail line between Brussels and Bruges. Staying in the old centre puts the Winter Festival and St Bavo's Cathedral on foot. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://gentsewinterfeesten.be/ https://gentsewinterfeesten.be/bereikbaarheid https://stad.gent/nl/cultuur-vrije-tijd/nieuws-evenementen/gentse-winterfeesten-nieuwe-oproep-gepubliceerd https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/ https://www.pakhuis.be/ https://www.dullegriet.be/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1296 ### Gorlitz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/gorlitz Type: Town Also known as: Görlitz, Goerlitz, Görlitz Saxony Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Upper Lusatia Coordinates: 51.15630, 14.99100 Kind: Town Population: 55,065 Market organizer: Görlitzer Kulturservicegesellschaft mbH, which publishes the program on schlesischer-christkindelmarkt-goerlitz.de. Website: https://www.schlesischer-christkindelmarkt-goerlitz.de/ Summary: Görlitz suits travellers who want a family-friendly market with a strong Christmas story and a walk across the river into Poland, and its market runs for only 17 days. The Schlesischer Christkindelmarkt opens from 4 to 20 December 2026. Görlitz holds its Silesian Christkindel market on the Untermarkt and in the surrounding old town. The organizer centres it on the Christmas story. The Christkindel appears on stage, and a living nativity stands beside the Bethlehemshof with its wood workshop and bakery. The MDR broadcaster's market test named it the winner in 2016 and 2019. The Neisse river forms the border here, and the Polish town of Zgorzelec stands on the far bank. From 11 to 13 December 2026 the Brückenadvent carries the market onto the old town bridge between the two. Tips: - On weekdays the market opens at 14:00, so spend the morning in the old town first. Q: When is the Görlitz Christmas market in 2026? A: The Schlesischer Christkindelmarkt zu Görlitz runs from 4 to 20 December 2026, and the Brückenadvent to Zgorzelec follows from 11 to 13 December. Q: Is Gorlitz a good place to stay? A: Staying in Görlitz on the Brückenadvent weekend of 11 to 13 December 2026 lets you see the market stretch across the old town bridge to Zgorzelec and come back to the Untermarkt after dark. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.schlesischer-christkindelmarkt-goerlitz.de/ https://www.goerlitz.de/Tourismus.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4077 ### Grafenegg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/grafenegg Type: Town Also known as: Schloss Grafenegg Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Krems-Land, on the edge of the Wachau Coordinates: 48.43000, 15.74750 Kind: Village Advent dates: Grafenegg Advent runs from 5 to 8 December 2026, daily 10:00 to 19:00, with adult entry at €10 or €9 online. Summary: Grafenegg is a market municipality near Krems on the edge of the Wachau, known in December for Grafenegg Advent in the castle park, which runs from 5 to 8 December 2026. Most visitors come for the day from Vienna or Krems. Schloss Grafenegg and its park host Grafenegg Advent, which turns 50 in 2026. The castle's concert venues carry the music, from Bach's Christmas Oratorio to the Lower Austrian Advent singing. Tips: - Buy Advent tickets online; they cost €1 less and you skip the gate queue. Q: When is the Christmas market at Grafenegg? A: Grafenegg Advent runs from 5 to 8 December 2026 at Schloss Grafenegg, daily 10:00 to 19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q665801 https://www.grafenegg.com/de/advent ### Graz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/graz Type: Town Region: Graz and Styria Area: Styria Coordinates: 47.07080, 15.43860 Kind: City Population: 306,971 Markets: Fifteen markets, most from 20 November 2026; the Färberplatz craft market opens on 27 November. Christmas Eve: The Hauptplatz, Franziskanerviertel, Glockenspielplatz, Mehlplatz and Freiheitsplatz markets open on 24 December and close at 14:00. Advent train: The little Advent train leaves the Hauptplatz daily 11:00 to 19:00; €4 adults, €2 children. New Year's Eve: A water, fire and laser show replaces fireworks on the Hauptplatz on 31 December. Website: https://www.graztourismus.at/advent/de/ Summary: Base yourself in Graz if you want fifteen Advent markets you can walk between in an evening, plus an ice nativity that turns 30 this year. The squares are small, so the busiest ones fill shoulder to shoulder on Friday and Saturday nights. Graz packs its Advent into the old town that UNESCO listed in 1999. The region's tourist board counts fifteen markets in walking distance, and most open on 20 November 2026. Start on the Hauptplatz in front of the Rathaus, then work outwards: the Altgrazer market by the Franciscan church for country crafts, the Mehlplatz for a late punch, the Färberplatz for makers' work, and the Kasematten on the Schlossberg at weekends for Styrian food with a view. Two things set Graz apart in December. The first is the ice nativity in the Landhaushof, carved from about 35 tonnes of ice and turning 30 in 2026. The second is the Büro für Weihnachtslieder in the Sporgasse, an office for Christmas songs that holds more than 30,000 of them and opens daily from 28 November to 22 December 2026 for anyone who wants to browse or sing. The Christmas lights go on across the old town on 19 November, with new lighting along Herrengasse this year. A decorated vintage tram from the Graz tram museum, the Adventbim, runs on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings from Jakominiplatz. The Grazer Winterwelt rink below the Schlossberg opens on 13 November. Tips: - Most markets trade until 19:00 or 20:00 and serve food until 22:00; check each one, since the Schlossberg and Nikolaiplatz markets open only part of the week. - On 24 December the markets that stay open close at 14:00. Q: What does the name Graz mean? A: Graz comes from the local name gradec, meaning small castle. The name most likely comes from the Slavic word for a small fortified place, and first appears in records in 1128. Q: Is Graz a good place to stay? A: Every market in the old town sits within walking distance of every other, so a hotel near the Hauptplatz puts the whole season on your doorstep. The ice nativity, the Schlossberg and the Winterwelt rink are all close, and the regional tourist board points to the new Koralmbahn line for shorter rail journeys into the city. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ https://www.graztourismus.at/advent/de/adventmaerkte https://www.steiermark.com/00_Regionen/07_Region_Graz/PDFs/B2B/2026/Advent-in-der-Erlebnisregion-Graz-2026.pdf https://www.holding-graz.at/en/advent-in-graz/ https://www.austria.info/en-gb/highlights/christmas-markets-in-graz/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q13298 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graz ### Hall in Tirol URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/hall-in-tirol Type: Town Also known as: Hall, Hall Tirol Region: Tyrol Area: Inn Valley Coordinates: 47.28170, 11.50660 Kind: Town Population: 14,771 Tourist information: Hall-Wattens Tourismus and Stadtmarketing Hall in Tirol sit at Unterer Stadtplatz 19 and answer on +43 5223 45544 or at info@hall-wattens.at. Getting there: Trains stop at Hall in Tirol station, and buses from Innsbruck stop at Kurhaus, Stadtgraben and Unterer Stadtplatz, close to the market. Parking: The Altstadtgarage (Bruckergasse 2) and the Parkgarage Untere Stadt (Stadtgraben 2) are closest to the old town; coaches park free at Augasse 1. Website: https://www.hall-in-tirol.at/ Summary: Hall in Tirol is an old salt and mint town of about 14,800 people just east of Innsbruck, and its daily Advent market on the Oberer Stadtplatz suits families and craft shoppers, though on weekdays the market opens only at 15:00. In 2026 the Haller Adventmarkt runs from 20 November to 24 December. Hall made its money from salt; the town is named in a deed of 1232 as a saltworks, and in 1477 the Tyrolean mint moved here from Merano. In Advent the medieval centre around the Oberer Stadtplatz fills with huts, and the town lights its lanes with stars and Christmas symbols. The market changes almost daily because many huts rotate between makers, so a second visit turns up different crafts. The organizer's free magazine Hall im Advent lands in mid-November with the stall list and the full programme. Tips: - Saturday gives the longest market day, 11:00–20:00, with the food stands open to 21:00. - Pick up the Hall im Advent magazine for the rotating stall list. Q: How do you get from Innsbruck to the Hall in Tirol Christmas market? A: Take a train to Hall in Tirol station or one of the frequent buses from Innsbruck to the Kurhaus, Stadtgraben or Unterer Stadtplatz stops. The market is on the Oberer Stadtplatz in the old town. Q: Is Hall in Tirol a good place to stay? A: Hall in Tirol gives you a quieter old-town base east of Innsbruck with a market that opens every day of Advent on its main square. The Haller Adventmarkt runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, and Hall-Wattens Tourismus helps with rooms and Advent packages. Innsbruck's seven markets are a short train or bus ride west. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.advent-hall-tirol.at/ https://www.advent-hall-tirol.at/default-wAssets/docs/HiA_2025_Umbruch_Finale.pdf https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hall_in_Tirol https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q302745 ### Hallstatt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/hallstatt Type: Town Also known as: Hallstatt village, Hallstatt am See Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Hallstätter See Coordinates: 47.56240, 13.64920 Kind: Village Population: 741 Arriving by train: Hallstatt station is on the opposite shore of the lake. The boat Stefanie crosses to the Hallstatt Markt landing 365 days a year to meet the trains, and the operator warns of changes when trains run late or the weather turns. Boat fare: Fares in force since 1 January 2025 put a single crossing at €4 and a return at €8. The boat takes cash only. Parking: The town hall sends drivers to its parking operator's site, peb-hallstatt.com. Website: https://www.hallstatt.ooe.gv.at/ Summary: Hallstatt suits a single early morning on the lake, ideally on a weekday in Advent. Its one listed market day falls on the 8 December holiday, when the narrow village is at its most crowded. Hallstatt sits on a strip of land between the Hallstätter See and the steep slopes of the Dachstein, at the heart of the Hallstatt-Dachstein Salzkammergut World Heritage landscape listed in 1997. Salt has been mined above the village since prehistoric times. Fewer than 750 people live here, and it deals with heavy overtourism all year. The Christmas market takes over the Marktplatz for one day, 8 December 2026, according to the regional tourist board. There's a nativity built by students of the local technical college and a large lit tree. Visit early on a weekday if you can, and treat the holiday market as a busy day out. For quieter Advent days near Hallstatt, base yourself in Bad Ischl, where the artisans' market runs Wednesday to Sunday in the Trinkhalle. The Wolfgangsee villages of St Wolfgang and St Gilgen open their markets five days a week and link them by boat. Tips: - Take the first boat over from the station and leave before midday on 8 December. - Carry cash for the boat. Q: Is there a Christmas market in Hallstatt? A: Yes. The Salzkammergut tourist board lists it on the Marktplatz on 8 December 2026 from 10:00 to 18:00. Q: How do I get to Hallstatt by train in winter? A: Ride to Hallstatt station on the far shore and take the boat Stefanie across, which runs all year to meet the trains. Q: Is Hallstatt a good place to stay? A: Stay a night only if you want Hallstatt before and after the day visitors, in the dark and the early morning. Most people do better with a bed in Bad Ischl and a day trip in. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hallstatt.ooe.gv.at/ https://www.salzkammergut.at/en/advent/oesterreich-veranstaltung/detail/430003893/christmas-market-in-hallstatt.html https://dachstein.salzkammergut.at/en/things-to-do/winter/advent.html https://www.hallstattschifffahrt.at/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallstatt https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131633 ### Heidelberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/heidelberg Type: Town Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt Coordinates: 49.40940, 8.69470 Kind: City Population: 156,092 Getting to the market: The Heidelberg-Altstadt S-Bahn station sits much closer to the market than the Hauptbahnhof, which connects by tram and bus. In 2025 the Hauptstraße closed to traffic between Karlsplatz and Kornmarkt during market hours. Parking: Heidelberg Marketing suggests parking at the Neuer Messplatz and allowing extra time on Advent weekends. Website: https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de Summary: Heidelberg suits couples and families who want a romantic old university town with the castle overhead and a market that runs past Christmas. The trade-off is the Advent weekend crowd on the long, narrow Hauptstraße. The market strings out along the Hauptstraße from Bismarckplatz to Karlsplatz, with stalls on Universitätsplatz, the Marktplatz and the Anatomiegarten and the Winterwäldchen of fir trees on the Kornmarkt. The ice rink on Karlsplatz has the castle as its backdrop. Tips: - Stay over between Christmas and New Year if you like; Bismarckplatz and the Winterwäldchen stay open to 1 January 2027. Q: Is Heidelberg a good place to stay? A: Heidelberg is worth a night of its own: the castle sits above the old town, the market spreads over six squares from 23 November to 22 December 2026, and parts of it run on to 1 January 2027. It also sits closer to Frankfurt Airport than the rest of the Neckar towns. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en/events/heidelberg-christmas-market https://www.heidelberg.de/HD/Leben/Veranstaltungen%20_%20Festivals.html https://www.heidelberg.de/Stadtblatt/start/stadtblatt-artikel+in+der+uebersicht/19_11_2025+weihnachtsmarkt+startet+am+24_+november.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2966 ### Herrnhut URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/herrnhut Type: Town Also known as: Herrnhut Saxony, Herrnhut Moravian settlement Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Upper Lusatia Coordinates: 51.01670, 14.74170 Kind: Town Population: 5,654 Star manufactory: Herrnhuter Sterne GmbH, Oderwitzer Straße 8, 02747 Herrnhut, phone +49 35873 3640; show workshop and restaurant open Monday to Saturday 9:00 to 18:00 from September to December, with free car and coach parking and step-free access. Star shop: The Stammhaus shop at Löbauer Straße 21 opens Monday to Friday 8:00 to 18:00 and on Advent Saturdays 8:00 to 18:00. Ethnology museum: The Völkerkundemuseum Herrnhut opens Friday to Sunday and on holidays from 9:00 to 16:00. Website: https://www.herrnhut.de/ Summary: Herrnhut suits travellers who want to see where the Moravian Christmas star was first made and walk a World Heritage settlement, and its sights close by early evening. The star manufactory opens Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00 from September to December. Herrnhut was founded as a settlement of the Moravian Church, and since 2024 it has shared UNESCO World Heritage status with Christiansfeld, Gracehill and Bethlehem as the Moravian Church Settlements. The white Kirchensaal, rebuilt after a fire in 1945, is the heart of the town, and its sisters' side now holds an exhibition and the World Heritage information point. More than 160 years ago, the town says, the first Herrnhuter Sterne were made in the boarding schools of the Moravian Church, where a teacher used the star to explain geometry. Children built them on the first Sunday of Advent and took the custom home. The Herrnhuter Sterne GmbH still makes the stars by hand in its manufactory, where you can watch them made in the show workshop and eat at the Bei Sterns restaurant. Tips: - The star manufactory and its show workshop close on Sundays and public holidays, and on 24 and 31 December they open only from 8:00 to 12:00. - Bus line 10 runs to Herrnhut from Löbau and Zittau, stopping at Zinzendorfplatz and the station. Q: Can you visit the Herrnhut star workshop? A: Yes. The Herrnhuter Sterne manufactory at Oderwitzer Straße 8 in Herrnhut opens Monday to Saturday from 9:00 to 18:00 from September to December, with a show workshop and a discovery area. It closes on Sundays and public holidays. Q: Is Herrnhut a good place to stay? A: Herrnhut works best as a day trip from Görlitz, Bautzen or Dresden, timed around the star manufactory's opening hours and the Kirchensaal. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.herrnhut.de/herrnhuter-sterne https://www.herrnhut.de/ https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Besucherinfo.html http://www.herrnhut.ebu.de/aktuell/ http://www.herrnhut.ebu.de/kirchensaal/ https://www.ebu.de/welterbe https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q165140 ### Innsbruck URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/innsbruck Type: Town Also known as: Innsbruck Christmas markets, Bergweihnacht Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Inn Valley Coordinates: 47.26830, 11.39330 Kind: City Population: 132,499 Markets: The seven Bergweihnacht markets are Altstadt, Marktplatz, Maria-Theresien-Straße, Hungerburg, Wilten, St. Nikolaus and Kaiserweihnacht Bergisel. Only Maria-Theresien-Straße and Hungerburg stay open after 23 December. Getting up to Hungerburg: The Hungerburgbahn funicular runs from the edge of the Old Town to Hungerburg in eight minutes, with a stop at the Alpenzoo. Christkindlbahn: A historic Christmas tram runs on Fridays and Saturdays from 27 November to 19 December 2026, 15:00–18:30, through the city centre. Luggage: The market organizer points visitors to citylocker for leaving bags while they browse. Market information: The Bergweihnacht information stand stands beside the Ottoburg in the Old Town; the organizer's phone is +43 664 860 22 20. Website: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/ Summary: Innsbruck is the best base for Christmas in Tyrol, a city of about 132,500 people with seven Christmas markets between the Golden Roof and the mountains, though the Old Town lanes get crowded on December weekends. In 2026 its markets run from 13 November to 6 January 2027, with the Old Town market open daily 11:00–21:00 until 23 December. Innsbruck packs its Christmas into a small centre. The Old Town market fills the lane under the Golden Roof, and Marktplatz on the river is the family market with a crystal tree. Maria-Theresien-Straße opens later and carries on to Epiphany after most of the others have closed. Above the city, Hungerburg sits at the top of a funicular, and Bergisel to the south opens only at weekends. Plan two evenings at least. Spend one in the Old Town and Marktplatz, and give the other to Hungerburg at dusk with the Wilten or St. Nikolaus market afterwards. Add the Christkind procession on 20 December or one of the Krampus runs in early December if your dates line up. The city also works as a hub. Hall in Tirol runs a market every day to Christmas Eve on its old town square, and Rattenberg lights its lanes with candles on Advent weekends. Both lie east along the Inn Valley line. Tips: - Stay in or near the Old Town so you can walk between the city markets and the Hofgarten. - Shop before 20:00 in the Old Town and 20:30 on Marktplatz, when the craft stalls close and the food stands stay on. Q: How many Christmas markets does Innsbruck have? A: Innsbruck has seven Christmas markets run under the Bergweihnacht Innsbruck name: Altstadt, Marktplatz, Maria-Theresien-Straße, Hungerburg, Wilten, St. Nikolaus and Kaiserweihnacht Bergisel. Q: When do the Innsbruck Christmas markets open in 2026? A: The Innsbruck Old Town and Marktplatz markets open on 13 November 2026, Hungerburg, Wilten and St. Nikolaus on 20 November, and Maria-Theresien-Straße on 25 November. Bergisel opens on weekends from 13 November. Q: Are Innsbruck's Christmas markets open after Christmas? A: Yes, two of them. The Maria-Theresien-Straße and Hungerburg markets stay open until 6 January 2027; the other five close by 23 December. Q: What does the name Innsbruck mean? A: Innsbruck comes from the local name Innsbruck, meaning the name means bridge over the Inn. Brücke is the German word for bridge. Q: Is Innsbruck a good place to stay? A: Base yourself in Innsbruck for Tyrol in December. Seven Christmas markets from one organizer run across the city between 13 November 2026 and 6 January 2027, from the Old Town under the Golden Roof to a hilltop square at the top of the Hungerburgbahn. Rattenberg and Hall in Tirol make easy evening trips along the Inn Valley rail line, and the Old Town keeps you on foot between the markets and the light-art trail in the Hofgarten. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/info/öffnungszeiten/121-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/hungerburg/38-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/für-kinder/christkindlbahn/81-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/altstadt/35-0.html https://lumagica.com/de/standorte/innsbruck https://www.stiftskeller.eu/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1735 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innsbruck ### Kaysersberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/kaysersberg Type: Town Also known as: Kaysersberg Vignoble, Kaiserschbàrig Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 48.13920, 7.26080 Kind: Town Commune: Kaysersberg is now part of the commune of Kaysersberg Vignoble. Market days: The Christmas market opens only Friday to Sunday on the four Advent weekends. Getting there: The Christmas shuttle from Colmar stops in Kaysersberg on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 27 November to 20 December 2026. Summary: Kaysersberg suits travellers who want a juried craft market in a medieval imperial town. The market opens only Friday to Sunday on the Advent weekends, so plan the trip around them. The 2026 weekends run from 27 November to 20 December (confirmed). The Association de Noël à Kaysersberg chooses the makers for about 30 chalets in the Cour de l'Arsenal and behind the Sainte-Croix church, and valley producers sell on Place de la Mairie on the same days. A Christmas exhibition on the winters of childhood runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, so weekday visitors still have something to see. Tips: - Come on a Friday, the quietest day of each market weekend. Q: When is Kaysersberg's Christmas market in 2026? A: Kaysersberg's Christmas market opens Friday to Sunday on 27–29 November and 4–6, 11–13 and 18–20 December 2026 (confirmed), from 10:00 to 20:00. Q: Is Kaysersberg a good place to stay? A: Kaysersberg suits a slow night or two in a medieval imperial town on the wine route. A juried craft market fills the Advent weekends, and the Christmas shuttle runs to Colmar and Riquewihr. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/kaysersberg/discover/christmas-markets https://noel-colmar.com/en/christmas-shuttles https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q83485 ### Kitzbuhel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/kitzbuhel Type: Town Also known as: Kitzbühel, Kitzbuehel, Kitz, Gamsstadt Region: Tyrol Area: Kitzbühel Alps Coordinates: 47.44640, 12.39190 Kind: Town Population: 8,239 Tourist information: Kitzbühel Tourismus answers on +43 5356 66660. Stations: Kitzbühel and its neighbours Reith, Aurach and Jochberg share three railway stations, according to Kitzbühel Tourismus. Market days: The Advent market opens Wednesday to Sunday, plus 8, 21 and 22 December; it is shut on other Mondays and Tuesdays. Website: https://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/all-highlight-events/kitzbuehel-advent/ Summary: Kitzbuhel (Kitzbühel) is a medieval ski town of about 8,200 people in the Kitzbühel Alps whose Advent market fills the old town and the Stadtpark, and it suits couples and families who want Christmas and the slopes in one trip, though the market closes on Mondays and Tuesdays. In 2026 the Kitzbüheler Advent runs from 18 November to 27 December, Wednesday to Sunday 14:00–20:00. Kitzbühel is famous for the Hahnenkamm downhill race, and in Advent its old centre turns into a market town. The stalls run along the Hinterstadt and into the Stadtpark, and makers like the Hauser woodturners work at their stands. The market runs later into the season than most. It opens on both Christmas holidays and closes on 27 December, so a family arriving for a ski week over Christmas still finds it open. Kitzbühel Tourismus also lists Advent programmes in the neighbouring villages of Reith, Aurach and Jochberg. Tips: - Ask your hotel about the Advent offer for overnight guests, which includes two Advent mugs with a hot drink each. - Plan market evenings for Wednesday to Sunday. Q: Does Kitzbühel have a Christmas market? A: Yes. The Kitzbüheler Advent runs in the Hinterstadt and the Stadtpark from 18 November to 27 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday 14:00–20:00, with extra openings on 8, 21 and 22 December. Q: What does the name Kitzbuhel mean? A: Kitzbuhel comes from the local name Chizbuhel, meaning the name joins Chizzo, a Bavarian family name, to Bühel, a word for a hill where people settled. The name first appears as Chizbuhel in a 12th-century document of the Chiemsee monastery. Q: Is Kitzbuhel a good place to stay? A: Stay in Kitzbühel if you want a mountain resort with its own Advent market in the medieval centre and skiing within reach once the season starts. The Kitzbüheler Advent runs from 18 November to 27 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday, so it covers the Christmas holidays when many other markets have closed. Overnight guests during the market get two Advent mugs with a hot drink each per person and a discount at the KitzShop stall. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/all-highlight-events/kitzbuehel-advent/ https://presse.tirol.at/app/uploads/2025/11/PA_Kitzbueheler-Advent.pdf https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q264665 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kitzb%C3%BChel ### Koblenz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/koblenz Type: Town Also known as: Coblenz, Coblence Region: The Rhineland Area: Rhineland-Palatinate Coordinates: 50.35970, 7.59780 Kind: City Population: 113,020 Cable car: The cable car's lower station is in the Rhine gardens on Konrad-Adenauer-Ufer, by the Deutsches Eck/Seilbahn bus stop on lines 1 and 11. Christmas: The market closes completely from 24 to 26 December 2026 and on 1 January 2027. Summary: Koblenz suits Rhine and Moselle travellers who want a long-running old-town market and an illuminated fortress across the river, from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The craft stalls close after 22 December. The market threads through seven old-town squares, from the Jesuitenplatz with its Advent calendar of lit town hall windows to the Münzplatz with its food and the Zentralplatz with its old wooden Ferris wheel. The Christmas Garden at Festung Ehrenbreitstein runs from 19 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 and needs a timed ticket. Tips: - Buy the Christmas Garden's combined ticket if you want the cable car ride over the Rhine included. Q: When is the Koblenz Christmas market 2026? A: The Koblenz Christmas market runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. It closes completely from 24 to 26 December and on 1 January, and only food and drink stands open after 22 December. Q: What does the name Koblenz mean? A: Koblenz comes from the local name Confluentes, meaning from the Latin Confluentes, the place where the rivers flow together. Q: Is Koblenz a good place to stay? A: Koblenz stands where the Moselle meets the Rhine, at the head of both valleys, so it makes a base for a Rhine Gorge or Moselle trip in December. Its market runs to 3 January 2027, and the Christmas Garden lights the fortress across the river. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3104 https://www.koblenzer-weihnachtsmarkt.de https://www.koblenzer-weihnachtsmarkt.de/oeffnungszeiten https://www.christmas-garden.de/koblenz/besuch/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Koblenz ### Krakow URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/krakow Type: Town Also known as: Kraków, Cracow, Krakau Region: Poland Area: Stare Miasto Coordinates: 50.06140, 19.93720 Kind: City Population: 804,237 Population: 804,237 on 30 June 2023 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.krakow.pl/ Summary: Kraków suits a long weekend built around one great square, with the Christmas fair on Rynek Główny and the szopka contest on the first Thursday of December. Fair food is dear, and Radio Kraków found a small mulled wine at 35 PLN in 2025. Stay in Stare Miasto (the Old Town) if you want to drop in on the fair more than once, since the stalls fill the side of Rynek Główny by the Town Hall Tower. Time the trip for the first Thursday of December if you can. The szopka contest costs nothing to watch, and the Muzeum Krakowa says most makers build their cribs at home on the kitchen table. Tips: - Krakow residents with the Karta Krakowska card get 20 percent off food at many fair stalls, which explains a second price on some menus. - The szopka entries go on show at the Muzeum Krakowa after the contest, which gives you a second look on a cold afternoon. Q: Is Krakow a good place to stay? A: The Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy (Christmas fair) opens on Friday 27 November 2026, and its organizer plans to keep it going into January. On Thursday 3 December the city's szopka makers carry their nativity cribs onto the Main Square for judging, and the Muzeum Krakowa keeps the entries on show into February. Both happen on Rynek Główny, so a hotel in the Old Town puts the whole season on your doorstep. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://kiermasze.com.pl/ https://www.kk.krakow.pl/Data/Files/storage_files/2026/4/24/22436ce2-2938-4a06-8e68-d06c1e56ec04/artim-oferta-ogolna-kk.pdf https://www.radiokrakow.pl/aktualnosci/krakow/krakowski-jarmark-bozonarodzeniowy-juz-otwarty-105-kramow-na-rynku-glownym https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/szopkarstwo-krakowskie-1 https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/nativity-scene-szopka-tradition-in-krakow-01362 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q31487 ### Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/leipzig Type: Town Also known as: Leipzig Saxony Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Leipzig lowland Coordinates: 51.34060, 12.37470 Kind: City City information line: Stadt Leipzig Bürgertelefon 0341 115, Monday to Friday 7:30 to 18:00. Parking: The city warns that parking near the centre runs short on Advent weekends and points coach groups to marked bus parking. Website: https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt Summary: Leipzig suits travellers who want one large market threaded through a compact centre plus the Thomanerchor in Bach's church, and the market ends on 23 December. The city's market runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026 with about 300 stalls. Leipzig spreads its Christmas market across the old town, from the Markt in front of the Old Town Hall past the Naschmarkt and the Nikolaikirchhof to the Augustusplatz. The city runs it and traces it back to the 15th century. Families gravitate to the Augustusplatz for the fairy-tale forest and the Ferris wheel. The Naschmarkt holds the historic crafts. Music is the other reason to come. The Thomanerchor usually sings the motets at the Thomaskirche on Fridays at 18:00 and Saturdays at 15:00, and a 3-euro programme gets you in. The Nikolaikirche, where the city says the Peaceful Revolution began, has the largest church organ in Saxony. Tips: - Time a visit for a Friday evening or Saturday afternoon motet at the Thomaskirche. - On 22 and 23 December the market closes at 20:00, and on the last day only the Markt itself has traded in recent years. Q: When is the Leipzig Christmas market in 2026? A: The Leipzig Christmas market runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026, the city confirms, open until 21:00 Sunday to Thursday and until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Q: Is Leipzig a good place to stay? A: Staying in the centre puts the whole Christmas market, from the Markt to the Augustusplatz, within a short walk, and you can fit a Friday or Saturday motet at the Thomaskirche around the stalls. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt/weihnachtsmarkt-in-der-leipziger-innenstadt-im-ueberblick https://www.thomaskirche.org/glauben/gottesdienste-motetten https://www.nikolaikirche.de/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2079 ### Lindau URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/lindau Type: Town Local name: Lindau (Bodensee) (de) Region: Bavaria Area: Lake Constance Coordinates: 47.54580, 9.68390 Kind: Town Population: 25,702 Summary: Lindau suits travellers who want a small island old town with a market on the harbour of Lake Constance, Thursday to Sunday from 26 November to 20 December 2026; midweek the stalls are closed. Lindau's old town sits on an island in Lake Constance. The Hafenweihnacht runs along the harbour promenade from 26 November to 20 December 2026, Thursday to Sunday, 11:00 to 21:00. The organizer also lists a Christmas tree at the town hall and boat trips on the lake. Q: Is the Lindau Christmas market open every day? A: No. The Lindau Harbour Christmas Market opens Thursday to Sunday only, from 26 November to 20 December 2026. Q: Is Lindau a good place to stay? A: Lindau suits a couple who want one lakeside night on Lake Constance between Bavaria, Austria and Switzerland. Its harbour market opens only Thursday to Sunday, so arrive for a long weekend. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153969 https://www.lindauer-hafenweihnacht.de/ ### Ljubljana URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/ljubljana Type: Town Also known as: Ljubljana Old Town, Festive December in Ljubljana Region: Slovenia Area: Center Coordinates: 46.05140, 14.50610 Kind: City Population: 284,293 Tourist information: Ljubljana Tourist Information Centre (TIC), Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 2. Population: 284,293 on 1 January 2022 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors Summary: Ljubljana suits a couple who come for the lights, with festive stalls strung along the Ljubljanica embankments. The 2026 switch-on is set for Friday 27 November at 17:00 on Prešernov trg, and the fair's own dates were not out when we checked. Stay in the old centre on either bank of the Ljubljanica, and the fair, the squares and the riverside lights sit within a short walk. Come for the switch-on if you can. Visitors gather on Prešernov trg after 17:00 and count down the seconds until the city lights up, and the fair opens the same day. Tips: - The Ljubljana Tourist Information Centre is at Adamič-Lundrovo nabrežje 2. - Turizem Ljubljana asks visitors to see the lights on foot, by bike, bus or train, since the city wants fewer cars in the centre in December. Q: Is Ljubljana a good place to stay? A: The lights go on every year on the Friday before Advent, and the festive fair opens the same day along Breg and the riverbanks around Prešernov trg. In 2025 the fair ran from 28 November to 4 January 2026, so Ljubljana also works for a trip into the New Year. Concert stages on several squares fill December, and the city's party on New Year's Eve ends with a show from Ljubljana Castle at midnight. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/events/events-in-ljubljana/festive-december/ https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/sights-and-activities/highlights/festive-december-in-ljubljana/ https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/media/news/holiday-festivities-in-ljubljana-begin-with-lighting-of-festive-lights/ https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/media/news/v-petek-se-v-ljubljani-prizigajo-praznicne-luci/ https://n1info.si/novice/slovenija/praznicni-sejem-v-ljubljani-koliko-bo-treba-odsteti-za-najem-hisice/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q437 ### London URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/london Type: Town Region: England Area: Greater London Coordinates: 51.50720, -0.12750 Kind: City Population: 8,799,728 Getting to Hyde Park: The closest stations to the Hyde Park fair are Hyde Park Corner, Knightsbridge and Marble Arch, which get busy and sometimes close. Green Park and Bond Street have lifts for step-free access. Boxing Day: The Elizabeth line does not run on 26 December. Summary: London suits a Christmas trip built on big seasonal fairs, river walks and connections to the rest of Europe, though its markets lean towards fairground rides and street food. In 2026 the Christmas fair in Hyde Park runs from 19 November to 3 January 2027 by timed ticket. London's Christmas is spread thin across a huge city. The biggest event is the Christmas fair in Hyde Park, a ticketed site of rides, an ice rink and market stalls. The Southbank Centre's market on the Thames is smaller and mostly food and drink. London works best as the gateway to the rest of the trip. Eurostar arrives at St Pancras, and trains from King's Cross next door run north to York and Edinburgh. Tips: - Book the Hyde Park fair ahead online, since peak sessions sell out. - Plan Boxing Day travel around the Elizabeth line closure. Q: Does London have Christmas markets? A: Yes. London's largest is the Christmas fair in Hyde Park, open from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and the Southbank Centre runs a winter market on the Thames. Q: Is London a good place to stay? A: London is where most trips to Britain start, and Eurostar arrives at St Pancras from Paris and Brussels. Its Christmas markets lean towards big fairs and riverside food stalls, with the Christmas fair in Hyde Park open from 19 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/getting-here/ https://web.archive.org/web/20251114180952/https://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/activity/winter-market/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q84 ### Lucerne URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/lucerne Type: Town Local name: Luzern (de) Also known as: Luzern Region: Switzerland Area: Lake Lucerne, central Switzerland Coordinates: 47.05230, 8.30590 Kind: City Population: 86,234 Currency: Swiss francs (CHF) Website: https://www.luzern.com/ Summary: Lucerne suits a slower lake-and-old-town stay with one small craft market, and its trade-off is a short season: the Lozärner Wiehnachtsmärt on Franziskanerplatz runs only from 3 to 21 December 2026. About 70 stalls stand around the Franziskaner fountain under what the organizer calls the largest Advent wreath in central Switzerland. The IG Luzerner Herbstmesse und Märkte runs the Franziskanerplatz market, which reaches its 18th edition in 2026. It is a compact square, and the wreath on the Franziskanerbrunnen measures more than three metres across with four candles about a metre tall. The 2025 programme opened the market with a ceremony in the Franziskanerkirche and brought Samichlaus to the church on 6 December, so look for the 2026 programme once it appears on the market's site. Tips: - The market closes at 19:00 on its last day, 21 December 2026. Q: When is the Lucerne Christmas market in 2026? A: The Lozärner Wiehnachtsmärt on Franziskanerplatz runs from 3 to 21 December 2026, according to its organizer. Stalls open at 11:00 and close at 20:00, food stalls at 21:00, and the last day ends at 19:00. Q: Is Lucerne a good place to stay? A: Lucerne is a good second base after Zurich for travellers who want one market and a lot of lake. The Franziskanerplatz market sits in the old town on the left bank, away from the main shopping street, and the season falls squarely inside Advent, so a visit between 3 and 21 December 2026 catches it. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-luzern.com/ https://www.luzern.com/de/event/lozaerner-wiehnachtsmaert https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4191 ### Ludwigsburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/ludwigsburg Type: Town Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Ludwigsburg-Mitte Coordinates: 48.89750, 9.19190 Kind: City Population: 93,002 Tourist information: Tourist Information in the MIK, run by Tourismus & Events Ludwigsburg, which also organizes the Christmas market. Website: https://visit.ludwigsburg.de Summary: Ludwigsburg suits couples who like architecture, with a planned baroque centre and a market under lit angels. The trade-off is that one evening covers the market, so most people treat it as a side trip from Stuttgart. The town was laid out around a ducal residence, and the Marktplatz still has its arcades and two facing churches. In Advent the market fills the square and spills onto Arsenalplatz just to the south. Tips: - Come after dark for the angels, then eat on Arsenalplatz, which stays open later. Q: Is Ludwigsburg a good place to stay? A: Ludwigsburg suits a night or two if you want a baroque residence town of your own, with its Christmas market from 24 November to 22 December 2026 on an arcaded square. Most visitors base in Stuttgart and come out by S-Bahn for an evening. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://visit.ludwigsburg.de/start/events/ludwigsburger+barock-weihnachtsmarkt.html https://visit.ludwigsburg.de/site/Ludwigsburg-Tourismus/get/params_E-1620374713/23157776/251111_WM_Programm-Falt-Plan_2025_web.pdf https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q622 ### Lyon URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/lyon Type: Town Also known as: Lyons Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Rhône Coordinates: 45.76750, 4.83500 Kind: City Population: 519,127 Stations: Lyon has two main-line stations: Part-Dieu on the east bank of the Rhône and Perrache at the south end of the Presqu'île, next to Place Carnot. Metro: Metro line A stops at Perrache for the Christmas market. During the festival the organizer pointed visitors at Saint-Jean cathedral towards Bellecour for metro lines A and D in 2025. FestivalRules: The festival perimeter bans takeaway alcohol, café terraces and glass containers, and street selling is forbidden apart from licensed food stands. Accessibility: The festival offers priority queues, dedicated entrances and adapted routes to holders of the French Carte Mobilité Inclusion. The 2026 contacts and details go up on the festival's Handi-accueil page from 4 November. Website: https://www.visiterlyon.com/ Summary: Lyon suits a traveller who times a December city break around the Fête des Lumières, the free light festival the city runs from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, and the trade-off is a crowd of about 2 million visitors over those four nights, so book a bed early. The Christmas market on Place Carnot by Perrache station runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, and the city's food carries the evenings either side of the festival. On 8 December 1852 Lyon inaugurated the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on Fourvière hill, the evening sky cleared after a day of bad weather, and people lit candles in their windows. The modern festival grew out of that habit in 1999, when the city first ran four nights of light around the 8th, and it took the name Fête des Lumières in 2000. Today the organizer counts more than 2 million visitors per edition, and around a million of them pass through Place des Terreaux alone. The City of Lyon sets the rules for more than 100 chalets on Place Carnot, at the foot of Perrache station in the 2nd arrondissement, and keeps a few for charities and for makers carrying the city's Fabriqué à Lyon label. Come for regional jars and bottles, chestnuts, foie gras and gifts by local makers, and plan to eat your proper meal elsewhere. For that meal, go east across the Rhône to the Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse at 102 cours Lafayette, five minutes on foot from Part-Dieu station. About 55 traders sell cheese, charcuterie, bread and wine, and the oyster counters stay open until 22:00 from Monday to Saturday, which makes them a useful stop on a festival night before the crowds build. Tips: - Book your hotel for 5 to 8 December 2026 as early as you can, since the festival draws about 2 million visitors over four nights. - The festival programme with every installation and its site comes out in early November on fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr, and paper copies reach the information points in late November. - Takeaway alcohol and glass containers are banned inside the festival perimeter, so leave the bottle of Beaujolais at the hotel. - Arriving by train for the market, Perrache station opens straight onto Place Carnot; Part-Dieu sits across the Rhône on the east side of the centre. Q: When is the Fête des Lumières in Lyon in 2026? A: The Fête des Lumières runs from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, according to the City of Lyon's festival site. Installations light up 19:00 to 23:00 on the Saturday, Monday and Tuesday, and 18:00 to 22:00 on Sunday 6 December. Q: When is the Lyon Christmas market in 2026? A: The Lyon Christmas market on Place Carnot runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, per the City of Lyon. It opens 11:00 to 20:00 Monday to Thursday, 11:00 to 22:00 on Friday, 10:30 to 22:00 on Saturday and 10:30 to 20:00 on Sunday. Q: Is the Fête des Lumières free? A: Yes. The Fête des Lumières is free to attend, funded by the City of Lyon with public and private partners, and you need no ticket to walk the sites. Q: Why do people in Lyon put candles in their windows on 8 December? A: The custom dates from 8 December 1852, when Lyon inaugurated the statue of the Virgin Mary on the Fourvière chapel and residents lit candles in their windows. Many Lyonnais still set lumignons on their windowsills every 8 December. Q: Is Lyon a good place to stay? A: Base yourself here for the Fête des Lumières, which the City of Lyon runs from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026. You can walk most of the festival sites from a hotel on the Presqu'île, the long strip of city between the Rhône and the Saône, and step back in for a rest between shows. Outside those four nights Lyon works as a food city with one central Christmas market and two main-line stations, Part-Dieu and Perrache. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/horaires-et-dates-fete-des-lumieres-2026 https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/histoire-de-la-fete https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/faq/foire-aux-questions https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/handi-accueil https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/lieu/place-des-terreaux https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/lumina https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/action-sociale-et-solidarite/appel-manifestation-dinteret-marche-de-noel-2026 https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/commerce-et-economie/marche-de-noel-de-lyon https://www.marche-noel-lyon.com/ https://www.halles-de-lyon-paulbocuse.com/ https://www.halles-de-lyon-paulbocuse.com/informations-utiles/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q456 ### Maastricht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/maastricht Type: Town Also known as: Mestreech, Magisch Maastricht Region: The Netherlands Area: South Limburg (Zuid-Limburg) Coordinates: 50.84920, 5.68840 Kind: City Population: 120,227 Magisch Maastricht: 27 November to 27 December 2026, according to Visit Maastricht. From the station: Maastricht station sits in Wyck on the east bank of the Maas. Buses run from the station towards the Markt, though during the Vrijthof market they cannot stop right at the square. Paying on the Vrijthof: Food, drink and rides on the Vrijthof are paid with the Magische Cashcard: €1 for the card and €3.50 a credit in 2026. Bikes: An extra bike park opens on the Keizer Karelplein for the Vrijthof market. Website: https://www.visitmaastricht.com/nl/doen/events/magisch-maastricht Summary: Maastricht is the best base for the Christmas season in South Limburg, and it suits couples and families who want a walkable old city with late hours, though its own market leans towards skating, rides and food. Magisch Maastricht runs from 27 November to 27 December 2026, centred on the Vrijthof, and Valkenburg's cave markets are a short train ride east. In December Maastricht dresses its old centre under the name Magisch Maastricht. The heart of it is the Vrijthof, where a covered ice rink, a 45-metre Ferris wheel and rows of chalets fill the square in front of the Basilica of Saint Servatius. From there the light routes lead into the quarters, from the boutique streets of the Stokstraatkwartier to Wyck across the river. Visit Maastricht even has a piece on why the Vrijthof is worth a morning visit. Use Maastricht as your base for Valkenburg. Trains run from Maastricht to Valkenburg station, and the city has a wider choice of hotels and restaurants. Aachen and its Christmas market sit just over the German border if you have a spare day. Tips: - Do Valkenburg on a weekday: the caves and the Vrijthof both name the weekend as their busiest time. - Load the Magische Cashcard on your phone before you reach the Vrijthof to skip the booth queue. - The Basilica of Saint Servatius opens at 10:00 from Monday to Saturday, and its treasury makes a calm stop off the square. Q: When is Magisch Maastricht 2026? A: Magisch Maastricht runs from 27 November to 27 December 2026. The Vrijthof market opens daily from 10:00 to midnight, or 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Q: Is Maastricht a good base for the Valkenburg Christmas markets? A: Yes. Trains run from Maastricht to Valkenburg station, and Kerststad Valkenburg recommends arriving by public transport. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitmaastricht.com/nl/doen/events/magisch-maastricht https://www.visitmaastricht.com/nl/doen/events/magisch-maastricht/lichtroutes https://www.magischmaastrichtvrijthof.nl/plan-je-bezoek https://www.magischmaastrichtvrijthof.nl/veelgestelde-vragen https://www.kerstmarktgemeentegrot.nl/nl/informatie/informatie-en-openingstijden-2026/ https://www.sintservaas.nl/index.php/tekstpagina/Openingstijden-en-prijzen https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1309 ### Mainz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/mainz Type: Town Also known as: Mayence Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Rhineland-Palatinate Coordinates: 49.99940, 8.27360 Kind: City Population: 223,888 Getting there: S8 direct from Frankfurt Airport and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. Market: Mainz Christmas Market, 26 November to 23 December 2026, on the Markt beside the cathedral. Website: https://www.mainz.de/en/ Summary: Mainz suits a slower night or two on the Rhine, with a cathedral-square market that runs to 23 December 2026 and wine taverns in the old town. The S8 runs direct from Frankfurt Airport, and the trade-off is a smaller choice of markets than Frankfurt offers. Gutenberg printed his Bible in Mainz, and the city's Christmas market sets up right beside St Martin's Cathedral, whose red sandstone glows behind the stalls once the lights come on. After the market closes, find a seat in a Weinstube, the local wine tavern, and order a glass of Rheinhessen wine from the vineyards that start at the city's edge. Tips: - The mainz STORE tourist office at Markt 17 opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00 and hands out market maps that mark the barrier-free stalls. - The cathedral is usually open on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays and holidays from 13:00 to 17:00, outside service times. Q: How do I get from Frankfurt Airport to Mainz? A: Take the S8 from the regional station under Terminal 1. Frankfurt Airport lists Mainz among the direct destinations from that station. Q: Is the Mainz Christmas market open on 23 December? A: Yes. The Mainz Christmas Market's last day in 2026 is 23 December, and it closes at 19:00 that evening. Q: What does the name Mainz mean? A: Mainz comes from the local name Mogontiacum, meaning the name comes down from Castrum Mogontiacum, the Roman fortress the general Nero Claudius Drusus founded here in the 1st century BC. Q: Is Mainz a good place to stay? A: Base in Mainz if you want the market at the cathedral door and an old town full of wine taverns. Wiesbaden's market sits just across the Rhine, and the S8 links both cities to Frankfurt Airport, so Mainz also works as a calm first or last night of a trip. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/feste-und-veranstaltungen/weihnachtsmarkt https://bistummainz.de/mainzer-dom/besuchen/oeffnungszeiten/ https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/transport-and-parking/to-from-the-airport/travel-by-train.html https://www.mainz.de/en/verzeichnisse/adressverzeichnis/Weinstube_Hottum https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1720 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainz ### Manchester URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/manchester Type: Town Also known as: Manchester England Region: England Area: Greater Manchester Coordinates: 53.47940, -2.24530 Kind: City Population: 547,627 Getting around: Train stations and Metrolink tram stops serve the city centre within walking distance of the market sites. Parking gets busy at weekends. Payments: Most traders take card and contactless, but carry some cash for small independent stalls. Website: https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/christmas/ Summary: Manchester spreads about 210 Christmas market stalls across its city centre and suits a food-led city break that can start in early November, though the 2026 sites and hours were unpublished in October. In 2026 the markets run from 6 November to 22 December, with Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens open to 3 January 2027. Manchester spreads its markets through the city centre. Albert Square in front of the Victorian Town Hall and Cathedral Gardens are the two fixed sites for 2026, and the rest will be announced nearer the opening. The long season is the point here. You can visit from 6 November, nearly a week before York opens, or come between Christmas and New Year when the two main sites are still trading. Tips: - Check Visit Manchester for the 2026 site list before you plan a route. - Arrive by train or tram, since parking fills fast at weekends. Q: When do the Manchester Christmas markets open in 2026? A: The Manchester Christmas Markets open on 6 November 2026 and run to 22 December, with Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens open until 3 January 2027, according to Visit Manchester. Q: Is Manchester a good place to stay? A: Manchester starts its Christmas markets early, on 6 November 2026, and keeps two of them open to 3 January 2027. Stay here for a big-city December with markets spread across the centre and a strong food and bar scene. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/christmas/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manchester https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Albert_Square,_Manchester https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q18125 ### Mariazell URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/mariazell Type: Town Region: Graz and Styria Area: Mariazellerland Coordinates: 47.77310, 15.31640 Kind: Town Population: 3,618 Market days: Thursday to Sunday from 19 November to 20 December 2026, plus 7 and 8 December. Rail: Rail replacement buses run between St. Pölten Hbf and Mariazell from 2 to 20 November 2026. Basilica: Open about 07:30 to 19:00 in winter; Rorate Mass at 06:00 in Advent. Website: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/ Summary: Stay a night in Mariazell for an Advent built around Austria's best-known pilgrimage church, with concerts in the basilica most market evenings. It's a small mountain town, so the market opens only Thursday to Sunday and the evenings wind down early. The pilgrimage town sits in the hills of northern Styria, close to the Lower Austrian border. The Mariazell Advent fills the Hauptplatz below the basilica from 19 November to 20 December 2026, Thursday to Sunday, under a hanging Advent wreath that the organizer bills as the largest in the world. Concerts in the basilica start at 19:00 or 20:00 on most market nights, opening with the Vienna Boys' Choir on 19 and 20 November. The Bürgeralpe cable car leaves from close to the market and takes you up to the Lichterzauber, a lit trail on the mountain that opens at 16:30. On the opening weekend there are lantern walks at 16:00 from the Volksbank, and on Saturday 21 November the Krampus groups run on the Hauptplatz at 19:00. The Mariazellerbahn from St. Pölten is the usual rail route in, and buses replace it from 2 to 20 November 2026 for engineering work. The line's operator gives no Advent timetable on its home page, so check it before you book. Tips: - Plan a Thursday-to-Sunday trip; the market and the light trail are both shut Monday to Wednesday until Christmas. - Book concert tickets on the Mariazell Advent website before you travel. Q: Is Mariazell a good place to stay? A: The basilica concerts start at 19:00 or 20:00 and the light trail runs until 19:45, so a night in town lets you do both without chasing a late connection. Staying also puts you in reach of the dawn Rorate Mass in the basilica at 06:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/ https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/eroeffnungs-wochenende/ https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/konzertprogramm-onlinebuchung/ https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/lichterzauber-buergeralpe/ https://www.mariazellerbahn.at/ https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/site/de/info/gottesdienste https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q264201 ### Merano URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/merano Type: Town Also known as: Meran, Merano Meran Region: South Tyrol Area: Burggrafenamt / Burgraviato Coordinates: 46.66960, 11.15940 Kind: Town Population: 41,071 Names: Merano is the Italian name and Meran the German one, and the town uses both. Trains: Trains run between Bolzano and Merano every half hour on weekdays and every hour on Sundays and holidays. Buses: Lines 1, 1A, 1B, 3 and 4 run from Merano station to the market in the centre. Parking: Blue-zone parking takes coins and allows three hours at most. The Prader Platz opposite the station is free on most weekdays, but parking is restricted on Tuesdays and banned on Fridays for the weekly markets. Tourist office: The Kurverwaltung Meran is at Freiheitsstraße 45, phone +39 0473 272000. From 23 November 2026 it opens Monday to Friday 09:00–17:00, Saturday 09:30–16:00 and Sunday 10:00–13:00. Website: https://www.merano-suedtirol.it/ Summary: Merano (Meran in German) is South Tyrol's second city and an old Habsburg spa town, and it suits couples who want a riverside Christmas market with thermal baths next door, though its stalls close earlier than Bolzano's. In 2026 the Merano Christmas market runs from 26 November to 6 January 2027. Merano grew rich as a spa town in the nineteenth century, when visitors from across the Habsburg empire came for its mild climate. The Kurhaus and the long promenade along the Passer date from that time. At Christmas the market follows the promenade and spills into the old town. Give yourself a full day here. Spend the afternoon at the thermal baths, then cross the river to eat at the Sandplatz chalet village. The train back to Bolzano runs every half hour on weekdays. Tips: - Book a table in the Christmas baubles on the Thermenplatz through Therme Meran ahead of a weekend visit. - Check the Sunday train timetable, as Bolzano trains drop to one an hour. Q: Is Merano worth visiting at Christmas? A: Yes. Merano's Christmas market runs along the Passer river from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, with an ice rink and thermal baths across the footbridge. Q: How far is Merano from Bolzano? A: Merano is a short regional train ride from Bolzano, with trains every half hour on weekdays and every hour on Sundays and holidays. Q: Is Merano a good place to stay? A: Merano suits a slower Christmas stay with a spa thrown in. The market runs along the Passer river from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, the thermal baths sit across the footbridge with an ice rink outside, and Bolzano is a short train ride away for a second market. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.merano-suedtirol.it/de/meran/info-service/veranstaltungen/meraner-weihnacht.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Merano https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q131605 ### Michelstadt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/michelstadt Type: Town Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Odenwald Coordinates: 49.67860, 9.00420 Kind: Town Population: 15,197 Getting there: Odenwaldbahn regional trains to Michelstadt station; by car, the Altstadt car park holds about 1,000 cars. Market: Michelstadt Christmas Market, 27 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday. Website: https://www.michelstadt.de/ Summary: Michelstadt is a half-timbered Odenwald town of about 15,000 people whose Christmas market wraps around a Rathaus built in 1484, and it suits a day trip from Frankfurt from Wednesday to Sunday. The market is shut on Mondays and Tuesdays, which is the one thing to plan around. Michelstadt's half-timbered Rathaus of 1484 stands on the Marktplatz, and in Advent the town tree goes up beside it. Around 100 stalls run through the lanes and into the Kellerei courtyard, where the town museum sits. The town publishes its programme of choirs and local music from late September. Tips: - Check the day before you go: the market is closed every Monday and Tuesday. - Use the RMV or odenwaldmobil.de planners for the Odenwaldbahn trains to Michelstadt station. Q: Is Michelstadt worth a day trip from Frankfurt at Christmas? A: Yes, if you go from Wednesday to Sunday. Michelstadt's Christmas market runs from 27 November to 20 December 2026 around a half-timbered Rathaus of 1484, and the town has its own station on the Odenwaldbahn. Q: Is Michelstadt a good place to stay? A: A day trip covers the market, and an overnight lets you see the old town lit and empty once the stalls close at 20:00 or 21:00. The town calls itself the oldest and largest in the Odenwald, with a history going back to the 8th century. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.michelstadt.de/weihnachtsmarkt/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q516517 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q21036629 ### Montreux URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/montreux Type: Town Region: Switzerland Area: Vaud Riviera, Lake Geneva Coordinates: 46.43500, 6.91250 Kind: Town Population: 26,955 Currency: Swiss francs (CHF); the market itself is cashless Website: https://www.montreuxnoel.com/ Summary: Montreux suits families and couples who want a lakeside market with rides and a Santa who flies, and its trade-off is weekend crowds that the organizer itself tells you to avoid. Montreux Noël runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026 along the quays of Lake Geneva, with more than 150 chalets and a cog-railway trip to Santa's house on the Rochers-de-Naye. Four Montreux shopkeepers started the market in 1995 with 80 chalets on the Grand-Rue, and the organizer counts 176 chalets on its market page today. The big wheel stands on Place du Marché and the stalls run along the lakeside quays, so the whole thing reads as one long promenade with the Alps across the water. Book Santa's house early. It sits at 2,042 metres on the Rochers-de-Naye, reached only by the MOB Santa train from Montreux station in about 55 minutes, and tickets for the train and entry together went on sale on 15 September 2026. Tips: - The organizer names Monday, Tuesday and Thursday as the calmest days, and Saturday mornings as easier than Saturday evenings. - The market is cashless apart from the restaurants and the New Bretzel stand, and the stalls take every card except American Express. Q: When is Montreux Noël in 2026? A: Montreux Noël runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, according to the organizer. On 24 December the chalets and restaurants close at 17:00. Q: How do you get to Santa's house above Montreux? A: Santa's house at the Rochers-de-Naye is reached only by the MOB Santa train from Montreux station, a ride of about 55 minutes. Tickets combine the train and entry and are sold by MOB. Q: Is Montreux a good place to stay? A: Stay a night or two in Montreux if you want the market's evenings and a morning on the mountain. The market starts about 200 metres from the station, and the Santa train to the Rochers-de-Naye leaves from that same station. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.montreuxnoel.com/ https://www.montreuxnoel.com/histoire/ https://www.montreuxnoel.com/attraction/la-maison-du-pere-noel/ https://www.montreuxnoel.com/faq/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q69354 ### Mulhouse URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/mulhouse Type: Town Also known as: Mülhausen, Mìlhüüsa Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 47.74860, 7.33920 Kind: City Population: 104,978 Parking: Use the paid car parks near the centre, or park at the P+tram sites at Université or Kinépolis and ride in. Market days: The Christmas market runs from 20 November to 27 December 2026 and closes on Christmas Day. Summary: Mulhouse suits travellers arriving through EuroAirport or Basel who want a city Christmas market with its own fabric tradition, and it takes an evening more than a whole stay. The tourism office announces the market from 20 November to 27 December 2026. Mulhouse has a long textile past, and its Christmas market wears a new étoffe every year. The fabric is designed for the occasion, and the tourism office names the 2026 design Jardin d'Hiver. The Musée de l'Impression sur Étoffes, the city's textile printing museum, runs its own Christmas market from 14 November to 24 December 2026. Tips: - Order a tarte flambée at the market and save the textile museum for the afternoon. Q: When is the Mulhouse Christmas market 2026? A: The Mulhouse Christmas market runs from 20 November to 27 December 2026 on Place de la Réunion, according to the tourism office (announced). It closes on 25 December. Q: Is Mulhouse a good place to stay? A: Mulhouse suits travellers flying into EuroAirport or coming from Basel. Its city market has about 90 chalets, and trains run north to Colmar and Strasbourg. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tourisme-mulhouse.com/experiences/marche-de-noel-de-mulhouse/ https://www.tourisme-mulhouse.com/envies/ambiance-de-noel/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q79815 ### Munich URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/munich Type: Town Local name: München (de) Also known as: München, Muenchen Region: Bavaria Coordinates: 48.13750, 11.57500 Kind: City Population: 1,505,036 Transport: The city says there is no parking near Marienplatz; use the S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Marienplatz station. Tourist office: München Tourismus has a desk in the New Town Hall on Marienplatz. Summary: Munich suits a first-timer who wants five markets within a short ride of each other and direct trains to Augsburg and Regensburg; the main market on Marienplatz runs from 20 November to 24 December 2026, and its square gets very full on Advent evenings. Munich's season centres on Marienplatz, where the city's own Christkindlmarkt fills the square under the New Town Hall from Friday 20 November to 24 December 2026. The medieval market on Wittelsbacherplatz and the Christmas village in the Residenz courtyard sit north of it, close enough to link on foot. Tollwood on the Theresienwiese is the evening option, with organic food stands and doors open until 23:30 from Tuesday to Saturday. Plan one Sunday around the Krampus run on 13 December 2026, when more than 300 Krampus and Perchten figures walk from Augustinerstraße to the Old Town Hall between 15:00 and 17:00. On Wednesdays at 16:30, a free half-hour carol sing gathers in front of St. Michael's church on the Neuhauser Straße. Q: When do the Munich Christmas markets open in 2026? A: The main Munich Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz opens on Friday 20 November 2026 and runs to 24 December. The medieval market on Wittelsbacherplatz opens the same day, and Tollwood follows on 24 November. Q: Which Munich Christmas market stays open latest? A: Tollwood on the Theresienwiese stays open latest, until 23:30 from Tuesday to Saturday in 2026. The Marienplatz market closes at 21:00. Q: Is Munich a good place to stay? A: Base in Munich if you want several markets inside one walkable old town and a rail hub for day trips to Augsburg and Regensburg. The city market on Marienplatz opens on Friday 20 November in 2026, three days before the date the old rule would have given. Q: How do you get to Munich? A: The city says there is no parking near Marienplatz; use the S-Bahn or U-Bahn to Marienplatz station. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1726 https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/home https://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/tollwood-winterfestival-2026 ### Nuremberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/nuremberg Type: Town Local name: Nürnberg (de) Also known as: Nurnberg, Nuernberg Region: Franconia Area: Middle Franconia Coordinates: 49.45390, 11.07750 Kind: City Population: 531,159 Toilets at the market: In 2025 the paid public toilets were in the Rathaus at Hauptmarkt 18, entered from the Rathausplatz, at 50 cents. A paid toilet trailer stood on the Obstmarkt behind the Frauenkirche. U Bahn in 2025: Works in the Lorenzer Passage closed the direct route from the Lorenzkirche U-Bahn station toward the market in 2025; passengers came up by the Karolinenstraße escalator or the Königstraße stairs. Driving: The market's own arrival page recommends the signposted Park and Ride sites, especially on Advent weekends. Website: https://tourismus.nuernberg.de/ Summary: Nuremberg is Franconia's big Christmas city, home to the Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt from 27 November to 24 December 2026, and it suits first-timers who want the famous market and a rail hub for day trips. The trade-off is the crowd, with more than two million visits counted at the 2024 market. Most of what you'll want in Advent sits inside the old town walls. The Christkindlesmarkt fills the Hauptmarkt, the Markt der Partnerstädte stands on the Rathausplatz beside it, and the Kinderweihnacht for families takes the Hans-Sachs-Platz to the east. The Frauenkirche's noon clock and the Christkind's Prolog from its gallery on 27 November 2026 both play out on the same square. Nuremberg's city archive records that the Hauptmarkt and the Frauenkirche were laid out on the ground of the Jewish quarter after the pogrom of 1349. The city names it in its own chronology of Nuremberg's history. Keep it in mind as you walk between the stalls. Away from the main square, St. Lorenz held three services on Christmas Eve 2025, and the Stadtmuseum im Fembo-Haus hosts the craft fair Kunst & Handwerk from 4 to 13 December 2026. The schoolchildren's lantern procession climbs from the Fleischbrücke to the Kaiserburg on 10 December 2026. Families can fill an afternoon at the Sternenhaus in the Heilig-Geist-Haus, which ran children's theatre through Advent in 2025. Tips: - Watch the Männleinlaufen on the Frauenkirche at noon from the far side of the Hauptmarkt. - Keep your Glühwein mug as a souvenir or hand it back for the deposit at any Glühwein stall. Q: Is Nuremberg worth visiting for Christmas markets? A: Yes. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026, and two smaller markets for families and twin towns sit within a few streets of it. Expect crowds: the city counted more than two million visits at the 2024 market. Q: How many Christmas markets are there in Nuremberg's old town? A: Nuremberg's old town has three city-run Advent markets close together: the Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt, the Markt der Partnerstädte on the Rathausplatz and the Kinderweihnacht on the Hans-Sachs-Platz. Q: Is Nuremberg a good place to stay? A: Stay in Nuremberg if you want Franconia's biggest market on your doorstep for several evenings, with the Kinderweihnacht and the twin-town market a few streets away. The Hauptbahnhof also makes it a base for days out to the smaller towns. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/maerkte/dokumente/spezialmaerkte/bekanntmachung_ckm_2026.pdf https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/kommunikation_stadtmarketing/dokumente/internet/ckm/25_ckm_details.pdf https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/kommunikation_stadtmarketing/dokumente/internet/ckm/25_ckm_rundum.pdf https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtarchiv/stadtgeschichte_daten.html https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtportal/heiligabend.html https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/tipps https://bratwursthaeuslenuernberg.de/en https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2090 ### Oberhausen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/oberhausen Type: Town Region: The Rhineland Area: North Rhine-Westphalia Coordinates: 51.46990, 6.85140 Kind: City Population: 213,178 Dates: The CentrO has not published its 2026 market dates; in 2025 the market ran from 14 November to 22 December. Summary: Oberhausen suits families and shoppers who want a big themed Christmas market wrapped around the CentrO mall, as a day trip from Düsseldorf, Cologne or the Netherlands. The market surrounds a modern mall, far from any old town. The CentrO's market rings the shopping centre in the Neue Mitte with three areas: alpine huts, a Santa's Village and a Wichtelmarkt for small children. The 2026 dates have not been published yet. Q: When is the Oberhausen Christmas market 2026? A: The CentrO has not published its 2026 dates yet. In 2025 the CentrO Christmas market ran from 14 November to 22 December. Q: Is Oberhausen a good place to stay? A: Oberhausen is a day trip for most people, built around the CentrO shopping centre and its Christmas market. Families and Dutch visitors driving in for a shopping day use it most. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2838 https://regional.bahn.de/regionen/nrw/ausflugstipps/events/weihnachtsmaerkte-uebersicht/oberhausen_weihnachtsmarkt ### Obernai URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/obernai Type: Town Also known as: Ewernahn Region: Alsace Area: Bas-Rhin Coordinates: 48.46220, 7.48190 Kind: Town Population: 12,587 Tourist office: Place du Beffroi, 67210 Obernai, telephone +33 3 88 95 64 13. Nativity scenes: Saints-Pierre-et-Paul church shows Belgian nativity scenes from 27 November to 31 December 2026 and opens 9:00 to 12:00 and 14:00 to 18:00 outside services. Summary: Obernai suits travellers who want a food-led village market within easy reach of Strasbourg and a new nightly video-mapping show, and it is a day trip more than a long stay. The tourism office announces the market from 27 November to 31 December 2026. Obernai's tourism office pitches the town on its distance from the big-city crowds, and spreads 45 little houses over five squares. The winegrowers' cauldron of white-wine vin chaud is the local habit to try. Leave time for the Belgian nativity scenes in Saints-Pierre-et-Paul church. Tips: - Time the visit for the 18:00 video-mapping show on Place du Marché. Q: Is Obernai a good day trip from Strasbourg at Christmas? A: Yes. Obernai has its own station on the line from Strasbourg, a market of 45 chalets from 27 November to 31 December 2026 and a video-mapping show on the town hall at 18:00 and 19:00 from 1 to 24 December. Q: Is Obernai a good place to stay? A: Obernai suits travellers who want a calmer base between Strasbourg and the vineyards. It has its own station, and its market of 45 chalets runs to 31 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tourisme-obernai.fr/Fr/Voir-faire/Agenda-evenements/Revez-Noel-Obernai.html https://www.tourisme-obernai.fr/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22727 ### Passau URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/passau Type: Town Region: Bavaria Coordinates: 48.57480, 13.46100 Kind: City Population: 53,523 Summary: Passau suits visitors who want a market in front of a baroque cathedral with a midday organ concert, from 24 November to 22 December 2026; the market ends two days before Christmas Eve. Passau's Christkindlmarkt fills the Domplatz in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral from 24 November to 22 December 2026. Between 28 November and 19 December, the cathedral holds a midday organ concert at 12:00 from Wednesday to Saturday, with tickets at €6 sold from 10:00 at the courtyard ticket hut. The organ is part-way through a restoration due to finish in 2028, so not every division can play. Q: Are there organ concerts in Passau cathedral in December? A: Yes. St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau holds midday organ concerts at 12:00 from Wednesday to Saturday between 28 November and 19 December 2026. Tickets cost €6, or €3 reduced. Q: Is Passau a good place to stay? A: Passau suits a Danube river-cruise passenger or a rail traveller heading toward Vienna who wants one evening at a cathedral-square market. Midday organ concerts in St. Stephen's Cathedral run Wednesday to Saturday during Advent. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4190 https://www.passauer-christkindlmarkt.de/ https://www.bistum-passau.de/files/downloads/Bistum-Passau/Dommusik_Jahresprogramm_2026_web.pdf ### Potsdam URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/potsdam Type: Town Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Coordinates: 52.40090, 13.05910 Kind: City Population: 185,137 Summary: Potsdam suits a traveller who wants a calmer base beside Berlin, with the Weihnachtszauber along the old-town shopping street and smaller weekend markets in Babelsberg and the Dutch Quarter. Its trade-off is that the weekend markets run on a few dates only, so check each one's days before you go. Potsdam builds its December around one long market and a run of short ones. The Weihnachtszauber stretches from the Luisenplatz to the Bassinplatz with an ice rink and a Ferris wheel. Babelsberg holds its Bohemian market on the first two Advent weekends, and the Polish market shares the second. On the weekend after St Nicholas' Day, Sinterklaas rides into the Dutch Quarter. Tips: - Time a visit for 4–6 December 2026 to catch the Bohemian and Polish markets on one trip. Q: What Christmas markets are there in Potsdam in 2026? A: Potsdam has the Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber from 23 November to 27 December 2026, the Bohemian Christmas Market in Babelsberg on 27–29 November and 4–6 December, the Polish Christmas Market on 4–6 December and the Sinterklaas Festival in the Dutch Quarter on 12 and 13 December. Q: Is Potsdam a good place to stay? A: Stay in Potsdam for a calmer base next to Berlin, with the Weihnachtszauber running along the old-town shopping street and smaller weekend markets in Babelsberg and the Dutch Quarter. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/weihnachtsmarkt/ https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/potsdam-marketing-und-service-gmbh/pressreleases/weihnachtliches-potsdam-3414356 https://www.babelsberg-potsdam.de/ https://www.sinterklaas-potsdam.de/termine/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1711 ### Prague URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/prague Type: Town Local name: Praha (cs) Also known as: Praha, Prag Region: Czechia Coordinates: 50.08750, 14.42140 Kind: City Population: 1,397,880 Tourist information: Prague City Tourism, +420 221 714 714, Monday to Friday 9:00–17:00. Population: 1,397,880 on 1 January 2025 (via Wikidata). Summary: Prague suits a long weekend or the start of a rail trip, with four central markets and two of them open until 6 January. The trade-off is crowds and Old Town prices, which run well above the neighbourhood squares. Base yourself in Staré Město or Nové Město if markets are the point of the trip, because Old Town Square, Wenceslas Square and Republic Square sit within a short walk of each other. Vinohrady works well if you want quieter streets, since metro line A drops you at the Náměstí Míru market and carries on to Můstek in the centre. Keep Christmas Eve light: the Taiko markets cut their hours on 24 December in 2025, and the two neighbourhood markets end that day. Tips: - Prague City Tourism answers questions on +420 221 714 714, Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00. - Svařák on Old Town Square cost 100 CZK in 2025, by the organizer's figure. Neighbourhood squares have charged less. Q: Is Prague a good place to stay? A: Prague has a market open somewhere in the centre from 20 November to 6 January. Náměstí Míru opens the season on 20 November, Republic Square follows on 25 November, and the two Taiko markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. That gives you markets before Advent starts and markets after New Year from the same base. Concerts at St Nicholas on Malá Strana and services at St Vitus fill the evenings once the stalls start to thin. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://prague.eu/en/christmas https://prague.eu/en/akce-kategorie/trhy/ https://trhypraha.cz/en https://prague.eu/en/akce/old-town-square-christmas-market/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1085 ### Rattenberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/rattenberg Type: Town Also known as: Rattenberg am Inn, Rattenberg Tirol Region: Tyrol Area: Alpbachtal Coordinates: 47.43890, 11.89330 Kind: Town Population: 448 Tourist information: Alpbachtal Tourismus runs the Advent programme and answers on +43 5337 21200, Monday to Friday 08:00–12:00 and 13:00–17:00, or at info@alpbachtal.at. Station: Rattenberg-Kramsach station sits at the edge of the old town. Glass: Rattenberg is known for glassmaking, and its glass shops stay open through the Advent weekends. Website: https://www.alpbachtal.at/de/entdecke-das-alpbachtal/kultur-und-brauchtum/advent/rattenberger-advent Summary: Rattenberg is a medieval glassmaking town on the Inn of about 450 people, counted as the smallest town in Austria, and its candlelit Advent weekends suit couples and anyone who wants a quiet market, though it opens only Friday to Sunday. In 2026 the Rattenberger Advent runs from 20 November to 20 December on those days, plus 8 December. Rattenberg was founded in the 14th century under the Rat mountain and still fits inside about 10 hectares. On market weekends the town turns down its electric lights and keeps its glass studios open. Wind players and Anklöpfler singers walk the lanes on Friday and Sunday afternoons. The mountain blocks direct sunlight from the town for much of the winter, so the afternoon greys over early and the candles carry the evening. Arrive in the late afternoon to watch the lanes change from daylight to firelight. Tips: - Go on a Friday or on 8 December for a calmer visit than Saturday evening. - Arrive by train at Rattenberg-Kramsach and walk in. Q: Is Rattenberg the smallest town in Austria? A: Yes. Rattenberg counts as Austria's smallest town, with about 400 inhabitants on an area of 10 hectares. Wikidata gives 448 residents for 2021. Q: Is Rattenberg a good place to stay? A: Rattenberg is small enough to walk end to end in minutes, and a night here lets you see its candlelit lanes after the Saturday crowd has gone home. Alpbachtal Tourismus covers the town and the valley around it, and Innsbruck is a train ride west. The Rattenberger Advent runs on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays from 20 November to 20 December 2026, plus Tuesday 8 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.alpbachtal.at/de/entdecke-das-alpbachtal/kultur-und-brauchtum/advent/rattenberger-advent https://www.tirol.at/reisefuehrer/veranstaltungen/events/e-rattenberger-advent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rattenberg https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q261778 ### Regensburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/regensburg Type: Town Region: Bavaria Coordinates: 49.01670, 12.08330 Kind: City Population: 151,517 Day ticket: The Bayern-Ticket covers a day of regional trains anywhere in Bavaria for up to five people, priced from €34 on the Deutsche Bahn page in 2025. Summary: Regensburg suits couples who want a compact old town with three distinct markets and a cathedral choir at Christmas; the palace market charges entry, from €6.50 on Mondays to €13.50 on Saturdays in 2026. Regensburg spreads its season across three sites. The city market rings the Neupfarrkirche from 23 November to 23 December 2026, and the Lucrezia crafts market fills Haidplatz from 27 November. The Thurn und Taxis palace courtyard opens earliest, on 20 November, and is the only one of the three you pay to enter. If you stay over Christmas, the Regensburger Domspatzen sing the Christmette in the cathedral at 22:00 on 24 December and the Pontifical Mass at 10:00 on 25 December 2026. Both are services, so come for worship and arrive early for a seat. Q: How many Christmas markets does Regensburg have? A: Regensburg has at least three main Christmas markets in 2026: the city market on Neupfarrplatz, the Lucrezia crafts market on Haidplatz and the ticketed market at Schloss Thurn und Taxis. Q: Is Regensburg a good place to stay? A: Stay two nights in Regensburg to cover the free city market and the ticketed palace courtyard, with the Lucrezia crafts stalls in between. The cathedral's Domspatzen choir sings the Christmas services if you are there on 24 or 25 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2978 https://www.wm-tut.de/ https://www.lucrezia-markt.de/ https://microsites.bahn.de/regional-de/regionen/bayern/ausflugstipps/weihnachtsmaerkte-uebersicht/weihnachtsmarkt_regensburg https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/ ### Ribeauville URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/ribeauville Type: Town Also known as: Ribeauvillé, Ràppschwihr Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 48.19530, 7.31830 Kind: Town Population: 4,685 Park and ride: On 5, 6, 12 and 13 December the Perles de Noël park-and-ride at the Cordon-Schmidt car park, 22 Route de Colmar in Bergheim, costs €10 per car with the shuttle included. Bus: The Christmas shuttle from Colmar and the regular line 16 bus both serve Ribeauvillé. Summary: Ribeauvillé suits families who want costumed street theatre with their Christmas market, and its medieval market opens on just two weekends. The 2026 dates are 5–6 and 12–13 December (confirmed). Ribeauvillé calls itself the town of minstrels, and its medieval Christmas market brings out beggars, peasants, dancers and street performers. The stalls sell spit-roasted wild boar, cervoise and wine alongside Advent wreaths and handmade nativity scenes. Tips: - Go on a Sunday morning, soon after the 10:00 opening. Q: When is the Ribeauvillé medieval Christmas market 2026? A: The Ribeauvillé Medieval Christmas Market opens on 5, 6, 12 and 13 December 2026 (confirmed), from 10:00 to 19:00 on Saturdays and 10:00 to 18:00 on Sundays. Q: Is Ribeauville a good place to stay? A: Ribeauvillé suits a wine-route stay with Riquewihr next door, and its medieval Christmas market fills the town on two December weekends. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ribeauville-riquewihr/discover/ribeauville-christmas-market https://noel-colmar.com/en/christmas-shuttles https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q148483 ### Riga URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/riga Type: Town Also known as: Rīga, Old Riga, Vecrīga Region: Latvia Area: Vecrīga Coordinates: 56.94750, 24.10690 Kind: City Population: 588,911 Tourist information: Riga Investment and Tourism Agency (LiveRiga), Rātslaukums 1, Rīga, LV-1050. Population: 588,911 on 1 January 2026 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.liveriga.com/en Summary: Riga suits a couple or a family who want a compact Old Town market that runs past New Year. The Dome Square market opens on 27 November 2026, seven days after Tallinn's, so start a Baltic loop in Tallinn if you travel in the third week of November. Stay in Vecrīga (the Old Town) and Dome Square is a few minutes from most hotels. The Riga Cathedral stands over the market, and LiveRiga lists Christmas concerts there and in St John's and St Paul's churches through December. Leave a morning for the Baltic Expo Christmas Fair on 11 and 12 December if you want a much bigger trade fair with makers from all three Baltic states. Tips: - LiveRiga, the city's tourism agency, has its office at Rātslaukums 1 on Town Hall Square. - The market runs a cup deposit; return the cup at the collection point and the refund goes back to the card or phone you tap on the terminal. Q: Is Riga a good place to stay? A: The Vecrīgas Ziemassvētku tirdziņš (Old Riga Christmas market) fills Dome Square from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. In 2025 more than 80 traders took part, most of them Latvian makers and food producers. The organizer's holiday hours keep the square open right through Christmas and again on New Year's Day, and LiveRiga lists Christmas concerts in the city's churches all through December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://vzt.lv/ https://www.liveriga.com/en/visit/events/markets-1/riga-christmas-market https://www.liveriga.com/en/search?q=christmas%20market&filter=Pasakumi&page=1 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1773 ### Riquewihr URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/riquewihr Type: Town Also known as: Richewihr Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 48.16640, 7.29690 Kind: Village Population: 999 Park and ride: The Perles de Noël park-and-ride at the Naturoparc in Hunawihr runs on Saturdays and Sundays from 28 November to 20 December. It costs €10 per car, and the shuttle is included for everyone inside. Bus: The Christmas shuttle from Colmar runs Friday to Sunday, and the regular line 16 links Colmar, Riquewihr and Ribeauvillé. Summary: Riquewihr suits travellers based in Colmar who want a walled wine village dressed in Christmas lights, and its market ends early, on 20 December 2026. The market runs every day from 27 November (confirmed). Riquewihr has kept its architecture and its heritage for centuries, and at Christmas thousands of lights cover the facades and monuments. Park outside at the weekend: the Perles de Noël park-and-ride in Hunawihr costs €10 a car with the shuttle included. Tips: - Ride the line 16 bus from Colmar on a weekday, when the lanes are calmer. Q: Is Riquewihr worth visiting at Christmas? A: Yes, before 20 December. The Riquewihr Christmas market runs every day from 27 November to 20 December 2026, and the village lights its facades and monuments for the season. Q: Is Riquewihr a good place to stay? A: Riquewihr is a walled wine village whose old houses have come through the centuries intact, and its market runs every day from 27 November to 20 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ribeauville-riquewihr/discover/riquewihr-christmas-market https://noel-colmar.com/en/christmas-shuttles https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q148959 ### Rothenburg ob der Tauber URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber Type: Town Also known as: Rothenburg, Rothenburg o.d.T. Region: Franconia Area: Middle Franconia Coordinates: 49.37720, 10.17890 Kind: Town Population: 11,331 Arriving by train: Rothenburg Tourismus Service tells rail travellers to go to Würzburg or Ansbach and take a regional train via Steinach to Rothenburg. The old town is a walk from the station. Romantic Road coach: The Romantic Road coach stops here only on Sundays from early May to mid-September, so it doesn't help in Advent. Tourist information: Rothenburg Tourismus Service is at Marktplatz 2; in November and from January to Easter it opens 09:00 to 17:00 on weekdays and 10:00 to 13:00 on Saturday, and it is closed on Sundays and holidays. Website: https://www.rothenburg-tourismus.de Summary: Rothenburg ob der Tauber suits travellers who want a walled medieval town with a small Christmas market, the Reiterlesmarkt, open from 20 November to 23 December 2026 except Totensonntag. The trade-off is the journey on a regional line via Steinach, and stalls that close by 20:00. The Reiterlesmarkt fills the squares between the Rathaus and St. Jakob, and in 2025 it held 61 stalls. Its 2026 run opens on 20 November, with the market's legendary horseman, the Reiterle, expected to ride in on the Friday before Advent. Look for weißer Glühwein, a mulled white wine, and the town's Schneeballen pastries. Inside St. Jakob, Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar dates from around 1500. In December the church opens from 10:00 to 17:00, which leaves you the morning at the market and the afternoon in the church. The town's German Christmas Museum, the Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum, opened late for the long museum night on the market's first evening in 2025. The tourism service tells rail travellers to ride to Würzburg or Ansbach and take a regional train via Steinach from there. The station is a walk from the old town. Drivers park outside the old town, and its core is closed to cars from 19:00 to 06:00. Tips: - Spend a night so you can walk the squares before the market opens at 11:00. - Stay off Sunday 22 November 2026 for market visits; the stalls are closed for Totensonntag. Q: How do you get to Rothenburg ob der Tauber by train? A: Take a train to Würzburg or Ansbach and change to the regional train via Steinach to Rothenburg ob der Tauber, as the town's tourism service advises. The old town is within walking distance of the station. Q: When is the Rothenburg Christmas market in 2026? A: The Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026, closed on Totensonntag, 22 November. Q: Is Rothenburg ob der Tauber a good place to stay? A: Stay a night in Rothenburg if you want the old town after the day visitors leave and the Reiterlesmarkt in the morning before they come back. The market runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026, longer than most in Franconia. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.rothenburg.de/besuchen/planen/anreise https://www.rothenburg-tourismus.de/reiterlesmarkt https://stadt.rothenburg.de/nachrichten/artikel/rothenburger-reiterlesmarkt-2025 https://www.rothenburg.de/entdecken/top-10/jakobskirche https://www.rothenburg.de/fileadmin/Tourismus/Bilder/Veranstaltungen/Reiterlesmarkt/RTS_BR_Reiterlesmarkt_2025_EN_WEB.pdf https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153494 ### Salzburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/salzburg Type: Town Also known as: Salzburg city, Stadt Salzburg Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79852, 13.04649 Kind: City Population: 155,021 Getting to Hellbrunn: Bus 25 runs from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof through the old town to the Schloss Hellbrunn stop, every ten minutes on Advent weekend afternoons. Christmas Eve: The Domplatz market closes at 15:00 on 24 December, the Mirabellplatz market at 15:00 and Hellbrunn at 14:00. Cathedral: Sightseeing costs €7 for adults in 2026 and stops during services. In December the cathedral opens to visitors 09:00 to 18:00 Monday to Saturday and from 13:00 on Sundays. Toilets: The Kapitelplatz toilets behind the cathedral arches have a step-free entrance, and the Wiener-Philharmoniker-Gasse has a Euro-key accessible toilet. Website: https://www.salzburg.info/ Summary: Salzburg is the base for this region in December, with the most markets, music most evenings and trains and buses out to the lakes. Weekends on the Domplatz get very busy, so save your browsing for weekday mornings. The main market fills the Domplatz and the Residenzplatz around the cathedral, and three more run across the city: a small one in front of Schloss Mirabell near the station, a weekend market in the courtyard of the Hohensalzburg fortress and the family-minded market in the grounds of Schloss Hellbrunn to the south. All four open by late November, and the Domplatz market runs on to 1 January. Music sets the rhythm of the day. Choirs sing in front of the cathedral every afternoon, the Turmblasen brass plays from the towers on Thursday and Saturday evenings, and the Salzburger Adventsingen fills the Grosses Festspielhaus on the first three Advent weekends. The Krampus run comes on 5 December and the Perchten on 21 December, both on the Domplatz. Salzburg also works as the gateway to Silent Night country. The carol's author Joseph Mohr was baptised in the cathedral font, and Oberndorf, where the song was first sung in 1818, lies about 20 kilometres north. Tips: - Book the Adventsingen early, since it plays only on the first three Advent weekends. - Take younger children to Hellbrunn on a weekday afternoon, when there's room to move. Q: How many Christmas markets does Salzburg have? A: The city has four main ones: the Christkindlmarkt on the Domplatz and Residenzplatz, the Mirabellplatz market, the Hohensalzburg fortress market on Advent weekends and the Hellbrunn market at the palace south of town. Q: Are Salzburg's Christmas markets open after Christmas? A: The Domplatz market stays open to 1 January 2027 and the Mirabellplatz market to 31 December. Hellbrunn and the fortress market close before Christmas. Q: Is Salzburg a good place to stay? A: Salzburg gives you four Advent markets within one city, the brass of the Turmblasen on Thursday and Saturday evenings and a cathedral Christmas Mass with Mozart. The Domplatz market stays open to New Year's Day, so a trip over Christmas still finds stalls. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburg.info/de/salzburg/advent-stille-nacht https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine/ https://www.hellbrunneradventzauber.at/info-service/anreise-parken/ https://salzburg.info/de/sehenswertes/kirchen-friedhoefe/salzburger-dom https://www.tomaselli.at/ https://www.augustinerbier.at/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q34713 ### Seiffen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/seiffen Type: Town Local name: Kurort Seiffen (de) Also known as: Seiffen Erzgebirge, Seiffen toy village, Spielzeugdorf Seiffen Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge Coordinates: 50.64830, 13.45220 Kind: Village Population: 1,800 Tourist office: Touristinformation Seiffen, email info@touristinfo-seiffen.de. Website: https://seiffen.de/weihnachten/ Summary: Seiffen suits anyone who wants to buy Erzgebirge woodcraft from the workshops that make it, and the village is small and its weekday stalls close at 17:00. The Seiffener Weihnacht runs from 27 November to 20 December 2026. Seiffen calls itself the toy village, and its craft workshops have passed their woodwork down through several generations. The Seiffener Weihnacht puts more than 40 stalls along the streets of the centre, and the village's craft shops open alongside them. Advent here runs on processions. A small miners' parade opens the market on 28 November, and the Große Bergparade on 12 December brings more than 400 people in miners' costume. The village uses its own mug, the Dippl, with the Seiffen church in relief on the front. Tips: - Come on a Saturday; the market stays open until 20:00 then and only until 17:00 on weekdays. Q: Is Seiffen worth visiting at Christmas? A: Seiffen suits visitors who want Erzgebirge woodcraft from the makers. The Seiffener Weihnacht runs from 27 November to 20 December 2026 with more than 40 stalls and a large miners' parade on 12 December. Q: Is Seiffen a good place to stay? A: Staying overnight in Seiffen gives you the Saturday evening, when the stalls stay open until 20:00, and time to visit the craft workshops as well as the stalls. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://seiffen.de/weihnachten/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57837 ### Selestat URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/selestat Type: Town Also known as: Sélestat, Schlettstàdt Region: Alsace Area: Bas-Rhin Coordinates: 48.25940, 7.45420 Kind: Town Population: 19,589 Exhibitions: The tree exhibition in Saint-Georges church runs from 21 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and the 1521 account book is on show at the Humanist Library from 21 November to 31 December 2026. Summary: Sélestat suits travellers curious about the history of the Christmas tree, with hanging trees in Saint-Georges church and a 1521 record at the Humanist Library, and its chalet market is small. The tourism office announces the market from 20 November to 27 December 2026. Sélestat's tourism office calls the town the capital of the Christmas tree because of a 1521 account book that mentions trees cut for the feast. Ten decorated trees hang in Saint-Georges church to show how the custom changed over the centuries, and Sainte-Foy hangs a chandelier of 173 Meisenthal glass baubles. Tips: - Break the train ride between Strasbourg and Colmar here for an afternoon. Q: Why is Sélestat famous at Christmas? A: Sélestat holds a town account book from 1521 that mentions trees cut for Christmas, which its tourism office presents as the oldest written record of the Christmas tree. In Advent 2026 the document is on show at the Humanist Library and ten historic trees hang in Saint-Georges church. Q: Is Selestat a good place to stay? A: Sélestat sits on the main line halfway between Strasbourg and Colmar, so it works as a base for both cities and has its own Christmas tree story to tell. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.selestat-haut-koenigsbourg.com/decouvrir-alsace/noel/selestat.htm https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q22737 ### St Gilgen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/st-gilgen Type: Town Also known as: Sankt Gilgen, St. Gilgen am Wolfgangsee Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Wolfgangsee Coordinates: 47.76700, 13.36420 Kind: Village Population: 3,915 Boats: In Advent the boats run from St Gilgen to Strobl and St Wolfgang from Wednesday to Sunday and on 7 and 8 December. A hop-on ticket covers all three landings. Tourist office: Wolfgangsee Tourismus in St Gilgen answers on +43 6227 2348. Website: https://wolfgangseer-advent.at/de/orte/st-gilgen Summary: St Gilgen is the gentlest of the Wolfgangsee's Advent villages, with candlelight along the shore and a baroque theme. It's small, so most people pair it with St Wolfgang by boat. The village sits on the north-western shore of the Wolfgangsee. Mozart's mother Anna Maria Pertl was born here, and his sister Nannerl moved here when she married. The Advent market calls itself the baroque Advent and fills the Kirchenplatz by the parish church of St Giles with craft stalls. A light trail tells the Christmas story from the Annunciation to the Flight into Egypt, and painted figures by the artist Raja Schwahn-Reichmann stand around the village. A nativity exhibition in the Salettl beside the Gasthof zur Post keeps the market's hours. Tips: - Start here in the late morning and take the boat east to St Wolfgang for the lantern at dusk. Q: When is the St Gilgen Advent market in 2026? A: From 20 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday, plus 7 and 8 December. Q: Is St Gilgen a good place to stay? A: St Gilgen suits travellers who want the Wolfgangsee's Advent closest to Salzburg, with a boat at the door to the other villages. Its market shuts on Mondays and Tuesdays and runs small on Wednesdays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://wolfgangseer-advent.at/de/orte/st-gilgen https://www.wolfgangseer-advent.at/ https://www.salzkammergut.at/advent/oesterreich-veranstaltung/detail/430198709/wolfgangseer-advent.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Gilgen https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q264430 ### St Wolfgang URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/st-wolfgang Type: Town Local name: St. Wolfgang im Salzkammergut (de) Also known as: St. Wolfgang, Sankt Wolfgang, St Wolfgang im Salzkammergut Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Wolfgangsee Coordinates: 47.73790, 13.44853 Kind: Village Population: 2,770 Boats: In Advent the boats link St Wolfgang with Strobl and St Gilgen from Wednesday to Sunday and on 7 and 8 December. On weekdays they call at both the Markt and Schafbergbahn landings, and at weekends only at the Schafbergbahn landing. SchafbergBahn: The rack railway runs Advent trips up to the Schafbergalm at 1,364 metres from Wednesday to Sunday until 20 December, then daily from 26 December to 6 January. Website: https://www.wolfgangseer-advent.at/ Summary: St Wolfgang is the Wolfgangsee village to stay in for Advent, with the floating lantern, a nativity spread through the lanes and boats to the next markets. Everything closes Monday and Tuesday. The village grew up around a pilgrimage church on the north shore of the Wolfgangsee, and Michael Pacher's late-Gothic altar has stood in it since 1481. In Advent the lanes fill with life-size nativity figures, more than 70 in all, and a craft market moves into the Michael-Pacher-Haus. The floating lantern on the lake carries the Peace Light and stands 16 metres tall. The Schafbergbahn rack railway starts here, and in Advent it climbs to the Schafbergalm. Boats cross the lake to Strobl and St Gilgen on market days, so you can see all three villages without a car. Tips: - Take the Wednesday lantern cruise. - Children up to 14 ride the Advent boats and the SchafbergBahn free on Advent Sundays. Q: Is St Wolfgang worth visiting at Christmas? A: Yes, if you like small markets and the lake. The Wolfgangseer Advent runs from 20 November to 20 December 2026, Wednesday to Sunday. Q: Is St Wolfgang a good place to stay? A: St Wolfgang suits a couple who want lake views, a boat between markets and a quiet night in a small place. The market shuts on Mondays and Tuesdays, so time your stay for the second half of the week. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://wolfgangseer-advent.at/de/orte/st-wolfgang https://wolfgangseer-advent.at/de/attraktionen/wolfgangsee_schifffahrt https://wolfgangseer-advent.at/de/attraktionen/schafbergbahn https://www.wolfgangseer-advent.at/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Wolfgang_im_Salzkammergut https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q567835 ### Strasbourg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/strasbourg Type: Town Also known as: Straßburg, Strassburg, Stroßburi, Capitale de Noël Region: Alsace Area: Bas-Rhin Coordinates: 48.57330, 7.75220 Kind: City Population: 293,771 Getting in: Trams A, C, D and F serve the market squares. Park and Ride sites cost €4.20 a day, and the price includes a return tram ticket for everyone in the car. Traffic: Motor vehicles are banned on the Grande Île during market hours, and there are access checks on the bridges onto the island. Accessibility: The info chalet on Place Kléber lends wheelchairs and walkers free of charge against an ID document. An accessibility map shows level routes, ramps and adapted toilets. Cathedral: During the market Strasbourg Cathedral opens continuously from 08:30 to 17:45, Monday to Saturday. The astronomical clock show is suspended for the whole market. Summary: Strasbourg suits a first-time visitor who wants the biggest Christmas in Alsace inside one walkable centre. Its markets fill eight sites around the cathedral, and weekends bring heavy crowds. The 2026 season opens on Friday 27 November (confirmed), and the run to 24 December is projected from past seasons. Strasbourg calls itself the Capitale de Noël, and the season fills the Grande Île, the island in the Ill that holds the old town. The city dates the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie to 1570, and the Grand Sapin has stood on Place Kléber every winter since 2000. Give the busiest squares a Monday or Tuesday, which the city names as its calmest days. Use the city as a hub for the rest of Alsace. Obernai and Sélestat have their own markets on lines out of the main station, and from Colmar the Christmas shuttles run on to the wine villages at weekends. Tips: - See Place Broglie and the cathedral square on a weekday morning soon after the 11:30 opening. - Leave the car outside the centre; Park and Ride costs €4.20 a day with tram tickets for the whole car. Q: When does the Strasbourg Christmas market open in 2026? A: The Strasbourg Christmas market opens on Friday 27 November 2026, from 14:00 on the first day (confirmed). The city has not published the last day yet, and the 24 December end is projected from past seasons. Q: Can you drive into Strasbourg during the Christmas market? A: No. Motor vehicles are banned on the Grande Île during market hours. Park at a Park and Ride on the edge of the city, where €4.20 a day covers parking and a return tram ticket for everyone in the car. Q: Is Strasbourg a good place to stay? A: Strasbourg makes the best base for a first Christmas in Alsace. The city spreads its markets over eight sites on the Grande Île, and trains from the main station reach Sélestat, Obernai and Colmar for day trips. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ https://noel.strasbourg.eu/foire-aux-questions https://noel.strasbourg.eu/notre-histoire https://noel.strasbourg.eu/dispositifs-handicap https://noel.strasbourg.eu/w/lumieres-et-feerie https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/horaires_acces https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6602 ### Stuttgart URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/stuttgart Type: Town Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Stuttgart-Mitte Coordinates: 48.77520, 9.17850 Kind: City Population: 609,365 Tourist information: i-Punkt in the Haus des Tourismus at Marktstraße 2 on the Marktplatz, phone +49 711 2228-0. Market info stands: During the market the organizer runs info stands at the Altes Schloss entrance on Schillerplatz and on Königstraße by the Glühwein pyramid. Website: https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de Summary: Stuttgart suits travellers who want one hotel and several markets, because its rail hub puts Esslingen, Ludwigsburg and Tübingen within easy reach. The trade-off is that the city itself is big and modern between the old squares. The Christmas market fills the centre from Schlossplatz to the Marktplatz, with about 250 stalls under roofs decorated by the stallholders. Music runs through the day: organ at 13:15 in the Stiftskirche, a concert most evenings in the Altes Schloss courtyard and tower brass on weekend nights. Stuttgart-Marketing's Glanzlichter scheme has lit Königstraße every winter since 2018, so the walk up from the station already glows. For something other than a market, the Christmas Garden runs a two-kilometre light trail through the Wilhelma zoo and botanical garden from 18 November 2026 to 16 January 2027. Tips: - Pick a hotel near the Hauptbahnhof or the Schlossplatz and use the S-Bahn for Esslingen and Ludwigsburg. - Remember the Stuttgart market ends on 23 December; plan Christmas Eve around a church or a restaurant booking. Q: Is Stuttgart a good place to stay? A: Stuttgart is the base that makes the rest of the Neckar work. Its own market spreads over four central squares from 25 November to 23 December 2026, and S-Bahn trains from the Hauptbahnhof reach Esslingen and Ludwigsburg, so you can sleep in one hotel and see three markets. Tübingen and Heidelberg are day trips by regional train. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stuttgart-tourist.de https://presse.stuttgart-tourist.de/_Resources/Persistent/1/3/b/d/13bda869a5e2e264ad3f965d79d269bf9d6d5dd3/05_Weihnachtsstadt_Stuttgart.pdf https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/service/ https://www.esslingen-info.com/veranstaltungen/mittelaltermarkt-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1022 ### Tallinn URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/tallinn Type: Town Also known as: Tallinn Old Town, Tallinna vanalinn Region: Estonia Area: Vanalinn Coordinates: 59.43720, 24.74500 Kind: City Population: 457,572 Tourist information: Tallinn Tourist Information Centre, Niguliste 2, 10146 Tallinn, +372 645 7777, info@visittallinn.ee. Population: 457,572 on 1 January 2024 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor Summary: Tallinn suits a couple on a long weekend who want one market in a medieval square and a short walk back to the hotel. Town Hall Square holds the whole market, so the space around the tree fills up when the weekend stage programme is on. Base yourself inside the Old Town walls if the market is the point of the trip, since Raekoja plats (Town Hall Square) sits at its centre. The market opens at 18:00 on Friday 20 November with a short speech from the head of the city centre district and the lighting of the tree. Come on the first Sunday of Advent if you can, when Santa's house opens for children from 12:00 to 18:00 daily. Tips: - The Tallinn Tourist Information Centre is at Niguliste 2 and answers on +372 645 7777. - Drinks at the market come in reusable tableware with a €2 deposit, refunded in full at the collection point. Q: Is Tallinn a good place to stay? A: The Tallinn Christmas Market runs every day from 20 November 2026 to the evening of 6 January 2027, so a stay in the Old Town works on almost any date of the season. The organizer has the mayor and the cathedral dean light the Advent candle on 29 November, and the square stays open for a New Year's Eve party on 31 December. Everything sits inside the walled Old Town, which keeps the walks short for families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christmasmarket.ee/en/ https://www.christmasmarket.ee/ https://www.visittallinn.ee/eng/visitor https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1770 ### Trento URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/trento Type: Town Also known as: Trient, Trent Region: Trentino and Northern Italy Area: Trentino Coordinates: 46.06670, 11.11670 Kind: City Population: 119,359 Names: Trento is the Italian name. German speakers call it Trient, and older English texts use Trent. Market: The market fills Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra, and every stall takes credit and debit cards. Tourist office: The Azienda per il Turismo Trento runs the market and the natale.visittrento.it site, with pages on parking and getting there. Website: https://natale.visittrento.it/ Summary: Trento (Trient in German) is the capital of Trentino and suits travellers who want an Italian city with a Christmas market that opens on Christmas Day, though it lies south of the South Tyrol markets. In 2026 the Trento Christmas market runs from 20 November to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00–20:00. Trento hosted the Council of Trent in the sixteenth century, and the cathedral and the Castello del Buonconsiglio still frame the old town. Italian is the language of the streets here. At Christmas the market takes two squares and the streets between them fill with lights and concerts. Use Trento as the southern anchor of a South Tyrol trip. It opens almost a week before Bolzano and Merano, and it is the market to choose for 25 December. Tips: - Start a South Tyrol trip in Trento if you arrive in the week of 20 November, before the markets further north open. - Save Christmas Day for Trento, where the market opens that afternoon. Q: Is Trento worth visiting at Christmas? A: Yes. Trento's Christmas market fills two squares in the old town from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027 and opens on Christmas Day. Q: Is Trento the same as Trient? A: Yes. Trento is the Italian name and Trient the German name of the capital of Trentino. Q: Is Trento a good place to stay? A: Trento opens its Christmas market on 20 November 2026, earlier than the South Tyrol markets, and keeps it open on Christmas Day. Stay here for an Italian-speaking city with a Renaissance centre and mountain food, and take the Brenner line north for the South Tyrol markets. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://natale.visittrento.it/ https://natale.visittrento.it/faq https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trento https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3376 ### Trier URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/trier Type: Town Also known as: Treves Region: The Rhineland Area: Rhineland-Palatinate Coordinates: 49.75570, 6.63940 Kind: City Population: 105,054 Totensonntag: The Trier Christmas market is closed on Sunday 22 November 2026. Last day: The market ends on 22 December 2026, a day before most German markets. Summary: Trier suits travellers who want a mid-sized market with Roman history and Moselle wine around it, from 20 November to 22 December 2026. It is far from the big Rhine cities, so plan a night or two. The 46th Trier market fills the Hauptmarkt and the Domfreihof in front of the cathedral from 20 November 2026. Walk in from the station past the Porta Nigra and along Simeonstraße to reach the stalls. Q: When is the Trier Christmas market 2026? A: The Trier Christmas market runs from 20 November to 22 December 2026 and is closed on 22 November. Q: What does the name Trier mean? A: Trier comes from the local name Augusta Treverorum, meaning the Roman city was Augusta Treverorum, named for the Treveri people who lived in the region. Q: Is Trier a good place to stay? A: Trier pairs a Christmas market on its medieval Hauptmarkt with Roman sights and Moselle wine country on the doorstep. It works as a base for the upper Moselle and for a day in Luxembourg. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3138 https://www.trierer-weihnachtsmarkt.de https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trier ### Tubingen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/tubingen Type: Town Also known as: Tübingen, Tuebingen Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt Coordinates: 48.52030, 9.05320 Kind: City Population: 92,607 Events office: Tübingen Erleben GmbH at Holzmarkt 7 runs chocolART, phone +49 7071 2570069. Website: https://www.tuebingen.de Summary: Tübingen suits food lovers and weekenders who can time their trip, because its chocolate festival and its Christmas market each last only days. The trade-off is that the steep old town fills fast on those dates. The old town climbs from the Neckar up through the Holzmarkt below the Stiftskirche to the Marktplatz and its painted Rathaus. chocolART brings about 90 chocolate makers here in the first week of Advent, and the Christmas market takes over more than a dozen lanes and squares on the third Advent weekend. Tips: - Book a room early if you want to sleep in town during chocolART or the Christmas market weekend. Q: Is Tubingen a good place to stay? A: Tübingen is worth a night when your dates hit one of its two December events: chocolART from 1 to 6 December 2026, or the three-day Christmas market on 11 to 13 December. Outside those dates it makes an easy day trip from Stuttgart. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tuebingen.de/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.chocolart.de https://chocolart.de/allgemein/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3806 ### Turckheim URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/turckheim Type: Town Also known as: Terka Region: Alsace Area: Haut-Rhin Coordinates: 48.08640, 7.28060 Kind: Town Population: 4,139 Tourist office: The Turckheim information office is at 6 rue du Conseil, telephone +33 3 89 27 38 44. Market: The Elves' Christmas Market on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026 and closes on Christmas Day. Summary: Turckheim suits families and evening walkers who want a small Christmas market and a living Alsatian custom, and it is small enough to see in one visit. The Elves' Christmas Market runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026 (confirmed), and the night watchman walks at 21:00. The market fills Place de l'Hôtel de Ville with lopsided storybook houses and about 20 makers. After dark, the night watchman leaves the Corps de Garde on Place Turenne with lantern, halberd and horn, and the Société d'Histoire Wickram keeps the round free. Tips: - Book dinner in town for 19:30 and walk out to meet the watchman at 21:00. Q: What is there to do in Turckheim at Christmas? A: Turckheim has the Elves' Christmas Market on Place de l'Hôtel de Ville from 27 November to 30 December 2026 and a free night watchman's round at 21:00 most evenings in December. Q: Is Turckheim a good place to stay? A: Turckheim suits families staying near Colmar who want a small elves' market by day and the night watchman's round once the stalls close. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/agenda-de-noel/F235015768_le-marche-de-noel-des-lutins-turckheim https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/turckheim https://www.noel-colmar.com/agenda-de-noel/F235015751_la-ronde-de-lunique-et-authentique-veilleur-de-nuit-pendant-lavent-turckheim https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q157729 ### Valkenburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/valkenburg Type: Town Also known as: Valkenburg aan de Geul, Valkenburg a/d Geul, Kerststad Valkenburg, Christmas Town Valkenburg Region: The Netherlands Area: South Limburg (Zuid-Limburg) Coordinates: 50.86520, 5.83210 Kind: Town Information point: Visit Zuid-Limburg Experience, Theodoor Dorrenplein 5, Valkenburg: tourist information and help with tickets for visitors who cannot book online. Kerststad dates: Kerststad Valkenburg runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027; the two cave markets close on 30 December. Tickets: Cave markets sell timed tickets online through the Tickli ticket shop, and weekend slots often sell out. Train: Valkenburg station has trains from Maastricht and Heerlen, and services from Kerkrade and Aachen reach it too. Arriva sells a Kerststad ticket for €5 by train within South Limburg in 2026. Parking: During Kerststad the town's day-rate car parks charge at most €12 a day. Parking Cauberg can be booked ahead, and Parking Valkenier takes weekday bookings. Website: https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/ Summary: Valkenburg is a small town in South Limburg that turns into Kerststad Valkenburg, the Christmas Town, from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and it suits anyone who wants Christmas markets inside marl caves, though weekends get so busy that the organizers ask people to come on weekdays. Its two cave markets, the Gemeentegrot and the Fluweelengrot, run until 30 December and need timed tickets. Valkenburg sits in the Geul valley in the far south of the Netherlands, close to Maastricht and the German border. The hills around it are full of old marl quarries, and two of them become Christmas markets for the season: the Gemeentegrot at the foot of the Cauberg and the Fluweelengrot under the castle ruin. Above ground the town adds WinterGlow on the Walramplein, the evening Christmas parade and a programme of street performances. Plan on an hour to an hour and a half per cave, and book the slots before you travel. Kerststad Valkenburg asks people to come on a weekday and by public transport. The town's streets are narrow and fill quickly on Saturdays, while Valkenburg station is the easy way in. From 6 December the kribkeswandelingen lead you out of the crowds on walks past dozens of nativity scenes in the villages of Sibbe, Schin op Geul, Broekhem and Houthem. Tips: - Leave about an hour and a half between your two cave slots if you are doing both markets in one day. - Wednesdays in December give you a parade without the Saturday crush. - Kerst in MergelRijk, another cave attraction with sculptures and a 30-metre miniature Christmas story, runs until 3 January and welcomes dogs, which the two cave markets do not. Q: When is Kerststad Valkenburg 2026? A: Kerststad Valkenburg runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Gemeentegrot and Fluweelengrot cave markets are open from 13 November to 30 December 2026. Q: Do I need to book the Valkenburg cave markets? A: Yes, for weekends especially. Both cave markets in Valkenburg sell timed tickets online, and Kerststad Valkenburg says weekend slots often sell out. Q: How do I get to Valkenburg's Christmas markets? A: Take the train to Valkenburg station, which has services from Maastricht and Heerlen. The organizers recommend public transport, and Arriva sells a €5 Kerststad train ticket within South Limburg in 2026. Q: Is Valkenburg a good place to stay? A: Valkenburg packs two cave markets, an evening parade and an open-air village into a small old town, and staying the night means you can take an afternoon cave slot, watch the 19:00 or 19:30 parade and walk back to bed. Kerststad Valkenburg asks visitors to come on weekdays and by train, which is easier to do from a hotel in town than from a day trip. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/te-doen/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/faq/faq-bereikbaarheid/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/faq/faq-tickets/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/faq/faq-kerstgrotten/ https://www.kerstmarktgemeentegrot.nl/nl/informatie/informatie-en-openingstijden-2026/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100076 ### Vienna URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/vienna Type: Town Local name: Wien (de) Also known as: Wien, Vienna Austria Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Coordinates: 48.20830, 16.37250 Kind: City Population: 2,028,289 Christmas Eve: On 24 December 2026 the Rathausplatz market opens until 18:30, Schönbrunn until 16:00, and Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz until 16:00. Spittelberg, Am Hof, the Freyung and the Uni Campus village close for the season on 23 December. Midnight Mass: St. Stephen's Cathedral holds Midnight Mass at midnight on 24 December. The Vienna Boys Choir sings Christmas Day Mass at 09:15 in the Hofburg Chapel, which needs a ticket. After Christmas: Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz open on 25 and 26 December. Schönbrunn's market and the Rathausplatz ice rink run to 6 January 2027. 8 December: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a public holiday in Austria, and markets such as Spittelberg and Am Hof keep weekend hours that day. Mug deposits: Most Vienna markets charge a deposit on a ceramic or glass mug, €3 to €5 in recent seasons. Return the mug for your money back or keep it as a souvenir. Summary: Vienna is the best base in Austria for a Christmas-market trip, with more than ten markets open from 6 November 2026 and several still running after Christmas. It suits couples on a long weekend and first-timers who want markets, Advent music and Midnight Mass in one city; the big markets get crowded on weekend evenings. The season starts early. Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz open on 6 November 2026, and the big Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz follows on 13 November, along with Spittelberg, Am Hof and the Uni Campus village. Maria-Theresien-Platz returns on 20 November after a year off, and a new market rings the Hochstrahlbrunnen on Schwarzenbergplatz. Rathausplatz is the big show, with skating outside and choirs inside City Hall. Spittelberg and Art Advent on Karlsplatz lean on crafts. Am Hof mixes antique dealers with Christmas huts and pours its own pine punch, and Schönbrunn brings the palace and stays open to Epiphany. Music runs through Advent. The Vienna Boys Choir gives its Christmas concert at MuTh and sings Mass in the Hofburg Chapel, and more than 85 choirs pass through City Hall on Advent weekends. On Christmas Eve, St. Stephen's Cathedral holds Midnight Mass. Day trips reach further. The weekend market at Schloss Hof lies east toward Bratislava, and the WachauerADVENT in Dürnstein and Grafenegg Advent sit up the Danube near Krems. Tips: - Christmas Eve afternoon is the time for Rathausplatz, which stays open until 18:30, later than any other big market. - Pair markets by area: Am Hof and the Freyung sit a block apart, and Maria-Theresien-Platz and Spittelberg share the MuseumsQuartier side of the Ring. - The Advent singing in City Hall is free and warm, Friday to Sunday from 15:30 on Advent weekends. Q: What is open in Vienna on Christmas Eve? A: On 24 December 2026 the Rathausplatz Christmas market opens until 18:30, Schönbrunn until 16:00, and the Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz markets until 16:00. Spittelberg, Am Hof, the Freyung and the Uni Campus village close on 23 December. Q: Where is Midnight Mass in Vienna? A: Vienna's best-known Midnight Mass is in St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) on Stephansplatz, at midnight on 24 December. It is a Catholic Mass in German, and the 2026 times are published in December. Q: When do the Vienna Christmas markets open in 2026? A: The first Vienna Christmas markets open on 6 November 2026 at Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz. The main Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz opens on 13 November 2026. Q: Which Vienna Christmas markets are open after Christmas? A: Rathausplatz, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz open until 26 December 2026. The Schönbrunn Palace market stays open until 6 January 2027. Q: Is Vienna a good place to stay? A: Vienna has more than ten Christmas markets within reach of the U-Bahn, and the first ones open on 6 November 2026, so a base here covers the whole season. Rathausplatz opens on 13 November 2026, among the earliest of Europe's big markets. Several markets stay open on 25 and 26 December and Schönbrunn runs to 6 January 2027, so a trip over Christmas week still has markets to visit. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1741 https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-schoenbrunn.at/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/ https://www.spittelberg.at/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-hof.at/ https://www.altwiener-markt.at/ https://www.katholisch.at/aktuelles/156347/orf-uebertraegt-erste-christmette-mit-papst-leo-xiv.-live-aus-rom https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/programm/messen ### Vilnius URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/vilnius Type: Town Also known as: Wilno, Vilnius Old Town Region: Lithuania Area: Senamiestis Coordinates: 54.68720, 25.28000 Kind: City Population: 619,405 Population: 619,405 on 1 July 2026 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.govilnius.lt/visit-vilnius Summary: Vilnius suits travellers who come for the Christmas tree as much as the stalls, because the city redesigns the Cathedral Square tree every year. The Christmas town beside it closed on 28 December in the 2025 season, so plan Vilnius for the weeks before Christmas. Stay in Senamiestis (the Old Town) and both Christmas squares sit within an easy walk. A Christmas train ran through the Old Town streets from 29 November 2025 to 6 January 2026, and a free festive bus toured a Christmas route all December, which helps anyone who finds the cobbles hard going. Go Vilnius had not published the 2026 programme when we checked in October. Tips: - Go Vilnius, the city's tourism agency, publishes the season's programme on govilnius.lt. - The €2 cup deposit that started in 2025 at the Christmas town and the rink comes back when you return the cup. Q: Is Vilnius a good place to stay? A: The Christmas Cities Network named Vilnius European Christmas Capital 2025, and the season opens with the tree lighting on Cathedral Square on the last Saturday of November. In 2025 the Kalėdų miestelis (Christmas town) ran beside the tree from 29 November to 28 December. The Vilniaus ledas rink on Town Hall Square stayed open until 1 February 2026, and a walk through the Old Town links the two squares. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.govilnius.lt/kaledos-vilniuje-2026 https://www.govilnius.lt/christmas-in-vilnius-2026 https://www.govilnius.lt/visos-naujienos/vilnius-oficiali-europos-kaledu-sostine-2025-pristatyta-programa https://www.govilnius.lt/media-news/vilnius-named-european-christmas-capital-2025 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q216 ### Wiesbaden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/wiesbaden Type: Town Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Hesse Coordinates: 50.08250, 8.24000 Kind: City Population: 288,584 Getting there: S8 direct from Frankfurt Airport and Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. Market: Sternschnuppenmarkt, 24 November to 23 December 2026, on the Schlossplatz. Website: https://tourismus.wiesbaden.de/ Summary: Wiesbaden is the spa capital of Hesse, and in December it suits couples who want a well-groomed market under illuminated lilies with the Kurhaus close by. Its Sternschnuppenmarkt runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026, and the one thing to plan around is the Sunday start at 12:00. Wiesbaden grew up around its hot springs, and the city's name means meadow baths. In Advent the Schlossplatz in front of the neo-Gothic Marktkirche fills with more than 100 stalls, and lilies from the coat of arms glow along Wilhelmstraße. In 2025 the city made public transport inside Wiesbaden free on the four Advent Saturdays, so check for a repeat before you buy tickets. Tips: - Take the S8 direct from Frankfurt Airport or Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. - The children's market on the Luisenplatz shuts over the Christmas holidays, then reopens until 30 December. Q: When is the Wiesbaden Christmas market 2026? A: The Wiesbaden Sternschnuppenmarkt runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026 on the Schlossplatz, and the children's market on the Luisenplatz runs to 30 December 2026. Q: How do I get from Frankfurt Airport to Wiesbaden? A: Take the S8 from the regional station under Terminal 1. Frankfurt Airport lists Wiesbaden among the direct destinations from that station. Q: What does the name Wiesbaden mean? A: Wiesbaden comes from the local name Wiesbaden, meaning meadow baths, after the hot springs the town grew around. Q: Is Wiesbaden a good place to stay? A: Stay in Wiesbaden for a calm base with a direct S8 line to Frankfurt Airport and Mainz across the Rhine. The market, the Ferris wheel and the Kurhaus all sit in the compact city centre, and the children's market on the Luisenplatz keeps going to 30 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://tourismus.wiesbaden.de/erleben/events/stadtevents/sternschnuppenmarkt https://www.wiesbaden.de/pressemitteilungen/pressereferat/2025/november/251118-ESWE-Verkehr-Sternschnuppen-Markt https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/transport-and-parking/to-from-the-airport/travel-by-train.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1721 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiesbaden ### Wroclaw URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/wroclaw Type: Town Also known as: Wrocław, Wroclaw Old Town Region: Poland Area: Stare Miasto Coordinates: 51.11000, 17.03250 Kind: City Population: 673,531 Population: 673,531 on 30 June 2024 (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.wroclaw.pl/ Summary: Wrocław suits anyone who wants a big market with a long run, since the fair on the Rynek opens on 20 November 2026 and carries on to 7 January 2027. Expect company, because the organizer counted 1,025,887 visits in the 2025 season. Base yourself in Stare Miasto (the Old Town), where the Rynek ranks among the largest market squares in Europe and holds Poland's oldest preserved town hall. The fair wraps around the town hall on every side. Families should head for the fairy-tale wood the organizer calls Bajkowy Lasek, where a windmill hut serves drinks. Tips: - The organizer lists disabled parking near the fair on Szajnochy, Gepperta, Szewska, Kotlarska, Wita Stwosza and Modrzejewskiej streets. - The fair is closed on 24 and 25 December and on 1 January, and it opens at 13:00 on 26 December. Q: Is Wroclaw a good place to stay? A: The Wrocławski Jarmark Bożonarodzeniowy fills all four sides of the Rynek and spills into Plac Solny and down the street toward the Opera, so a room in the Old Town keeps every part of it close. It trades from 20 November 2026 to 7 January 2027 and shuts on only three days, 24 and 25 December and New Year's Day. That gives you a market on almost any date of a December trip, including the week after Christmas. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy.com/ https://www.jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy.com/jarmark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wroc%C5%82aw https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1799 ### Wurzburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/wurzburg Type: Town Also known as: Würzburg, Wuerzburg Region: Franconia Area: Lower Franconia Coordinates: 49.79440, 9.92940 Kind: City Population: 133,753 Tourist information: The tourist information is in the Falkenhaus on the Marktplatz and hands out the free Würzburger Weihnachtsbüchlein with the Advent programme. Cathedral tours: From Monday to Saturday the Kiliansdom holds a short organ meditation at 12:05, usually followed by a one-hour public tour at 12:30. Website: https://www.wuerzburg.de/ Summary: Würzburg suits travellers who want a Christmas market in a wine city, with the Würzburger Weihnachtsmarkt on the Marktplatz from 27 November to 23 December 2026 and an artists' market in the Rathaus courtyard on Advent weekends. The trade-off is an early close at 20:30 every night. The city's market stands on the Marktplatz in front of the Falkenhaus and the Gothic Marienkapelle, and it runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026. On the four Advent weekends the old Rathaus courtyard adds an artists' market, entered from Domstraße by the Vierröhrenbrunnen. The open carol singing takes place in that courtyard too. For dinner, the Bürgerspital Weinstuben pours wines from its own estate with Franconian dishes from 11:00 to midnight. For the cathedral, go at 12:05 on a weekday or Saturday for the short organ meditation, then join the public tour that usually follows. Pick up the city's free Weihnachtsbüchlein at the Falkenhaus to plan the rest. Tips: - Book a table at the Bürgerspital Weinstuben ahead of Advent weekends. - Plan an Advent Saturday or Sunday for the artists' market in the Rathaus courtyard. Q: When is the Würzburg Christmas market in 2026? A: The Würzburg Christmas market runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026 on the Marktplatz. It opens at 10:00 from Monday to Saturday and at 11:00 on Sunday, and closes at 20:30. Q: Is Wurzburg a good place to stay? A: Stay in Würzburg if you want a city market with a wine tavern for dinner and a rail base for Rothenburg, whose tourism service routes train travellers through Würzburg. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wuerzburg.de/events-termine/wuerzburger-weihnacht https://www.dom-wuerzburg.de/ https://www.buergerspital-weinstuben.de/ https://www.rothenburg.de/besuchen/planen/anreise https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2999 ### York URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/york Type: Town Also known as: York England, York North Yorkshire Region: England Area: North Yorkshire Coordinates: 53.96000, -1.08000 Kind: City Population: 141,685 Tuesday closure: York Christmas Market closes every Tuesday for a rest day, while the city's shops and attractions stay open. Park and Ride: In 2025 York Park and Ride ran extra buses until 21 December, with return tickets at £3.90 and up to three children travelling free. Mobility: Shopmobility York, on the top floor of Piccadilly Car Park, hires out scooters and wheelchairs at low cost. Website: https://visityork.org/christmas Summary: York is a walled medieval city with a Christmas market on Parliament Street and suits a compact weekend on foot, though the market closes every Tuesday. In 2026 York Christmas Market runs from 12 November to 21 December, open 10:30–19:00 Wednesday to Monday. York keeps its Christmas inside the city walls. The market sits on Parliament Street with the Shambles bending away just beside it, and the Minster rises at the north end of the old town. Most of the traders come from Yorkshire. Avoid Tuesdays for the market, and come early on other days for the music-free time from 10:30 to 12:00. The city stays busy right up to 21 December, when the market closes at 17:00. Tips: - Plan your market visit for any day except Tuesday. - Use Park and Ride instead of driving into the centre in December. Q: When is York Christmas Market 2026? A: York Christmas Market runs from 12 November to 21 December 2026 and closes every Tuesday. Q: Is York a good place to stay? A: York packs a Christmas market, a Gothic minster and medieval streets inside its walls, and everything is walkable. The market on Parliament Street runs from 12 November to 21 December 2026, closed on Tuesdays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://visityork.org/christmas https://visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market https://visityork.org/christmas/accessibility https://web.archive.org/web/20251207041010/https://visityork.org/christmas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/York https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q42462 ### Zagreb URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/zagreb Type: Town Region: Croatia Area: Donji grad Coordinates: 45.81310, 15.97720 Kind: City Population: 767,131 Population: 767,131 at the 2021 census (via Wikidata). Website: https://www.infozagreb.hr/en Summary: Zagreb suits families and groups who like variety, since Advent spreads across the Upper and Lower Towns and runs from 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027. The spread means walking between sites, with stalls in parks, on squares and in a tunnel under the Upper Town. Stay in Donji grad (the Lower Town) between the main station and Ban Jelačić Square, and most Advent sites sit within a walk. The Tourist Board's food list makes a good menu for a cold night. Start with sarma (cabbage leaves rolled round minced meat), or turkey roasted the Zagreb way with mlinci flatbread, and take home a bag of paprenjaci (peppery honey biscuits). Tips: - The Tourist Board's site infozagreb.hr carries arrival guides and links to the Zagreb Card. Q: Is Zagreb a good place to stay? A: Advent Zagreb runs through Christmas and New Year to 7 January, so a stay can start in late November or end after Epiphany. European Best Destinations says the event was voted Europe's best Christmas market three years in a row, and the Zagreb Tourist Board shows the awards for 2016, 2017 and 2018 on its Advent site. Each evening can take in a different part of the city, from Zrinjevac Park to European Square and the rink on King Tomislav Square. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.adventzagreb.hr/en https://www.adventzagreb.hr/hr https://www.europeanbestdestinations.com/christmas-markets/zagreb/ https://www.infozagreb.hr/en https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1435 ### Zurich URL: https://christmasineurope.com/towns/zurich Type: Town Also known as: Zuerich, Zuri Region: Switzerland Area: Canton of Zurich Coordinates: 47.37440, 8.54110 Kind: City Population: 452,421 Currency: Swiss francs (CHF) Website: https://www.zuerich.com/de/informieren-planen/jahreszeiten-und-klima/weihnachten-in-zuerich Summary: Zurich suits travellers who want several different markets inside a short walk and a hub with direct trains everywhere, and its trade-off is Swiss prices on every mug and fondue. In 2026 the city's markets and lights start together on Thursday 19 November, and the Sechseläutenplatz market by the opera house has a new operator and a new name, Bellevue Noël. Zurich's 2026 season looks different from the last decade. The city council gave the Sechseläutenplatz permit to Future Events GmbH, whose Bellevue Noël replaces the Wienachtsdorf that ran there from 2015 to 2025, and the station market has run as Polarzauber under the Thryve Group since 2025. The Niederdorf market, which its organizer calls the oldest in Zurich, still threads through the old-town lanes below the Grossmünster. Bring a plan for the weekends, when the station hall and the old town both get crowded. The free choir concerts at the Singing Christmas Tree run twice each weekday evening at 17:30 and 18:30, and children aged 4 to 9 can ride the Märlitram from Bellevue while their parents wait. Tips: - Lucy and the rest of the city's lights switch on at 18:00 on Thursday 19 November 2026, during the city's late-night shopping evening. - The station market and Bellevue Noël close on 24 and 23 December respectively, so plan any Zurich market day before Christmas Eve afternoon. Q: When do Zurich's Christmas markets open in 2026? A: Zurich's main Christmas markets open on Thursday 19 November 2026. Polarzauber in the main station runs to 24 December, while the Niederdorf market, the Singing Christmas Tree and Bellevue Noël run to 23 December. Q: What happened to the Wienachtsdorf in Zurich? A: The Wienachtsdorf on Sechseläutenplatz ended after the 2025 season. The city gave the square's Christmas market permit to Future Events GmbH, which runs it from 2026 as Bellevue Noël. Q: When are Zurich's Christmas lights on in 2026? A: Zurich's Christmas lights, including Lucy on Bahnhofstrasse, switch on at 18:00 on 19 November 2026 and stay up until 4 January 2027, according to Zürich Tourism. Q: Is Zurich a good place to stay? A: Zurich works as a base because almost everything starts from the main station. The Polarzauber market fills the station hall and the Singing Christmas Tree stands nearby on Werdmühleplatz, while the old-town lanes of the Niederdorf lead on toward Bellevue Noël by the lake. Trains for Einsiedeln and Lucerne leave from the same hall. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.zuerich.com/de/informieren-planen/jahreszeiten-und-klima/weihnachten-in-zuerich/veranstaltungen-im-advent https://www.zuerich.com/de/informieren-planen/jahreszeiten-und-klima/weihnachten-in-zuerich/weihnachtsbeleuchtung https://www.polarzauber.ch/ https://weihnachtsmarkt-doerfli.ch/ https://www.singingchristmastree.ch/ https://www.nau.ch/ort/zurich/stadtrat-vergibt-weihnachtsmarkt-2026-an-neue-betreiberin-67073723 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q72 ## Places to stay ### 1898 The Post URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/1898-the-post-ghent Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Graslei City: Ghent Address: Graslei 16, 9000 Gent Coordinates: 51.05410, 3.72090 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Homemade breakfast in The Kitchen Rooms: 38 Best for: couples Website: https://www.1898thepost.com/ Summary: 1898 The Post suits a couple who want a 38-room hotel on the Graslei with windows on the Korenmarkt, where the Winter Festival puts up its Ferris wheel. It publishes no rates, and early check-in or late check-out costs €75. The hotel at Graslei 16 holds a MICHELIN Key. Book a Carriage, a Letter or the Loft to look onto the Korenmarkt and St Nicholas' Church, and Suites 2 and 19 face St Michael's Bridge and the Graslei. Rooms carry postal names, from the 19-square-metre Stamp to the 65-square-metre Loft, and many have antique furniture and white marble bathrooms. Homemade breakfast is served in The Kitchen. Tips: - Early check-in runs from 10:00 to 14:00 and late check-out to 15:00, each for €75 when there is space. Q: Are meals included at 1898 The Post? A: 1898 The Post: Homemade breakfast in The Kitchen. Q: Who is 1898 The Post good for? A: 1898 The Post suits couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.1898thepost.com/ https://www.1898thepost.com/the-rooms/ https://www.1898thepost.com/contact/ ### 71 Nyhavn Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/71-nyhavn-hotel-copenhagen Type: Stay Region: Denmark Area: Nyhavn City: Copenhagen Address: Nyhavn 71, 1051 København K Coordinates: 55.67940, 12.59370 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast buffet in the warehouse cellar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 130 Amenities: Restaurant Best for: couples Website: https://www.71nyhavnhotel.com/ Summary: 71 Nyhavn Hotel suits a couple who want a converted harbour warehouse at the mouth of Nyhavn with the canal under some of the windows. Only the View categories face the water, and Nyhavn's own Christmas market had no confirmed 2026 dates when we checked. The hotel has 130 rooms in an old warehouse at Nyhavn 71. Book a Suite Deluxe View or an Executive Double Deluxe View to see the canal or the harbour, because Executive Double Deluxe rooms look at the warehouse opposite. Breakfast is a Danish buffet in the old warehouse cellar. Check-in is guaranteed from 15:00 and check-out is at noon, and if your room is not ready the hotel keeps your bags and pours you a coffee. Tips: - The Bed & Bubbles package stretches a Sunday check-out to 18:00. Q: Are meals included at 71 Nyhavn Hotel? A: 71 Nyhavn Hotel: Breakfast buffet in the warehouse cellar. Q: What does 71 Nyhavn Hotel have? A: 71 Nyhavn Hotel lists restaurant. Q: Who is 71 Nyhavn Hotel good for? A: 71 Nyhavn Hotel suits couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.71nyhavnhotel.com/ https://www.71nyhavnhotel.com/rooms-and-suites https://www.71nyhavnhotel.com/facilities-and-services/check-in-and-check-out ### Aquis Grana Cityhotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/aachen-aquis-grana-cityhotel Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Aquis Grana Aachen, Aquis Grana City Hotel Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt, Büchel City: Aachen Address: Büchel 32, 52062 Aachen Coordinates: 50.77556, 6.08621 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own site shows no rates. Aachen's tourist board lists singles from €190 in its 2026 listing, and the city adds €2.50 per person per night. Check-in: 14:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 98 Amenities: Restaurant, Wifi Best for: couples, first-timers Website: https://www.hotel-aquis-grana.de/de/ Summary: Aquis Grana suits couples who want a four-star room in the old town between the cathedral and the Markt. Standard rooms start at 17 m², and the hotel publishes no rates of its own. The hotel sits on Büchel in the Altstadt, close enough to the cathedral that it talks about sleeping in its shadow. It has 98 rooms in warm colours and wood. Komfort rooms run 17–22 m², and Business rooms reach 30 m² with a bath as well as a shower. The Christmas market spreads over the Markt and Katschhof a short walk away. Check-in opens at 14:00 and you leave by noon. Aachen's tourist board lists the hotel 0.2 km from the centre. Tips: - Pick a Business room for a bath and a desk. The Komfort rooms have showers only. - Aachen charges an accommodation levy of €2.50 per person per night from 2026, paid on top of the room. Q: What does Aquis Grana Cityhotel have? A: Aquis Grana Cityhotel lists restaurant, wifi. Q: Who is Aquis Grana Cityhotel good for? A: Aquis Grana Cityhotel suits couples, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-aquis-grana.de/de/ https://www.hotel-aquis-grana.de/de/zimmer/ https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/aachen/ukv?reset=1 https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/aachen/ukv/house/TUR00020110002110130 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/79139865 ### Gastehaus Schervier Orden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/aachen-gastehaus-schervier Type: Stay Also known as: Gästehaus Schervier Aachen, Schervier guesthouse Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt, Elisabethstraße City: Aachen Address: Elisabethstraße 19, 52062 Aachen Coordinates: 50.77289, 6.08490 Kind: Guesthouse Prices: The tourist board listing shows no room rates. Meals: Half board offered Check-in: 14:00–19:30, out by 09:00 Rooms: 23 Amenities: Lift, Wifi, Accessible, Chapel Best for: solo travellers, older travellers, quiet stays Summary: The Schervier sisters' guesthouse suits quiet solo travellers and older visitors who want a simple single room near the cathedral. Arrival after 19:30 is not possible, so it rules out an evening train. The Poor Sisters of St Francis run this guesthouse in the old town, with a convent chapel and a green inner courtyard. All 23 rooms are singles with their own shower and WC, and two have a fold-down bed so a couple can share. Rooms face the courtyard, and housekeeping comes every five days. The tourist board puts the cathedral 0.3 km away and the Hauptbahnhof 1.2 km. There is a lift and the house is accessible. You check in between 14:00 and 19:30 and leave by 09:00. Tips: - Plan to arrive by 19:30. The guesthouse states clearly that later arrival is not possible. - Pay by card, cash or bank transfer. The house takes contactless payment as well. Q: Are meals included at Gastehaus Schervier Orden? A: Gastehaus Schervier Orden: Half board offered. Q: What does Gastehaus Schervier Orden have? A: Gastehaus Schervier Orden lists lift, wifi, accessible, chapel. Q: Who is Gastehaus Schervier Orden good for? A: Gastehaus Schervier Orden suits solo travellers, older travellers, quiet stays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/aachen/ukv/house/TUR00020111017607192 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4960601919 ### Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/aachen-mercure-am-dom Type: Stay Also known as: Mercure Aachen am Dom Region: The Rhineland Area: Peterstraße, city centre City: Aachen Address: Peterstraße 1, 52062 Aachen Coordinates: 50.77558, 6.08816 Kind: Hotel Prices: No rates published on the listings read. Parking €18 and pets €19, per the tourist board listing. Meals: Breakfast available; bar and self-service snack corner Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 117 Amenities: Lift, Bar, Air conditioning, 24h reception, Parking, Wifi, Pets allowed Best for: older travellers, rail travellers, accessibility Summary: Mercure am Dom suits travellers who want a chain room with a lift and 24-hour reception near the cathedral. Neither the chain nor the tourist board listing shows a rate for it. This three-star superior hotel has 117 rooms on Peterstraße, including Privilege rooms for up to three and one accessible room with a connecting door. Aachen's tourist board puts it 0.3 km from the cathedral and 0.9 km from the Hauptbahnhof. Reception runs around the clock, and there is a bar and a self-service corner for snacks. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out at noon. Parking costs €18 in a public garage. Pets stay for €19. Tips: - Ask for the accessible room with its connecting door if you travel with a wheelchair user and a companion. - The hotel carries the Green Key eco-label and is non-smoking throughout. Q: Are meals included at Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom? A: Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom: Breakfast available; bar and self-service snack corner. Q: What does Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom have? A: Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom lists lift, bar, air conditioning, 24h reception, parking, wifi, pets allowed. Q: Who is Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom good for? A: Mercure Hotel Aachen am Dom suits older travellers, rail travellers, accessibility. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/aachen/ukv/house/TUR00020110002125190 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/77698200 ### Minx CityHotels URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/aachen-minx-cityhotels Type: Stay Also known as: Minx City Hotels Aachen, Minx-CityHotels Region: The Rhineland Area: Seilgraben, city centre City: Aachen Address: Seilgraben 2 / Sandkaulbach 14, 52062 Aachen Coordinates: 50.77839, 6.08792 Kind: Hotel Prices: Aachen's tourist board lists doubles from €99 and four-bed rooms from €179 a night in its 2026 listing. The city adds €2.50 per person per night. Meals: Breakfast buffet included Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 32 Amenities: Lift, Bar, Wifi, Parking, Pets allowed Best for: budget, families Summary: Minx suits travellers on a budget who want breakfast included and the cathedral a short walk away. Reception closes for check-in at 21:00, so late trains need a call ahead. Minx is a non-smoking three-star superior hotel with 32 rooms. The tourist board puts it 0.6 km from the cathedral. A buffet breakfast comes with the room, and there is a lift and a bar. Rooms run from standard singles to four-bed rooms, so a family can share one door. Check-in runs 15:00–21:00, with later arrival by arrangement, and check-out is at 11:00. Tips: - Tell the hotel your train if you will arrive after 21:00, since later check-in needs arranging in advance. - Parking can be booked ahead for €16.80. Q: Are meals included at Minx CityHotels? A: Minx CityHotels: Breakfast buffet included. Q: What does Minx CityHotels have? A: Minx CityHotels lists lift, bar, wifi, parking, pets allowed. Q: Who is Minx CityHotels good for? A: Minx CityHotels suits budget, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/aachen/ukv/house/TUR00020110061201783 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/79141784 ### Motel One Aachen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/aachen-motel-one Type: Stay Region: The Rhineland Area: Kapuzinergraben, opposite the theatre City: Aachen Address: Kapuzinergraben 6-10, 52062 Aachen Coordinates: 50.77312, 6.08626 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel page shows no fixed rate. Aachen adds €2.50 per person per night. Meals: Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:00–10:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 07:00–11:00; lounge bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, Bar, Wifi Best for: budget, rail travellers, solo travellers Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/aachen/hotel-aachen/ Summary: Motel One Aachen suits budget travellers who want a modern room between the Hauptbahnhof and the cathedral. Its page shows no fixed rate, so you will only see the price for your dates at booking. The hotel stands on Kapuzinergraben opposite Theater Aachen, between the station and the old town. Check-in is from 15:00, check-out by noon, and the hotel keeps luggage for free. Breakfast runs 06:00–10:00 on weekdays and 07:00–11:00 at weekends and on public holidays. The market on the Markt and Katschhof is a walk through the pedestrian streets, and the lounge bar is there for a nightcap afterwards. Tips: - Reception lends an iron and ironing board on request. Q: Are meals included at Motel One Aachen? A: Motel One Aachen: Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:00–10:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 07:00–11:00; lounge bar. Q: What does Motel One Aachen have? A: Motel One Aachen lists luggage storage, bar, wifi. Q: Who is Motel One Aachen good for? A: Motel One Aachen suits budget, rail travellers, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/aachen/hotel-aachen/ https://www.aachen-tourismus.de/aachen/ukv/house/TUR00020110546179281 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/10878515481 ### Absalon Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/absalon-hotel-copenhagen Type: Stay Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Helgolandsgade 15, 1653 København V Coordinates: 55.67160, 12.56160 Kind: Hotel From: DKK 895 per room per night (2026) Prices: The hotel's room list started at DKK 895 a night in October 2026, which sits right on the line between the first two tiers. Rooms: 161 Amenities: Bar, Meeting rooms Best for: families, rail travellers Price from: DKK 895 per room per night (2026) Website: https://absalon-hotel.dk/en/ Summary: Absalon suits families and rail travellers who want a family-owned four-star hotel beside Copenhagen Central Station. Its own pages give no check-in times or breakfast details, so confirm both when you book. The hotel has 161 rooms and suites at Helgolandsgade 15 in Vesterbro. When we read its room list in October 2026, Original rooms started at DKK 895 a night and Absalon Rooms at DKK 1,095. Family rooms began at DKK 1,295, and the Tricia Guild Suite at DKK 3,995. The hotel keeps a separate page for parents travelling with children. Tips: - Ask for an Original room if price matters most, since it is the cheapest category on the list. Q: How much does Absalon Hotel cost? A: Prices at Absalon Hotel start at DKK 895 per room per night (2026). Q: What does Absalon Hotel have? A: Absalon Hotel lists bar, meeting rooms. Q: Who is Absalon Hotel good for? A: Absalon Hotel suits families, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://absalon-hotel.dk/en/ ### Adlers Hotel Innsbruck URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/adlers-hotel-innsbruck Type: Stay Also known as: ADLERS Lifestyle-Hotel Innsbruck, Adlers Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Innenstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Brunecker Straße 1, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26599, 11.40143 Kind: Hotel From: €106 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: From-rates on the hotel's site: €106 Panorama Eco, €111 Classic, €151 Superior, €244 Deluxe and €370 for a suite. Meals: Breakfast; weitsicht restaurant; rooftop bar Check-in: 16:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Rooftop bar, Restaurant, Spa, Accessible rooms Best for: rail travellers, couples, view seekers Price from: €106 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.adlers-innsbruck.com/en/ Summary: Rail travellers who want mountain views from bed get a rooftop hotel beside the Hauptbahnhof here. The Old Town markets are a walk away, and the 16:00 check-in is later than most. Adlers calls itself a panoramic rooftop hotel, and it stands beside Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof with the word Panorama in every room category. The Eco and Classic rooms measure 25 to 26 square metres, and the Deluxe rooms from 35 square metres look over Innsbruck and its mountains. The Maria-Theresien-Strasse market is the closest, and the Old Town Christkindlmarkt lies beyond it. The weitsicht restaurant and the rooftop bar on the 12th floor keep you up high after dark, and the bar stays open until midnight, or 01:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Tips: - Check-in starts at 16:00 and check-out runs until 12:00, so plan a market stop before you collect your key. - The 13th-floor Havana bar opens only from May to September. Q: How much does Adlers Hotel Innsbruck cost? A: Prices at Adlers Hotel Innsbruck start at €106 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Adlers Hotel Innsbruck? A: Adlers Hotel Innsbruck: Breakfast; weitsicht restaurant; rooftop bar. Q: What does Adlers Hotel Innsbruck have? A: Adlers Hotel Innsbruck lists rooftop bar, restaurant, spa, accessible rooms. Q: Who is Adlers Hotel Innsbruck good for? A: Adlers Hotel Innsbruck suits rail travellers, couples, view seekers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.adlers-innsbruck.com/en/ ### Altstadthotel Kasererbrau URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/altstadthotel-kasererbrau-salzburg Type: Stay Also known as: Kasererbraeu, Kasererbräu Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Kaiviertel City: Salzburg Address: Kaigasse 33, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79696, 13.04929 Kind: Hotel Prices: The rooms and prices page shows no figures. The hotel describes itself as a 4-star hotel. Meals: Breakfast buffet Check-in: 15:00–22:00 Amenities: Hotel car park, Ev charging, Cinema, Free wifi, Pets allowed Best for: families, drivers, film lovers Website: https://www.kasererbraeu.at/en/ Summary: Families and drivers who want the cathedral market two corners away get the Old Town's only hotel car park here. Its own pages publish no rates, and the budget doubles are only 16 square metres. The family-run Kasererbräu has stood on Kaigasse since 1342 and holds four stars. The hotel says only two street corners separate it from Salzburg Cathedral, so the Christkindlmarkt and the fortress Advent market are both close. The Mozartkino in the building is one of the world's oldest working cinemas, and Salzburgers packed it for the premiere of Sissi. Junior Suites sleep four across two rooms, and the Fortress Hohensalzburg suite takes up to five. The car park a few metres from the entrance has garages and charging points. Reserve a space ahead, and expect €25 to €26 a day, because the hotel's pages quote both. You pass a bollard at Kajetanerplatz and call reception on the intercom for the code. Tips: - From Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, take trolleybus 3, 5 or 6 to Mozartsteg. - Reception checks guests in from 15:00 to 22:00 every day. - Dogs cost €15 a day. Q: Are meals included at Altstadthotel Kasererbrau? A: Altstadthotel Kasererbrau: Breakfast buffet. Q: What does Altstadthotel Kasererbrau have? A: Altstadthotel Kasererbrau lists hotel car park, ev charging, cinema, free wifi, pets allowed. Q: Who is Altstadthotel Kasererbrau good for? A: Altstadthotel Kasererbrau suits families, drivers, film lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kasererbraeu.at/en/ https://www.kasererbraeu.at/en/hotel-at-a-glance/ https://www.kasererbraeu.at/en/hotel-at-a-glance/arrival-parking/ https://www.kasererbraeu.at/en/rooms-prices/ https://www.kasererbraeu.at/en/city-of-salzburg/christmas-and-new-years-eve/ ### Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/altstadthotel-weisses-kreuz-innsbruck Type: Stay Also known as: Weisses Kreuz Innsbruck, Weißes Kreuz Region: Tyrol Area: Altstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 31, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26767, 11.39370 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. Extra beds cost €40 to €75 a night depending on age. Meals: Regional breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; bar on the sixth floor Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 48 Amenities: Bar, Lift, Luggage lockers, Family rooms Best for: couples, design lovers, families Website: https://www.weisseskreuz.at/en/ Summary: Couples who like a playful design hotel inside a 1465 building will enjoy this one. Some rooms look at the Golden Roof, and cars can reach the door only from 06:00 to 10:30. The Weisses Kreuz dates from 1465 and reopened with 48 rooms in a style the owners call chic-shock-baroque. Reception shares the sixth floor with the bar, and a lift takes you up. The Medium Dachl-Blick rooms have an alcove looking at the Golden Roof, which stands at the end of the street where the Old Town market sets up. Breakfast runs 07:00 to 11:00 with produce from regional farms and vegetarian and vegan options. Drivers can unload in front of the hotel before 10:30, then park in the Altstadtgarage on Innrain, which the hotel puts about 400 metres away. The hotel keeps bags in a secure locker system before check-in and after check-out. Tips: - Rooms are ready at 15:00 and must be cleared by 11:00. - Medium rooms can join up with Twin rooms to make a family room with its own lock. Q: Are meals included at Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz? A: Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz: Regional breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; bar on the sixth floor. Q: What does Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz have? A: Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz lists bar, lift, luggage lockers, family rooms. Q: Who is Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz good for? A: Altstadthotel Weisses Kreuz suits couples, design lovers, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weisseskreuz.at/en/ https://www.weisseskreuz.at/en/good-to-know/ https://www.weisseskreuz.at/en/chambers/medium-dachl-view/ https://www.weisseskreuz.at/en/imprint/ ### Altstadthotel Wolf URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/altstadthotel-wolf-salzburg Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Wolf Salzburg Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Kaiviertel City: Salzburg Address: Kaigasse 7, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79819, 13.04855 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. Meals: Breakfast with regional produce in the vaulted parlour Rooms: 16 Amenities: Breakfast room Best for: couples, light sleepers Website: https://hotelwolf.at/en/ Summary: Light sleepers and couples who want a family-run house near Mozartplatz will find one here. Only three of its 16 rooms face the quiet courtyard, so ask for one early. The fourth generation of the family runs the Wolf, and the house was first recorded in the early 15th century. Its 16 rooms vary in size and keep old walls and wooden floorboards. Mozartplatz and the Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz are a short walk. Breakfast is served in the vaulted Gewölbe-Stube with homemade jams and cheese from regional farms. Tips: - Drivers should set the satnav for Kajetanerplatz 1, since the Kaigasse address sits behind a bollard; reception gives you the access code over the intercom. - From the Hauptbahnhof, take trolleybus 3, 5 or 6 to Mozartsteg and walk about 150 metres into Kaigasse. Q: Are meals included at Altstadthotel Wolf? A: Altstadthotel Wolf: Breakfast with regional produce in the vaulted parlour. Q: What does Altstadthotel Wolf have? A: Altstadthotel Wolf lists breakfast room. Q: Who is Altstadthotel Wolf good for? A: Altstadthotel Wolf suits couples, light sleepers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotelwolf.at/en/ https://hotelwolf.at/en/rooms/ https://hotelwolf.at/en/breakfast/ https://hotelwolf.at/en/location-arrival/ ### Babelfish Hostel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/babelfish-hostel-wurzburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Innenstadt, Haugerring City: Wurzburg Address: Haugerring 2, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.80010, 9.93600 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The hostel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages; as a hostel it sits in the budget tier. Meals: Breakfast buffet 08:00–11:00; guest kitchen Amenities: Guest kitchen, Lockers, Luggage storage, Laundry, Bar, Roof terrace, Lift Best for: backpackers, families, rail travellers Price band: € Website: https://www.babelfish-hostel.de/ Summary: Babelfish suits backpackers and families arriving by train, since its door faces the station across the ring road. From November to March the desk closes between 14:00 and 18:00 from Sunday to Thursday, so time your arrival around it. Leave the station by the main exit, pass the Kiliansbrunnen fountain, cross the Haugerring and the entrance is to the left of the Hotel Regina. Rooms run from singles and doubles to ten-bed dorms. The family rooms have a double and a bunk bed with their own bathroom, and children up to 16 eat breakfast free there. There's a full guest kitchen, lockers in the dorms, free luggage storage, laundry, a bar and a roof terrace. Key cards let you in at any hour, and there's no membership, curfew or age limit. The breakfast buffet runs from 08:00 to 11:00. From 1 November to 31 March, reception opens from 08:00 to 14:00 and 18:00 to 22:00 from Sunday to Thursday, and 08:00 to 22:00 on Friday and Saturday. Tips: - Cyclists can take the goods lift down to the bike cellar; ask at reception for the key. Q: Are meals included at Babelfish Hostel? A: Babelfish Hostel: Breakfast buffet 08:00–11:00; guest kitchen. Q: What does Babelfish Hostel have? A: Babelfish Hostel lists guest kitchen, lockers, luggage storage, laundry, bar, roof terrace, lift. Q: Who is Babelfish Hostel good for? A: Babelfish Hostel suits backpackers, families, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.babelfish-hostel.de/pages/de/info.php https://www.babelfish-hostel.de/pages/de/kontakt.php https://www.babelfish-hostel.de/pages/de/service/extras.php https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/bayerischer-hof-dresden Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Innere Neustadt, by Dresden-Neustadt station City: Dresden Address: Antonstraße 33-35, 01097 Dresden Coordinates: 51.06420, 13.73920 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages; its four-star grading doesn't set a price band, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Hotel bar Amenities: Bar Best for: rail travellers, couples Website: https://www.bayerischer-hof-dresden.de/ Summary: Bayerischer Hof suits rail travellers who want to cross the road from Dresden-Neustadt station into a family-run hotel, with the Augustusmarkt on the Hauptstraße close by. The Altstadt markets lie across the Elbe from here. The hotel fills a patrician house built in 1855, now a family-run four-star hotel, diagonally opposite Dresden-Neustadt station. ICE trains stop at Neustadt, and the airport S-Bahn runs straight there, so you can arrive without changing. Rooms come as Standard, Superior and courtyard rooms, Junior Suites and a Suite. There's a hotel bar. The Augustusmarkt fills the Hauptstraße in the Neustadt, running down towards the Golden Rider and the Augustus Bridge. Cross the bridge and you reach the Altstadt, where the Striezelmarkt and the Neumarkt market wait. Tips: - Get off at Dresden-Neustadt rather than the Hauptbahnhof, whether you come by ICE or on the airport S-Bahn. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden? A: Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden: Hotel bar. Q: What does Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden have? A: Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden lists bar. Q: Who is Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden good for? A: Hotel Bayerischer Hof Dresden suits rail travellers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bayerischer-hof-dresden.de/ https://www.bayerischer-hof-dresden.de/anfahrt.html https://www.bayerischer-hof-dresden.de/zimmer-suiten.html https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/berlin-25hours-bikini Type: Stay Also known as: 25hours Bikini, Bikini Berlin hotel Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Budapester Straße, City West City: Berlin Address: Budapester Straße 40, 10787 Berlin Coordinates: 52.50563, 13.33790 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Guest parking costs €24 for 24 hours. Meals: NENI Berlin and Monkey Bar on the tenth floor Amenities: Sauna, Restaurant, Bar, Parking Best for: families, couples, market-view seekers Website: https://25hours-hotels.com/berlin/bikini-berlin/ Summary: 25hours Bikini suits families and couples who want to look down on the Breitscheidplatz market from their room. Ask for an Urban room for that view, since the Jungle rooms face the zoo and the Tiergarten. Studio Aisslinger designed the hotel with a jungle theme. The lobby has a hammock lounge and a jungle sauna. Urban rooms look over the city and Breitscheidplatz towards the Memorial Church, and the Jungle rooms have full-length windows over the zoo. NENI and the Monkey Bar sit on the tenth floor with views over the Tiergarten. Extra Large rooms give a family room to spread out. From Zoo station the hotel's directions lead along Hardenbergstraße and Budapester Straße. Tips: - Book an Urban room by name if you want the market and the Memorial Church outside your window. - Hotel guests pay €24 for 24 hours in the Bikini Berlin garage next door. Q: Can you see the Breitscheidplatz Christmas market from 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin? A: From some rooms. The hotel's Urban rooms overlook the city and Breitscheidplatz, where the market stands, and the Jungle rooms face the zoo. Q: Are meals included at 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin? A: 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin: NENI Berlin and Monkey Bar on the tenth floor. Q: What does 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin have? A: 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin lists sauna, restaurant, bar, parking. Q: Who is 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin good for? A: 25hours Hotel Bikini Berlin suits families, couples, market-view seekers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://25hours-hotels.com/berlin/bikini-berlin/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/26408075 ### Hotel AMANO Grand Central URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/berlin-amano-grand-central Type: Stay Also known as: Amano Grand Central, AMANO Grand Central Berlin Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Europacity, opposite the Hauptbahnhof City: Berlin Address: Heidestraße 62, 10557 Berlin Coordinates: 52.52731, 13.37037 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Parking costs €29 for 24 hours. Meals: APARTMENT Bar; rooftop bar in summer Check-in: 15:00 Amenities: Bar, Parking, Online check in Best for: rail travellers, budget, solo travellers Website: https://www.amanogroup.com/de/hotels/berlin-hauptbahnhof-hotel-amano-grand-central Summary: AMANO Grand Central suits rail travellers who want a modern room across the road from Berlin Hauptbahnhof. None of the big Christmas markets is near the station, so every market evening starts with a ride on the S-Bahn or U-Bahn. The hotel stands right opposite the Hauptbahnhof on Heidestraße, so you can walk off an ICE and into your room. Rooms and suites pair bright interiors with dark parquet. Check-in starts at 15:00 and you can do it digitally. The hotel's APARTMENT Bar is known for its sunset views, and the rooftop bar opens in summer. The underground garage costs €29 for 24 hours and cannot be reserved. Tips: - Use the digital check-in to skip the desk after a long train ride. Q: Are meals included at Hotel AMANO Grand Central? A: Hotel AMANO Grand Central: APARTMENT Bar; rooftop bar in summer. Q: What does Hotel AMANO Grand Central have? A: Hotel AMANO Grand Central lists bar, parking, online check in. Q: Who is Hotel AMANO Grand Central good for? A: Hotel AMANO Grand Central suits rail travellers, budget, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.amanogroup.com/de/hotels/berlin-hauptbahnhof-hotel-amano-grand-central https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/237687062 ### Hotel Adlon Kempinski URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/berlin-hotel-adlon-kempinski Type: Stay Also known as: Adlon Berlin, Hotel Adlon Kempinski Berlin Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Pariser Platz, Mitte City: Berlin Address: Unter den Linden 77, 10117 Berlin Coordinates: 52.51558, 13.38007 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Its tier comes from its own five-star category. Meals: Brasserie Quarré, Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Lobby Lounge & Bar Rooms: 385 Amenities: Spa, Restaurant, Bar Best for: couples, special occasions, first-timers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.kempinski.com/en/hotel-adlon Summary: The Adlon suits couples who want Berlin's landmark hotel beside the Brandenburg Gate with the Gendarmenmarkt market a walk away. The hotel publishes no room rates, and its Advent programme centres on brunches and dinners in the house. The five-star hotel faces the Brandenburg Gate from Pariser Platz and holds 385 rooms and suites. Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer carries a Michelin star, and Brasserie Quarré serves brasserie dishes. The Adlon Spa by Resense spreads over three levels. In December the hotel runs Sunday Advent brunches and festive menus, and it closes the year with a New Year's Eve gala. The Gendarmenmarkt market is south-east of the hotel along Unter den Linden and Friedrichstraße. Tips: - Book an Advent Sunday brunch ahead if you want one on a market weekend. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Adlon Kempinski? A: Hotel Adlon Kempinski: Brasserie Quarré, Lorenz Adlon Esszimmer, Lobby Lounge & Bar. Q: What does Hotel Adlon Kempinski have? A: Hotel Adlon Kempinski lists spa, restaurant, bar. Q: Who is Hotel Adlon Kempinski good for? A: Hotel Adlon Kempinski suits couples, special occasions, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kempinski.com/en/hotel-adlon https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/4582978 ### Hotel Zoo Berlin URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/berlin-hotel-zoo Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Zoo Kurfürstendamm Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Kurfürstendamm, City West City: Berlin Address: Kurfürstendamm 25, 10719 Berlin Coordinates: 52.50356, 13.32901 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Meals: Grace restaurant and Grace Bar Rooms: 127 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Gym Best for: couples, design lovers, shoppers Website: https://www.hotelzoo.de/ Summary: Hotel Zoo suits couples who want a stylish Ku'damm address close to the Breitscheidplatz market. Rooms start with the small Petit category, and the hotel publishes no rates. The hotel has 127 rooms, from the Petit room up to the 40 m² Grand Deluxe, and some look over the Kurfürstendamm while others face the city's rooftops. Grace restaurant cooks European and Asian dishes. The Grace Bar plays on the 1920s. Breitscheidplatz and its market sit at the eastern end of this stretch of the Ku'damm, by the Memorial Church. The hotel also has a gym and a rooftop bar. Tips: - Ask for a Ku'damm-facing room if you want the street below your window. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Zoo Berlin? A: Hotel Zoo Berlin: Grace restaurant and Grace Bar. Q: What does Hotel Zoo Berlin have? A: Hotel Zoo Berlin lists restaurant, bar, gym. Q: Who is Hotel Zoo Berlin good for? A: Hotel Zoo Berlin suits couples, design lovers, shoppers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelzoo.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3172134163 ### Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/berlin-motel-one-alexanderplatz Type: Stay Also known as: Motel One Alexanderplatz Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Alexanderplatz, Mitte City: Berlin Address: Grunerstraße 11, 10179 Berlin Coordinates: 52.51978, 13.41247 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel page shows no fixed rate. Berlin charges a city tax of 7.5% of the net room price. Meals: Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:00–10:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 07:00–11:00; One Lounge Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, Bar, Wifi, Pets allowed Best for: budget, families, first-timers Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/berlin/hotel-berlin-alexanderplatz/ Summary: Motel One Alexanderplatz suits budget travellers who want the Rotes Rathaus market and Alexanderplatz station a short walk away. Berlin adds a 7.5% city tax on the room price, and the hotel page shows no fixed rate. The hotel sits on Grunerstraße beside Alexanderplatz, with Berlin street art in its design. The S-Bahn and U-Bahn at Alexanderplatz get you across the city to the Gendarmenmarkt or Breitscheidplatz. The Christmas market around the Neptune Fountain at the Rotes Rathaus is the nearest one on foot. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by noon. The hotel stores luggage for free, and children up to 12 stay free in their parents' room. Breakfast runs 06:00–10:00 on weekdays and 07:00–11:00 at weekends and on public holidays. Tips: - Children up to 12 sleep free in their parents' room. Q: Are meals included at Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz? A: Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz: Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:00–10:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 07:00–11:00; One Lounge. Q: What does Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz have? A: Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz lists luggage storage, bar, wifi, pets allowed. Q: Who is Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz good for? A: Motel One Berlin-Alexanderplatz suits budget, families, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/berlin/hotel-berlin-alexanderplatz/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/558863058 ### Hotel Bischofshof am Dom URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/bischofshof-am-dom-regensburg Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Krauterermarkt City: Regensburg Address: Krauterermarkt 3, 93047 Regensburg Coordinates: 49.02010, 12.09760 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Every rate includes breakfast. Meals: Breakfast included; restaurant, beer garden and bar Amenities: Breakfast included, Restaurant, Bar, Gym, Lift Best for: couples, families Website: https://www.hotel-bischofshof.de/ Summary: Bischofshof am Dom suits couples who want to sleep beside the cathedral, with the Neupfarrplatz and Lucrezia markets both a short walk off. Some rooms are reached only by stairs, so ask for one on the lift when you book. The Bischofshof stands on the Krauterermarkt right beside the cathedral, a short way from the Stone Bridge. Every room price is per room and night with breakfast included. Rooms range from singles and Standard and Deluxe doubles of 20 square metres or more to Junior Suites, Suites and Dom Suites of 45 square metres that sleep up to four. Many look out over the old town. The house has a restaurant, a beer garden for warmer months, a hotel bar and a small gym called the Castra-Gym. Because the rooms are spread over different parts of the building, tell the hotel in advance if you need one the lift reaches. Tips: - Call the restaurant line, +49 941 5941010, to book dinner on a market night. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Bischofshof am Dom? A: Hotel Bischofshof am Dom: Breakfast included; restaurant, beer garden and bar. Q: What does Hotel Bischofshof am Dom have? A: Hotel Bischofshof am Dom lists breakfast included, restaurant, bar, gym, lift. Q: Who is Hotel Bischofshof am Dom good for? A: Hotel Bischofshof am Dom suits couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-bischofshof.de/ https://www.hotel-bischofshof.de/hotel/ https://www.hotel-bischofshof.de/hotel/standard-doppelzimmer/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/colmar-cit-hotel-primo Type: Stay Local name: Logis Hôtel Cit'Hotel Primo (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Primo Colmar, Cit'Hotel Primo Region: Alsace Area: North of the old town, rue des Ancêtres City: Colmar Address: 5 rue des Ancêtres, 68000 Colmar Coordinates: 48.08150, 7.35730 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no rates and no star category on its site. It bills itself on comfort at a low price. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–10:00; no restaurant Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 80 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Luggage storage, Lift, Wheelchair accessible rooms, Pets allowed Best for: budget travellers, groups, families Website: https://www.hotel-primo.fr/ Summary: Cit'Hotel Primo suits budget travellers and groups who want a simple room a short walk from Colmar's old town. It has no restaurant, so dinner means walking into town. Primo is a plain Logis hotel with 80 rooms in two four-storey buildings, reached by lift or stairs. Rooms run from doubles to quadruples, and there is a furnished apartment plus three doubles adapted for wheelchair users. The breakfast buffet runs from 07:00 to 10:00 and features kougelhopf, and staff can arrange an earlier breakfast or a take-away bag. Reception is open around the clock and keeps luggage, so you can leave bags on the morning you take a Christmas shuttle from the station out to the wine villages. Partner restaurants within walking distance give guests a preferential rate. Tips: - Ask reception for the partner restaurant near the Collégiale Saint-Martin. The hotel sells an evening package that includes dinner there. - Dogs stay for €6 a night. Q: Does Cit'Hotel Primo in Colmar have a restaurant? A: No. Cit'Hotel Primo has no restaurant on site and works with partner restaurants within walking distance. Q: Can I leave bags at Cit'Hotel Primo after check-out? A: Yes. Cit'Hotel Primo has a luggage service, and its reception is open 24 hours a day. Q: Are meals included at Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar? A: Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar: Breakfast buffet 07:00–10:00; no restaurant. Q: What does Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar have? A: Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar lists 24 hour reception, luggage storage, lift, wheelchair accessible rooms, pets allowed. Q: Who is Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar good for? A: Cit'Hotel Primo Colmar suits budget travellers, groups, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-primo.fr/ https://www.hotel-primo.fr/chambres-hotel-colmar https://www.hotel-primo.fr/acces-et-infos-hotel-colmar https://noel-colmar.com/fr/navettes-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/48437490 ### Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/colmar-hotel-saint-martin Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Saint-Martin (fr) Also known as: Logis Hotel Saint Martin, Boutique Hôtel Saint-Martin Colmar Region: Alsace Area: Old town, Grand'Rue City: Colmar Address: 38 Grand'Rue, 68000 Colmar Coordinates: 48.07640, 7.35930 Kind: Hotel Price: €€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 3-star category. Meals: Buffet breakfast 07:00–10:00 Rooms: 41 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Luggage storage, Air conditioning, Wheelchair accessible rooms, Pets allowed Best for: first-timers, families, couples Price band: €€ Website: https://www.hotel-saint-martin.com/ Summary: Hôtel Saint-Martin suits first-timers and families who want a 3-star room on Grand'Rue in the middle of Colmar's old town. It has no car park of its own, so drivers leave the car in a public garage. The hotel fills a 14th-century patrician house on Grand'Rue with exposed beams and old stone, and its terrace sits in an inner courtyard. There are 41 rooms including 3 suites, plus an apartment, and some of the larger rooms sleep four. The Suite de la Rose has a whirlpool bath, and every room has air conditioning. A buffet breakfast with regional food runs from 07:00 to 10:00. Reception is open around the clock and stores luggage. The hotel names Parking St Josse for drivers and says several public car parks are close by. Tips: - Families can ask for one of the larger rooms that sleep up to four. - Pets stay for €10 a day. Q: Does Hôtel Saint-Martin in Colmar have parking? A: No. Hôtel Saint-Martin has no private car park, and the hotel sends drivers to public car parks nearby. Q: Can families stay at Hôtel Saint-Martin? A: Yes. Some of Hôtel Saint-Martin's larger rooms sleep up to four people. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar? A: Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar: Buffet breakfast 07:00–10:00. Q: What does Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar have? A: Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar lists 24 hour reception, luggage storage, air conditioning, wheelchair accessible rooms, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar good for? A: Hotel Saint-Martin Colmar suits first-timers, families, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-saint-martin.com/ https://www.hotel-saint-martin.com/chambres-hotel-centre-colmar https://www.hotel-saint-martin.com/infos-pratiques-hotel-centre-colmar https://www.hotel-saint-martin.com/services-hotel-centre-colmar https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/48393380 ### Hotel Le Marechal Colmar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/colmar-le-marechal Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Le Maréchal (fr) Also known as: Hostellerie Le Maréchal, Le Maréchal Petite Venise Region: Alsace Area: La Petite Venise City: Colmar Address: 4-5 place des Six Montagnes Noires, 68000 Colmar Coordinates: 48.07360, 7.35690 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. Meals: Gastronomic restaurant and the Baron bar Rooms: 30 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Lift, Air conditioning, 24 hour reception Best for: couples, romantic breaks, food lovers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.hotel-le-marechal.com/fr/hotel-charme-colmar-alsace Summary: Le Maréchal suits couples who want a romantic 4-star room on the canal in La Petite Venise. The 16th-century building has no rooms adapted for wheelchair users. Le Maréchal has 30 rooms and suites in a 16th-century house in La Petite Venise. Each is decorated differently, and some look over the canal. Deluxe rooms and suites have a whirlpool bath. The restaurant serves gastronomic dinners, and the Baron bar opens at 16:00 with a cocktail list. The hotel's address is Place des Six Montagnes Noires, where the tourist office places Colmar's children's Christmas market in La Petite Venise. That market has a carousel and a mechanical nativity scene, and Father Christmas keeps a giant letterbox there. A public car park sits opposite the hotel. Tips: - Ask for a canal-view room when you book. The hotel marks those rooms separately. - The hotel sells two-night food packages that pair a room with dinners in its restaurant. Q: Is Hôtel Le Maréchal in Colmar accessible for wheelchair users? A: No. The hotel says its rooms are not accessible to guests with reduced mobility because of the 16th-century building's layout. Q: Is Le Maréchal near a Colmar Christmas market? A: Yes. Le Maréchal stands on Place des Six Montagnes Noires, the square the tourist office gives for the Petite Venise children's Christmas market. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Le Marechal Colmar? A: Hotel Le Marechal Colmar: Gastronomic restaurant and the Baron bar. Q: What does Hotel Le Marechal Colmar have? A: Hotel Le Marechal Colmar lists restaurant, bar, lift, air conditioning, 24 hour reception. Q: Who is Hotel Le Marechal Colmar good for? A: Hotel Le Marechal Colmar suits couples, romantic breaks, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-le-marechal.com/fr/hotel-charme-colmar-alsace https://www.hotel-le-marechal.com/fr/chambres-et-suites-hotel-luxe-colmar https://www.hotel-le-marechal.com/fr/contact-et-acces-hotel-colmar-petite-venise https://www.noel-colmar.com/fr/marches-de-noel-de-colmar/decouvrir/les-cinq-marches-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/48674206 ### La Maison des Tetes Colmar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/colmar-maison-des-tetes Type: Stay Local name: La Maison des Têtes (fr) Also known as: Maison des Têtes hotel, Hôtel La Maison des Têtes Colmar Region: Alsace Area: Old town, near the Unterlinden Museum City: Colmar Address: 19 rue des Têtes, 68000 Colmar Coordinates: 48.07860, 7.35550 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 5-star category. Meals: Breakfast €30 a person; Restaurant Girardin, a historic brasserie and Winstub Bartholdi Check-in: 16:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 21 Amenities: Restaurant, Lift, Parking, Luggage storage, Wheelchair accessible rooms, Pets allowed Best for: food lovers, couples, celebrations Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.maisondestetes.com/fr/ Summary: La Maison des Têtes suits food lovers who want a 5-star room above a Michelin-starred restaurant in Colmar's old town. It has 21 rooms and no spa or fitness room. The hotel stands on rue des Têtes near the Unterlinden Museum and belongs to Relais & Châteaux. The 21 rooms mix wood panelling with plain modern furniture, and the family Duplex sleeps four under a sloping roof. There are no suites or connecting rooms, so families book rooms side by side or the Duplex. Restaurant Girardin holds one Michelin star, and the house also runs a historic brasserie and the Winstub Bartholdi. The hotel says its tables fill up and advises guests to book them before they arrive. Breakfast costs €30 a person, and a private gated car park beside the hotel costs €25 a night. Tips: - Book dinner at Girardin or the brasserie when you book the room. The hotel warns that its restaurants have limited seats. - Reception is staffed from 08:00 to 22:00. Tell the hotel if you will arrive after 22:00 so it can send you the access details. Q: Does La Maison des Têtes in Colmar have a spa? A: No. La Maison des Têtes has no spa or fitness room. Q: Can I leave luggage at La Maison des Têtes? A: Yes. The hotel keeps bags before your room is ready and on the day you leave. Q: What time is check-in at La Maison des Têtes? A: Rooms are ready from 16:00 and must be free by 12:00, with paid late check-out until 15:00 when available. Q: Are meals included at La Maison des Tetes Colmar? A: La Maison des Tetes Colmar: Breakfast €30 a person; Restaurant Girardin, a historic brasserie and Winstub Bartholdi. Q: What does La Maison des Tetes Colmar have? A: La Maison des Tetes Colmar lists restaurant, lift, parking, luggage storage, wheelchair accessible rooms, pets allowed. Q: Who is La Maison des Tetes Colmar good for? A: La Maison des Tetes Colmar suits food lovers, couples, celebrations. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.maisondestetes.com/fr/ https://www.maisondestetes.com/fr/chambres.html https://www.maisondestetes.com/media/original/faq-fr.pdf https://www.maisondestetes.com/fr/acces.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/6880877195 ### Hotel Maison Turenne Colmar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/colmar-maison-turenne Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Maison Turenne (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Turenne Colmar, Maison Turenne Region: Alsace Area: Edge of La Petite Venise, route de Bâle City: Colmar Address: 10 route de Bâle, 68000 Colmar Coordinates: 48.07190, 7.36060 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. Meals: Breakfast 06:30–10:00; bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 92 Amenities: Wellness area, Lift, Luggage storage, Parking, Bar Best for: families, drivers, quiet sleepers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.maisonturenne.com/fr/ Summary: Maison Turenne suits families and anyone who wants a calmer 4-star base at the edge of La Petite Venise with a wellness area. It stands outside the old town's lanes, so the markets are a walk away and the station is 1.3 km off. Maison Turenne is an independent 4-star hotel with 92 rooms on route de Bâle, just past La Petite Venise. Every room is served by a lift, and the hotel has family rooms. The wellness area is open from 09:00 to 21:00. Breakfast runs from 06:30 to 10:00. The early start helps on a day out in the wine villages. The luggage room is open around the clock. Private parking costs extra and is booked ahead, and the hotel puts Colmar's TGV station 1.3 km away. Tips: - Rooms are ready from 15:00, and the hotel says the last ones are ready by 17:00. - Christmas shuttles to the wine villages leave from Colmar station on market weekends, so a taxi or bus to the station starts the day. Q: Is Maison Turenne in Colmar close to the Christmas markets? A: Yes. Maison Turenne sits at the edge of La Petite Venise, and the hotel describes itself as close to the historic centre. Q: What time is breakfast at Maison Turenne? A: Breakfast at Maison Turenne runs from 06:30 to 10:00. Q: What does Hotel Maison Turenne Colmar have? A: Hotel Maison Turenne Colmar lists wellness area, lift, luggage storage, parking, bar. Q: Who is Hotel Maison Turenne Colmar good for? A: Hotel Maison Turenne Colmar suits families, drivers, quiet sleepers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.maisonturenne.com/fr/ https://www.maisonturenne.com/fr/chambres.html https://www.maisonturenne.com/fr/preparez-son-sejour.html https://noel-colmar.com/fr/navettes-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/619109498 ### 25hours Hotel The Circle URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/cologne-25hours-the-circle Type: Stay Also known as: 25hours Cologne, 25hours The Circle Köln Region: The Rhineland Area: Friesenviertel, Gerling quarter City: Cologne Address: Im Klapperhof 22-24, 50670 Köln Coordinates: 50.94205, 6.94309 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Parking is €23 a day. Meals: NENI restaurant and Monkey Bar on the eighth floor; café and Nomad Day Bar Rooms: 207 Amenities: Sauna, Restaurant, Bar, Bike rental, Parking, Ev charging Best for: couples, friends, design lovers Website: https://www.25hours-hotels.com/en/hotels/cologne/the-circle Summary: The Circle suits younger couples and friends who want a rooftop bar with a cathedral view to come back to after the markets. Every market sits a walk across the old town away, and the hotel lists no room rates. The hotel fills the rotunda of the old Gerling insurance building. The building is listed, and Studio Aisslinger fitted it out in a retro-futuristic style. Its 207 rooms split into Inner Circle rooms over the courtyard and Outer Circle rooms, and some of the outer ones catch a glimpse of the cathedral. Extra Large rooms give a small family space to spread out. NENI on the eighth floor cooks eastern Mediterranean food, and the Monkey Bar next door looks straight across the roofs to the cathedral. A sauna on the seventh floor has the same view. Neumarkt and the Markt der Engel are the closest Christmas stalls, with the cathedral square further on. Tips: - Ask for an Outer Circle room if a glimpse of the cathedral matters. The Inner Circle rooms face the courtyard. - The underground car park charges €23 a day and its entrance is on Spiesergasse. Q: Are meals included at 25hours Hotel The Circle? A: 25hours Hotel The Circle: NENI restaurant and Monkey Bar on the eighth floor; café and Nomad Day Bar. Q: What does 25hours Hotel The Circle have? A: 25hours Hotel The Circle lists sauna, restaurant, bar, bike rental, parking, ev charging. Q: Who is 25hours Hotel The Circle good for? A: 25hours Hotel The Circle suits couples, friends, design lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.25hours-hotels.com/en/hotels/cologne/the-circle https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/38551409 ### Excelsior Hotel Ernst URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/cologne-excelsior-hotel-ernst Type: Stay Also known as: Excelsior Hotel Ernst am Dom, Excelsior Ernst Cologne Region: The Rhineland Area: Domplatz, Altstadt-Nord City: Cologne Address: Trankgasse 1-5, 50667 Köln Coordinates: 50.94217, 6.95635 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Its tier comes from its own five-star grand hotel category. Breakfast costs €54 a person when the rate leaves it out. Meals: Breakfast in the Hanse Stube 06:00–11:00 (€54 a person when not included); TAKU, Hanse Stube, Wintergarten and Charles Bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 133 Amenities: Luggage storage, Spa, Gym, Restaurant, Bar, Valet parking Best for: couples, special occasions, rail travellers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.excelsiorhotelernst.com/en Summary: Excelsior Hotel Ernst suits travellers who want a grand hotel facing Cologne Cathedral with the Hauptbahnhof across the square. Only the Cathedral View Suites and Excelsior Suites come with a guaranteed cathedral view, and the hotel publishes no room rates. The hotel calls itself Cologne's only five-star grand hotel, and its 133 rooms and suites sit on the cathedral square at Trankgasse. Some ordinary rooms look at the cathedral as well, though the hotel promises that view only in the two suite categories. Breakfast is served in the Hanse Stube from 06:00 to 11:00 and costs €54 a person when your rate leaves it out. Dinner can stay in the building. TAKU cooks East Asian food under a Michelin star, and the Hanse Stube puts on set menus for Christmas and New Year's Eve. The Roncalliplatz cathedral market sits on the cathedral's south side, so you reach the stalls by walking round the west front. Tips: - Book a Cathedral View Suite or an Excelsior Suite if the view matters, since the hotel guarantees it for those rooms alone. - The hotel warns that repair work near the cathedral can mean delays and longer walks for drivers, and valet parking is on request. Q: Does Excelsior Hotel Ernst have rooms facing Cologne Cathedral? A: Yes. The hotel guarantees a cathedral view in its Cathedral View Suites and Excelsior Suites, and says other rooms may have one without a guarantee. Q: Can I leave my bags at Excelsior Hotel Ernst before check-in? A: Yes. The hotel stores luggage free of charge on your arrival and departure days. Rooms are ready from 15:00 and check-out is at 12:00. Q: Are meals included at Excelsior Hotel Ernst? A: Excelsior Hotel Ernst: Breakfast in the Hanse Stube 06:00–11:00 (€54 a person when not included); TAKU, Hanse Stube, Wintergarten and Charles Bar. Q: What does Excelsior Hotel Ernst have? A: Excelsior Hotel Ernst lists luggage storage, spa, gym, restaurant, bar, valet parking. Q: Who is Excelsior Hotel Ernst good for? A: Excelsior Hotel Ernst suits couples, special occasions, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.excelsiorhotelernst.com/en https://www.excelsiorhotelernst.com/en/faqs-good-to-know/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/482484333 ### Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/cologne-motel-one-neumarkt Type: Stay Local name: Motel One Köln-Neumarkt (de) Also known as: Motel One Neumarkt Region: The Rhineland Area: Neumarkt City: Cologne Address: Cäcilienstraße 32, 50667 Köln Coordinates: 50.93584, 6.95115 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel page shows no fixed rate. Cologne's accommodation tax is included in the total. Meals: Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:00–10:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 07:00–11:00; lounge bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, Bar, Air conditioning, Wifi Best for: budget, couples, solo travellers Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/cologne/hotel-cologne-neumarkt/ Summary: Motel One Neumarkt suits budget-minded travellers who want the Markt der Engel on the doorstep. Extra beds are not allowed, so a family of three or more needs a second room. The hotel stands on Cäcilienstraße at Neumarkt, where the Markt der Engel sets up each Advent. Its design takes cues from the cathedral, which lies across the shopping streets to the north. You check in from 15:00, check out by noon and can leave bags free of charge. Breakfast runs 06:00–10:00 on weekdays and 07:00–11:00 at weekends and on public holidays. Cologne adds an accommodation tax, and here it is already inside the rate you see. Tips: - Book two rooms for a family of three or more, since this Motel One does not allow additional beds. - The cathedral and Roncalliplatz market are a walk up Schildergasse and Hohe Straße, so you can do both markets in an evening. Q: Are meals included at Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt? A: Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt: Breakfast Mon–Fri 06:00–10:00, Sat–Sun and holidays 07:00–11:00; lounge bar. Q: What does Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt have? A: Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt lists luggage storage, bar, air conditioning, wifi. Q: Who is Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt good for? A: Motel One Cologne-Neumarkt suits budget, couples, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/cologne/hotel-cologne-neumarkt/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/26987801 ### Savoy Hotel Cologne URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/cologne-savoy-hotel Type: Stay Local name: SAVOY Hotel Köln (de) Also known as: Savoy Köln, Hotel Savoy Cologne Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt-Nord, behind the Hauptbahnhof City: Cologne Address: Turiner Straße 9, 50668 Köln Coordinates: 50.94649, 6.95714 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Breakfast is €29 a person and a 14:00 check-out costs €50. Meals: Breakfast buffet in Mythos, €29 a person Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 151 Amenities: Luggage storage, Spa, Gym, Restaurant, Air conditioning, Valet parking, Wifi Best for: couples, spa lovers, rail travellers Website: https://www.savoy.de/en/ Summary: The Savoy suits couples who want a spa evening after the cathedral market and a short walk to the Hauptbahnhof. The hotel lists no room rates, and breakfast costs extra. The Savoy sits just behind the Hauptbahnhof, and the cathedral is a short walk from the door. It has 151 rooms, suites and serviced apartments, each with its own air conditioning. The 650 m² spa is the reason to pick it in December, and the gym on the same floor stays open around the clock for guests aged 16 and over. Breakfast is a buffet in the Mythos restaurant at €29 a person. Rooms are ready from 15:00 and you hand the key back by noon, with a 14:00 check-out for €50 when the hotel can manage it. Early arrivals can leave bags at no charge. Tips: - Valet parking costs €30 a night with a 2-metre height limit, so leave a roof box at home. - Dogs stay for €25 a night and are kept out of the dining rooms. Q: Are meals included at Savoy Hotel Cologne? A: Savoy Hotel Cologne: Breakfast buffet in Mythos, €29 a person. Q: What does Savoy Hotel Cologne have? A: Savoy Hotel Cologne lists luggage storage, spa, gym, restaurant, air conditioning, valet parking, wifi. Q: Who is Savoy Hotel Cologne good for? A: Savoy Hotel Cologne suits couples, spa lovers, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.savoy.de/en/ https://www.savoy.de/en/faq/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/144886425 ### Hotel Stern am Rathaus URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/cologne-stern-am-rathaus Type: Stay Also known as: Stern am Rathaus Köln, Stern am Rathaus Cologne Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt-Nord, by the Rathaus City: Cologne Address: Bürgerstraße 6, 50667 Köln Coordinates: 50.93871, 6.95940 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no rates on its own site; direct bookings go through its booking engine. Meals: Breakfast buffet included, Mon–Fri 07:30–10:00, Sat–Sun 08:00–10:30; no restaurant Rooms: 8 Amenities: Air conditioning, Wifi, Bar Best for: couples, independent travellers, food lovers Website: https://www.stern-am-rathaus.de/ Summary: Stern am Rathaus suits couples who want a small, personal base a few steps from the Alter Markt stalls and the cathedral. The old house has no lift, so every room means climbing stairs. This is a three-star house with eight rooms on three floors, and the owners say plainly who it suits. Standard rooms measure 15 m², and only the suites give you more space. You get boxspring beds, air conditioning, a kettle and a fridge, and breakfast is included in the room price. The buffet leans on homemade and regional food and runs 07:30–10:00 on weekdays and 08:00–10:30 at weekends. Reception keeps limited hours. You can still check in at any time of day, and a night duty answers the phone. The Rathaus is at the end of the street, the Alter Markt and Heumarkt stalls sit just beyond it, and the Hauptbahnhof is one U-Bahn stop or a short walk away. Tips: - Ask for a first-floor room when you book if stairs are hard. The staff will also carry your bags up. - There is no restaurant beyond breakfast. Reception keeps a list of the owners' favourite places nearby. Q: Does Hotel Stern am Rathaus in Cologne have a lift? A: No. The rooms spread over three floors of an old town house with stairs only. The hotel will reserve a first-floor room on request and helps carry luggage. Q: Is breakfast included at Stern am Rathaus? A: Yes. The buffet is part of the room price and runs 07:30–10:00 on weekdays and 08:00–10:30 on Saturdays and Sundays. Q: What does Hotel Stern am Rathaus have? A: Hotel Stern am Rathaus lists air conditioning, wifi, bar. Q: Who is Hotel Stern am Rathaus good for? A: Hotel Stern am Rathaus suits couples, independent travellers, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stern-am-rathaus.de/ https://www.stern-am-rathaus.de/warum-warum-nicht/ https://www.stern-am-rathaus.de/zimmer-frühstück/frühstück/ https://www.stern-am-rathaus.de/zimmer-frühstück/doppelzimmer/ https://www.stern-am-rathaus.de/lage-umgebung/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/50456275 ### Derlon Hotel Maastricht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/derlon-hotel-maastricht Type: Stay Region: The Netherlands Area: Binnenstad City: Maastricht Address: Onze Lieve Vrouweplein 6, 6211 HD Maastricht Coordinates: 50.84790, 5.69320 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Breakfast for hotel guests among the Roman remains Amenities: Restaurant, Museum, Meeting rooms Best for: couples, history lovers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.derlon.com/ Summary: Derlon suits a couple who want a four-star hotel on the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein with breakfast served among Roman remains. It publishes no rates or room count, so ask both when you book. Derlon is at Onze Lieve Vrouweplein 6, on the site of Roman Maastricht beside the old Via Belgica. Under the hotel lie the remains of a Roman road and a sanctuary, shown in a private museum that only guests can visit, and breakfast is served down there. The name comes from Louis Desiré Derlon, a French chef of the mid-19th century. Brasserie LOUIS is the hotel's restaurant. Tips: - The museum can close for breakfast or private groups, so ask at reception when it is free to visit. Q: Are meals included at Derlon Hotel Maastricht? A: Derlon Hotel Maastricht: Breakfast for hotel guests among the Roman remains. Q: What does Derlon Hotel Maastricht have? A: Derlon Hotel Maastricht lists restaurant, museum, meeting rooms. Q: Who is Derlon Hotel Maastricht good for? A: Derlon Hotel Maastricht suits couples, history lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.derlon.com/ https://www.derlon.com/over-derlon ### L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/eguisheim-auberge-alsacienne Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel L'Auberge Alsacienne (fr) Also known as: Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim, Hôtel-restaurant L'Auberge Alsacienne Region: Alsace Area: Eguisheim, Grand'Rue City: Eguisheim Address: 12 Grand'Rue, 68420 Eguisheim Coordinates: 48.04250, 7.30930 Kind: Hotel From: €80 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel's site gives no rates. These ranges come from the hotel's listing on the Eguisheim and Rouffach tourist office site, read on 10 October 2026, which states no year. Meals: Buffet breakfast; restaurant Wednesday lunch to Sunday lunch Rooms: 19 Amenities: Parking, Restaurant, Bar, Family rooms Best for: couples, families, drivers Price from: €80 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.auberge-alsacienne.net/ Summary: L'Auberge Alsacienne suits couples and families who want a 3-star room on Eguisheim's cobbled Grand'Rue near Colmar. Eguisheim has no railway station, so you come by car or on the Colmar Christmas shuttle. The auberge fills a 16th-century house on Grand'Rue in the village centre. Its 19 renovated rooms are panelled in wood, and some are family rooms or suites. Rooms have a safe and a Nespresso machine. The hotel has private parking, booked ahead. The restaurant opens from Wednesday lunch to Sunday lunch, and the lounge bar serves Eguisheim wine and snacks. Eguisheim's market runs daily from 27 November to 30 December 2026 except 24 to 26 December, on the tourist office's dates. A Christmas shuttle line links Colmar station with Eguisheim's town hall. Tips: - Plan dinner elsewhere from Sunday evening to Tuesday. The restaurant opens from Wednesday lunch to Sunday lunch. - Reserve parking with the room. The hotel takes car park bookings. Q: How much is L'Auberge Alsacienne in Eguisheim? A: The hotel's rates on the Eguisheim tourist office listing run from €80 to €200 for a double and from €115 to €250 for a triple. Q: How do I reach Eguisheim without a car? A: Take the Christmas shuttle line between Colmar station and Eguisheim's town hall. Eguisheim has no railway station. Q: Are meals included at L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim? A: L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim: Buffet breakfast; restaurant Wednesday lunch to Sunday lunch. Q: What does L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim have? A: L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim lists parking, restaurant, bar, family rooms. Q: Who is L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim good for? A: L'Auberge Alsacienne Eguisheim suits couples, families, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.auberge-alsacienne.net/ https://www.auberge-alsacienne.net/fr/hotel-eguisheim.html https://www.tourisme-eguisheim-rouffach.com/EN/Hotel-restaurant-Auberge-Alsacienne-f253000011.html https://www.noel-colmar.com/fr/eguisheim/decouvrir/le-marche-de-noel-authentique-a-eguisheim https://noel-colmar.com/fr/navettes-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/546304 ### Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/eguisheim-hostellerie-du-pape Type: Stay Local name: La Ferme du Pape - Hostellerie (fr) Also known as: Hostellerie du Pape, La Ferme du Pape Eguisheim Region: Alsace Area: Eguisheim, Grand'Rue City: Eguisheim Address: 10 Grand'Rue, 68420 Eguisheim Coordinates: 48.04240, 7.30950 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's site lists no nightly rates and no star category. Meals: Buffet breakfast 07:00–10:00, €14; restaurant open all year; half board available Amenities: Restaurant, Lift, Family rooms, Pets allowed Best for: families, drivers Website: https://www.hostellerie-pape.com/ Summary: Hostellerie du Pape suits families who want a room with a year-round restaurant downstairs on Eguisheim's main street. Three of its rooms have no lift access. The hostellerie sits on Grand'Rue in the village where Pope Leo IX was born, and its restaurant serves traditional Alsatian cooking all year. Most rooms sleep one or two, and family rooms sleep two to four with a double and a single or with three beds. A lift serves every room except three. Breakfast is a buffet from 07:00 to 10:00 every day at €14. The hotel sells half-board and gourmet packages for guests who want dinner included. Free cancellation runs until 48 hours before arrival on flexible rates. Eguisheim has no railway station, and the Christmas shuttle from Colmar station stops at the town hall. Tips: - Ask for a room on the lift if stairs are a problem. Three rooms are reached only by stairs. - Take the half-board package if you want an easy dinner on market nights. Q: Does Hostellerie du Pape in Eguisheim have a restaurant? A: Yes. Hostellerie du Pape's restaurant is open all year and seats about 60. Q: Can I cancel a booking at Hostellerie du Pape? A: Yes, up to 48 hours before arrival on a flexible rate. After that the hotel charges the first night, and non-refundable offers cannot be cancelled. Q: Are meals included at Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim? A: Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim: Buffet breakfast 07:00–10:00, €14; restaurant open all year; half board available. Q: What does Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim have? A: Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim lists restaurant, lift, family rooms, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim good for? A: Hostellerie du Pape Eguisheim suits families, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hostellerie-pape.com/ https://www.hostellerie-pape.com/chambres https://www.hostellerie-pape.com/conditions-generales-de-vente https://noel-colmar.com/fr/navettes-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/81660821 ### Hotel am Schelztor URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/esslingen-hotel-am-schelztor Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Am Schelztor Esslingen Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Schelztor, between the station and the Marktplatz City: Esslingen Address: Schelztorstraße 5, 73728 Esslingen am Neckar Coordinates: 48.74138, 9.30300 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel lists seasonal packages only. Its August 2026 offers ran from €119 for a double with breakfast, and it publishes no December rate. Meals: Breakfast Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 33 Amenities: Air conditioning, Wifi, Bike storage Best for: couples, rail travellers, budget Website: https://hotel-am-schelztor.de/ Summary: Hotel am Schelztor suits couples who want a small, central base between Esslingen station and the medieval market. Reception closes at 18:00, so later arrivals collect a key from a code box. The hotel has 33 rooms with air conditioning and sits between Esslingen's station and the Marktplatz. Wine bars and restaurants are around the corner. The S-Bahn runs from the station to Stuttgart, so the bigger city market makes an easy evening trip. Check-in opens at 14:00, and after 18:00 you let yourself in with a code from your confirmation. Check-out is by 11:00. The hotel's summer 2026 packages included breakfast with doubles from €119. It lists no December rate. Tips: - Keep your booking confirmation on your phone. The key-box code for late arrival is printed on it. - Cyclists get a secure bike store. Q: Are meals included at Hotel am Schelztor? A: Hotel am Schelztor: Breakfast. Q: What does Hotel am Schelztor have? A: Hotel am Schelztor lists air conditioning, wifi, bike storage. Q: Who is Hotel am Schelztor good for? A: Hotel am Schelztor suits couples, rail travellers, budget. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-am-schelztor.de/ https://hotel-am-schelztor.de/checkin-checkout.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/39761664 ### Leonardo Hotel Esslingen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/esslingen-leonardo-hotel Type: Stay Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Grabbrunnenstraße, by the Neckar Forum City: Esslingen Address: Grabbrunnenstraße 19, 73728 Esslingen am Neckar Coordinates: 48.74168, 9.31385 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Pets cost €15 a day. Meals: Breakfast, restaurant and lounge bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 151 Amenities: Luggage storage, Sauna, Gym, Lift, 24h reception, Restaurant, Bar, Accessible, Pets allowed, Parking, Ev charging Best for: families, accessibility, groups Website: https://www.leonardo-hotels.de/esslingen-am-neckar/leonardo-hotel-esslingen Summary: Leonardo Esslingen suits families and groups who want a large modern hotel with a sauna near the medieval market. It is a conference hotel joined to the Neckar Forum, and it publishes no room rates. The hotel has 151 rooms, a gym and a fifth-floor wellness area with a steam bath and a sauna. The sauna opens 17:00–22:00, which suits a warm-up after an evening at the stalls. A roof terrace looks over the town centre, and its bar opens in the warmer months. The hotel says the old town with its Rathaus and Marktplatz is close by. Reception runs around the clock, and there is a lift and three accessible rooms. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by noon. Tips: - Book a Superior room for air conditioning you can set yourself. Comfort rooms rely on concrete-core cooling. - The public garage costs €13 a day and cannot be reserved. Q: Are meals included at Leonardo Hotel Esslingen? A: Leonardo Hotel Esslingen: Breakfast, restaurant and lounge bar. Q: What does Leonardo Hotel Esslingen have? A: Leonardo Hotel Esslingen lists luggage storage, sauna, gym, lift, 24h reception, restaurant, bar, accessible, pets allowed, parking, ev charging. Q: Who is Leonardo Hotel Esslingen good for? A: Leonardo Hotel Esslingen suits families, accessibility, groups. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.leonardo-hotels.de/esslingen-am-neckar/leonardo-hotel-esslingen https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/47701778 ### Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/five-reasons-nuremberg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, St. Lorenz, by the opera house City: Nuremberg Address: Frauentormauer 42, 90402 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.44740, 11.07420 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The hostel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages. It describes itself as a price-conscious base, which puts it in the budget tier. Meals: Breakfast buffet €9.60; guest kitchen Check-in: 14:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Guest kitchen, Breakfast buffet, Lift, Parking, Luggage storage Best for: budget travellers, solo travellers, families Price band: € Website: https://www.five-reasons.de/ Summary: Five Reasons suits budget travellers, alone or as a family, who want a guest kitchen and a bed inside the old walls near the main station. The building has a lift, but the hostel says plainly that it is not barrier-free. The hostel faces the opera house on the inside of the city wall, with the Opernhaus U-Bahn stop at the door. It has dorms, doubles and apartments with their own kitchens. The shared kitchen stays open all day and night, with an oven, a hob and pans. Bed linen is included everywhere, towels come with the doubles and apartments, and dorm guests rent one for €1.50. The breakfast buffet runs from 07:00 to 11:00 at €9.60. Check-in starts at 14:00 and check-out is at noon. The luggage room is free before and after your stay. From here the Hauptmarkt is a walk up through the Lorenz side of the old town. Tips: - Parking costs €15 a night. - Stag parties and similar groups are turned away. Q: Are meals included at Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel? A: Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel: Breakfast buffet €9.60; guest kitchen. Q: What does Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel have? A: Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel lists guest kitchen, breakfast buffet, lift, parking, luggage storage. Q: Who is Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel good for? A: Five Reasons Hotel & Hostel suits budget travellers, solo travellers, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.five-reasons.de/ https://www.five-reasons.de/faq https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Nizza URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/frankfurt-hotel-nizza Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Nizza Frankfurt Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Bahnhofsviertel City: Frankfurt Address: Elbestraße 10, 60329 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.10719, 8.66960 Kind: Hotel From: €140 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: The hotel lists one 'from' rate per room type with no season or year. Frankfurt adds a tourism levy of €2 per guest per night. Meals: Organic breakfast buffet 07:00–10:30, €17 a person; bar Check-in: 14:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: 24h reception, Bar, Wifi, Pets allowed Best for: independent travellers, budget, rail travellers Price from: €140 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.hotelnizza.de/ Summary: Hotel Nizza suits travellers who like an old-fashioned artists' hotel with a real person at the desk all night. Its cheapest rooms share a bathroom on the corridor, and the roof terrace is closed for city building work. Ursula Gerner founded the Nizza in 1993 as an affordable place for people from the arts, and Stefanie Pesin has run it since 2018. The lobby has antique sofas and usually an exhibition on the walls. A bar in 1920s style with red leather benches sits behind reception, and a reading room holds books the staff have read. Breakfast is a large organic buffet from 07:00 to 10:30 for €17 a person. The hotel puts the Hauptbahnhof 400 m away and the Römerberg 1,100 m, so the market is a straight walk through the centre. Check-in is from 14:00 and check-out by noon. Tips: - Book a room with its own shower and WC if you mind walking down the corridor. The Etagenbad rooms are the cheap ones. - There is no parking at the hotel. The hotel points drivers to a public garage nearby. Q: How much is a double room at Hotel Nizza in Frankfurt? A: The hotel lists doubles with shower and WC from €140 a night, room only. Breakfast adds €17 a person and Frankfurt charges €2 a guest a night. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Nizza? A: Hotel Nizza: Organic breakfast buffet 07:00–10:30, €17 a person; bar. Q: What does Hotel Nizza have? A: Hotel Nizza lists 24h reception, bar, wifi, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Nizza good for? A: Hotel Nizza suits independent travellers, budget, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelnizza.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1755170510 ### Motel One Frankfurt-Romer URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/frankfurt-motel-one-romer Type: Stay Also known as: Motel One Römer, Motel One Frankfurt Roemer Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt, Berliner Straße City: Frankfurt Address: Berliner Straße 55, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.11030, 8.67791 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel page shows no fixed rate. Frankfurt charges €2 per guest per night. Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, Bar, Family rooms, Wifi Best for: budget, families, first-timers Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/frankfurt/hotel-frankfurt-roemer/ Summary: Motel One Römer suits budget travellers and families who want to sleep close to the Römerberg stalls. The hotel page shows no fixed rate. The hotel sits on Berliner Straße in the old town, with the Römerberg and the cathedral within an easy walk and the Eiserner Steg footbridge close by. It has family rooms. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by noon, and the hotel keeps luggage for free. Frankfurt adds a tourist tax of €2 per guest per night. The Paulsplatz artists' market is on the same short walk as the Römerberg. Tips: - Ask for a family room when you book, since the hotel lists them. Q: What does Motel One Frankfurt-Romer have? A: Motel One Frankfurt-Romer lists luggage storage, bar, family rooms, wifi. Q: Who is Motel One Frankfurt-Romer good for? A: Motel One Frankfurt-Romer suits budget, families, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/frankfurt/hotel-frankfurt-roemer/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/6069856780 ### Roomers Frankfurt Central URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/frankfurt-roomers Type: Stay Also known as: Roomers Frankfurt, Roomers Hotel Frankfurt Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Gutleutviertel, near the Hauptbahnhof City: Frankfurt Address: Gutleutstraße 85, 60329 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.10455, 8.66658 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Meals: Restaurant Burbank and the Roomers Bar Rooms: 116 Amenities: Spa, Sauna, Gym, Restaurant, Bar Best for: couples, design lovers, rail travellers Website: https://www.roomers-hotels.com/frankfurt-legend/ Summary: Roomers suits couples who want a dark, glamorous design hotel and a cocktail bar Frankfurt's locals use. It sits by the Hauptbahnhof, so the Römerberg market means a walk or a tram ride, and the hotel lists no rates. The hotel has 116 rooms and suites with dark parquet and careful lighting, designed by the architect Oana Rosen with the founders. The Roomers Bar has won awards and pulls in a local crowd as well as guests. Burbank serves Californian crossover cooking with Asian touches. The spa pairs a design sauna with a whirlpool, and the skyline view comes with it. Gutleutstraße lies close to the Hauptbahnhof, so you can walk over from the train. Tips: - Reserve the bar or Burbank ahead on Advent weekends, since both draw people from outside the hotel. Q: Are meals included at Roomers Frankfurt Central? A: Roomers Frankfurt Central: Restaurant Burbank and the Roomers Bar. Q: What does Roomers Frankfurt Central have? A: Roomers Frankfurt Central lists spa, sauna, gym, restaurant, bar. Q: Who is Roomers Frankfurt Central good for? A: Roomers Frankfurt Central suits couples, design lovers, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.roomers-hotels.com/frankfurt-legend/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/85604713 ### Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/frankfurt-steigenberger-icon-frankfurter-hof Type: Stay Also known as: Frankfurter Hof, Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Kaiserplatz, Innenstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Am Kaiserplatz, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.11014, 8.67592 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Its tier comes from its own five-star category. Meals: Breakfast in Restaurant Hofgarten; Brasserie Moderne OSCAR's; Autorenbar and Cigarrum Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 303 Amenities: Spa, Restaurant, Bar, Online check in Best for: couples, special occasions, spa lovers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://hrewards.com/en/steigenberger-icon-frankfurter-hof Summary: The Frankfurter Hof suits travellers who want Frankfurt's grand hotel with the Römerberg market a few streets away. The hotel publishes no room rates, and the Hauptbahnhof is a longer walk than from the hotels in the station quarter. Guests have stayed here since 1876, and the five-star house now holds 267 rooms and 36 suites on Kaiserplatz. The hotel puts the Römer and the Paulskirche a few steps away, which covers both the Römerberg market and the artists' market on Paulsplatz. Breakfast is in Restaurant Hofgarten, and OSCAR's serves brasserie dishes later on. THE SPA covers about 1,000 m² and is free for hotel guests. Check-in opens at 15:00 and you can do it online beforehand. Check-out is by noon. Tips: - Check in online before arrival to skip the desk after a long train ride. - The Autorenbar and Cigarrum make a warm end to a market evening without leaving the building. Q: Are meals included at Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof? A: Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof: Breakfast in Restaurant Hofgarten; Brasserie Moderne OSCAR's; Autorenbar and Cigarrum. Q: What does Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof have? A: Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof lists spa, restaurant, bar, online check in. Q: Who is Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof good for? A: Steigenberger Icon Frankfurter Hof suits couples, special occasions, spa lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hrewards.com/en/steigenberger-icon-frankfurter-hof https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/251786600 ### The Pure URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/frankfurt-the-pure Type: Stay Also known as: The Pure Frankfurt, The Pure Hotel Frankfurt Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Bahnhofsviertel City: Frankfurt Address: Niddastraße 86, 60329 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.10802, 8.65940 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Rooms: 50 Amenities: Bar, Wifi Best for: rail travellers, design lovers, couples Website: https://www.the-pure.de/ Summary: The Pure suits rail travellers who want a small design hotel right by the Hauptbahnhof. It lists no rates, and the Römerberg market is across the city centre. The Pure opened in 2005 as Frankfurt's first design hotel, in a restored 19th-century industrial building. It is privately run and keeps to 50 rooms. Staff greet you with a welcome drink and like to point guests at their favourite spots in the neighbourhood. Skip housekeeping for a stay of two nights or more and the hotel either donates to the ShoutOutLoud charity or gives you a bar voucher. The Hauptbahnhof is at the end of the street. Tips: - Choose the bar voucher in place of housekeeping on a stay of two nights or more. Q: What does The Pure have? A: The Pure lists bar, wifi. Q: Who is The Pure good for? A: The Pure suits rail travellers, design lovers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.the-pure.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/9881796270 ### Colombi Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/freiburg-colombi-hotel Type: Stay Also known as: Colombi Hotel Freiburg, Colombi Freiburg Region: The Black Forest Area: Rotteckring, Altstadt City: Freiburg Address: Rotteckring 16, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Coordinates: 47.99700, 7.84798 Kind: Hotel From: €300 per room per night (2026) Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel lists one 'from' rate per room type with no season or year. Meals: Zirbelstube, Falkenstube, Graf Anton and the Piano Bar; Colombi Chalet in winter Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 110 Amenities: Spa, Pool, Sauna, Gym, Restaurant, Bar Best for: couples, special occasions, food lovers Price from: €300 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.colombi.de/de Summary: The Colombi suits couples who want Freiburg's five-star hotel at the edge of the old town, with a winter chalet in its garden. Its pool is closed for maintenance until 22 November 2026. The hotel holds five stars superior and has 110 rooms, from Grandlit singles to the Colombi Suite. Its own list shows Classic doubles from €300 and Deluxe doubles from €326. The Rathausplatz market is a short walk into the old town. From 30 October 2026 to the end of February 2027 the Colombi Chalet opens in the hotel garden. It serves fondue and raclette at wooden tables Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 23:00, and it opens on Sundays as well while the Christmas market runs. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by noon. Tips: - Reserve a chalet table for a market night. The Sunday openings only run during the Christmas market and on selected dates. - The sauna and steam bath stay open while the pool is closed. Q: Is the pool open at the Colombi Hotel in Freiburg in November 2026? A: Only from late November. The hotel says the pool is closed for maintenance until 22 November 2026. Its sauna and steam bath stay open. Q: How much does Colombi Hotel cost? A: Prices at Colombi Hotel start at €300 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Colombi Hotel? A: Colombi Hotel: Zirbelstube, Falkenstube, Graf Anton and the Piano Bar; Colombi Chalet in winter. Q: What does Colombi Hotel have? A: Colombi Hotel lists spa, pool, sauna, gym, restaurant, bar. Q: Who is Colombi Hotel good for? A: Colombi Hotel suits couples, special occasions, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.colombi.de/de https://www.colombi.de/de/zimmer-und-suiten https://www.colombi.de/de/gastronomie/chalet https://www.colombi.de/de/events https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/154712132 ### Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/freiburg-hotel-oberkirch Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Oberkirch Freiburg, Oberkirch Freiburg Region: The Black Forest Area: Münsterplatz, Altstadt City: Freiburg Address: Münsterplatz 22, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Coordinates: 47.99491, 7.85200 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes extras on its price page and no room rates. Meals: Restaurant Oberkirchs Weinstuben Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Parking Best for: couples, food lovers, first-timers Website: https://www.hotel-oberkirch.de/ Summary: Oberkirch suits couples who want to wake up facing the Minster with the market squares a short walk away. Arriving after 22:00 needs online registration first, or the hotel counts you as a no-show. Oberkirch's wine tavern has hosted guests on Münsterplatz for more than 275 years, and its front rooms look straight at the south side of Freiburg Minster. The «100% Münster» suite has both its rooms facing the square. In Advent the hotel sells a package with a three-course Advent dinner and matching wines in its restaurant. Rooms are ready from 15:00, with early check-in from 13:00 for a fee. Check-out is by 11:00. Parking is available from €30 a night. Tips: - Register online before you travel if your train gets in late. The hotel treats an arrival after 22:00 without it as a no-show. - Book the «100% Münster» suite for the view from both rooms. Q: Do rooms at Hotel Oberkirch in Freiburg face the Minster? A: The front rooms do. The hotel looks onto the south side of Freiburg Minster from Münsterplatz, and its «100% Münster» suite has both rooms facing the square. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben? A: Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben: Restaurant Oberkirchs Weinstuben. Q: What does Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben have? A: Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben lists restaurant, parking. Q: Who is Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben good for? A: Hotel Oberkirchs Weinstuben suits couples, food lovers, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-oberkirch.de/ https://www.hotel-oberkirch.de/agb-preise/ https://www.hotel-oberkirch.de/angebote/advents-zauber/ https://www.hotel-oberkirch.de/innenstadt_zimmer/premium-erlebnis-100-muenster/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/31594326 ### Hotel Victoria Freiburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/freiburg-hotel-victoria Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Victoria, Victoria Freiburg Region: The Black Forest Area: Eisenbahnstraße, between the Hauptbahnhof and the Altstadt City: Freiburg Address: Eisenbahnstraße 54, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Coordinates: 47.99664, 7.84572 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own pages. Meals: Organic regional breakfast Amenities: Wifi Best for: rail travellers, eco-minded travellers, couples Website: https://www.hotel-victoria.de/ Summary: Hotel Victoria suits rail travellers who want a four-star room on the way from the Hauptbahnhof into the old town. The hotel publishes no rates on its own pages. The owners started out as young hoteliers in the 1980s with a plan to run a four-star house sustainably. In 2000 it was named Germany's most environmentally friendly hotel, and it now calls itself a zero-emissions hotel running on renewable power. Breakfast is regional and organic, and the roof garden carries solar panels. Eisenbahnstraße runs between the Hauptbahnhof and the old town, so you can walk from the train to the hotel and on to the Rathausplatz market. Tips: - Walk from the Hauptbahnhof along Eisenbahnstraße. The hotel sits on the direct route into the old town. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Victoria Freiburg? A: Hotel Victoria Freiburg: Organic regional breakfast. Q: What does Hotel Victoria Freiburg have? A: Hotel Victoria Freiburg lists wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Victoria Freiburg good for? A: Hotel Victoria Freiburg suits rail travellers, eco-minded travellers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-victoria.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/113767233 ### Die Reichsstadt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/gengenbach-die-reichsstadt Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Die Reichsstadt Gengenbach, Reichsstadt Gengenbach Region: The Black Forest Area: Altstadt, Engelgasse City: Gengenbach Address: Engelgasse 33, 77723 Gengenbach Coordinates: 48.40499, 8.01506 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own site shows no rates without a date search. Late check-out after noon costs €15 an hour. Meals: Gourmet breakfast buffet until 11:00; Restaurant Reichsstadt and Restaurant Cocotte Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 33 Amenities: Luggage storage, Spa, Pool, Restaurant, Wifi Best for: couples, spa lovers, food lovers Website: https://www.die-reichsstadt.de/ Summary: Die Reichsstadt suits couples who want a four-star design hotel with a spa a few lanes from the Advent calendar Rathaus. It has only 28 rooms and five suites, and its own site shows no rates. Carmen and Gerhard Hummel run this four-star house in the old town. The 28 rooms and five suites each look different, with old timber floors and boxspring beds. The Altstadt SPA and the Living SPA with its outdoor pool give you somewhere warm after the 18:00 window opening on the Rathaus. A glass of sparkling wine greets you at check-in, from 15:00, and the gourmet breakfast buffet runs until 11:00. Check-out is by 11:00. Early arrivals can leave bags and use the spa straight away. Tips: - Arrive early, leave your bags and use the spa before your room is ready. - Late check-out to noon is possible, with an hourly charge after that. Q: Are meals included at Die Reichsstadt? A: Die Reichsstadt: Gourmet breakfast buffet until 11:00; Restaurant Reichsstadt and Restaurant Cocotte. Q: What does Die Reichsstadt have? A: Die Reichsstadt lists luggage storage, spa, pool, restaurant, wifi. Q: Who is Die Reichsstadt good for? A: Die Reichsstadt suits couples, spa lovers, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.die-reichsstadt.de/ https://www.die-reichsstadt.de/de/zimmer-angebote/ https://www.die-reichsstadt.de/de/zimmer-angebote/inklusivleistungen-infos/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/356830847 ### Hotel Restaurant Sonne URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/gengenbach-hotel-sonne Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Sonne Gengenbach, Die Sonne Gengenbach Region: The Black Forest Area: Altstadt, Hauptstraße City: Gengenbach Address: Hauptstraße 23, 77723 Gengenbach Coordinates: 48.40370, 8.01466 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's price page loads rates through its booking engine and shows none in plain text. Meals: Black Forest breakfast buffet 08:00–10:00 (November–March); half board on request; restaurant closed Wednesdays and Thursdays Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Lift, Wifi, Station pickup Best for: rail travellers, families, food lovers Website: https://www.sonne-gengenbach.de/ Summary: The Sonne suits rail travellers and families who want a traditional inn with Baden cooking in the middle of Gengenbach. Rooms in the Sonnenflügel annexe have no lift, so ask for the main house or Sonnenhof if stairs are hard. This family-run inn sits on the Hauptstraße in the old town, and the station is close by. The hotel offers to collect guests who come by train for free. Rooms are split between the main house, the Sonnenhof guest house behind it and the Sonnenflügel 50 m away, and only the Sonnenflügel lacks a lift. The Black Forest breakfast buffet runs 08:00–10:00 from November to March. The kitchen serves Baden and Mediterranean dishes in the Wirtsstube and Schwarzwaldstube. It closes on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00. Tips: - Book a table for dinner when you book the room, and plan another place for Wednesday and Thursday nights. - Ask the hotel to fetch you from the station. It offers the pickup free. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Restaurant Sonne? A: Hotel Restaurant Sonne: Black Forest breakfast buffet 08:00–10:00 (November–March); half board on request; restaurant closed Wednesdays and Thursdays. Q: What does Hotel Restaurant Sonne have? A: Hotel Restaurant Sonne lists restaurant, lift, wifi, station pickup. Q: Who is Hotel Restaurant Sonne good for? A: Hotel Restaurant Sonne suits rail travellers, families, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sonne-gengenbach.de/ https://www.sonne-gengenbach.de/de/zimmer-preise/preise/ https://www.sonne-gengenbach.de/de/hotel/wissenswertes/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/355310169 ### Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/gengenbach-pfeffermuehle Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Pfeffermühle Gengenbach, Pfeffermuehle Gengenbach Region: The Black Forest Area: Altstadt, Oberdorfstraße City: Gengenbach Address: Oberdorfstraße 24, 77723 Gengenbach Coordinates: 48.40682, 8.01728 Kind: Hotel From: €105 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel lists one 'from' rate per room type with no season. Tourist taxes are extra. Meals: Breakfast buffet included; restaurant with Baden cooking Rooms: 25 Amenities: Restaurant, Lift, Parking, Wifi Best for: budget, families, drivers Price from: €105 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://pfeffermuehle-gengenbach.de/ Summary: The Pfeffermühle suits families and couples on a budget who want breakfast included and free parking in the old town. Only half of its 25 rooms can be reached by lift. This three-star hotel has 25 rooms in the old town, all bright and modern with free Wi-Fi, and some have a balcony. Its list shows Komfort doubles of 22 m² from €105 a night with the breakfast buffet included. The 42 m² Junior Suite starts at €130. The hotel's own restaurant cooks regional Baden food. Parking is free, which is useful if you drive in for the evening window opening on the Rathaus. Tips: - Ask for a room on the lift side when you book. Half the rooms are reached by stairs only. Q: How much is a room at the Pfeffermühle in Gengenbach? A: The hotel lists Komfort doubles from €105 a night and the Junior Suite from €130, both with breakfast. Single rooms start at €75. Q: Are meals included at Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle? A: Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle: Breakfast buffet included; restaurant with Baden cooking. Q: What does Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle have? A: Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle lists restaurant, lift, parking, wifi. Q: Who is Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle good for? A: Stadthotel Pfeffermuhle suits budget, families, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://pfeffermuehle-gengenbach.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/246314712 ### Gewandhaus Dresden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/gewandhaus-dresden Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Innere Altstadt, Ringstraße City: Dresden Address: Ringstraße 1, 01067 Dresden Coordinates: 51.04860, 13.74180 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no rates on its own site. It calls itself a five-star superior luxury hotel, which puts it in the top tier. Meals: Restaurants and bar in the house Amenities: Wellness, Restaurant, Bar, Dogs welcome Best for: couples, luxury Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.gewandhaus-hotel.de/ Summary: Gewandhaus suits travellers who want five-star rooms a block from the Striezelmarkt on the Altmarkt. The hotel publishes no room rates, so you see the price only once you choose dates. The Gewandhaus is a five-star superior hotel in the Autograph Collection, on the southern edge of the inner Altstadt. The city's coat of arms greets you in the entrance hall, and the rooms keep to soft beige and light grey with king-size beds. Junior Suites add a separate seating area, a whirlpool bath and a small espresso machine with organic coffee. The building has a wellness area, restaurants and rooms for events, and the hotel publishes advice for guests travelling with dogs. The Striezelmarkt fills the Altmarkt just north of here, and the Neumarkt with the Frauenkirche lies beyond it. Tips: - Dresden charges its own lodging tax, the Beherbergungssteuer, which the hotel adds to the bill. Q: Are meals included at Gewandhaus Dresden? A: Gewandhaus Dresden: Restaurants and bar in the house. Q: What does Gewandhaus Dresden have? A: Gewandhaus Dresden lists wellness, restaurant, bar, dogs welcome. Q: Who is Gewandhaus Dresden good for? A: Gewandhaus Dresden suits couples, luxury. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gewandhaus-hotel.de/ https://www.gewandhaus-hotel.de/zimmer/ https://www.gewandhaus-hotel.de/kontakt/ https://www.gewandhaus-hotel.de/zimmer/beherbergungssteuer/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Ghent River Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/ghent-river-hotel Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Vrijdagmarkt City: Ghent Address: Waaistraat 5, 9000 Gent Coordinates: 51.05820, 3.72520 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast 06:30–10:00 weekdays, 07:00–11:00 weekends Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Parking nearby Best for: families, couples, drivers Website: https://www.ghent-river-hotel.be/ Summary: Ghent River Hotel suits travellers who want a riverside hotel by the Vrijdagmarkt with free luggage storage and a car park close by. Budget rooms look sideways onto the street, so pay for a River View room if you want the water. The hotel is at Waaistraat 5, and the Vrijdagmarkt car park is about 50 metres away by the hotel's count at €26 a day. Rooms run from Budget up through two River View categories to family rooms and a suite. Breakfast is served from 06:30 to 10:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends. Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00. Tips: - A taxi from Gent-Sint-Pieters station costs about €25 by the hotel's estimate. Q: Are meals included at Ghent River Hotel? A: Ghent River Hotel: Breakfast 06:30–10:00 weekdays, 07:00–11:00 weekends. Q: What does Ghent River Hotel have? A: Ghent River Hotel lists parking nearby. Q: Who is Ghent River Hotel good for? A: Ghent River Hotel suits families, couples, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ghent-river-hotel.be/ https://www.ghent-river-hotel.be/nl/p/kamers/budget ### Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/goldener-greifen-rothenburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Obere Schmiedgasse City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Obere Schmiedgasse 5, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37660, 10.17960 Kind: Inn From: €134 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Meals: Breakfast served at the table 07:30–10:30; restaurant 12:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays Check-in: 14:00 Rooms: 14 Amenities: Restaurant, Beer garden, Parking, Bike and motorbike garage Best for: couples, families, budget travellers Price from: €134 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de/ Summary: Goldener Greifen suits travellers who want a small family inn a few doors from the Marktplatz, with breakfast cooked to order at the table. The owners say themselves that the listed house has no lift, low door frames and creaky stairs. Greifen sits on Obere Schmiedgasse just below the Marktplatz, and the hotel says the town council came here for a drink after its sessions as far back as the 14th century. There are only 14 rooms, no two alike, from simple singles to family rooms for five. A single costs from €79 and a standard double from €134. The house has no air conditioning. Breakfast is served at the table from 07:30 to 10:30, and from 07:00 if you have an early train. The restaurant serves hot food from 12:00 to 20:00 and closes on Tuesdays and on one other day that changes with bookings. Rooms are usually ready from 14:00. If you come earlier, they take your bags and you can park behind the house. Tips: - Check-in ends at 20:00, so phone ahead if you're running late. - Direct bookings cancel free until the day before arrival. - Parking behind the house costs €9 a night; the entrance is at Alter Keller 7. Q: How much does Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen cost? A: Prices at Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen start at €134 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen? A: Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen: Breakfast served at the table 07:30–10:30; restaurant 12:00–20:00, closed Tuesdays. Q: What does Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen have? A: Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen lists restaurant, beer garden, parking, bike and motorbike garage. Q: Who is Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen good for? A: Hotel-Gasthof Goldener Greifen suits couples, families, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de/hotel.html https://www.gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de/haeufige-fragen.html https://www.gasthof-greifen-rothenburg.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Grand Hotel Monopole URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/grand-hotel-monopole-valkenburg Type: Stay Region: The Netherlands Area: Centre City: Valkenburg Address: Nieuweweg 22, 6301 ET Valkenburg aan de Geul Coordinates: 50.86750, 5.83350 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Breakfast at Villa Nova Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 48 Amenities: Bar, Restaurant, Parking, EV charging, Bike storage Best for: couples, older travellers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.grandhotelmonopole.nl/ Summary: Grand Hotel Monopole suits travellers who want a 1906 grand hotel in the centre of Valkenburg and are happy to let themselves in with a digital key. There is no front desk, and you pay in full before arrival to get that key. The hotel calls itself a four-star superior grand hotel, and its 48 rooms run from comfort and design rooms to suites in a building Arie Hartog put up in 1906. Breakfast is served at Villa Nova on Via Villa Nova. Check-in opens at 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00. Parking costs €12.50 a day when space is free, and some rooms have a shower with a seat for guests who move less easily. Tips: - Sign up for the newsletter for the hotel's 10% rate, which includes breakfast. Q: Are meals included at Grand Hotel Monopole? A: Grand Hotel Monopole: Breakfast at Villa Nova. Q: What does Grand Hotel Monopole have? A: Grand Hotel Monopole lists bar, restaurant, parking, ev charging, bike storage. Q: Who is Grand Hotel Monopole good for? A: Grand Hotel Monopole suits couples, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.grandhotelmonopole.nl/ https://www.grandhotelmonopole.nl/veelgestelde-vragen ### Grand Hotel Praha URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/grand-hotel-praha Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Staré Město City: Prague Address: Staroměstské náměstí 481/22, 110 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08680, 14.42120 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Buffet breakfast included, 07:30–10:30 in Café Mozart Check-in: 14:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 36 Amenities: Restaurant, Concierge, Parking, Airport transfer Best for: couples, first-timers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.grandhotelpraha.cz/en/ Summary: Grand Hotel Praha suits a couple who want breakfast included and a window on the Astronomical Clock, right where the Old Town Square market sets up. Only the main building has a lift, and the hotel warns that steps run through even that one. The hotel faces the Old Town Hall from Staroměstské náměstí 22, on the square that holds Prague's main Christmas market. Book a Square View room if you want the stalls and the tree below you, since Superior rooms look onto the Old Town lanes behind. Breakfast is a hot and cold buffet in Café Mozart from 07:30 to 10:30, and hotel guests get it included. Café Mozart has published a Christmas menu and a New Year's Eve buffet for 2026, so reserve early if you want to eat in on the big nights. Tips: - Children are welcome from age five, so this one is for older kids. Q: Are meals included at Grand Hotel Praha? A: Grand Hotel Praha: Buffet breakfast included, 07:30–10:30 in Café Mozart. Q: What does Grand Hotel Praha have? A: Grand Hotel Praha lists restaurant, concierge, parking, airport transfer. Q: Who is Grand Hotel Praha good for? A: Grand Hotel Praha suits couples, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.grandhotelpraha.cz/en/ https://www.grandhotelpraha.cz/en/frequently-asked-questions/ https://www.grandhotelpraha.cz/en/rooms/ ### Hallstatt Hideaway URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hallstatt-hideaway Type: Stay Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Lahn City: Hallstatt Address: Dr. Mortonweg 24, 4830 Hallstatt Coordinates: 47.56095, 13.64779 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no rates. Meals: Breakfast served in your suite Amenities: Private sauna house, Lakeside garden, In suite breakfast, Digital check in, Air purifiers Best for: couples, adults only Website: https://www.hallstatt-hideaway.com/ Summary: Couples who want a private suite with breakfast brought to the room and a lakeside garden will find it here. The house takes adults only, and its site shows no prices. The Hallstatt Hideaway keeps its suites in a house built around 1740 for Maria Theresa's forestry master. Baroque doors and historic ceilings survive inside. Breakfast arrives in your suite with a view of the lake. Guests share a private garden with direct lake access and can book a private sauna house with Finnish and infrared saunas. The Marktplatz and its market are close by on foot. Tips: - Check-in and check-out can be done digitally if you arrive after dark. - The garden and lake apartments sit in a separate salt workers' house shared with other residents. Q: Are meals included at Hallstatt Hideaway? A: Hallstatt Hideaway: Breakfast served in your suite. Q: What does Hallstatt Hideaway have? A: Hallstatt Hideaway lists private sauna house, lakeside garden, in suite breakfast, digital check in, air purifiers. Q: Who is Hallstatt Hideaway good for? A: Hallstatt Hideaway suits couples, adults only. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hallstatt-hideaway.com/ ### Arthotel Heidelberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/heidelberg-arthotel Type: Stay Also known as: ArtHotel Heidelberg Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt, Grabengasse City: Heidelberg Address: Grabengasse 7, 69117 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.40960, 8.70673 Kind: Hotel From: €139 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: The hotel calls these seasonal prices and gives no dates for the seasons. Heidelberg charges an overnight tax of €3.50 per person per night. Meals: Restaurant Romer and Romer Lounge; breakfast €22.50 (€19.80 booked in advance) Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Wifi Best for: couples, design lovers Price from: €139 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.arthotel.de/ Summary: The Arthotel suits couples who want a modern room behind a listed façade in the middle of the old town. Its rates swing widely by season, and breakfast is charged on top. The hotel restored a listed building on Grabengasse, near Universitätsplatz and a short walk from the Rathaus and the Old Bridge. Rooms come in L, XL and XXL sizes, and the bay-window Erkerzimmer runs to about 80 m². Restaurant Romer and its lounge are downstairs, with a roof garden and a vaulted cellar for events. The hotel's price list shows XL doubles at €139–242 a night across its seasons. Romers breakfast costs €22.50 a person, or €19.80 if you book it in advance. The hotel says booking direct can come in up to 10% below the big booking platforms. Tips: - Book breakfast with the room to pay the lower €19.80 rate. - Ask about the Winterwochenende package, which the hotel lists from €199 a person. Q: How much does Arthotel Heidelberg cost? A: Prices at Arthotel Heidelberg start at €139 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Arthotel Heidelberg? A: Arthotel Heidelberg: Restaurant Romer and Romer Lounge; breakfast €22.50 (€19.80 booked in advance). Q: What does Arthotel Heidelberg have? A: Arthotel Heidelberg lists restaurant, bar, wifi. Q: Who is Arthotel Heidelberg good for? A: Arthotel Heidelberg suits couples, design lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.arthotel.de/ https://www.arthotel.de/preise/ https://www.arthotel.de/das-hotel/lage-anfahrt/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1542016984 ### Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/heidelberg-europaischer-hof Type: Stay Also known as: Europäischer Hof Heidelberg, Der Europäische Hof Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage, edge of the Altstadt City: Heidelberg Address: Friedrich-Ebert-Anlage 1, 69117 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.40804, 8.69541 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no plain room rates. Its tier comes from its own five-star superior category. Meals: Breakfast Mon–Sat 06:30–11:00, Sun 07:00–11:30 (€38 a person when not included); Kurfürstenstube; Europa Bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, Spa, Pool, Sauna, Gym, Restaurant, Bar, Parking Best for: couples, special occasions, older travellers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.europaeischerhof.com/ Summary: The Europäischer Hof suits couples who want Heidelberg's grand hotel with a pool for cold afternoons. The nearest stalls are on Bismarckplatz, and the hotel publishes no plain room rates. The hotel has been privately run since 1865 and holds five stars superior. Its rooms run from 20 m² singles to Executive Suites of up to 64 m², and serviced apartments sleep up to four. The Kurfürstenstube serves fine dining from mid-September to mid-April, so it is open through Advent. The Panorama Spa opens 09:00–21:00 with an indoor pool and a sauna. Over 24–26 December the hotel sells a Christmas package with one night, a four-course festive dinner and spa use, from €399 a person in a double. Rooms are guaranteed from 15:00, and the luggage room takes bags before check-in and after check-out. Tips: - Book the Christmas package early if you want the festive dinner. It runs on three nights only. - Breakfast costs €38 a person when it is not in your rate. Parking is in the connected P5 public garage. Q: Does the Europäischer Hof in Heidelberg have a Christmas package? A: Yes. For 24, 25 and 26 December it sells a package with one night, breakfast, a four-course festive dinner and spa use, from €399 a person in a double room. Q: Can I store luggage at the Europäischer Hof? A: Yes. The hotel keeps bags in its luggage room before check-in and after check-out. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg? A: Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg: Breakfast Mon–Sat 06:30–11:00, Sun 07:00–11:30 (€38 a person when not included); Kurfürstenstube; Europa Bar. Q: What does Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg have? A: Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg lists luggage storage, spa, pool, sauna, gym, restaurant, bar, parking. Q: Who is Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg good for? A: Hotel Europaischer Hof Heidelberg suits couples, special occasions, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.europaeischerhof.com/ https://www.europaeischerhof.com/ehh-faq/ https://www.europaeischerhof.com/arrangement/besinnliche-weihnachten-in-heidelberg/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/529851034 ### Hotel Goldener Hecht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/heidelberg-goldener-hecht Type: Stay Also known as: Goldener Hecht Heidelberg Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt, Steingasse at the Old Bridge City: Heidelberg Address: Steingasse 2, 69117 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.41307, 8.70948 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Meals: Continental breakfast, €8 a person Amenities: Wifi Best for: couples, budget Website: https://www.hotel-goldener-hecht.de/de Summary: The Goldener Hecht suits couples who want a small, traditional hotel at the foot of the Old Bridge with Hauptstraße around the corner. Breakfast is a simple continental one, and the hotel publishes no room rates. This small hotel sits on Steingasse right at the Alte Brücke, where the poets of the Romantic era wrote about the view. The house tells a story that Goethe once asked for a room here and was turned away. Each room has its own name. Breakfast is continental and costs €8 a person. Steingasse runs straight up from the bridge to the Heiliggeistkirche and the Marktplatz market. Tips: - Send an enquiry through the hotel's site. It answers each one personally. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Goldener Hecht? A: Hotel Goldener Hecht: Continental breakfast, €8 a person. Q: What does Hotel Goldener Hecht have? A: Hotel Goldener Hecht lists wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Goldener Hecht good for? A: Hotel Goldener Hecht suits couples, budget. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-goldener-hecht.de/de https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1541997258 ### Hotel Hollander Hof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/heidelberg-hollaender-hof Type: Stay Also known as: Holländer Hof Heidelberg, Hollaender Hof Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt, by the Old Bridge City: Heidelberg Address: Neckarstaden 66, 69117 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.41311, 8.70921 Kind: Hotel From: €109 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The price list gives a range for each room type with no dates. Heidelberg adds €3.50 per person per night for up to five nights. Amenities: Family rooms, Wifi Best for: couples, families, first-timers Price from: €109 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.hollaender-hof.de/ Summary: The Holländer Hof suits couples and families who want a room by the Old Bridge at a published price. Standard singles measure only 11 m², so book a Superior room if you want space. The hotel stands right at the Alte Brücke with a view across the Neckar to the Philosophenweg. Its price list shows Comfort doubles from €109 and Superior doubles from €134. Family rooms join a double to a single and start at €297. The Marktplatz market is a short walk up from the river. Heidelberg has charged an overnight tax of €3.50 per person per night since 1 October 2025, for up to five nights, and under-16s pay nothing. Tips: - Ask for a river-facing room for the view of the Philosophenweg. - Families should look at the Deluxe family room on the fourth floor, which joins the Junior Suite to a single. Q: How much does the Holländer Hof in Heidelberg cost? A: The hotel's own list shows Comfort doubles from €109 a night and Superior doubles from €134, before Heidelberg's €3.50 per person overnight tax. Q: What does Hotel Hollander Hof have? A: Hotel Hollander Hof lists family rooms, wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Hollander Hof good for? A: Hotel Hollander Hof suits couples, families, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hollaender-hof.de/index.php/de/ https://www.hollaender-hof.de/index.php/de/zimmer-preise https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1541999800 ### Hotel Villa Marstall URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/heidelberg-villa-marstall Type: Stay Also known as: Villa Marstall Heidelberg Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt, on the Neckar City: Heidelberg Address: Lauerstraße 1, 69117 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.41326, 8.70609 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Heidelberg charges an overnight tax of €3.50 per person per night. Meals: Breakfast buffet in the vaulted cellar, €18 a person Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, Lift, Wifi Best for: couples, first-timers Website: https://www.villamarstall.de/ Summary: Villa Marstall suits couples who want a boutique hotel on the river in the old town with the market lanes behind it. It is a listed house with steps at the entrance and to breakfast, so it is not barrier-free. The hotel opened in 2006 in a town house built in 1876, right on the Neckar bank in the old town. A lift serves all four levels, though nine steps lead from the street to reception. Breakfast is a buffet in a vaulted cellar with windows, 11 steps down, for €18 a person. Rooms are ready from 15:00 and check-out is by 11:00. Arrive early and the staff take your bags and carry them to the room later. The house takes Visa and Mastercard for bookings and no cash at all. Tips: - Pull up in Lauerstraße to unload with the hotel's windscreen note, then park in P8, P11, P12 or P13 about 250–500 m away. - Bring a card. The hotel accepts no cash payment. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Villa Marstall? A: Hotel Villa Marstall: Breakfast buffet in the vaulted cellar, €18 a person. Q: What does Hotel Villa Marstall have? A: Hotel Villa Marstall lists luggage storage, lift, wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Villa Marstall good for? A: Hotel Villa Marstall suits couples, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.villamarstall.de/ https://www.hollaender-hof.de/index.php/de/zimmer-preise https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1540164097 ### Hotel Adagio URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-adagio-leipzig Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Zentrum-Südost, Seeburgviertel City: Leipzig Address: Seeburgstraße 96, 04103 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.33410, 12.38690 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel shows daily rates only through its booking engine and gives no star-based price band, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast buffet included Rooms: 31 Amenities: Breakfast included, Lift, Garden, Garage Best for: couples, families, quiet stays Website: https://www.hotel-adagio.de/ Summary: Adagio suits travellers who want breakfast in the rate on a quiet street south-east of the centre. It sits on the far side of the old town from the main station. Adagio is a small garni hotel, meaning bed and breakfast with no restaurant, with 31 rooms and 53 beds, and a lift reaches every floor. The breakfast buffet comes with the room and draws mostly on regional produce, with gluten-free and lactose-free food on request. In the inner courtyard there's a garden with seating. The hotel says the Gewandhaus, the opera, the Old Town Hall and the Markt are all close. Garage places a short walk away cost €10 a night. A cot with bedding costs €10, an extra bed with breakfast €30, and children under three sleep free in their parents' bed. Tips: - Small pets can come for €5 a night. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Adagio? A: Hotel Adagio: Breakfast buffet included. Q: What does Hotel Adagio have? A: Hotel Adagio lists breakfast included, lift, garden, garage. Q: Who is Hotel Adagio good for? A: Hotel Adagio suits couples, families, quiet stays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-adagio.de/zimmer-und-preise.php https://www.hotel-adagio.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Adornes URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-adornes-bruges Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Sint-Anna City: Bruges Address: Sint-Annarei 26, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.21320, 3.22950 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel says rates depend on the season and the room size and lists no figures, so we leave the tier open. City tax of €4.20 a person a night comes on top. Meals: Room only or with breakfast Amenities: Parking, Pets allowed Best for: couples, dog owners Website: https://www.adornes.be/ Summary: Hotel Adornes suits a couple who want a quiet canal-side hotel on Sint-Annarei with breakfast by the fire. It sits further from the Markt than the hotels on the shopping streets, and it publishes no fixed rates. You book a room with or without breakfast, and the price moves with the season and the size of the room. City tax is €4.20 a night for each guest aged 18 and over, paid on arrival. Small and medium dogs up to 15 kilograms stay for €25 a night, and they keep out of the breakfast room. Direct bookings cancel for free up to 24 hours before arrival. Tips: - Ask about the hotel's car park when you book if you are driving in. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Adornes? A: Hotel Adornes: Room only or with breakfast. Q: What does Hotel Adornes have? A: Hotel Adornes lists parking, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Adornes good for? A: Hotel Adornes suits couples, dog owners. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.adornes.be/ https://www.adornes.be/nl/prijs-hotelkamers ### Hotel Alexandra URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-alexandra-copenhagen Type: Stay Region: Denmark Area: Indre By City: Copenhagen Address: H. C. Andersens Boulevard 8, 1553 København V Coordinates: 55.67700, 12.56610 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Breakfast 07:00–11:00 Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 61 Amenities: 24 hour reception, In room safe Best for: couples, design lovers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.hotelalexandra.dk/ Summary: Hotel Alexandra suits design lovers who want Danish mid-century furniture in a four-star hotel right beside City Hall Square. Check-out comes early at 11:00. The family behind the hotel has spent more than 20 years filling its 61 rooms with Danish furniture, textiles and wallpaper from the 1950s to the 1970s. It started with a single piece by Kaare Klint. Reception is staffed round the clock, and a luggage room takes bags on arrival day. Breakfast runs from 07:00 to 11:00. Tips: - Groups of six rooms or more book through a separate groups address on the hotel's contact page. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Alexandra? A: Hotel Alexandra: Breakfast 07:00–11:00. Q: What does Hotel Alexandra have? A: Hotel Alexandra lists 24 hour reception, in room safe. Q: Who is Hotel Alexandra good for? A: Hotel Alexandra suits couples, design lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelalexandra.dk/ https://www.hotelalexandra.dk/about-hotel-alexandra/ ### Hotel am Markt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-am-markt-munich Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Viktualienmarkt City: Munich Address: Heiliggeiststraße 6, 80331 München Coordinates: 48.13550, 11.57710 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast extra, 08:00–10:00; restaurant Amenities: 24 hour reception, Lift, Luggage storage, Restaurant Best for: budget travellers, first-timers Website: https://www.hotel-am-markt.eu/ Summary: Hotel am Markt suits travellers who want a plain, central room on the edge of the Viktualienmarkt, with the desk staffed day and night. Breakfast costs extra and runs only from 08:00 to 10:00. The hotel stands on Heiliggeiststraße, where the pedestrian street meets the Viktualienmarkt, and the Marienplatz market and the U-Bahn and S-Bahn station there are a short walk away. Rooms are simple and come as singles, standard doubles, twins and roomier comfort doubles, each with its own shower. A baby cot costs €15 and an extra adult bed €45 a night. There's a lift, luggage storage and a restaurant, and the front desk never closes. The hotel guarantees the room category only, so ask early if you want a particular room. Tips: - Book breakfast at the desk the day before; it isn't in the room rate. Q: Are meals included at Hotel am Markt? A: Hotel am Markt: Breakfast extra, 08:00–10:00; restaurant. Q: What does Hotel am Markt have? A: Hotel am Markt lists 24 hour reception, lift, luggage storage, restaurant. Q: Who is Hotel am Markt good for? A: Hotel am Markt suits budget travellers, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-am-markt.eu/about https://www.hotel-am-markt.eu/rooms-overview https://www.hotel-am-markt.eu/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Amberger URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-amberger-wurzburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Innenstadt, Ludwigstraße City: Wurzburg Address: Ludwigstraße 17-19, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.79650, 9.93840 Kind: Hotel From: €159 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Meals: Breakfast buffet; Restaurant Gallo Nero Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Restaurant, Parking, Luggage storage Best for: couples, Advent breaks Price from: €159 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://hotel-amberger.de/ Summary: Hotel Amberger suits couples who want an Advent package with dinner and a mulled wine voucher, a few streets from the Marktplatz. If you arrive after 18:00, call ahead so reception can leave your key. The Amberger is a family-run three-star superior hotel in its third generation, on Ludwigstraße near the theatre. From 27 November to 21 December 2026 its Advent package gives you two nights with breakfast, a three-course dinner at the Restaurant Gallo Nero and a Glühwein voucher each for the Christmas market. It costs €378 for a double, and each extra night in a double costs €159. Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00, with late check-out to noon free if you ask. They'll keep your bags before and after. The Parkhaus am Theater sits about 20 metres away on Rüdigerstraße, at a hotel rate from €19 for 24 hours. Tips: - Fill in the registration form online before you arrive to speed up check-in. - Settle the bill the evening before, up to 21:30, if you have an early train. Q: How much does Hotel Amberger cost? A: Prices at Hotel Amberger start at €159 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Amberger? A: Hotel Amberger: Breakfast buffet; Restaurant Gallo Nero. Q: What does Hotel Amberger have? A: Hotel Amberger lists breakfast buffet, restaurant, parking, luggage storage. Q: Who is Hotel Amberger good for? A: Hotel Amberger suits couples, Advent breaks. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-amberger.de/zimmer/ https://hotel-amberger.de/an-abreise/ https://www.hotel-amberger.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Blauer Bock URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-blauer-bock-munich Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Sebastiansplatz City: Munich Address: Sebastiansplatz 9, 80331 München Coordinates: 48.13440, 11.57380 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's rate page shows two sets of from-prices that disagree, with an Economy double from €90 in one and from €120 in the other, so we leave the figure open. Breakfast is €24 a person. Meals: Breakfast €24 a person; restaurant in the house Rooms: 69 Amenities: Restaurant, Garage, Bike loan, Small dogs on request Best for: solo travellers, couples Website: https://www.hotelblauerbock.de/ Summary: Blauer Bock suits solo travellers who want to stay by the Viktualienmarkt on a tight budget. The cheapest Economy singles share a bathroom on the corridor, so book a Standard room if you want your own. The Blauer Bock has 69 rooms and suites on Sebastiansplatz, across from the Viktualienmarkt, in a house with over 400 years of history. The Economy singles have a washbasin in the room and use bathrooms down the hall, kept separate for men and women and used by one person at a time. Standard singles mostly look towards the old Schrannenhalle market hall. From here you cross the Viktualienmarkt and pass the Altes Rathaus to reach the Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt. Breakfast costs €24 a person. Small dogs up to six kilos can come on request for €25 a day, and the hotel has a garage. Staff help with tickets and outings and lend bikes. Tips: - Check whether your rate includes breakfast, which costs €24 a person on top. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Blauer Bock? A: Hotel Blauer Bock: Breakfast €24 a person; restaurant in the house. Q: What does Hotel Blauer Bock have? A: Hotel Blauer Bock lists restaurant, garage, bike loan, small dogs on request. Q: Who is Hotel Blauer Bock good for? A: Hotel Blauer Bock suits solo travellers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelblauerbock.de/zimmer-und-preise https://www.hotelblauerbock.de/kontakt-und-anreise https://www.hotelblauerbock.de/ueber-uns https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Daniel Graz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-daniel-graz Type: Stay Also known as: Das Daniel Graz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Lend City: Graz Address: Europaplatz 1, 8020 Graz Coordinates: 47.07143, 15.41807 Kind: Hotel From: €79 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: From-rates on the hotel's rooms page: Smart €79, Casual €98 and Loggia €105 a night, breakfast extra. Meals: Breakfast in the loft from 06:30 (07:00 weekends); pizzeria and bar Amenities: Pizzeria, Bar, Car park, Ev charging, E vespa rental, Bike rental, Pets allowed Best for: rail travellers, budget travellers, solo travellers Price from: €79 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://hoteldaniel.com/en/graz/ Summary: Rail travellers on a budget get a design hotel facing Graz Hauptbahnhof. The Old Town markets are a tram ride or a long walk away. The Daniel stands on Europaplatz opposite the main station, and the tram into town leaves from outside. Smart rooms start at €79 a night without breakfast, which makes it the cheapest base on our Graz list. Breakfast is served in the loft from 06:30, or 07:00 at weekends. The hotel rents electric Vespas and bikes if you want to reach the Hauptplatz under your own steam. Tips: - Parking at the hotel costs €15 and must be reserved. - The daily rate cancels free until 18:00 on the day of arrival. - Skip the room cleaning and the hotel gives you a coffee or a slice of cake. Q: How much does Hotel Daniel Graz cost? A: Prices at Hotel Daniel Graz start at €79 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Daniel Graz? A: Hotel Daniel Graz: Breakfast in the loft from 06:30 (07:00 weekends); pizzeria and bar. Q: What does Hotel Daniel Graz have? A: Hotel Daniel Graz lists pizzeria, bar, car park, ev charging, e vespa rental, bike rental, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Daniel Graz good for? A: Hotel Daniel Graz suits rail travellers, budget travellers, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hoteldaniel.com/en/graz/ https://hoteldaniel.com/en/graz/rooms/ https://hoteldaniel.com/en/graz/service/faq/ ### Hotel Das Innsbruck URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-das-innsbruck Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Innenstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Innrain 3, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26787, 11.39142 Kind: Hotel From: €67 per person (2026) Price: €€ Prices: Rates on the hotel's rooms page are per person: €67 in an Economy or Mansarde double, €84.50 in a Superior Nordkette double and €104 in a single. Meals: Breakfast 06:30–10:00 weekdays, 06:30–10:30 weekends and holidays; à la carte restaurant, bar and room service Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Pool, Sauna, Spa, 24 hour reception, Luggage storage, Restaurant, Bar, Ski storage Best for: families, couples, spa lovers Price from: €67 per person (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.hotelinnsbruck.com/en/ Summary: Families and anyone who wants a pool after the markets should look at this four-star by the Inn Bridge. The Marktplatz children's market is almost at the door, and the cheapest Economy doubles are small. The Ischia family's hotel stands on the old city wall foundations at the Inn Bridge, where the Old Town Christkindlmarkt and the Marktplatz market for young children are both close. A panorama sauna floor on the sixth storey looks at the Nordkette, and the Golden Pool in the basement opens around the clock. The pool is adults only from 18:00 to midnight, so families swim earlier. Reception is staffed 24 hours and stores luggage on arrival and departure days. Breakfast runs 06:30 to 10:00 on weekdays and to 10:30 at weekends and on holidays. The hotel's Christmas page points guests to the city-centre markets and lists its own programme for the holidays. Direct bookings get a discount of 3 to 15 percent. Tips: - Book the Mansarde Altstadt double if you like a room under the roof with a roof window. - Skis and other gear can go in the ski cellar. Q: How much does Hotel Das Innsbruck cost? A: Prices at Hotel Das Innsbruck start at €67 per person (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Das Innsbruck? A: Hotel Das Innsbruck: Breakfast 06:30–10:00 weekdays, 06:30–10:30 weekends and holidays; à la carte restaurant, bar and room service. Q: What does Hotel Das Innsbruck have? A: Hotel Das Innsbruck lists pool, sauna, spa, 24 hour reception, luggage storage, restaurant, bar, ski storage. Q: Who is Hotel Das Innsbruck good for? A: Hotel Das Innsbruck suits families, couples, spa lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelinnsbruck.com/en/ https://www.hotelinnsbruck.com/en/rooms-suites/ https://www.hotelinnsbruck.com/en/rooms-suites/good-to-know/ https://www.hotelinnsbruck.com/en/christmas-time-new-year/ ### Hotel des Galeries URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-des-galeries-brussels Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Lower Town City: Brussels Address: Rue des Bouchers 38, 1000 Bruxelles Coordinates: 50.84790, 4.35480 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast by Sina, 07:00–10:00 weekdays and 07:30–10:30 weekends Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 23 Amenities: Lift, Air conditioning, Accessible room Best for: couples, families Website: https://hoteldesgaleries.be/ Summary: Hôtel des Galeries suits a couple who want a small hotel inside the Galeries Royales Saint-Hubert, close to the Grand-Place. It has only 23 rooms and publishes no rates, so book early and say which room type you want. Classic rooms of 25 square metres look onto the Galerie du Roi or the glass roof of the Galeries Saint-Hubert. Superior rooms face Rue des Bouchers or the courtyard, and families can take an attic Duplex that sleeps four. Sina serves breakfast downstairs in a savoury or a sweet version from 07:00 on weekdays and 07:30 at weekends, and you book your table at reception. A lift reaches every floor, and one room is adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Tips: - Reception is staffed from 07:00 to 23:00, so tell the hotel if you will arrive later. Q: Are meals included at Hotel des Galeries? A: Hotel des Galeries: Breakfast by Sina, 07:00–10:00 weekdays and 07:30–10:30 weekends. Q: What does Hotel des Galeries have? A: Hotel des Galeries lists lift, air conditioning, accessible room. Q: Who is Hotel des Galeries good for? A: Hotel des Galeries suits couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hoteldesgaleries.be/ https://hoteldesgaleries.be/frequently-asked-questions/ https://hoteldesgaleries.be/rooms-suites/ ### Hotel Dukes' Palace URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-dukes-palace-bruges Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Historic centre City: Bruges Address: Prinsenhof 8, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.20850, 3.22000 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated five-star category. Meals: Buffet breakfast Rooms: 135 Amenities: Spa, Restaurant Best for: couples, families Price band: €€€€ Website: https://hoteldukespalace.com/ Summary: Hotel Dukes' Palace suits travellers who want a five-star hotel with a spa a short walk west of the Markt. It is the biggest of these Bruges stays at 135 rooms, and it posts no current rates on its own site. The hotel stands at Prinsenhof 8, and its 135 rooms include suites and family rooms. Breakfast is a large buffet, and the spa is in the building. The hotel says it writes to guests only from its own email domains or calls by phone, so treat any WhatsApp or text message about your booking with suspicion. Tips: - Use hoteldukespalace.com. The older dukespalace.com address is now a domain for sale. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Dukes' Palace? A: Hotel Dukes' Palace: Buffet breakfast. Q: What does Hotel Dukes' Palace have? A: Hotel Dukes' Palace lists spa, restaurant. Q: Who is Hotel Dukes' Palace good for? A: Hotel Dukes' Palace suits couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hoteldukespalace.com/ ### Hotel Dvorak URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-dvorak-cesky-krumlov Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Old town City: Cesky Krumlov Address: Radniční 101, 381 01 Český Krumlov Coordinates: 48.81170, 14.31530 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Breakfast included Amenities: 24 hour reception, Terrace Best for: couples, families Price band: €€€ Website: https://hoteldvorak.com/ Summary: Hotel Dvořák suits a couple who want a four-star boutique hotel with breakfast included and a castle view from several rooms. It lists no room count or times, so confirm them before you book. The hotel is at Radniční 101, a few steps from the castle by its own description. Standard and Deluxe rooms come with a castle view or a town view, and the family suites have a balcony or a castle view. Even the single room looks at the castle. Reception answers round the clock. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Dvorak? A: Hotel Dvorak: Breakfast included. Q: What does Hotel Dvorak have? A: Hotel Dvorak lists 24 hour reception, terrace. Q: Who is Hotel Dvorak good for? A: Hotel Dvorak suits couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hoteldvorak.com/ https://hoteldvorak.com/pokoje/ ### Hotel Eisenhut URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-eisenhut-rothenburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Herrngasse City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Herrngasse 3-7, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37680, 10.17810 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; restaurants on site Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 75 Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Restaurant, Luggage storage, Garages Best for: couples, Christmas Eve Website: https://www.eisenhut.com/ Summary: Hotel Eisenhut suits couples who want Rothenburg's grand old house on Herrngasse, with a Christmas Eve dinner downstairs and rooms over the Tauber valley. The hotel publishes no room rates, so you only see a price once you pick your dates. Eisenhut fills a row of 15th- and 16th-century houses on Herrngasse, the broad street that runs from the Marktplatz down to the castle garden. It has 75 rooms. Some categories face the old town and others the Tauber valley, so pick Premium or Superior Taubertal if you want the view over the river. Breakfast is a buffet in the Rittersaal from 07:00 to 11:00. On Christmas Eve 2026 the hotel serves a four-course dinner from 18:00, opening with a glass of sherry. It costs €99 with drinks, or €89 if you book by 30 November 2026. New Year's Eve has a buffet at €169 or a set menu at €179. Bags can wait in the luggage room on arrival and departure days. Tips: - Rothenburg closes the old town to cars at weekends and on holidays, but hotel guests may still drive in. - Dogs are welcome for a fee, though not in the breakfast room or on the third floor of the main house. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Eisenhut? A: Hotel Eisenhut: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; restaurants on site. Q: What does Hotel Eisenhut have? A: Hotel Eisenhut lists breakfast buffet, restaurant, luggage storage, garages. Q: Who is Hotel Eisenhut good for? A: Hotel Eisenhut suits couples, Christmas Eve. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.eisenhut.com/zimmer/ https://www.gaestemappe.online/eisenhut/de/ https://www.eisenhut.com/veranstaltungen/Weihnachten-und-Silvester-2024.php https://www.eisenhut.com/hotel/fruehstuecksrestaurant/ https://www.eisenhut.com/hotel/anfahrt/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Elbflorenz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-elbflorenz-dresden Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Wilsdruffer Vorstadt City: Dresden Address: Rosenstraße 36, 01067 Dresden Coordinates: 51.04790, 13.72230 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast; Quattro Cani restaurant; bistro and bar; room service 12:00–23:00 Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Sauna, Restaurant, Bar, Room service, Family rooms, Luggage storage, Dogs welcome Best for: families, dog owners Website: https://www.hotel-elbflorenz.de/ Summary: Elbflorenz suits families who want a family room, a sauna and room service on the west side of the old town. The Altmarkt and its Striezelmarkt lie across the inner ring to the east, a longer walk than from the hotels on the square. Elbflorenz stands on Rosenstraße in the Wilsdruffer Vorstadt, west of Postplatz. Rooms run from Standard and Business to Comfort rooms, suites and family rooms, all with Treca beds. The house has a sauna and sports area, the Italian restaurant Quattro Cani, a bistro and a bar, and room service brings food and drinks from 12:00 to 23:00. Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is at noon, and the hotel keeps bags outside those hours. Dogs are welcome for a €15 cleaning fee a night. Wi-Fi is free throughout. Tips: - Dresden adds its Beherbergungssteuer, a city lodging tax, which you pay at the hotel. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Elbflorenz? A: Hotel Elbflorenz: Breakfast; Quattro Cani restaurant; bistro and bar; room service 12:00–23:00. Q: What does Hotel Elbflorenz have? A: Hotel Elbflorenz lists sauna, restaurant, bar, room service, family rooms, luggage storage, dogs welcome. Q: Who is Hotel Elbflorenz good for? A: Hotel Elbflorenz suits families, dog owners. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-elbflorenz.de/de/faq https://www.hotel-elbflorenz.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Elch URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-elch-nuremberg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, castle quarter City: Nuremberg Address: Irrerstraße 11, 90403 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45550, 11.07330 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Buffet breakfast Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Dogs welcome, Bike storage Best for: couples, dog owners Website: https://hotel-elch.de/en/ Summary: Hotel Elch suits couples who want to sleep in a half-timbered house first recorded as an inn in 1342, up in the castle quarter above the Hauptmarkt. The site says nothing about a lift, and the hotel warns that nothing in the old building runs quite straight, so ask before you book with heavy bags. Elch sits on Irrerstraße in the Burgviertel, the quarter under the Kaiserburg, and the Horka family runs it in the fourth generation. Some beams in the house are over 700 years old. Rooms come in History, Boutique and Living categories, and one Boutique room keeps a Chörlein, the small Nuremberg oriel window that juts out over the street. Breakfast is a buffet. From the door you walk downhill past St Sebald to the Hauptmarkt, and the Albrecht Dürer House stands just up the slope. The hotel takes dogs and bikes. When it's full, it sends guests to its partner Hotel Hauser on Unschlittplatz. Tips: - Ask for the History rooms if you want the exposed old beams. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Elch? A: Hotel Elch: Buffet breakfast. Q: What does Hotel Elch have? A: Hotel Elch lists breakfast buffet, dogs welcome, bike storage. Q: Who is Hotel Elch good for? A: Hotel Elch suits couples, dog owners. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-elch.de/en/info-tips/ https://hotel-elch.de/en/the-rooms/ https://www.hotel-elch.com/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Fregehaus URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-fregehaus-leipzig Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Zentrum, Katharinenstraße City: Leipzig Address: Katharinenstraße 11, 04109 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.34190, 12.37450 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast 07:30–10:30 in the salon Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 20 Amenities: Apartments, Lockers, Courtyard Best for: couples, design lovers Website: https://www.hotel-fregehaus.de/ Summary: Fregehaus suits couples who want a small hotel full of antiques round a 16th-century courtyard, a few steps from the Markt. Reception closes at 20:00 and check-in ends at 18:00 unless you warn them. The Fregehaus sits on Katharinenstraße in the middle of the old town, 50 metres from the Museum der bildenden Künste, with the Markt S-Bahn station at the door. You go through the gate into a green courtyard from the 16th century to reach 17 doubles and three apartments. The architect who runs the house, Sabine Fuchshuber, furnished each room herself, with stucco ceilings, old floorboards and pieces from flea markets and antique shops. Reception and the historic salon where breakfast is served are on the second floor. Breakfast runs from 07:30 to 10:30 with regional produce. Rooms have no safe or minibar, and lockers wait at reception. The hotel puts the main station about 650 metres away. Tips: - Tell the hotel when you book if you need the lift. - Late check-out costs €25 to 13:00 and €50 to 15:00. - Leipzig adds a guest tax of 5 percent per person and night. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Fregehaus? A: Hotel Fregehaus: Breakfast 07:30–10:30 in the salon. Q: What does Hotel Fregehaus have? A: Hotel Fregehaus lists apartments, lockers, courtyard. Q: Who is Hotel Fregehaus good for? A: Hotel Fregehaus suits couples, design lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-fregehaus.de/ https://www.hotel-fregehaus.de/service https://www.hotel-fregehaus.de/hotelzimmer-leipzig https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Gerberhaus URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-gerberhaus-rothenburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Spitalgasse City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Spitalgasse 25, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37270, 10.18070 Kind: Hotel From: €147 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Meals: Breakfast buffet at extra cost Amenities: Family rooms, Garage, Pets welcome Best for: families, groups Price from: €147 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://hotelgerberhaus.de/ Summary: Hotel Gerberhaus suits families who need a room for three, four or five inside the walls, in a 16th-century tannery on Spitalgasse. Check-in closes at 18:00, and breakfast costs extra on top of the room. The Gerberhaus was a tannery in the 16th century and was restored under strict listing rules in 1988. It stands on Spitalgasse in the southern part of the old town, the street that runs down to the Spitaltor gate, so the Marktplatz is a walk up the hill. Rooms keep the Franconian look of the old house. The hotel prints its rates. A double runs €147 to €177 a night and a single €100 to €160, with the breakfast buffet added on request. A three-bed room starts at €195, a four-bed at €225 and a five-bed at €270, which is rare inside Rothenburg's walls. Garage places cost €15 a night when free, pets €15, and Wi-Fi is free. Tips: - Call ahead if your train or car will get you there after 18:00. Q: How much does Hotel Gerberhaus cost? A: Prices at Hotel Gerberhaus start at €147 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Gerberhaus? A: Hotel Gerberhaus: Breakfast buffet at extra cost. Q: What does Hotel Gerberhaus have? A: Hotel Gerberhaus lists family rooms, garage, pets welcome. Q: Who is Hotel Gerberhaus good for? A: Hotel Gerberhaus suits families, groups. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotelgerberhaus.de/zimmer/ https://hotelgerberhaus.de/ https://hotelgerberhaus.de/kontakt/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Goldener Adler URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-goldener-adler-innsbruck Type: Stay Also known as: Goldener Adler Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Altstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Herzog-Friedrich-Straße 6, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26829, 11.39248 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. Meals: Breakfast; Tyrolean restaurant on site Rooms: 43 Amenities: Restaurant, Air conditioning, Free wifi, Accessible room Best for: first-timers, families, food lovers Website: https://www.goldeneradler.com/en/ Summary: First-timers who want to sleep on the Old Town market street itself should book this inn from around 1390. It publishes no rates online, and the market stalls line the street outside the door. The Goldener Adler is one of Europe's oldest inns still in its historic form, with masonry from around 1390 on Herzog-Friedrich-Strasse. All 43 rooms have been renovated, and every one has air conditioning and a kettle at no extra charge. The family keeps its own stall at the Christkindlmarkt, and the senior chef looks after it in Advent. The Golden Roof and the Hofburg are a short walk away. The restaurant downstairs cooks regional Tyrolean food and takes table reservations for up to ten people. Tips: - Ask for the family rooms with a connecting door if you travel with children. - One Deluxe room is wheelchair accessible, with a large step-free shower. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Goldener Adler? A: Hotel Goldener Adler: Breakfast; Tyrolean restaurant on site. Q: What does Hotel Goldener Adler have? A: Hotel Goldener Adler lists restaurant, air conditioning, free wifi, accessible room. Q: Who is Hotel Goldener Adler good for? A: Hotel Goldener Adler suits first-timers, families, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.goldeneradler.com/en/ https://www.goldeneradler.com/en/hotel/ ### Hotel Goldgasse URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-goldgasse-salzburg Type: Stay Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Altstadt City: Salzburg Address: Goldgasse 10, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79938, 13.04588 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. Breakfast costs €32 a person. Meals: Breakfast 07:00–10:00, €32 a person; Gasthof Goldgasse downstairs for Salzburg dishes Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 16 Amenities: Air conditioning, Restaurant, Roof terrace, Pets allowed Best for: couples, food lovers, culture lovers Website: https://www.hotelgoldgasse.at/en/ Summary: Couples who want the Christkindlmarkt a lane away and a room full of character will be happy at this 16-room boutique hotel. You park in the Mönchsberg garage and walk in, since the lane is in the pedestrian zone. Hotel Goldgasse sits in a 700-year-old house on a narrow lane between the cathedral and Getreidegasse. Each of its 16 rooms and suites honours a Salzburg Festival production, and the hotel holds a Michelin Key. The Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz is a few steps away. Breakfast comes on a tiered stand from 07:00 to 10:00 with Slow Food produce and homemade jams, and it costs €32 a person. Drivers should use Altstadtgarage B in the Mönchsberg, where reception sells a 24-hour ticket for €18. The hotel stores luggage at any time, so you can drop bags before the 14:00 check-in and go straight to the stalls. Tips: - From Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, take trolleybus 3, 5 or 25 to the Rathaus stop. - Dogs stay for €24 a day. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Goldgasse? A: Hotel Goldgasse: Breakfast 07:00–10:00, €32 a person; Gasthof Goldgasse downstairs for Salzburg dishes. Q: What does Hotel Goldgasse have? A: Hotel Goldgasse lists air conditioning, restaurant, roof terrace, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Goldgasse good for? A: Hotel Goldgasse suits couples, food lovers, culture lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelgoldgasse.at/en/ https://www.hotelgoldgasse.at/en/facts-highlights/ https://www.hotelgoldgasse.at/en/arrival-contact/ ### Hotel Heritage URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-heritage-bruges Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Historic centre City: Bruges Address: Niklaas Desparsstraat 11, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.21011, 3.22389 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated five-star category. Meals: Breakfast room, or breakfast in your room on request Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 22 Amenities: Restaurant, Wellness, Laundry Best for: couples, older travellers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.hotel-heritage.com/ Summary: Hotel Heritage suits a couple who want a small five-star Relais & Châteaux house a few streets north of the Markt. With 22 rooms and a no-pets rule, dog owners and late planners should look elsewhere. The building on Niklaas Desparsstraat went up in 1869 to a design by Louis Delacenserie. It opened as the Hansa Hotel in 1994 and took the Heritage name after a renovation in 2002. Le Mystique, the restaurant, has been open since 2009, and the hotel has a wellness area. Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is at noon, with staff on duty round the clock. Tips: - You can change or cancel a direct booking until noon the day before arrival. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Heritage? A: Hotel Heritage: Breakfast room, or breakfast in your room on request. Q: What does Hotel Heritage have? A: Hotel Heritage lists restaurant, wellness, laundry. Q: Who is Hotel Heritage good for? A: Hotel Heritage suits couples, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-heritage.com/ https://www.hotel-heritage.com/faq/ ### Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-kaiserhof-am-dom-regensburg Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Domplatz City: Regensburg Address: Kramgasse 10-12, 93047 Regensburg Coordinates: 49.01970, 12.09680 Kind: Hotel From: €129 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Meals: Breakfast buffet included Amenities: Breakfast included, Cathedral view rooms Best for: couples, first-timers Price from: €129 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.kaiserhof-am-dom.de/ Summary: Kaiserhof am Dom suits travellers who want breakfast included and a window on the cathedral towers at a modest rate. A Domblick room facing the towers costs €155 a night, and the standard double at €129 looks elsewhere. The Kaiserhof stands right across from the cathedral's twin towers, a short walk from the Neupfarrplatz Christkindlmarkt. Its printed rates include the breakfast buffet, service and VAT: €89 for a single, €129 for a double and €155 for a Domblick room with the cathedral view. Every room has a shower, toilet, hairdryer, cable TV and free Wi-Fi. Drivers reach it through Drei-Kronen-Gasse and Speichergasse towards the Domplatz. Staff book restaurants and tours on request. Tips: - Ask for a Domblick room by name when you book. Q: How much does Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom cost? A: Prices at Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom start at €129 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom? A: Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom: Breakfast buffet included. Q: What does Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom have? A: Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom lists breakfast included, cathedral view rooms. Q: Who is Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom good for? A: Hotel Kaiserhof am Dom suits couples, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kaiserhof-am-dom.de/gaestezimmer/ https://www.kaiserhof-am-dom.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Koffieboontje URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-koffieboontje-bruges Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Historic centre City: Bruges Address: Hallestraat 4, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.20780, 3.22480 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Tea and coffee in the room; restaurant on site Check-in: 15:00 Amenities: Lift, Bike hire, Restaurant, Pets allowed Best for: families, budget travellers Website: https://www.hotel-koffieboontje.be/ Summary: Hotel Koffieboontje suits families who need a room for three or four about 50 metres from the Markt, by the hotel's count, with a view of the belfry. It is a simple hotel that states no star rating and publishes no rates. The hotel is at Hallestraat 4, the lane beside the Halle and its belfry. Rooms take two, three or four people, and family rooms go bigger. Check-in starts at 15:00, or at 13:00 for a €10 surcharge, and the luggage room holds bags. An extra bed in a family room costs €35 a night and a cot for a child under three costs €12. Tips: - Kitchen use is possible on request for an extra charge, which helps with small children. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Koffieboontje? A: Hotel Koffieboontje: Tea and coffee in the room; restaurant on site. Q: What does Hotel Koffieboontje have? A: Hotel Koffieboontje lists lift, bike hire, restaurant, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Koffieboontje good for? A: Hotel Koffieboontje suits families, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-koffieboontje.be/ https://www.hotel-koffieboontje.be/nl/p/praktische-info ### Hotel Navarra URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-navarra-bruges Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Historic centre City: Bruges Address: Sint-Jakobsstraat 41, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.21010, 3.22080 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Buffet breakfast Amenities: Parking Best for: families, drivers Price band: €€€ Website: https://hotelnavarra.com/ Summary: Hotel Navarra suits drivers and families who want a four-star hotel with its own car park close to the Markt. It publishes no rates or check-in times, so ask before you book. Navarra is at Sint-Jakobsstraat 41, a street running off the Markt. Breakfast is a buffet with fresh croissants and fruit salad. Rooms come as Comfort, Comfort Superior and Comfort Mini. Pick it for the car park if you are coming by road. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Navarra? A: Hotel Navarra: Buffet breakfast. Q: What does Hotel Navarra have? A: Hotel Navarra lists parking. Q: Who is Hotel Navarra good for? A: Hotel Navarra suits families, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelnavarra.com/ ### Hotel Oldinn URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-oldinn-cesky-krumlov Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Old town City: Cesky Krumlov Address: náměstí Svornosti 12, 381 01 Český Krumlov Coordinates: 48.81060, 14.31440 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Buffet breakfast 06:30–10:00 in Bistro Měšťák Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, 24 hour reception, Parking Best for: couples, first-timers Website: https://www.hoteloldinn.cz/en/ Summary: Hotel OLDINN suits travellers who want to sleep on náměstí Svornosti itself, where the Christmas market sets up. It sits in a pedestrian zone, so drivers have to call reception about access and pay CZK 790 a day to park. OLDINN is at náměstí Svornosti 12, and Bistro Měšťák serves its buffet breakfast from 06:30 to 10:00. Check-in starts at 15:00 and check-out is at 11:00. Reception is open 24 hours and keeps bags and valuables for free. The Suite Deluxe looks over the historic centre. Tips: - Call reception before you drive in, because the square is pedestrian-only. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Oldinn? A: Hotel Oldinn: Buffet breakfast 06:30–10:00 in Bistro Měšťák. Q: What does Hotel Oldinn have? A: Hotel Oldinn lists restaurant, 24 hour reception, parking. Q: Who is Hotel Oldinn good for? A: Hotel Oldinn suits couples, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hoteloldinn.cz/en/ https://www.hoteloldinn.cz/en/services ### Hotel Orphee URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-orphee-regensburg Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Untere Bachgasse City: Regensburg Address: Untere Bachgasse 8, 93047 Regensburg Coordinates: 49.01940, 12.09480 Kind: Hotel From: €185 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Meals: Breakfast included; Restaurant Orphée and a Spanish tapas bar Rooms: 58 Amenities: Breakfast included, Restaurant, Tapas bar, Lift in the Großes Haus Best for: couples, romantics Price from: €185 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://hotel-orphee.de/ Summary: Orphée suits romantics who want antiques, stucco and a French bistro downstairs in the middle of the old town, close to the Lucrezia market on Haidplatz. The cheaper Kleines Haus round the corner has no lift and no reception, so you collect your key at the restaurant. Orphée spreads 58 rooms over three houses. The Großes Haus above the restaurant at Untere Bachgasse 8 is a baroque palace with 33 rooms, old floorboards, stucco ceilings, chandeliers and canopy beds, and some rooms run to 60 square metres. A lift goes up to the fourth floor. With breakfast, a Standard double starts at €185, a Grand at €205, a Junior Suite at €245 and the Salon Jerusalem at €270. The Kleines Haus at Wahlenstraße 1 sits by the Kohlenmarkt and the Old Town Hall, with 15 rooms and no lift. A double there starts at €120 with breakfast, or €105 with a bathroom on the landing. The third house, the Andreasstadel, stands on the north bank of the Danube near the Stone Bridge and is quieter than the old town. Breakfast and reception for the two old-town houses are in the Großes Haus, where the restaurant serves French bistro food. Tips: - The €145 Sunday Saver runs only from January to November, so December stays pay the regular rate. Q: How much does Hotel Orphee cost? A: Prices at Hotel Orphee start at €185 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Orphee? A: Hotel Orphee: Breakfast included; Restaurant Orphée and a Spanish tapas bar. Q: What does Hotel Orphee have? A: Hotel Orphee lists breakfast included, restaurant, tapas bar, lift in the großes haus. Q: Who is Hotel Orphee good for? A: Hotel Orphee suits couples, romantics. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-orphee.de/hotel https://hotel-orphee.de/anfahrt https://hotel-orphee.de/arrangements https://www.hotel-orphee.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Paris Prague URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-paris-prague Type: Stay Local name: Hotel Paříž (cs) Region: Czechia Area: Staré Město City: Prague Address: U Obecního domu 1, 110 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08820, 14.42750 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated five-star category. Rooms: 86 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Concierge, Parking, Pets allowed Best for: couples, older travellers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.hotel-paris.cz/en/ Summary: Hotel Paris suits a couple who want a five-star Art Nouveau hotel beside the Náměstí Republiky market with Old Town Square close by. Its own discounts ask for three nights or a non-refundable booking, and it posts no December rates. The hotel stands at U Obecního domu 1, next to the Municipal House on Náměstí Republiky, where one of Prague's Christmas markets fills the square. It has 86 rooms and suites, starting with Deluxe rooms and going up to suites named for Klimt and Mucha. Metro line B stops on the square. The concierge desk books concert tickets and day trips out of the city. Tips: - When we read the offers page in October 2026, a three-night stay with free cancellation came 15% off the best rate. Q: What does Hotel Paris Prague have? A: Hotel Paris Prague lists restaurant, bar, concierge, parking, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Paris Prague good for? A: Hotel Paris Prague suits couples, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-paris.cz/en/ https://www.hotel-paris.cz/en/location/ https://www.hotel-paris.cz/en/facilities/ https://www.hotel-paris.cz/en/booking-conditions/ ### Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-rathaus-wein-design-vienna Type: Stay Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Josefstadt City: Vienna Address: Lange Gasse 13, 1080 Wien Coordinates: 48.20749, 16.35247 Kind: Hotel From: €150 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: The rooms page lists from-rates of €150 for a Design double, €160 Klassik, €170 Modern, €180 Superior or family room and €290 for the Atelier Suite. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00, €16 a person for hotel guests Amenities: Wine bar, Winter garden, Free wifi, Parking, Daily housekeeping Best for: couples, wine lovers, families Price from: €150 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/ Summary: Wine lovers who want Rathausplatz on foot will like this family-run house in Josefstadt. Breakfast costs €16 a person on top of the room. This family-run hotel fills a Gründerzeit house on Lange Gasse, and City Hall and the Ringstrasse are a few blocks away. Rooms run large for Vienna, from 25 square metres in the Design doubles to an 80-square-metre penthouse suite with its own roof terrace. The wine bar pours Austrian bottles from across the regions, and staff hand out personal tips for restaurants and culture. Rathausplatz and the Spittelberg market are both within an easy walk, and Volkstheater station on the U3 is close by. Breakfast is a buffet from 07:00 to 11:00, served in the wine lounge or the winter garden depending on the season. Hotel guests pay €16, children under six eat free and children up to eleven pay €12. From Wien Hauptbahnhof the hotel suggests the U1 to Stephansplatz and then the U3 two stops to Volkstheater. Tips: - Regular rates cancel free until two days before arrival, which helps if a December train plan changes. - The triple and family rooms sleep three or four in about 38 square metres. - Parking costs €28 a night. Q: How much does Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design cost? A: Prices at Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design start at €150 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design? A: Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00, €16 a person for hotel guests. Q: What does Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design have? A: Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design lists wine bar, winter garden, free wifi, parking, daily housekeeping. Q: Who is Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design good for? A: Hotel Rathaus Wein & Design suits couples, wine lovers, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/ https://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/de/zimmer-suiten.html https://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/de/fruehstueck.html https://www.hotel-rathaus-wien.at/de/stadturlaub/kontakt.html ### Hotel Rebstock URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-rebstock-wurzburg Type: Stay Local name: Best Western Premier Hotel Rebstock (de) Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Neubaustraße City: Wurzburg Address: Neubaustraße 7, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.79060, 9.93080 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages; its four-star grading doesn't set a price band, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Gourmet restaurant KUNO 1408 and a second restaurant in the house Rooms: 125 Amenities: Restaurant, Minibar, Safe, Parking Best for: food lovers, couples Website: https://www.rebstock.com/ Summary: Hotel Rebstock suits food lovers who want a table at KUNO 1408 under the same roof as their room, in the south of the old town. It's at the far end of the centre from the station, and the hotel itself sends arrivals on the tram. The Rebstock calls itself a small residence and runs as a four-star Best Western Premier on Neubaustraße, south of the Marktplatz and close to the Residenz. It has 125 rooms, split between rustic Standard rooms and modern Comfort rooms. Every room has a bathrobe, slippers, a safe, a minibar and coffee and tea. The gourmet restaurant KUNO 1408 is in the house. Trams 1, 3 and 5 run from the station through the pedestrian zone to the Neubaustraße stop, and the hotel stands about 50 metres from there. Staff help with luggage on request. Tips: - Take tram 1, 3 or 5 from the station to Neubaustraße. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Rebstock? A: Hotel Rebstock: Gourmet restaurant KUNO 1408 and a second restaurant in the house. Q: What does Hotel Rebstock have? A: Hotel Rebstock lists restaurant, minibar, safe, parking. Q: Who is Hotel Rebstock good for? A: Hotel Rebstock suits food lovers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.rebstock.com/ https://www.rebstock.com/zimmer.html https://www.rebstock.com/seiten/anfahrt.html https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Regina URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-regina-vienna Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Regina Wien, Hotel Regina Vienna Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Alsergrund City: Vienna Address: Rooseveltplatz 15, 1090 Wien Coordinates: 48.21626, 16.35966 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. It describes itself as a 4-star hotel. Meals: Breakfast buffet included; restaurant with Viennese dishes Rooms: 165 Amenities: Restaurant, Breakfast included, Event rooms Best for: families, older travellers, first-timers Website: https://www.hotelregina.at/en/ Summary: Families and older travellers who like a traditional Ringstrasse palace hotel get one here beside the Votivkirche. Rathausplatz and the university campus market are close, and the hotel's own site shows no rates, so compare before you book. Hotel Regina has taken guests beside the Votive Church since 1896 and is family-run today. Its 165 rooms fill a Ringstrasse palais that keeps pieces of the house's history on show. The University Campus Christmas Village is the nearest market, and the Freyung and Rathausplatz markets are an easy walk down the Ring. Breakfast is included, and the restaurant serves Wiener Schnitzel. Tips: - Schottentor, where the U2 and many trams stop, is the closest transit hub for Rathausplatz and the Innere Stadt. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Regina? A: Hotel Regina: Breakfast buffet included; restaurant with Viennese dishes. Q: What does Hotel Regina have? A: Hotel Regina lists restaurant, breakfast included, event rooms. Q: Who is Hotel Regina good for? A: Hotel Regina suits families, older travellers, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelregina.at/en/ ### Hotel Ruze URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-ruze-cesky-krumlov Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Old town City: Cesky Krumlov Address: Horní 154, 381 01 Český Krumlov Coordinates: 48.81040, 14.31750 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Rooms: 71 Amenities: Restaurant, Meeting rooms, Parking nearby Best for: couples, families Website: https://www.hotelruze.cz/en/ Summary: Hotel Růže suits travellers who want a large hotel in the old town with a view of the castle or the Vltava from some rooms. With 71 rooms it is big for Krumlov, and parking means a public car park on Kaplická at CZK 790 a day. Růže stands at Horní 154 beside the Vltava in the historic centre. Some rooms look at the castle and others over the river, and four of the 71 are suites, a Wine Suite among them. Theatre and VIP packages are bookable on the hotel's own site. Guests park in the public car park on Kaplická street while space lasts. Tips: - Search for "Hotel Růže Parking" to find the Kaplická car park. Q: What does Hotel Ruze have? A: Hotel Ruze lists restaurant, meeting rooms, parking nearby. Q: Who is Hotel Ruze good for? A: Hotel Ruze suits couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelruze.cz/en/ https://www.hotelruze.cz/en/location ### Hotel Sacher Salzburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-sacher-salzburg Type: Stay Also known as: Sacher Salzburg Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Right bank of the Salzach City: Salzburg Address: Schwarzstraße 5-7, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.80220, 13.04329 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own pages. It describes itself as a 5-star superior luxury hotel. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–10:30; Café Sacher Salzburg, Sacher Grill and Zirbelzimmer on site Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 110 Amenities: Health club, Valet parking, Restaurants, Café, Winter garden Best for: couples, special occasions Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.sacher.com/en/salzburg/ Summary: Couples on a special trip can wake up to the Old Town skyline across the Salzach here. You cross the river by footbridge to reach the Domplatz market, and the hotel publishes no room rates. The house opened in 1866 as the Österreichischer Hof and took the Sacher name in 2000. Many of its 110 rooms and suites look over the Salzach to the Old Town or Hohensalzburg Fortress. The Mirabellplatz market is closest on this side of the river, and the Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz and Residenzplatz sits a short walk over the Makartsteg. Breakfast is a buffet from 07:00 to 10:30, and Café Sacher Salzburg and the Zirbelzimmer restaurant cover the rest of the day. For Christmas the hotel will set up a tree in your room or suite if you ask when booking. Valet parking costs €55 a day, so most visitors do better arriving by train. Tips: - Book a room 'with view' for the Old Town and fortress across the water. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Sacher Salzburg? A: Hotel Sacher Salzburg: Breakfast buffet 07:00–10:30; Café Sacher Salzburg, Sacher Grill and Zirbelzimmer on site. Q: What does Hotel Sacher Salzburg have? A: Hotel Sacher Salzburg lists health club, valet parking, restaurants, café, winter garden. Q: Who is Hotel Sacher Salzburg good for? A: Hotel Sacher Salzburg suits couples, special occasions. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sacher.com/en/salzburg/ https://www.sacher.com/en/salzburg/faqs-sacher-salzburg/ https://www.sacher.com/en/salzburg/events/winter-stay-salzburg/ ### Hotel Sacher Wien URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-sacher-wien Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Sacher Vienna, Sacher Vienna Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Philharmoniker Straße 4, 1010 Wien Coordinates: 48.20404, 16.36977 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own pages. It describes itself as a 5-star superior luxury hotel. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; Café Sacher, Rote Bar, Grüne Bar, Blaue Bar and Café Bel Étage on site Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 152 Amenities: Spa, Sauna, Fitness room, 24 hour concierge, Valet parking, Restaurants, Café Best for: couples, special occasions, opera-goers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.sacher.com/en/vienna/ Summary: Couples marking an occasion get Vienna's classic grand hotel here, with Café Sacher in the building and the State Opera across the street. It costs accordingly, and the hotel publishes no room rates online. Hotel Sacher opened behind the State Opera in 1876 and now runs 152 rooms and suites with marble bathrooms. Co-owner Alexandra Winkler designed them with Pierre-Yves Rochon. Karlsplatz/Oper station sits at the door for the U1 and U4, which makes Rathausplatz a short ride and Wien Hauptbahnhof a direct one on the U1. On foot, the Art Advent stalls at Karlsplatz and the Stephansplatz market are the closest. The breakfast buffet runs from 07:00 to 11:00, and Café Sacher stays open until 23:00 for a slice of torte once the markets shut. The hotel serves set menus over Christmas. Dinner on 24 December 2026 is five courses at €445 a person, and lunch or dinner on 25 December is four courses at €325, both with wine pairings included. Children aged 6 to 12 get a three-course holiday menu for €59. Reserve the table when you book the room. Tips: - Children stay free on an extra bed in a Junior Suite or larger, and the Petit Sacher package adds children's dishes in every restaurant. - Valet parking costs €45 a night, so arrive by train if you can. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Sacher Wien? A: Hotel Sacher Wien: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; Café Sacher, Rote Bar, Grüne Bar, Blaue Bar and Café Bel Étage on site. Q: What does Hotel Sacher Wien have? A: Hotel Sacher Wien lists spa, sauna, fitness room, 24 hour concierge, valet parking, restaurants, café. Q: Who is Hotel Sacher Wien good for? A: Hotel Sacher Wien suits couples, special occasions, opera-goers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sacher.com/en/vienna/ https://www.sacher.com/en/faqs/ https://www.sacher.com/en/vienna/events/christmas-new-years-eve-vienna/ ### Hotel Seiffener Hof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-seiffener-hof-seiffen Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Kurort Seiffen, Hauptstraße City: Seiffen Address: Hauptstraße 31, 09548 Seiffen/Erzgebirge Coordinates: 50.64820, 13.44280 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Restaurant with German and Swiss cooking; salon bar Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Holiday flat, Garage Best for: couples, families, craft lovers Website: https://www.seiffener-hof.de/ Summary: Seiffener Hof suits couples and families who want to stay in the toy-making village itself and eat Swiss fondue after a day in the workshops. The hotel lists no rates or check-in times online, so call ahead for both. The Seiffener Hof stands on the Hauptstraße of Kurort Seiffen, the village in the Ore Mountains known for its wooden toys. Rooms come as singles of 18 square metres, standard and comfort doubles, and a room called ANNO 1700, and there's a holiday flat as well. The hotel can arrange carriage rides. The restaurant cooks German and Swiss dishes, fondue included. A salon has a bar and games for the evening, and motorcyclists get a garage. From the hotel you follow the Hauptstraße into the village centre, where the Christmas market and the workshops are. Tips: - Phone +49 37362 130 to ask about rates and arrival times for Advent weekends. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Seiffener Hof? A: Hotel Seiffener Hof: Restaurant with German and Swiss cooking; salon bar. Q: What does Hotel Seiffener Hof have? A: Hotel Seiffener Hof lists restaurant, bar, holiday flat, garage. Q: Who is Hotel Seiffener Hof good for? A: Hotel Seiffener Hof suits couples, families, craft lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.seiffener-hof.de/ https://seiffener-hof.de/das-hotel/ https://seiffener-hof.de/zimmer/ https://seiffener-hof.de/anfragen-und-kontakt/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Suitess URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-suitess-dresden Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Innere Altstadt, Neumarkt City: Dresden Address: An der Frauenkirche 13, 01067 Dresden Coordinates: 51.05190, 13.74260 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no rates on its own pages. It rates itself five-star superior, which puts it in the top tier. Meals: Breakfast buffet or in-room breakfast; Restaurant Moritz; Gin House bar Amenities: Wellness, Gym, Restaurant, Bar, Valet parking, Air conditioning, Dogs welcome Best for: couples, luxury, families Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.suitess-hotel.com/ Summary: Suitess suits couples who want a five-star base on the Neumarkt, steps from the Frauenkirche and the Advent market around it. Parking costs €45 a night through the hotel's valet, so come by train if you can. Suitess rates itself five-star superior and stands on An der Frauenkirche, the street that wraps round the church on the Neumarkt. Rooms are furnished in a 19th-century style, and a standard double measures about 25 square metres with air conditioning and a safe. The categories run from Executive and Premium doubles to suites and apartments. Breakfast is a buffet, or you can order it to your room. The house has the Restaurant Moritz, the Gin House bar, and a wellness and fitness area. Staff park cars in the garage below for €45 a night, arrange childcare, and set up a basket and bowls for a dog at €25 a night. Tips: - The Stallhof medieval market and the Striezelmarkt are both a short walk from the door. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Suitess? A: Hotel Suitess: Breakfast buffet or in-room breakfast; Restaurant Moritz; Gin House bar. Q: What does Hotel Suitess have? A: Hotel Suitess lists wellness, gym, restaurant, bar, valet parking, air conditioning, dogs welcome. Q: Who is Hotel Suitess good for? A: Hotel Suitess suits couples, luxury, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.suitess-hotel.com/ https://www.suitess-hotel.com/persoenlicher-service.html https://www.suitess-hotel.com/einzel-und-doppelzimmer.html https://www.suitess-hotel.com/kontakt.html https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel U Prince URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-u-prince-prague Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Staré Město City: Prague Address: Staroměstské náměstí 460/29, 110 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08640, 14.42020 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Restaurant, bistro and rooftop grill on site Rooms: 24 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Rooftop terrace Best for: couples, families Website: https://hoteluprince.com/ Summary: Hotel U Prince suits travellers who want to walk out of the door into the Old Town Square market and finish the night on a rooftop terrace above it. The hotel does not say which of its 24 rooms face the square, so ask before you book if the view matters. U Prince stands at Staroměstské náměstí 29, on the same square as Prague's main market, and its 24 rooms are furnished with antiques. On the ground floor the restaurant has a garden that faces the Astronomical Clock. Black Angel's Bar is down in the basement. Terasa U Prince on the fifth floor runs a bar and grill with a view right round the Old Town. Rooms go from a 15-square-metre single to a 50-square-metre suite that sleeps four, which makes the suite the one for a family. The hotel lists luggage storage among its services. Tips: - The site shows two phone numbers, so email info@hoteluprince.com if a call does not connect. Q: Are meals included at Hotel U Prince? A: Hotel U Prince: Restaurant, bistro and rooftop grill on site. Q: What does Hotel U Prince have? A: Hotel U Prince lists restaurant, bar, rooftop terrace. Q: Who is Hotel U Prince good for? A: Hotel U Prince suits couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hoteluprince.com/ https://hoteluprince.com/hotelove-pokoje-praha-centrum-staromestske-namesti ### Hotel Victoria URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-victoria-nuremberg Type: Stay Local name: Hotel Victoria Nürnberg (de) Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, St. Lorenz, by the Königstor City: Nuremberg Address: Königstraße 80, 90402 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.44770, 11.08090 Kind: Hotel From: €82 per room per night (2026) Price: € Meals: Breakfast buffet included Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 65 Amenities: Breakfast included, Air conditioning, Lift, Parking, Luggage storage Best for: rail travellers, couples, business travellers Price from: €82 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.hotelvictoria.de/en/ Summary: Hotel Victoria suits rail travellers who want breakfast in the rate and a hotel just inside the walls across from the main station. The lift by reception skips the mezzanine floor, so say so when you book if you can't manage stairs. The Victoria has stood at the top of Königstraße, beside the Königstor tower, since 1896, and it is still privately run. All 65 rooms have air conditioning. Breakfast always comes with the room, served as a buffet with small savoury plates, eggs cooked to order and coffee brought to the table. On weekdays it runs from 06:30 to 10:00, and on weekends and holidays from 07:30 to 11:00. Königstraße runs straight down from here past the Lorenzkirche to the river and the Hauptmarkt. Behind the hotel, the Handwerkerhof crafts courtyard holds a small Christmas market of its own in Advent. You can leave bags at reception before check-in and after check-out. Tips: - An early spot in the hotel's underground garage costs €20 a day when one is free. - Order a breakfast to take away by 22:00 the night before an early train. Q: How much does Hotel Victoria cost? A: Prices at Hotel Victoria start at €82 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Victoria? A: Hotel Victoria: Breakfast buffet included. Q: What does Hotel Victoria have? A: Hotel Victoria lists breakfast included, air conditioning, lift, parking, luggage storage. Q: Who is Hotel Victoria good for? A: Hotel Victoria suits rail travellers, couples, business travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelvictoria.de/ https://www.hotelvictoria.de/das-privathotel/a-z-informationen https://www.hotelvictoria.de/en/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Walfisch URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-walfisch-wurzburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, on the Main City: Wurzburg Address: Am Pleidenturm 5, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.78940, 9.92790 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast buffet; restaurant with river terrace Amenities: Restaurant, Breakfast buffet, River view Best for: couples, views Website: https://www.hotel-walfisch.de/ Summary: Hotel Walfisch suits couples who want to open the curtains on the Main and the Marienberg fortress, with the Alte Mainbrücke just upstream. The fortress view comes with the Superior doubles, and the Classic double measures 18 square metres. The Walfisch sits right on the river between the Alte Mainbrücke and the Ludwigsbrücke, facing the fortress across the water, and the same family has run it since 1919. Many rooms look over the Main. The Superior doubles look out to Marienberg, the Käppele pilgrimage church and the vineyards. A Classic single measures 14 square metres and a Classic double 18. The restaurant serves regional dishes and opens onto a terrace over the river in summer. Breakfast is a buffet. From the station, the hotel suggests trams 1, 3, 4 or 5 to Neubaustraße and a last 150 metres on foot. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Walfisch? A: Hotel Walfisch: Breakfast buffet; restaurant with river terrace. Q: What does Hotel Walfisch have? A: Hotel Walfisch lists restaurant, breakfast buffet, river view. Q: Who is Hotel Walfisch good for? A: Hotel Walfisch suits couples, views. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-walfisch.de/wohnen/ https://www.hotel-walfisch.de/die-anfahrt/ https://www.hotel-walfisch.com/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Weitzer URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-weitzer-graz Type: Stay Also known as: Weitzer Graz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Gries City: Graz Address: Grieskai 12-14, 8020 Graz Coordinates: 47.06946, 15.43453 Kind: Hotel From: €105 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel's site shows a from-rate of €105 for one person in one room. Meals: Breakfast buffet 06:30–10:00 weekdays, to 11:00 weekends; Kaffee Weitzer and Der Steirer restaurant Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 201 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Restaurant, Café, Garage nearby, Pets allowed, Mobile key Best for: families, food lovers, rail travellers Price from: €105 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.hotelweitzer.com/en/ Summary: Families and food lovers get a big, easy hotel with a Styrian restaurant on the Mur. With 201 rooms, it runs at a bigger scale than the boutique houses in the Old Town. The Weitzer has 201 rooms on the Grieskai, along with Kaffee Weitzer and the Der Steirer restaurant for Styrian cooking. The Kinderadvent market and the Franziskanerviertel are just across the river, and the Hauptplatz is close behind them. Reception runs 24 hours, and late check-out at 14:00 or 16:00 costs €20 or €40. The breakfast buffet in the Engelreich runs 06:30 to 10:00, or to 11:00 at weekends and on holidays. Kaffee Weitzer serves à la carte breakfast until noon. The public City Garage Weitzer sits about 30 metres along the Grieskai, where hotel guests pay a reduced €25 for 24 hours. The Dream Machine rooms have their own street-level entrance and a key sent to your phone, which helps if you arrive late off a train. Tips: - Pets stay for €18 a night, and the breakfast room is pet-free. Q: How much does Hotel Weitzer cost? A: Prices at Hotel Weitzer start at €105 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Weitzer? A: Hotel Weitzer: Breakfast buffet 06:30–10:00 weekdays, to 11:00 weekends; Kaffee Weitzer and Der Steirer restaurant. Q: What does Hotel Weitzer have? A: Hotel Weitzer lists 24 hour reception, restaurant, café, garage nearby, pets allowed, mobile key. Q: Who is Hotel Weitzer good for? A: Hotel Weitzer suits families, food lovers, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelweitzer.com/en/ ### Grand Hotel Wiesler URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-wiesler-graz Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Wiesler, Wiesler Graz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Gries City: Graz Address: Grieskai 4-8, 8020 Graz Coordinates: 47.07043, 15.43441 Kind: Hotel From: €130 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: From-rates on the hotel's site run from €130 for Tiny Independent and Independent rooms up to €420 for the top category. Meals: Breakfast from €25 a person Check-in: 14:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 102 Amenities: Pets allowed, Suite with fireplace Best for: design lovers, couples Price from: €130 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://grandhotelwiesler.com/ Summary: Design lovers who want a playful hotel across the Mur from the Old Town markets will feel at home at the Wiesler. Its cheapest Tiny Independent rooms measure only 14 square metres. The Wiesler dropped its five stars in 2010 and has since redone all 102 rooms in seven categories. You can still see a Jugendstil mosaic by Leopold Forstner at breakfast. It sits on the Grieskai on the west bank of the Mur. The Kinderadvent market for children and the Franziskanerviertel market are just over the bridge, and the Hauptplatz is a little further. Breakfast costs from €25 a person, and rooms are ready at 14:00 with check-out at 12:00. Tips: - Credit card guarantees become compulsory on the busiest nights such as New Year's Eve. - Parking in the public garage nearby costs €27 a day, or €25 for direct bookers. Q: How much does Grand Hotel Wiesler cost? A: Prices at Grand Hotel Wiesler start at €130 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Grand Hotel Wiesler? A: Grand Hotel Wiesler: Breakfast from €25 a person. Q: What does Grand Hotel Wiesler have? A: Grand Hotel Wiesler lists pets allowed, suite with fireplace. Q: Who is Grand Hotel Wiesler good for? A: Grand Hotel Wiesler suits design lovers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelwiesler.com/en/ https://grandhotelwiesler.com/service/faq/ ### Hotel Wilder Mann URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-wilder-mann-annaberg-buchholz Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt, Markt City: Annaberg-Buchholz Address: Markt 13, 09456 Annaberg-Buchholz Coordinates: 50.58060, 13.00220 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel shows nightly rates only through its booking engine. Its packages run from €489 for three nights in a double, but the package page still says breakfast is included, which contradicts the hotel's notice that breakfast stopped on 19 January 2026. Meals: No breakfast since 19 January 2026; hotel's Ratskeller restaurant 80 metres away Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 69 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Lift, Garage, Restaurant nearby Best for: couples, families, Christmas market regulars Website: https://www.hotel-wildermann.de/ Summary: Wilder Mann suits travellers who want to sleep on the Markt itself, where the Annaberg Christmas market stands, and three of its junior suites look straight onto the square. The hotel stopped serving breakfast on 19 January 2026 because of a long-term staff shortage and cut its room rates to match. The Wilder Mann is one of the oldest former townhouses in Annaberg-Buchholz, and the foyer keeps a cell vault that survives complete. It has 69 rooms: 62 singles and doubles, three junior suites of about 27 square metres with a view of the market square, and four studios in the building next door that sleep up to four. Reception is open 24 hours and a lift serves the house. Since the hotel dropped breakfast, it points guests to the bakeries and cafés around the square. Its own Ratskeller Zum Neinerlaa sits 80 metres away in the historic town hall and serves Erzgebirge dishes. The hotel's packages include a voucher there for Neinerlaa, the Ore Mountains' traditional Christmas Eve meal. Tips: - Book a table at the Ratskeller on +49 3733 679409. - Reserve a garage place in advance, since parking is paid and must be booked. - Pets are not allowed. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Wilder Mann? A: Hotel Wilder Mann: No breakfast since 19 January 2026; hotel's Ratskeller restaurant 80 metres away. Q: What does Hotel Wilder Mann have? A: Hotel Wilder Mann lists 24 hour reception, lift, garage, restaurant nearby. Q: Who is Hotel Wilder Mann good for? A: Hotel Wilder Mann suits couples, families, Christmas market regulars. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-wildermann.de/ https://www.hotel-wildermann.de/de/hotel https://www.hotel-wildermann.de/de/zimmerbuchung https://www.hotel-wildermann.de/de/arrangements https://visitsaxony.com/hotel/hotel-wilder-mann https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel Wurzburger Hof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/hotel-wurzburger-hof-wurzburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Innenstadt, Barbarossaplatz City: Wurzburg Address: Barbarossaplatz 2, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.79740, 9.93290 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast buffet €18 a person Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 34 Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Parking, Smoking terrace Best for: rail travellers, couples Website: https://hotel-wuerzburgerhof.de/ Summary: Würzburger Hof suits rail travellers who want an owner-run hotel with themed rooms between the station and the Marktplatz. Breakfast costs €18 a head on top of the room. The house dates from 1908 and has been in the same hands since 2011. Each of its 34 rooms is done differently, mixing heirloom pieces with modern furniture, and several suites take their theme from Würzburg names such as Balthasar Neumann, Röntgen and Mozart, or from Franconian wine. Guests get a glass of Franconian wine on arrival. Breakfast is a buffet from 06:30 to 10:30 on weekdays and from 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends. Children under six eat free and those from six to 12 pay €9. The hotel stands in the pedestrian zone off Kaiserstraße, the street that leads from the station to the centre, and guests may drive up to the door to unload. Tips: - Reserve parking ahead; hotel guests pay €15 a night in the Haugerkirchplatz garage, which has a 1.90-metre height limit. - Pets are not allowed. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Wurzburger Hof? A: Hotel Wurzburger Hof: Breakfast buffet €18 a person. Q: What does Hotel Wurzburger Hof have? A: Hotel Wurzburger Hof lists breakfast buffet, parking, smoking terrace. Q: Who is Hotel Wurzburger Hof good for? A: Hotel Wurzburger Hof suits rail travellers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-wuerzburgerhof.de/aufenthalt/ https://hotel-wuerzburgerhof.de/zimmer/ https://www.hotel-wuerzburgerhof.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Dresden Youth Hostel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/jugendherberge-dresden Type: Stay Local name: Jugendherberge Dresden "Jugendgästehaus" (de) Also known as: DJH Jugendgästehaus Dresden Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Wilsdruffer Vorstadt City: Dresden Address: Maternistraße 22, 01067 Dresden Coordinates: 51.04830, 13.72370 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The hostel's page shows no bed rates; DJH youth hostels sit in the budget tier by type. Meals: Breakfast buffet 06:00–10:00; lunch, dinner, half and full board Check-in: 16:00, out by 10:00 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Lift, Step free access, Accessible rooms, Luggage storage, Laundry, Dogs welcome Best for: families, groups, step-free stays, budget travellers Price band: € Website: https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/dresden-jugendgaestehaus-457/ Summary: The Jugendgästehaus suits families and groups who need step-free rooms and a cheap bed near the old town. It closes from 23 to 26 December, so book the Christmas nights elsewhere. With 478 beds, this is the largest DJH youth hostel in Saxony, and it stands west of the old town centre. Reception never closes. Rooms are ready from 16:00 and you leave by 10:00. A lift serves the building, the entrance is step-free, and eight rooms with bathrooms suit wheelchair users. The breakfast buffet starts at 06:00 and runs to 10:00, and dinner is served from 17:00 to 20:00, with half and full board on offer. There's luggage storage, a washing machine and dryer, a playroom, and free Wi-Fi throughout. Dogs are allowed, and nine paid parking places sit on site. Tips: - The hostel shuts every year from 23 to 26 December. - You need a DJH membership to stay. Q: Are meals included at Dresden Youth Hostel? A: Dresden Youth Hostel: Breakfast buffet 06:00–10:00; lunch, dinner, half and full board. Q: What does Dresden Youth Hostel have? A: Dresden Youth Hostel lists 24 hour reception, lift, step free access, accessible rooms, luggage storage, laundry, dogs welcome. Q: Who is Dresden Youth Hostel good for? A: Dresden Youth Hostel suits families, groups, step-free stays, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/dresden-jugendgaestehaus-457/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Regensburg Youth Hostel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/jugendherberge-regensburg Type: Stay Local name: Jugendherberge Regensburg (de) Also known as: DJH Regensburg Region: Bavaria Area: Unterer Wöhrd City: Regensburg Address: Wöhrdstraße 60, Regensburg Coordinates: 49.02110, 12.11000 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The hostel's page links a 2026 price sheet but shows no bed rates; DJH youth hostels sit in the budget tier by type. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–09:30; lunch, dinner and packed lunches Check-in: 14:00, out by 10:00 Rooms: 44 Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Dinner, Luggage storage, Parking, Playroom Best for: families, groups, budget travellers Price band: € Website: https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/regensburg-361/ Summary: The DJH youth hostel suits families and groups who want a cheap bed with breakfast on the Wöhrd island east of the old town. The hostel puts the station 2.1 kilometres away, which is a long haul with luggage. The hostel has 190 beds in 44 rooms, from singles and twins to three- and four-bed rooms and dorms, and the hostel puts the old town centre one kilometre away. Its accessibility has been checked under Germany's rating scheme. The breakfast buffet runs from 07:00 to 09:30, and dinner from 18:00 to 19:00. Reception opens from 08:00 to 22:00. Check-in runs from 14:00 to 22:00 and check-out from 08:00 to 10:00. There's luggage storage, a playroom, and five free parking places on site. Tips: - Bring or buy a DJH membership; Bavarian hostels charge €27.50 a year for adults over 27 and for families. Q: Are meals included at Regensburg Youth Hostel? A: Regensburg Youth Hostel: Breakfast buffet 07:00–09:30; lunch, dinner and packed lunches. Q: What does Regensburg Youth Hostel have? A: Regensburg Youth Hostel lists breakfast buffet, dinner, luggage storage, parking, playroom. Q: Who is Regensburg Youth Hostel good for? A: Regensburg Youth Hostel suits families, groups, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/regensburg-361/ https://www.jugendherberge.de/upload/preise/preise-263-2026-1.pdf https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/jugendherberge-rothenburg Type: Stay Local name: Jugendherberge Rothenburg ob der Tauber (de) Also known as: DJH Rothenburg Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Mühlacker City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Mühlacker 1, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37230, 10.17920 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The 2026 price sheet lists membership fees and family discounts but no bed rates, so we place this DJH youth hostel in the budget tier by type. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:30–09:30; lunch and dinner on site; packed lunches Check-in: 14:00, out by 10:00 Rooms: 40 Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Dinner, Luggage storage, Bike room, Drying room Best for: families, groups, budget travellers Price band: € Website: https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber-332/ Summary: The DJH youth hostel suits families and groups on a budget who want to sleep inside Rothenburg's walls. You need a DJH membership, which costs €27.50 a year for adults over 27 and for families. The hostel has 178 beds in 40 rooms, from three-bed rooms with their own shower and toilet up to six-bed rooms and dorms. It lies inside the walls at the southern end of the old town, and the hostel puts the station 1.2 kilometres away. Bed linen is included. The breakfast buffet runs from 07:30 to 09:30, and dinner from 18:00 to 19:00. Reception opens from 08:00 to 10:00 and again from 14:00 to 19:00. You can store luggage, there's a drying room and a bike room, and families get high chairs and cots. The hostel has no parking of its own. Tips: - Check-in runs from 14:00 to 19:00; arrange a later arrival with the hostel first. - Guests up to 26 pay €7 a year for membership. Q: Are meals included at Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel? A: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel: Breakfast buffet 07:30–09:30; lunch and dinner on site; packed lunches. Q: What does Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel have? A: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel lists breakfast buffet, dinner, luggage storage, bike room, drying room. Q: Who is Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel good for? A: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Youth Hostel suits families, groups, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.jugendherberge.de/jugendherbergen/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber-332/ https://www.jugendherberge.de/upload/preise/preise-263-2026-1.pdf ### Karl August URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/karl-august-nuremberg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Augustinerhof City: Nuremberg Address: Augustinerhof 1, 90403 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45370, 11.07570 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast on some rates, served at the table in Brasserie Nitz; restaurants and bar in the building Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 120 Amenities: Pool, Sauna, Gym, Kitchenettes, Restaurant, Bar, 24 hour reception, Luggage storage Best for: families, long stays, couples Website: https://www.karlaugust.de/ Summary: Karl August suits families and longer stays who want a rooftop pool and a kitchenette one street from the Hauptmarkt. The public garage underneath fills up during the Christkindlesmarkt, and the hotel warns drivers to expect a wait. Karl August stands where Karlstraße meets Augustinerstraße, in the new Augustinerhof block just south of the Hauptmarkt. It has 120 rooms in nine categories over four floors, from a small Cosy Single to suites. Twenty of the apartments and suites have a full kitchenette, and the Family Suite sleeps four. Up on the fourth floor there's a pool under the roof, a sauna and a gym for hotel guests. Breakfast comes with some rates and not others, and you can add it at reception the evening before. It's served at your table in Brasserie Nitz on an étagère, a tiered stand, with eggs to order. The building also holds the fine-dining Restaurant Tisane, Café Pique Nique and an ice cream bar. Reception is open round the clock and keeps bags for you, and dogs pay €35 a night. Tips: - Rooms have no phone and no minibar; reach reception on WhatsApp. - Come by U-Bahn to Lorenzkirche if you can, because the garage queues during the market. Q: Are meals included at Karl August? A: Karl August: Breakfast on some rates, served at the table in Brasserie Nitz; restaurants and bar in the building. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://karlaugust.de/faq/ https://karlaugust.de/kontakt/ https://www.karlaugust.de/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel KLE Kaysersberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/kaysersberg-hotel-kle Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel KLÉ, BW Signature Collection (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Klé Kaysersberg, Hotel KLE BW Signature Collection Region: Alsace Area: Kaysersberg village centre City: Kaysersberg Address: 10 rue du Père Kohlmann, 68240 Kaysersberg-Vignoble Coordinates: 48.13860, 7.26270 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. Meals: Breakfast; Le Caveau wine cellar Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 22 Amenities: Wellness area, Lift, Luggage storage, Air conditioning, Pets allowed Best for: couples, wine lovers, drivers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.hotelkle.com/ Summary: Hôtel KLÉ suits couples who want a 4-star room with a small spa in a renovated winemaker's house in the middle of Kaysersberg. The village has no train, so plan on a car or the Colmar Christmas shuttle on market weekends. KLÉ has 22 air-conditioned rooms in a former winemaker's house a few steps from Kaysersberg's main square. There is a wellness area and a cellar where you can taste local wines. Some Confort and Executive rooms are adapted for reduced mobility, and you book those directly with reception. Rooms are ready from 15:00 and checkout is at 11:00. The hotel holds bags before and after your stay. Guests pay €5 at the public car park on allée Stoecklin, which the hotel puts 300 metres away. Tips: - Kaysersberg's market opens Friday to Sunday only, so book a weekend if the chalets are the point of the trip. - Pets stay for €10 a night. Q: Where do I park at Hôtel KLÉ in Kaysersberg? A: Park at the public car park on allée Stoecklin, 300 metres from Hôtel KLÉ, where hotel guests pay a reduced rate of €5. Q: Does Hôtel KLÉ have a lift? A: Yes. Hôtel KLÉ has a lift and some rooms adapted for guests with reduced mobility. Q: Are meals included at Hotel KLE Kaysersberg? A: Hotel KLE Kaysersberg: Breakfast; Le Caveau wine cellar. Q: What does Hotel KLE Kaysersberg have? A: Hotel KLE Kaysersberg lists wellness area, lift, luggage storage, air conditioning, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel KLE Kaysersberg good for? A: Hotel KLE Kaysersberg suits couples, wine lovers, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelkle.com/ https://www.hotelkle.com/hotel-kaysersberg/tarifs-services-reservation https://www.hotelkle.com/hotel-kaysersberg/hotel-4-etoiles-alsace https://www.hotelkle.com/hotel-de-charme-alsace/ https://www.noel-colmar.com/fr/kaysersberg/decouvrir/les-marches-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/921496543 ### Le Chambard Kaysersberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/kaysersberg-le-chambard Type: Stay Local name: Le Chambard (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Le Chambard, Le Chambard Relais & Châteaux Region: Alsace Area: Kaysersberg village centre City: Kaysersberg Address: 9-13 rue du Général de Gaulle, 68240 Kaysersberg-Vignoble Coordinates: 48.13880, 7.26550 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 5-star category. Meals: Two-Michelin-star gastronomic restaurant; Winstub du Chambard; breakfast Check-in: 16:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 33 Amenities: Spa, Restaurant, Bar, Parking Best for: food lovers, couples, celebrations Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.lechambard.fr/fr/ Summary: Le Chambard suits food lovers who want a 5-star room above Olivier Nasti's two-Michelin-star restaurant in Kaysersberg. Kaysersberg has no train station, so you arrive by car or on the Christmas shuttle from Colmar. The Nasti family runs the hotel in an 18th-century house on the main street, along with a gastronomic restaurant and a traditional winstub. The restaurant won its first Michelin star in 2005 and its second in 2014, and the hotel holds one Michelin Key. The 33 rooms include 4 junior suites and 5 suites. Bright colours and antiques the family picked out set the tone, and some rooms have a balcony or terrace over the vines. Kaysersberg's Christmas market runs only from Friday to Sunday across the four Advent weekends. Without a car, take the Christmas shuttle lines that run from Colmar station on those market weekends, or a taxi. Tips: - Book the gastronomic restaurant or the Winstub with the room. Both take reservations online. - The spa closes for a full renovation from 1 January to 31 May 2027, so it is open for the 2026 markets. - In the market period the hotel's terms allow free cancellation until 14 days before arrival, unless the rate says otherwise. Q: How do I get to Le Chambard in Kaysersberg without a car? A: Take the Christmas shuttle from Colmar station on market weekends, or a taxi. Kaysersberg has no railway station. Q: Is the spa at Le Chambard open in December 2026? A: Yes. Le Chambard's spa closes for renovation from 1 January to 31 May 2027, after the 2026 Christmas season. Q: What time is check-in at Le Chambard? A: Rooms at Le Chambard are ready from 16:00 and must be left by 11:00. Q: Are meals included at Le Chambard Kaysersberg? A: Le Chambard Kaysersberg: Two-Michelin-star gastronomic restaurant; Winstub du Chambard; breakfast. Q: What does Le Chambard Kaysersberg have? A: Le Chambard Kaysersberg lists spa, restaurant, bar, parking. Q: Who is Le Chambard Kaysersberg good for? A: Le Chambard Kaysersberg suits food lovers, couples, celebrations. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.lechambard.fr/fr/ https://www.lechambard.fr/fr/chambres-et-suites.html https://www.lechambard.fr/media/original/67120f6ed043f/2026-conditions-generales-de-vente-fr-le-chambard-sas.pdf https://www.noel-colmar.com/fr/kaysersberg/decouvrir/les-marches-de-noel https://noel-colmar.com/fr/navettes-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/921158929 ### Kruisherenhotel Maastricht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/kruisherenhotel-maastricht Type: Stay Region: The Netherlands Area: Kommelkwartier City: Maastricht Address: Kruisherengang 19–23, 6211 NW Maastricht Status: opening (opens 2026-10). The hotel's renovation page says rooms reopen in phases for arrivals from October 2026 and gives no exact date. Coordinates: 50.84870, 5.68380 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated five-star category. Meals: Breakfast and dinner at Spencer's Rooms: 60 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Meeting rooms, Garden Best for: couples Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.oostwegelcollection.nl/kruisherenhotel-maastricht/en/ Summary: Kruisherenhotel suits a couple who want a five-star hotel a short walk from the Vrijthof market. It closed for a renovation and reopens its rooms in phases from October 2026, so check your room is ready before you book a December date. The hotel had 60 rooms before the work began. Designer Bart Vos is leading the renovation and Piet Oudolf is replanting the gardens. Spencer's, the restaurant and bar, is due back in October 2026. The hotel sells a Christmas one-night offer with breakfast and dinner at Spencer's. Q: When does Kruisherenhotel Maastricht open? A: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht is due to open in October 2026. The hotel's renovation page says rooms reopen in phases for arrivals from October 2026 and gives no exact date. Q: Are meals included at Kruisherenhotel Maastricht? A: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht: Breakfast and dinner at Spencer's. Q: What does Kruisherenhotel Maastricht have? A: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht lists restaurant, bar, meeting rooms, garden. Q: Who is Kruisherenhotel Maastricht good for? A: Kruisherenhotel Maastricht suits couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.oostwegelcollection.nl/kruisherenhotel-maastricht/en/ https://www.oostwegelcollection.nl/kruisherenhotel-maastricht/en/renovations ### Hotel Le Dixseptième URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/le-dixseptieme-brussels Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Lower Town City: Brussels Address: Rue de la Madeleine 25, 1000 Bruxelles Coordinates: 50.84560, 4.35480 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Breakfast available Amenities: Meeting rooms Best for: couples Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.ledixseptieme.be/ Summary: Le Dixseptième suits a couple who want a four-star boutique hotel on Rue de la Madeleine, between Brussels-Central and the Grand-Place. Its own pages give no times or rates, so ask about check-in and breakfast before you book. The hotel spreads over three buildings at Rue de la Madeleine 25, and the older rooms sit in the historic main house. You can book Classic rooms or step up to Garden and Patio rooms. The Madeleine is one of the squares Brussels Winter Wonders uses, and the hotel describes the Grand-Place and Brussels-Central as within walking distance. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Le Dixseptième? A: Hotel Le Dixseptième: Breakfast available. Q: What does Hotel Le Dixseptième have? A: Hotel Le Dixseptième lists meeting rooms. Q: Who is Hotel Le Dixseptième good for? A: Hotel Le Dixseptième suits couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ledixseptieme.be/ https://www.ledixseptieme.be/practical-information ### Le Plaza Brussels URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/le-plaza-brussels Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Lower Town City: Brussels Address: Boulevard Adolphe Max 118–126, 1000 Bruxelles Coordinates: 50.85450, 4.35650 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast in the Charleston restaurant Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Concierge, Fitness, Room service, Parking, Pets allowed Best for: couples, families, older travellers Website: https://www.leplaza-brussels.be/en Summary: Le Plaza suits travellers who want a grand old hotel on Boulevard Adolphe Max, close to the De Brouckère end of Brussels Winter Wonders. It publishes no rates or star rating, and a late check-out costs a share of the room rate. Le Plaza stands at Boulevard Adolphe Max 118–126, near Place De Brouckère, one of the eight squares the winter market spreads over. Arrivals start at 15:00 and departures are at noon, and the luggage room holds bags for free if you come in early. One room is adapted for wheelchairs with wider doors and a shower bench. The private car park has 45 spaces at €42 a night. Tips: - Children aged 3 to 11 can have an extra bed in Deluxe rooms and above for €60 a night. Q: Are meals included at Le Plaza Brussels? A: Le Plaza Brussels: Breakfast in the Charleston restaurant. Q: What does Le Plaza Brussels have? A: Le Plaza Brussels lists restaurant, concierge, fitness, room service, parking, pets allowed. Q: Who is Le Plaza Brussels good for? A: Le Plaza Brussels suits couples, families, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.leplaza-brussels.be/en https://www.leplaza-brussels.be/en/stay/ ### LOUIS Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/louis-hotel-munich Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Viktualienmarkt City: Munich Address: Viktualienmarkt 6, 80331 München Coordinates: 48.13600, 11.57580 Kind: Hotel From: €269 per room per night (2026) Price: €€€ Meals: The LOUIS Grillroom for breakfast, lunch and dinner; rooftop bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 72 Amenities: Restaurant, Rooftop bar, Gym, 24 hour reception, Dogs welcome, Air conditioning Best for: couples, design lovers, Christmas Eve Price from: €269 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.louis-hotel.com/ Summary: LOUIS suits couples who want a design hotel on the Viktualienmarkt, a short walk from the Marienplatz market, with a rooftop that dresses for winter from 20 November. Rooms with a balcony over the Viktualienmarkt start at €389 a night, and the Courtyard rooms below that price face the inner yard. The LOUIS has 72 rooms above the Viktualienmarkt, Munich's daily food market, and the furniture and lamps were made for the house, down to wardrobes shaped like travel trunks. A Courtyard Superior double starts at €269 and a Courtyard Deluxe at €309. The Market View Deluxe rooms measure 42 square metres and have at least one French balcony over the stalls. Reception is staffed around the clock. From 20 November the rooftop terrace turns into the Winterzauber, with hot drinks and small plates and a view over Munich's church towers. Through Advent the Grillroom serves a seasonal brunch. On Christmas Eve dinner starts with an aperitif on the decorated rooftop, then moves to the private dining room or the restaurant over the market. The Marienplatz Christkindlmarkt is a walk round the corner past the Altes Rathaus. Tips: - Book the Christmas Eve dinner early through the restaurant team. - Call a few minutes before you pull up and staff will meet you for the bags. Q: How much does LOUIS Hotel cost? A: Prices at LOUIS Hotel start at €269 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at LOUIS Hotel? A: LOUIS Hotel: The LOUIS Grillroom for breakfast, lunch and dinner; rooftop bar. Q: What does LOUIS Hotel have? A: LOUIS Hotel lists restaurant, rooftop bar, gym, 24 hour reception, dogs welcome, air conditioning. Q: Who is LOUIS Hotel good for? A: LOUIS Hotel suits couples, design lovers, Christmas Eve. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.louis-hotel.com/faq/ https://www.louis-hotel.com/zimmer/market-view-deluxe/ https://www.louis-hotel.com/zimmer/courtyard-superior/ https://www.louis-hotel.com/restaurant-bar/weihnachten-im-louis-hotel-muenchen/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/lyon-globe-et-cecil Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Globe et Cecil (fr) Also known as: Globe & Cecil Lyon, Hôtel Globe et Cecil Lyon Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Presqu'île, Bellecour City: Lyon Address: 21 rue Gasparin, 69002 Lyon Coordinates: 45.75890, 4.83350 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. Meals: Breakfast €21 an adult; restaurant open weekday lunch and dinner Rooms: 59 Amenities: Restaurant, 24 hour reception, Luggage storage, Lift, Pets allowed Best for: couples, food lovers, history lovers Price band: €€€ Website: https://globeetcecilhotel.com/ Summary: Globe et Cecil suits couples and food lovers who want a 4-star boutique hotel with its own restaurant beside Place Bellecour. Place Carnot's market lies on the far side of Place Bellecour to the south. The hotel calls itself the oldest in Lyon. It opened in 1866 as the Grand Hôtel du Globe et Rome and has carried the Globe et Cecil name since 1918. The same family has run it since 1966. The 59 rooms are all different, and some look over Place des Jacobins. Breakfast runs from 06:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends and holidays, at €21 an adult and €10.50 a child aged 5 to 10. The restaurant serves lunch from 12:00 to 13:45 and dinner from 19:00 to 21:30, Monday to Friday. Reception and the luggage room never close, and the hotel has no car park of its own, so drivers use the Célestins or Bellecour public garages. Tips: - The hotel advertised 20 percent off room rates from 18 December to 3 January on its site in October 2026. - Ask for a room facing Place des Jacobins if you want a view. Q: Does Hôtel Globe et Cecil have parking? A: No. Globe et Cecil has no car park and sends drivers to the LPA Célestins or Bellecour garages nearby. Q: Can I cancel a booking at Globe et Cecil? A: Yes, on the flexible rate. Globe et Cecil lets you cancel free until 18:00 the day before arrival, except on non-refundable rates. Q: Are meals included at Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon? A: Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon: Breakfast €21 an adult; restaurant open weekday lunch and dinner. Q: What does Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon have? A: Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon lists restaurant, 24 hour reception, luggage storage, lift, pets allowed. Q: Who is Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon good for? A: Globe et Cecil Hotel Lyon suits couples, food lovers, history lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://globeetcecilhotel.com/ https://globeetcecilhotel.com/chambres-hotel-4-etoiles/ https://globeetcecilhotel.com/hotel-charme-4-etoiles/services-hotel-4-etoiles/ https://globeetcecilhotel.com/hotel-charme-4-etoiles/presentation-boutique-hotel/ https://globeetcecilhotel.com/faq/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/6970262279 ### Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/lyon-hotel-bayard-bellecour Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Bayard Bellecour (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Bayard Lyon, Bayard Bellecour Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Presqu'île, Place Bellecour City: Lyon Address: 23 place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon Coordinates: 45.75630, 4.83240 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the 4-star rating in the hotel's own site data. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; continental breakfast in the room from 07:30 Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 26 Amenities: Luggage storage, Wifi Best for: couples, romantic breaks Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.hotelbayard.fr/ Summary: Hôtel Bayard Bellecour suits couples who want antique furniture and a view over Place Bellecour in a 26-room house. Reception is on the first floor up a flight of stairs with no lift, which rules it out for heavy bags and anyone who cannot climb. The Bayard starts on the first floor of a building on Place Bellecour. A flight of stairs leads to reception and the first-floor rooms, and a lift serves the floors above. Staff will carry bags up and down. Every room is different, with period furniture and old fabrics, and some bathrooms open straight into the bedroom behind a curtain or a screen. Some rooms look over Place Bellecour, and the Prestigieuse category faces the courtyard for quiet. Breakfast is a buffet from 07:00 to 11:00, with cakes from the hotel's own pastry chef and eggs cooked to order. The hotel keeps luggage free of charge before and after your stay. Tips: - Ask for a room with a closed bathroom when you book. Some rooms have bathrooms open to the bedroom, and the hotel tries to meet room requests without promising them. - Choose a courtyard room for quiet or a front room for the Bellecour view. Q: Does Hôtel Bayard Bellecour have a lift? A: Only above the first floor. Stairs lead to reception and the first-floor rooms, and a lift serves the upper floors from there. Q: Can I leave luggage at Hôtel Bayard Bellecour? A: Yes. Hôtel Bayard Bellecour keeps luggage free before check-in and after check-out. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon? A: Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon: Breakfast buffet 07:00–11:00; continental breakfast in the room from 07:30. Q: What does Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon have? A: Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon lists luggage storage, wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon good for? A: Hotel Bayard Bellecour Lyon suits couples, romantic breaks. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelbayard.fr/ https://www.hotelbayard.fr/chambres https://www.hotelbayard.fr/faq https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/1235470 ### Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/lyon-hotel-des-savoies Type: Stay Also known as: Hôtel des Savoies Lyon, Hotel des Savoies Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Presqu'île, Ainay and Perrache City: Lyon Address: 80 rue de la Charité, 69002 Lyon Coordinates: 45.74970, 4.82980 Kind: Hotel From: €71 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: These are the hotel's undated 'from' figures. Meals: Breakfast buffet 06:30–10:30, €12 an adult and €7 a child Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 44 Amenities: Luggage storage, Lift, Air conditioning, Parking, Wheelchair accessible rooms, Pets allowed Best for: budget travellers, families, rail travellers Price from: €71 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.hotel-des-savoies.fr/ Summary: Hôtel des Savoies suits budget travellers and families who want to sleep beside Lyon's Place Carnot Christmas market and Perrache station. Its rooms are compact and plainly modern, and breakfast is extra. The Savoies is a 3-star hotel with 44 soundproofed, air-conditioned rooms on rue de la Charité, and the hotel puts Perrache station 300 metres away. The city's Christmas market fills Place Carnot nearby. Rooms come in blue, red or violet, and you can ask for a colour when you book. Two rooms are adapted for guests with reduced mobility. The organic, local breakfast buffet costs €12 an adult and €7 a child aged 5 to 12, and it runs from 06:30 to 10:30. A private garage of 11 spaces costs €25 a night on reservation. The hotel's own page notes that the Fête des Lumières lights up the city for four days around 8 December. Tips: - The 2026 Fête des Lumières runs from 5 to 8 December, and the city sets the Carnot market's closing times separately for those four nights. - The hotel sells the Lyon City Card for 24 hours at €25 with its rooms. Q: How close is Hôtel des Savoies to Lyon's Christmas market? A: Very close. Hôtel des Savoies stands on rue de la Charité close to Place Carnot, where Lyon's Christmas market is held, and the hotel puts Perrache station 300 metres away. Q: How much is Hôtel des Savoies in Lyon? A: Hôtel des Savoies lists classic doubles from €71 and family rooms from €103 a night on its own site in October 2026. Breakfast costs €12 an adult on top. Q: Are meals included at Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache? A: Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache: Breakfast buffet 06:30–10:30, €12 an adult and €7 a child. Q: What does Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache have? A: Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache lists luggage storage, lift, air conditioning, parking, wheelchair accessible rooms, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache good for? A: Hotel des Savoies Lyon Perrache suits budget travellers, families, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-des-savoies.fr/ https://www.hotel-des-savoies.fr/chambres/ https://www.hotel-des-savoies.fr/pages/contactez-nous https://www.hotel-des-savoies.fr/pages/un-hotel-3-etoiles-au-coeur-du-centre-ville-de-lyon https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/commerce-et-economie/marche-de-noel-de-lyon https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/action-sociale-et-solidarite/appel-manifestation-dinteret-marche-de-noel-2026 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3477299701 ### Hotel du Simplon Lyon URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/lyon-hotel-du-simplon Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel du Simplon (fr) Also known as: Hôtel du Simplon Lyon Perrache, Simplon Lyon Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Presqu'île, Ainay and Perrache City: Lyon Address: 11 rue Duhamel, 69002 Lyon Coordinates: 45.75020, 4.83000 Kind: Hotel Price: €€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 3-star category. Meals: Breakfast 06:00–09:30 weekdays, 07:00–10:00 weekends Rooms: 37 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Luggage storage, Lift, Parking, Pets allowed Best for: rail travellers, cyclists, families, budget travellers Price band: €€ Website: https://www.hotel-simplon-lyon.com/ Summary: Hôtel du Simplon suits rail travellers and cyclists who want a family-run 3-star room steps from Perrache station and close to Place Carnot. The rooms keep to the basics and have no minibar. The Simplon is a small family hotel on rue Duhamel between Perrache and Ainay. Its 37 rooms run from singles to large family rooms. Rooms are simple and a little retro, and each has a desk and its own bathroom. Reception and the luggage room are open around the clock, and the hotel holds the Clef Verte and Accueil Vélo labels. Breakfast runs from 06:00 to 09:30 on weekdays and 07:00 to 10:00 at weekends and on public holidays. A secure covered car park is available on reservation. One room is fitted for guests with reduced mobility, and staff are trained to help guests with sight or hearing loss. Tips: - Book the car park when you book the room. The hotel takes reservations for it and gives prices at reception. - Pets stay for €15 a day. Q: Does Hôtel du Simplon in Lyon have parking? A: Yes. Hôtel du Simplon has a secure covered car park, booked in advance. Q: Is Hôtel du Simplon near Lyon's Christmas market? A: Yes. Hôtel du Simplon is on rue Duhamel by Perrache station, close to Place Carnot, where Lyon's Christmas market is held. Q: Are meals included at Hotel du Simplon Lyon? A: Hotel du Simplon Lyon: Breakfast 06:00–09:30 weekdays, 07:00–10:00 weekends. Q: What does Hotel du Simplon Lyon have? A: Hotel du Simplon Lyon lists 24 hour reception, luggage storage, lift, parking, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel du Simplon Lyon good for? A: Hotel du Simplon Lyon suits rail travellers, cyclists, families, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-simplon-lyon.com/ https://www.hotel-simplon-lyon.com/chambres-hotel-3-etoiles/ https://www.hotel-simplon-lyon.com/hotel-3-etoiles-lyon-perrache/services/ https://www.hotel-simplon-lyon.com/faq/ https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/commerce-et-economie/marche-de-noel-de-lyon https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3687110026 ### Le Royal Lyon MGallery URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/lyon-le-royal Type: Stay Also known as: Hôtel Le Royal Lyon, Royal Lyon MGallery Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Presqu'île, Place Bellecour City: Lyon Address: 20 place Bellecour, 69002 Lyon Coordinates: 45.75640, 4.83310 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 5-star category. Meals: L'Institut restaurant; bar lounge Côté Bellecour; room service Rooms: 72 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Room service, Valet parking Best for: couples, celebrations, food lovers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/ Summary: Le Royal suits travellers who want a 5-star hotel on Place Bellecour and a room that looks over the square. Only some categories face Bellecour, and the other rooms look onto the courtyard or Place Antonin Poncet. Prosper Perrin built the hotel on Place Bellecour in 1888, and it now belongs to Accor's MGallery collection. Its 62 rooms and 10 suites are mostly white with touches of blue or red. Toile de Jouy fabrics sit beside Ligne Roset furniture. Superior rooms look onto Place Bellecour or the courtyard, and single rooms face Place Antonin Poncet. The hotel works with the Institut Lyfe hospitality school, which Paul Bocuse and Gérard Pélisson inspired. Its restaurant L'Institut serves chef Cyril Bosviel's contemporary cooking. Valet parking runs from 07:00 to 23:00 at €29 for 24 hours. Bellecour metro (lines A and D) is at the door, and the hotel puts Perrache station 1 km away. The tourist office is a few steps across the square. Tips: - Book a Supérieure vue place or the Junior Suite Bellecour if you want the square outside your window. - The 2026 Fête des Lumières runs from 5 to 8 December, so book those nights as early as you can. Q: Does Le Royal Lyon have rooms overlooking Place Bellecour? A: Yes. Le Royal's Supérieure vue place rooms and its Junior Suite Bellecour look onto Place Bellecour. Q: How many rooms does Le Royal Lyon have? A: Le Royal Lyon has 62 rooms and 10 suites. Q: Are meals included at Le Royal Lyon MGallery? A: Le Royal Lyon MGallery: L'Institut restaurant; bar lounge Côté Bellecour; room service. Q: What does Le Royal Lyon MGallery have? A: Le Royal Lyon MGallery lists restaurant, bar, room service, valet parking. Q: Who is Le Royal Lyon MGallery good for? A: Le Royal Lyon MGallery suits couples, celebrations, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/ https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/chambres-et-suites/ https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/chambres-et-suites/superieure-vue-place/ https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/un-peu-dhistoire/ https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/a-boire-et-a-manger/ https://www.lyonhotel-leroyal.com/parking/ https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/action-sociale-et-solidarite/appel-manifestation-dinteret-marche-de-noel-2026 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/95836747 ### Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/meininger-brussels-city-center Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Molenbeek canal side City: Brussels Address: Quai du Hainaut 33, 1080 Molenbeek-Saint-Jean Coordinates: 50.85130, 4.33830 Kind: Hotel From: €65 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel's own page listed twins from €65 and quads from €102 in October 2026, with breakfast extra. Meals: Breakfast buffet €13.90, or €13.50 booked online, 06:30–10:30 Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 150 Amenities: Dorms, Lockers, Bar Best for: families, groups, budget travellers Price from: €65 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.meininger-hotels.com/en/hotels/brussels/hotel-brussels-city-center/ Summary: Meininger Brussels City Center suits families and groups on a budget who need a room for four or more beside the canal. The hotel puts the Grand-Place 1.4 kilometres away, and luggage storage costs extra. The hotel has 150 rooms and 727 beds at Quai du Hainaut 33, across the canal from the Dansaert district and Sainte-Catherine. Private rooms run from a double for one up to six-bed and family rooms, and the dorms take six or ten beds. When we read the rate list in October 2026, a twin started at €65 and a quad at €102, with breakfast extra. Check-in starts at 15:00, check-out is at 11:00, and staying on to 14:00 costs €15 in a private room. Tips: - Book breakfast online for €13.50 and save on the €13.90 desk price. Q: How much does Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center cost? A: Prices at Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center start at €65 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center? A: Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center: Breakfast buffet €13.90, or €13.50 booked online, 06:30–10:30. Q: What does Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center have? A: Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center lists dorms, lockers, bar. Q: Who is Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center good for? A: Meininger Hotel Brussels City Center suits families, groups, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.meininger-hotels.com/en/hotels/brussels/hotel-brussels-city-center/ ### Mosaic House Design Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/mosaic-house-prague Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Nové Město City: Prague Address: Odborů 4, 120 00 Praha 2 Coordinates: 50.07740, 14.41810 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast CZK 400 a person when the rate leaves it out Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 94 Amenities: Wellness, Parking, EV charging, Workspace Best for: families, budget travellers Website: https://www.mosaichouse.com/en/ Summary: Mosaic House suits travellers who want a big modern hotel in Nové Město with Wenceslas Square in reach. It sits outside the Old Town, so Old Town Square is a longer walk than from the hotels on the square. The hotel has 94 rooms at Odborů 4 in Prague 2, from Standard rooms of 18–22 square metres to two penthouse suites on the seventh floor. Nine Superior rooms on the fifth and sixth floors look over the city centre. Breakfast costs CZK 400 a person when your rate leaves it out, and only hotel guests can eat it. Check-in starts at 15:00, and a late check-out before 18:00 costs €50 when there is space. Tips: - The hotel also runs MOOo apartments a few steps away, with one to three bedrooms for families. Q: Are meals included at Mosaic House Design Hotel? A: Mosaic House Design Hotel: Breakfast CZK 400 a person when the rate leaves it out. Q: What does Mosaic House Design Hotel have? A: Mosaic House Design Hotel lists wellness, parking, ev charging, workspace. Q: Who is Mosaic House Design Hotel good for? A: Mosaic House Design Hotel suits families, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mosaichouse.com/ https://www.mosaichouse.com/en/faq-2/ https://www.mosaichouse.com/en/contact/ ### Motel One Innsbruck URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/motel-one-innsbruck Type: Stay Region: Tyrol Area: Innenstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Südbahnstraße 1 / Top 1, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26168, 11.39967 Kind: Hotel From: €109 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel shows live rates only. Breakfast is booked separately. Meals: Optional breakfast buffet; bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Free luggage storage, Bar, Free wifi, Meeting room Best for: budget travellers, rail travellers, solo travellers Price from: €109 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/innsbruck/hotel-innsbruck/ Summary: Budget travellers changing trains in Innsbruck get a room beside the Hauptbahnhof with free luggage storage. Rooms are compact, and the hotel has no parking of its own. Motel One Innsbruck sits at the main station on Südbahnstrasse. The Wilten market is the nearest, and Maria-Theresien-Strasse leads on to the Old Town. Bags stay free of charge before check-in and after check-out, which suits a day of markets before an evening train. Breakfast runs 06:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends and on holidays. Tips: - Innsbruck's city tax is €4 a person a night from 1 May 2026, paid at the hotel. - Drivers should use the public car parks at the station, because the hotel has none. Q: How much does Motel One Innsbruck cost? A: Prices at Motel One Innsbruck start at €109 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Motel One Innsbruck? A: Motel One Innsbruck: Optional breakfast buffet; bar. Q: What does Motel One Innsbruck have? A: Motel One Innsbruck lists free luggage storage, bar, free wifi, meeting room. Q: Who is Motel One Innsbruck good for? A: Motel One Innsbruck suits budget travellers, rail travellers, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/innsbruck/hotel-innsbruck/ ### Motel One Prague-Florentinum URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/motel-one-prague-florentinum Type: Stay Region: Czechia Area: Nové Město City: Prague Address: Na Poříčí 1048/30, 110 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08980, 14.43430 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Amenities: Bar Best for: budget travellers Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/prague/hotel-prague-florentinum/ Summary: Motel One Prague-Florentinum suits travellers who want a chain hotel on Na Poříčí, close to the Náměstí Republiky market. Its page gives almost no practical detail, so check times and breakfast when you book. The hotel stands at Na Poříčí 30 in Prague 1. Its own page names Náměstí Republiky and Týn Church among the nearby sights. In October 2026 the page carried a notice that breakfast and the bar were closed for refurbishment into the middle of the month. Q: What does Motel One Prague-Florentinum have? A: Motel One Prague-Florentinum lists bar. Q: Who is Motel One Prague-Florentinum good for? A: Motel One Prague-Florentinum suits budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/prague/hotel-prague-florentinum/ ### Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/motel-one-salzburg-mirabell Type: Stay Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Elisabeth-Vorstadt City: Salzburg Address: Elisabethkai 58-60, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.81042, 13.03758 Kind: Hotel From: €99 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel shows live rates only. Breakfast is booked separately. Meals: Optional breakfast buffet; bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Free luggage storage, Bar, Terrace, Free wifi Best for: budget travellers, rail travellers, solo travellers Price from: €99 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/salzburg/hotel-salzburg-mirabell/ Summary: Budget travellers arriving by train get a river-view base between the Hauptbahnhof and Mirabell Gardens. The Domplatz market is a longer walk along the Salzach, and breakfast costs extra. This Motel One sits on the Elisabethkai on the right bank of the Salzach, the side of the river where the Hauptbahnhof stands. The Mirabellplatz market is the nearest, and the Christkindlmarkt on Domplatz is a riverside walk away. Luggage storage is free, which helps on a check-out day with an evening train. Salzburg's city tax is €3.55 a person a night, paid at the hotel. Tips: - Breakfast runs 06:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends and on holidays. Q: How much does Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell cost? A: Prices at Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell start at €99 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell? A: Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell: Optional breakfast buffet; bar. Q: What does Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell have? A: Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell lists free luggage storage, bar, terrace, free wifi. Q: Who is Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell good for? A: Motel One Salzburg-Mirabell suits budget travellers, rail travellers, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/salzburg/hotel-salzburg-mirabell/ ### Nimb Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/nimb-hotel-copenhagen Type: Stay Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Bernstorffsgade 5, 1577 København V Coordinates: 55.67350, 12.56650 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates or star category on its own site, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Restaurants and bars in the Nimb building Rooms: 38 Amenities: Wellness, Rooftop terrace, Restaurant, Bar, Concierge Best for: couples Website: https://www.nimb.dk/en/hotel Summary: Nimb suits a couple who want to wake up inside Tivoli Gardens, since all but one of its 38 rooms look over the gardens. Expect a card hold at arrival for the whole stay plus DKK 1,000 a day for extras. Nimb stands on Bernstorffsgade 5 at the edge of Tivoli, across from Copenhagen Central Station. Rooms run from 23 to 240 square metres, furnished with antiques and Bang & Olufsen sets, and several come with a private terrace. The roof terrace looks over the city and the gardens. Cancel after 15:00 local time three days before arrival and the hotel charges one night. Tips: - Smokers get a designated spot below the Brasserie terrace, and smoking anywhere inside costs a night's rate. Q: Are meals included at Nimb Hotel? A: Nimb Hotel: Restaurants and bars in the Nimb building. Q: What does Nimb Hotel have? A: Nimb Hotel lists wellness, rooftop terrace, restaurant, bar, concierge. Q: Who is Nimb Hotel good for? A: Nimb Hotel suits couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.nimb.dk/en/hotel https://www.nimb.dk/en/hotel/rooms-suites https://www.nimb.dk/en/hotel/policies ### Hotel La Diligence Obernai URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/obernai-la-diligence Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel La Diligence (fr) Also known as: La Diligence Obernai, Hôtel La Diligence Obernai Region: Alsace Area: Obernai old town, Place du Marché City: Obernai Address: 23 place du Marché, 67210 Obernai Coordinates: 48.46200, 7.48220 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. The tourist tax is €1.50 per person per day. Meals: Organic breakfast buffet €18 a person; Le Comptoir café noon to 18:00 Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 33 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Luggage storage, Garage, Cafe, Fitness, Pets allowed Best for: couples, rail travellers, first-timers Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.hotel-diligence.com/fr/ Summary: La Diligence suits couples who want a 4-star room on Obernai's market square with a train line to Strasbourg. Breakfast costs €18 a person and parking €25 a night on top of the room. La Diligence has 31 rooms and 2 suites behind an Alsatian façade on Place du Marché. They climb from Cosy rooms to the Balcony and Sky suites. Le Comptoir café serves pastries and snacks from noon to 18:00 on a terrace facing the square. Reception never closes, and the hotel keeps luggage. The hotel puts Obernai station 550 metres away. TER trains on the Strasbourg to Sélestat line stop there. The free Pass'O minibus stops close to the hotel. Drivers can book a private garage 60 metres away, where spaces are limited. Tips: - Book the garage ahead. The hotel says spaces are limited. - Massages are booked in a treatment room at Le Colombier, which stands 30 metres away and belongs to the same group. - Flexible rates cancel free until 15:00 the day before arrival. Q: Can I reach Hôtel La Diligence in Obernai by train? A: Yes. Obernai station is on the TER line between Strasbourg and Sélestat, 550 metres from the hotel, and the free Pass'O minibus stops nearby. Q: Is breakfast included at Hôtel La Diligence? A: No. Breakfast at La Diligence costs €18 a person a day. Q: What does Hotel La Diligence Obernai have? A: Hotel La Diligence Obernai lists 24 hour reception, luggage storage, garage, cafe, fitness, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel La Diligence Obernai good for? A: Hotel La Diligence Obernai suits couples, rail travellers, first-timers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-diligence.com/fr/ https://www.hotel-diligence.com/fr/faq/ https://www.hotel-diligence.com/fr/situation-acces/ https://www.hotel-diligence.com/fr/esprit-services/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/986296029 ### Hotel Le Colombier Obernai URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/obernai-le-colombier Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Le Colombier (fr) Also known as: Le Colombier Obernai Region: Alsace Area: Obernai old town City: Obernai Address: 6-8 rue Dietrich, 67210 Obernai Coordinates: 48.46170, 7.48190 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel says rates vary by room type and season and shows them only in its booking engine. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. The tourist tax is €1.50 per person per day. Meals: Organic breakfast buffet €18 a person; bar until 23:00 Check-in: 15:00 Rooms: 48 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Garage, Ev charging, Bar, Air conditioning, Wheelchair accessible, Pets allowed Best for: drivers, families, couples Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.hotel-colombier.com/fr/ Summary: Le Colombier suits drivers and families who want a 4-star room in Obernai's old town with an underground car park below. Breakfast costs €18 a person on top of the room. Le Colombier stands a few metres from Place du Marché. All 48 rooms and suites have been renovated since spring 2025. Categories climb from Standard and Privilège rooms through the suites to a room called The One. Every room has air conditioning, and the hotel is accessible to guests with reduced mobility. The underground car park costs €25 a night, or €40 with a charging point, booked ahead. The bar stays open until 23:00 with self-service wines from an Enomatic machine. The free Pass'O minibus links the station with the Hôtel de Ville stop, which is 50 metres from the hotel. Tips: - Massages are given in a treatment room here, which guests of the sister hotel La Diligence also use. - Flexible rates cancel free until 15:00 the day before arrival. Q: Does Hôtel Le Colombier in Obernai have parking? A: Yes. Le Colombier has an underground car park at €25 a night, or €40 with an electric charging point, booked in advance. Q: How many rooms does Le Colombier have? A: Le Colombier has 48 rooms and suites, all renovated since spring 2025. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Le Colombier Obernai? A: Hotel Le Colombier Obernai: Organic breakfast buffet €18 a person; bar until 23:00. Q: What does Hotel Le Colombier Obernai have? A: Hotel Le Colombier Obernai lists 24 hour reception, garage, ev charging, bar, air conditioning, wheelchair accessible, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel Le Colombier Obernai good for? A: Hotel Le Colombier Obernai suits drivers, families, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-colombier.com/fr/ https://www.hotel-colombier.com/fr/hotel-obernai-centre-ville/ https://www.hotel-colombier.com/fr/faq/ https://www.hotel-diligence.com/fr/faq/ ### Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/palais-hotel-erzherzog-johann-graz Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Erzherzog Johann Graz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Innere Stadt City: Graz Address: Sackstraße 3-5, 8010 Graz Coordinates: 47.07170, 15.43714 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. It describes itself as a 4-star palais hotel. Meals: Breakfast buffet in the winter garden; €23 a person when added on site Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Bar, Fitness room, Winter garden, Pets allowed Best for: older travellers, couples, history lovers Website: https://www.erzherzog-johann.com/en/ Summary: Older travellers and couples who want period rooms a step from the Hauptplatz Christkindlmarkt should book this palais. Its rooms range from grand to plain, and the air conditioning is off for the winter. The Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann sits on Sackstrasse just off the Hauptplatz, and its historic rooms keep their stucco ceilings and tiled stoves. Its glass-roofed winter garden climbs four storeys, and breakfast is served there from 06:30 to 10:00, or 07:00 to 11:00 on Sundays and holidays. The Hauptplatz and Franziskanerviertel markets are right outside. The Ernst Fuchs Bar opens Monday to Saturday from 18:00 to 02:00. Tips: - Single and Comfort rooms face either Sackstrasse or the quiet courtyard, so ask for the courtyard side in market weeks. - Adding breakfast at the desk costs €23 a person. Q: Are meals included at Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann? A: Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann: Breakfast buffet in the winter garden; €23 a person when added on site. Q: What does Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann have? A: Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann lists bar, fitness room, winter garden, pets allowed. Q: Who is Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann good for? A: Palais-Hotel Erzherzog Johann suits older travellers, couples, history lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.erzherzog-johann.com/en/ https://www.erzherzog-johann.com/en/the-palais-hotel/faqs/ https://www.erzherzog-johann.com/en/breakfast/ ### Parkhotel Valkenburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/parkhotel-valkenburg Type: Stay Region: The Netherlands Area: Neerhem City: Valkenburg Address: Neerhem 68, 6301 CJ Valkenburg aan de Geul Coordinates: 50.85840, 5.83580 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Breakfast 07:00–10:00 weekdays, 07:30–10:30 weekends; restaurant Pierre Cuypers Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Pool, Sauna, Restaurant, Parking, Lift, EV charging, Pets allowed Best for: families, couples Price band: €€€ Website: https://parkhotelvalkenburg.nl/ Summary: Parkhotel Valkenburg suits families and couples who want a four-star hotel with a pool and a Kerststad package, about 300 metres from the centre and its caves by the hotel's count. Every Christmas package is non-refundable. The hotel stands at Neerhem 68 with its own car park, free when you book direct. For 2026 it sells Christmas market packages of one or two nights from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, each with a three-course dinner on arrival and breakfast, outside the holidays themselves. Christmas Eve packages run from one to three nights with four- and five-course dinners. Check-in starts at 15:00, check-out is at 11:00, and a lift reaches every floor. Tips: - The pool closes on Wednesdays from 12:00 to 18:00. Q: Are meals included at Parkhotel Valkenburg? A: Parkhotel Valkenburg: Breakfast 07:00–10:00 weekdays, 07:30–10:30 weekends; restaurant Pierre Cuypers. Q: What does Parkhotel Valkenburg have? A: Parkhotel Valkenburg lists pool, sauna, restaurant, parking, lift, ev charging, pets allowed. Q: Who is Parkhotel Valkenburg good for? A: Parkhotel Valkenburg suits families, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.parkhotelvalkenburg.nl/ https://parkhotelvalkenburg.nl/veel-gestelde-vragen/ https://parkhotelvalkenburg.nl/kerstarrangement-valkenburg/ ### Platzl Hotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/platzl-hotel-munich Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt, Platzl City: Munich Address: Sparkassenstraße 10, 80331 München Coordinates: 48.13800, 11.57900 Kind: Hotel From: €209 per room per night (2026) Price: €€€ Meals: Restaurants Pfistermühle, Ayinger am Platzl and Josefa in the house; children's breakfast €14 (ages 6–12) Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Spa, Gym, Restaurant, Minibar, Parking, EV charging, Accessible rooms Best for: couples, families, step-free stays Price from: €209 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.platzl.de/ Summary: Platzl suits travellers who want a full-service hotel with a spa between the Marienplatz market and the Residenz Christmas village. The suites are not barrier-free, so step-free travellers should book one of the three Deluxe doubles with an adapted bathroom. The hotel stands right on the Platzl, the little square in the old town that gives it its name, and the Ayinger am Platzl inn, the Pfistermühle restaurant and Josefa belong to the same house. A Classic Queen double starts at €209, a Classic double at €219, a Superior at €239 and a Deluxe at €259, and the hotel says those figures are its lowest unrestricted rates. The spa, the gym and a minibar stocked on arrival come with every room. Rooms are guaranteed from 15:00 and you keep them until noon, with each extra hour at €15. Book 30 days ahead and the hotel takes €20 off each night. Children under six eat breakfast free and those from six to 12 pay €14. The public garage underneath charges €30 a day and takes no reservations, and charging an electric car there is free for guests. Tips: - Join the free MeiPlatzl club before you book direct for a further €20 off the stay. Q: How much does Platzl Hotel cost? A: Prices at Platzl Hotel start at €209 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Platzl Hotel? A: Platzl Hotel: Restaurants Pfistermühle, Ayinger am Platzl and Josefa in the house; children's breakfast €14 (ages 6–12). Q: What does Platzl Hotel have? A: Platzl Hotel lists spa, gym, restaurant, minibar, parking, ev charging, accessible rooms. Q: Who is Platzl Hotel good for? A: Platzl Hotel suits couples, families, step-free stays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.platzl.de/kontakt-buchung/hotelinformationen https://www.platzl.de/zimmer-angebote/doppelzimmer https://www.platzl.de/zimmer-angebote/angebote https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/riquewihr-hotel-a-l-oriel Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel à l'Oriel (fr) Also known as: Hotel Oriel Riquewihr, Hôtel à l'Oriel Riquewihr Region: Alsace Area: Riquewihr walled village City: Riquewihr Address: 3 rue des Écuries Seigneuriales, 68340 Riquewihr Coordinates: 48.16680, 7.29890 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's site lists no nightly rates and no star category. Meals: Buffet breakfast; bar and lounge Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 22 Amenities: Parking, Lift, Bar, Luggage storage, Family rooms Best for: couples, drivers Website: https://www.hotel-oriel.com/ Summary: Hôtel à l'Oriel suits couples who want a half-timbered house inside Riquewihr's walls with a few private parking spaces. December bookings from 27 November to 31 December 2026 are non-refundable. L'Oriel has 22 rooms in an old half-timbered house in the medieval centre. Every room has its own decoration, and a romantic suite sits in a quieter annex. A lift serves 15 of the 22 rooms. Breakfast is a buffet of local produce, and there is a bar with a lounge. Staff will book tables at partner restaurants in the village. The hotel's 13 private parking spaces cost €20 a night from the last Friday of November to 31 December. Rooms are ready between 15:00 and 18:00, and the hotel keeps bags before check-in and for a few hours after checkout. Riquewihr has no railway station. Bus line 16 runs from Colmar, and the Christmas shuttles run from Colmar station on market weekends. Tips: - Reserve a parking space when you book. The hotel has 13 spaces for 22 rooms. - Tell the hotel your arrival time if you will be outside 15:00 to 18:00. Q: Can I cancel a December stay at Hôtel à l'Oriel? A: No. From 27 November to 31 December 2026 Hôtel à l'Oriel takes only non-cancellable, non-refundable bookings. Q: Does Hôtel à l'Oriel have a lift? A: Yes, for most rooms. The lift at Hôtel à l'Oriel serves 15 of its 22 rooms. Q: Are meals included at Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr? A: Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr: Buffet breakfast; bar and lounge. Q: What does Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr have? A: Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr lists parking, lift, bar, luggage storage, family rooms. Q: Who is Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr good for? A: Hotel a l'Oriel Riquewihr suits couples, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-oriel.com/ https://www.hotel-oriel.com/conditions-vente-hotel-oriel-riquewihr.asp https://www.hotel-oriel.com/services-hotel-oriel-riquewihr.asp https://www.hotel-oriel.com/presentation-hotel-oriel-riquewihr.asp https://www.noel-colmar.com/fr/ribeauville-riquewihr/decouvrir/marche-de-noel-riquewihr https://noel-colmar.com/fr/navettes-de-noel https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/7407667785 ### Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/riquewihr-hotel-de-la-couronne Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel de la Couronne (fr) Also known as: La Couronne Riquewihr, Hôtel La Couronne Riquewihr Region: Alsace Area: Riquewihr walled village City: Riquewihr Address: 5 rue de la Couronne, 68340 Riquewihr Coordinates: 48.16640, 7.29790 Kind: Hotel From: €68 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel lists one nightly rate per room type with no season attached. Breakfast and the tourist tax are extra. Meals: Buffet breakfast 08:00–10:00, €16 an adult; express breakfast at the bar 07:15–11:00 Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 41 Amenities: Parking, Ev charging, Bike storage, Bar, Pets allowed Best for: budget travellers, families, drivers Price from: €68 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.hoteldelacouronne.com/fr/ Summary: Hôtel de la Couronne suits budget travellers who want to sleep inside Riquewihr's walls with parking on site. Riquewihr has no train station, so you drive or take the bus from Colmar. La Couronne is a 3-star hotel in a 16th-century building in the middle of the walled village. Its 41 rooms are spread across several houses. Standard doubles start at €68 a night on the hotel's rate page, and the duplex suite sleeps up to five. Rooms under the roof have mobile air conditioning, and the rest have fans. The private car park sits under big trees in the village centre and is open around the clock for €7 a day. It has two charging points. Reception is open from 07:00 to 23:00, and a buffet breakfast runs from 08:00 to 10:00. Bus line 16 links Colmar with Riquewihr, and the Christmas shuttle lines run from Colmar station on market weekends. Tips: - In the Christmas market period you can cancel free up to 15 days before arrival. After that the hotel charges the whole stay. - Arrive between 14:00 and 22:00, and phone ahead if you will be later. Q: Does Hôtel de la Couronne in Riquewihr have parking? A: Yes. Hôtel de la Couronne has a private car park in the village centre, open 24 hours, at €7 a day. Q: How much is Hôtel de la Couronne in Riquewihr? A: Hôtel de la Couronne lists Standard doubles from €68 a night, Charme rooms from €99 and suites from €147 on its own rate page. Q: Are meals included at Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr? A: Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr: Buffet breakfast 08:00–10:00, €16 an adult; express breakfast at the bar 07:15–11:00. Q: What does Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr have? A: Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr lists parking, ev charging, bike storage, bar, pets allowed. Q: Who is Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr good for? A: Hotel de la Couronne Riquewihr suits budget travellers, families, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hoteldelacouronne.com/fr/ https://www.hoteldelacouronne.com/fr/hotel-historique-dans-village-alsacien/chambres-et-suites-au-coeur-de-riquewihr https://hoteldelacouronne.com/fr/services-sejour-riquewihr https://www.hoteldelacouronne.com/index.php/fr/conditions https://www.noel-colmar.com/fr/ribeauville-riquewihr/decouvrir/marche-de-noel-riquewihr https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/13198309518 ### Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/riquewihr-le-schoenenbourg Type: Stay Local name: Best Western Plus Hôtel & Spa Le Schoenenbourg (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Le Schoenenbourg, Best Western Plus Le Schoenenbourg Region: Alsace Area: Below Riquewihr's ramparts, by the vines City: Riquewihr Address: 2A rue de la Piscine, 68340 Riquewihr Coordinates: 48.16710, 7.30120 Kind: Hotel From: €107 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel publishes a 2026 rate card with a minimum and maximum for each room type. The tourist tax of €1.50 and breakfast are extra. Meals: Breakfast buffet €21; Séquoia restaurant Rooms: 69 Amenities: Indoor pool, Spa, Restaurant, Bar, Lift, Garage, Pets allowed Best for: families, spa lovers, quiet sleepers Price from: €107 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://hotel-schoenenbourg.fr/fr/ Summary: Le Schoenenbourg suits families and spa lovers who want a calm 4-star base with an indoor pool in Riquewihr. It stands outside the walls at the foot of the ramparts, so the half-timbered lanes are a walk through the gate. The hotel stands at the foot of the ramparts beside the Schoenenbourg Grand Cru vineyard. Its 69 rooms and suites look over the vines or the village. Rooms range from 16-square-metre Standards to duplexes of up to 52 square metres, and connecting rooms are available. An indoor pool and wellness area keep set hours for children under 16, from 08:00 to 10:00 and 14:00 to 18:00. The 2026 rate card gives each room type a minimum and a maximum, and a Classique room runs from €107 to €317. The Séquoia restaurant serves a set menu on the evening of 24 December 2026 and closes on 25 and 31 December. Bus line 68R016 from Colmar station stops 200 metres from the hotel. Tips: - Plan your 25 and 31 December dinners elsewhere. The hotel restaurant closes on both nights in 2026. - Dogs stay free. They can go in the rooms and the bar and must stay out of the dining rooms and the spa. - Four third-floor rooms are reached only by stairs from the second floor. Q: Is the Schoenenbourg restaurant open at Christmas 2026? A: Partly. The Séquoia restaurant serves a set menu on 24 December 2026 and is closed on 25 and 31 December 2026. Q: How do I reach Le Schoenenbourg in Riquewihr by public transport? A: Take bus line 68R016 from Colmar station. It stops 200 metres from the hotel. Q: How much is Le Schoenenbourg in 2026? A: Le Schoenenbourg's 2026 rate card lists a Classique room from €107 to €317 a night and duplexes from €214 to €494. Q: Are meals included at Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr? A: Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr: Breakfast buffet €21; Séquoia restaurant. Q: What does Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr have? A: Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr lists indoor pool, spa, restaurant, bar, lift, garage, pets allowed. Q: Who is Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr good for? A: Le Schoenenbourg Riquewihr suits families, spa lovers, quiet sleepers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-schoenenbourg.fr/fr/ https://hotel-schoenenbourg.fr/fr/chambres.html https://hotel-schoenenbourg.fr/media/original/608be1653e713/tarif-chambres-2026.pdf https://hotel-schoenenbourg.fr/fr/situation-acces.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/73044236 ### Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/romantik-hotel-im-weissen-rossl-st-wolfgang Type: Stay Also known as: Weisses Rössl, White Horse Inn St Wolfgang, Im Weissen Rössl Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Markt City: St Wolfgang Address: Markt 74, 5360 St. Wolfgang Coordinates: 47.73781, 13.44824 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel quotes its Rössl packages from €280 a person for one night. It describes itself as a 4-star superior hotel. Meals: Breakfast; gourmet restaurant Poll's Kaiserterrasse Amenities: Indoor pool, Spa, Gourmet restaurant, Lake view balconies, Parking Best for: couples, slow travellers, food lovers Website: https://www.weissesroessl.at/en/ Summary: Couples who want lake-view balconies right beside the St Wolfgang Advent market should book the White Horse Inn. Its Advent package needs at least two nights, and packages start at €280 a person a night. This is the inn from Ralph Benatzky's operetta and the Peter Alexander film, and it sits on the lakefront in St Wolfgang. Many rooms stand right on the shore, and the hotel compares its balconies to a cruise ship deck. The Advent market fills the Marktplatz a few steps away, and boats link it with the markets in Strobl and St Gilgen. Hermann Poll cooks at the gourmet restaurant Poll's Kaiserterrasse, which looks over the lake. The hotel's Advent offer includes festive treats and a boat trip to the Advent villages, and it books for a minimum of two nights. Direct bookings get one free parking place per room. Tips: - Pick a Rössl room with balcony for the widest lake view; the Nostalgia singles have only a partial view. - Reserve Poll's Kaiserterrasse ahead on +43 6138 2306 66. Q: Are meals included at Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl? A: Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl: Breakfast; gourmet restaurant Poll's Kaiserterrasse. Q: What does Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl have? A: Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl lists indoor pool, spa, gourmet restaurant, lake view balconies, parking. Q: Who is Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl good for? A: Romantik Hotel Im Weissen Rossl suits couples, slow travellers, food lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weissesroessl.at/en/ https://www.weissesroessl.at/en/residential/packages-offers/advent-offers.html https://www.weissesroessl.at/en/explore/advent-christmas/advent-lake-wolfgang.html https://www.weissesroessl.at/en/residental/our-rooms.html ### Romantik Hotel Markusturm URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/romantik-hotel-markusturm-rothenburg Type: Stay Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, Rödergasse City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Rödergasse 1, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37720, 10.18140 Kind: Hotel From: €180 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Meals: Restaurant in the house; breakfast for apartment guests €10 Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:30 Amenities: Restaurant, Valet parking, Luggage service, Apartment Best for: couples, drivers Price from: €180 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.markusturm.de/ Summary: Romantik Hotel Markusturm suits couples who want a family-run house beside the old Markus gate tower, where staff park the car and carry the bags. The listed building has no lift, so every room is up the stairs. The house goes back to the 13th century and takes its name from the Markusturm, the old town gate it leans against, a short way east of the Marktplatz. The Berger family runs it in the fourth and fifth generations. Each room is different. Some have a canopy bed, one has a tiled stove, and one has a bathtub set against the town wall. A Classic room costs €180 a night, a Superior €220 and a Deluxe €270. Because there's no lift, staff take your luggage up and park your car on the hotel's own lot 190 metres away. Check-in starts at 14:00, and the hotel says you can keep the room until about 11:30 and leave the car and bags with them all day. The restaurant in the house closes one day a week on a changing day, so book a table by 17:30. An apartment in the Goldene Ringgasse sleeps up to five, from €170 for two, with breakfast in the hotel at €10 a head. Tips: - Cancel free up to 72 hours before arrival on a direct booking. - Dogs pay a €16 cleaning fee a night. Q: How much does Romantik Hotel Markusturm cost? A: Prices at Romantik Hotel Markusturm start at €180 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Romantik Hotel Markusturm? A: Romantik Hotel Markusturm: Restaurant in the house; breakfast for apartment guests €10. Q: What does Romantik Hotel Markusturm have? A: Romantik Hotel Markusturm lists restaurant, valet parking, luggage service, apartment. Q: Who is Romantik Hotel Markusturm good for? A: Romantik Hotel Markusturm suits couples, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.markusturm.de/faq.html https://www.markusturm.de/rooms.html https://www.markusturm.de/contact.html https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Schlossberghotel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/schlossberghotel-graz Type: Stay Also known as: Schlossberghotel Graz, Schlossberg Kunst Hotel Region: Graz and Styria Area: Innere Stadt City: Graz Address: Kaiser-Franz-Josef-Kai 30, 8010 Graz Coordinates: 47.07433, 15.43534 Kind: Hotel From: €140 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: From-rates on the hotel's site: single €125, double €140, Double Superior €155, Junior Suite €185, suite €215 and Executive Suite €280. Meals: Breakfast buffet €28 a person; soups and snacks at the bar around the clock; no restaurant Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Free luggage storage, Bar, Parking service, Ev charging, Air conditioning, Apartments, Pool Best for: art lovers, couples, families Price from: €140 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.schlossberghotel.at/en/ Summary: Art lovers who want the Schlossberg market overhead and the Hauptplatz a short walk away will love this art hotel on the Mur. It has no restaurant, and breakfast costs €28 a person. The Schlossberghotel leans against the foot of the Schlossberg on the Mur embankment, in a house the owners trace back more than 500 years. Contemporary art hangs beside antiques in every room, and double rooms start at 20 square metres. The Aufsteirern market on the Schlossberg is right above you, and the Hauptplatz and Franziskanerviertel markets are a short walk south. Reception is staffed around the clock and stores luggage free before check-in and after check-out. Breakfast is a buffet of regional and organic food, served 06:30 to 10:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends. The hotel bar serves soups and snacks at any hour, and room service comes from the neighbouring restaurant KLYO on selected days. The parking service costs €26 a night. Tips: - The standard rate cancels free until 14:00 the day before arrival. - Families should ask for a Superior double with a connecting door or one of the eight apartments opposite. Q: How much does Schlossberghotel cost? A: Prices at Schlossberghotel start at €140 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Schlossberghotel? A: Schlossberghotel: Breakfast buffet €28 a person; soups and snacks at the bar around the clock; no restaurant. Q: What does Schlossberghotel have? A: Schlossberghotel lists 24 hour reception, free luggage storage, bar, parking service, ev charging, air conditioning, apartments, pool. Q: Who is Schlossberghotel good for? A: Schlossberghotel suits art lovers, couples, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.schlossberghotel.at/en/ https://www.schlossberghotel.at/en/faq https://www.schlossberghotel.at/en/rooms ### Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/seaside-park-hotel-leipzig Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Zentrum, Richard-Wagner-Straße City: Leipzig Address: Richard-Wagner-Straße 7, 04109 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.34340, 12.37890 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages; its four-star grading doesn't set a price band, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Breakfast buffet; STEAKTRAIN restaurant; bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Air conditioning, Parking, Minibar Best for: rail travellers, couples, business travellers Website: https://www.parkhotelleipzig.de/ Summary: Seaside Park suits rail travellers who want a four-star room facing the main station, with the Markt and its Christmas market a short walk south. Standard rooms run 16 to 21 square metres, which is tight for a family. The Park Hotel stands on Richard-Wagner-Straße, which the hotel puts 200 metres from the Hauptbahnhof and 200 metres from the Nikolaikirche. Standard rooms have soundproof windows, air conditioning, a minibar and a safe, with doubles on 1.60- or 1.80-metre beds. Superior rooms, Junior Suites and Suites give more space. Breakfast runs from 06:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and from 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends and on holidays. The STEAKTRAIN restaurant and a hotel bar are in the house. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00. Tips: - Leipzig adds a guest tax of 5 percent per person and night to hotel bills. Q: Are meals included at Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig? A: Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig: Breakfast buffet; STEAKTRAIN restaurant; bar. Q: What does Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig have? A: Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig lists restaurant, bar, air conditioning, parking, minibar. Q: Who is Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig good for? A: Seaside Park Hotel Leipzig suits rail travellers, couples, business travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.parkhotelleipzig.de/ https://www.parkhotelleipzig.de/zimmer/standard/ https://www.parkhotelleipzig.de/kontakt/ https://www.parkhotelleipzig.de/haeufig-gestellte-fragen/ https://www.hotel-fregehaus.de/service https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Seehotel Gruner Baum URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/seehotel-gruner-baum-hallstatt Type: Stay Also known as: Gruener Baum Hallstatt, Grüner Baum Hallstatt Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Marktplatz City: Hallstatt Address: Marktplatz 104, 4830 Hallstatt Coordinates: 47.56245, 13.64966 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. Breakfast is included in the room charge. Meals: Breakfast included, 08:00–10:00; restaurant until 21:00 in winter Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Lake terrace, Wellness area, Breakfast included, Shuttle from car park Best for: couples, photographers Website: https://www.gruenerbaum.cc/en/ Summary: Couples who want to look down on Hallstatt's market square from a balcony can book exactly that here. Hallstatt's own market is listed for a single day in 2026, so plan most Advent evenings in other towns on the lakes. The Grüner Baum has stood on Hallstatt's Marktplatz for about 500 years and now runs as a four-star superior boutique hotel. Its Market Square doubles have a balcony over the traffic-free square and the waterfall, and the lakeside suites have private terraces on the water. Rooms come with heated oak floors and Persian rugs. Breakfast is included and served from 08:00 to 10:00, and the restaurant stays open until 21:00 in winter. Hallstatt's Christmas market has one announced day in 2026, 8 December, so check the date before you build a trip around it. Drivers park in the P1 car park for €15 a day, and the Hallstatt Shuttle carries guests and bags to the hotel on arrival and departure days. Tips: - Hallstatt station is across the lake, and a boat links it to the village. - Tell reception if you will arrive after 18:00, because the desk closes at 22:00. Q: Are meals included at Seehotel Gruner Baum? A: Seehotel Gruner Baum: Breakfast included, 08:00–10:00; restaurant until 21:00 in winter. Q: What does Seehotel Gruner Baum have? A: Seehotel Gruner Baum lists restaurant, lake terrace, wellness area, breakfast included, shuttle from car park. Q: Who is Seehotel Gruner Baum good for? A: Seehotel Gruner Baum suits couples, photographers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gruenerbaum.cc/en/ https://www.gruenerbaum.cc/en/rooms-and-suites/ https://www.gruenerbaum.cc/en/useful-information/ https://www.hallstatt.net/unterkunftsverzeichnis/gasthoefe-und-hotels/ ### Seewirt Zauner URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/seewirt-zauner-hallstatt Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Zauner Hallstatt, Gasthof Zauner Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Marktplatz City: Hallstatt Address: Marktplatz 51, 4830 Hallstatt Coordinates: 47.56229, 13.64886 Kind: Hotel Prices: Room prices load only through the inn's booking engine. Meals: Breakfast; restaurant with Salzkammergut fish and game Rooms: 12 Amenities: Restaurant, Balconies, Free wifi Best for: food lovers, couples Website: https://www.seewirt-zauner.at/en/ Summary: Food lovers who want lake fish for dinner and a bed on the square should book one of this inn's 12 rooms. With so few rooms, book early for December. The Zauner family has hosted guests on Hallstatt's Marktplatz for more than 130 years, and the inn is still where the local marksmen and the costume society meet. Its 12 rooms look at either the lake or the mountains and are furnished in Swiss stone pine made by a local joiner. The restaurant is known in the village for Salzkammergut fish such as grilled Reinanke (lake whitefish), and for game from the Dachstein. Breakfast can be taken in the breakfast room or out in the small garden on the square. Tips: - A free shuttle runs from the car park to the market square. - The inn answers phone questions about arrival from 08:00 to 18:00. Q: Are meals included at Seewirt Zauner? A: Seewirt Zauner: Breakfast; restaurant with Salzkammergut fish and game. Q: What does Seewirt Zauner have? A: Seewirt Zauner lists restaurant, balconies, free wifi. Q: Who is Seewirt Zauner good for? A: Seewirt Zauner suits food lovers, couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.seewirt-zauner.at/en/ https://www.seewirt-zauner.at/de/seewirt-zauner/hotel-zauner-hallstatt.html https://www.seewirt-zauner.at/en/hotel/things-to-know-hotel.html ### SORAT Hotel Saxx URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/sorat-hotel-saxx-nuremberg Type: Stay Local name: SORAT Hotel Saxx Nürnberg (de) Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt, St. Sebald City: Nuremberg Address: Hauptmarkt 17 (entrance Waaggasse 7), 90403 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45440, 11.07630 Kind: Hotel From: €93.50 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel quotes a best price from €93.50 for a double. Breakfast costs €17 a person on top. Meals: Breakfast buffet €17 a guest, children up to 12 free; lobby bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 103 Amenities: Breakfast buffet, Bar, Air conditioning, Parking, Accessible room Best for: couples, first-timers, step-free stays Price from: €93.50 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.sorat-hotels.com/en/hotel/nuernberg.html Summary: SORAT Hotel Saxx suits anyone who wants to wake up over the Christkindlesmarkt, because its Junior Suites look across the Hauptmarkt to the Frauenkirche. The cheapest Classic Queen rooms measure 15 to 17 square metres and face the yard or Waaggasse, so the view costs you a category upgrade. The hotel stands on the Hauptmarkt itself, with its door round the corner on Waaggasse, and its breakfast room looks out through a full glass front onto the square. It has 103 rooms. All nine Junior Suites face the Hauptmarkt and the Frauenkirche, and some of the 32 Comfort King rooms face the square too. The hotel counts 200 metres to the Lorenzkirche U-Bahn stop, and the U1 runs there straight from the main station. Breakfast is a buffet at €17 for hotel guests, with little Nuremberg sausages and coffee from a roastery in town, and children up to 12 eat free. The rooms have air conditioning. The hotel took minibars and kettles out of the rooms, and reception lends a kettle if you ask. Its small garage takes cars up to 1.90 metres high at €17 a day and can't be reserved. Tips: - Ask for a Junior Suite or a Hauptmarkt-side Comfort King when you book, since Classic Queen rooms face the yard or Waaggasse. - Vans and tall cars park in the public Parkhaus Hauptmarkt opposite, which charges €18 a day. Q: How much does SORAT Hotel Saxx cost? A: Prices at SORAT Hotel Saxx start at €93.50 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at SORAT Hotel Saxx? A: SORAT Hotel Saxx: Breakfast buffet €17 a guest, children up to 12 free; lobby bar. Q: What does SORAT Hotel Saxx have? A: SORAT Hotel Saxx lists breakfast buffet, bar, air conditioning, parking, accessible room. Q: Who is SORAT Hotel Saxx good for? A: SORAT Hotel Saxx suits couples, first-timers, step-free stays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sorat-hotels.com/en/hotel/nuernberg.html https://www.sorat-hotels.com/en/hotel/nuernberg/dining.html https://www.sorat-hotels.com/en/hotel/nuernberg/service.html https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/sorat-insel-hotel-regensburg Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Stadtamhof, on the Danube City: Regensburg Address: Müllerstraße 7, 93059 Regensburg Coordinates: 49.02280, 12.09490 Kind: Hotel From: €112.50 per room per night (2026) Price: € Meals: Restaurant with Danube terrace; lobby bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 75 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Sauna, Massage, Pets welcome Best for: couples, views Price from: €112.50 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.sorat-hotels.com/en/hotel/regensburg.html Summary: SORAT Insel-Hotel suits couples who want the classic view back across the Danube to the Stone Bridge and the cathedral, from a quiet island in the river. The markets sit on the far bank, so every evening out starts and ends with a walk across the water. The hotel fills a listed former workshop, the old Brandner manufactory, on an island in the Danube, and its interiors borrow the look of a 1930s ocean liner. It has 75 non-smoking rooms. The Danube-side rooms face the Stone Bridge, the old town and the cathedral. The restaurant opens onto a terrace over the river, the lobby bar has a balcony, and a small wellness area has a sauna and massage. A double starts at €112.50 on the hotel's best-price panel. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by 11:00. Pets are welcome at €10 a night. Tips: - Ask for a Comfort Danube Side room to get the view of the old town. Q: How much does SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg cost? A: Prices at SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg start at €112.50 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg? A: SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg: Restaurant with Danube terrace; lobby bar. Q: What does SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg have? A: SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg lists restaurant, bar, sauna, massage, pets welcome. Q: Who is SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg good for? A: SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg suits couples, views. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sorat-hotels.com/en/hotel/regensburg.html https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/stadthotel-goldenes-schiff-bad-ischl Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Goldenes Schiff Bad Ischl Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Town centre City: Bad Ischl Address: Adalbert-Stifter-Kai 3, 4820 Bad Ischl Coordinates: 47.71048, 13.62228 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel's own pages show no room rates. Meals: Breakfast 07:00–11:00; Trauntown restaurant 13:00–00:00 Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Sauna, Steam bath, Fitness room, Free luggage lockers, Free wifi Best for: families, slow travellers, older travellers Website: https://www.goldenes-schiff.at/en/ Summary: Families and slow travellers who want a calmer Salzkammergut base than Hallstatt should stay here on the Traun in central Bad Ischl. You give up the lake views, and dogs over 10 kg cannot come. The Goldenes Schiff has taken guests on the Traun since 1821, and its rooms look across the river to the Katrin and the Lehár Villa. The artisans' market at the Trinkhalle is a short walk into town. Breakfast runs 07:00 to 11:00 every day, and the Trauntown restaurant opens from 13:00 to midnight. The wellness floor has several saunas and steam baths, and the town's thermal spa is close for swimming. Tips: - Free lockers in the lobby hold luggage after check-out. - The Contipark at Salinenplatz 1 charges €8 a day. - Dogs under 10 kg stay for €18 a night. Q: Are meals included at Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff? A: Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff: Breakfast 07:00–11:00; Trauntown restaurant 13:00–00:00. Q: What does Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff have? A: Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff lists restaurant, sauna, steam bath, fitness room, free luggage lockers, free wifi. Q: Who is Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff good for? A: Stadthotel Goldenes Schiff suits families, slow travellers, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.goldenes-schiff.at/en/ https://www.goldenes-schiff.at/en/hotel-goldenes-schiff-faq/ ### CIARUS Strasbourg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/strasbourg-ciarus Type: Stay Local name: CIARUS (fr) Also known as: Ciarus hostel Strasbourg, CIARUS auberge de jeunesse Region: Alsace Area: Finkmatt, between the station and the Grande Île City: Strasbourg Address: 7 rue Finkmatt, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.58930, 7.74740 Kind: Hostel From: €120 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: CIARUS lists from-rates per room type with no season or year attached. Meals: Continental breakfast included; self-service lunch restaurant Rooms: 91 Amenities: Luggage storage, Restaurant, Wheelchair accessible, 24 hour reception, Wifi, Cots Best for: families, groups, budget travellers, wheelchair users Price from: €120 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.ciarus.com/ Summary: CIARUS suits families and solo travellers who want a private room or a bed in central Strasbourg at hostel prices. Rooms are built around bunks and single beds, and the cheapest private room is a triple from €120 a night. CIARUS is a non-profit hostel on rue Finkmatt with 91 rooms and 309 beds. It sits roughly halfway between the station and the European institutions. Every room has its own bathroom, beds are made before you arrive, and continental breakfast is included. The four-bed and five-bed rooms take families easily, and a superior four-bed room has a 180-centimetre double bed with two singles. CIARUS has held the Tourisme et Handicap label since 2002. All its indoor and outdoor spaces are wheelchair-accessible, and four rooms are fully adapted. Two parking spaces are kept for direct access to reception, and room numbers carry Braille. Tips: - Solo travellers can book a single bed in a women-only or men-only shared room from €35. - Reception is open around the clock, so a late train into Strasbourg is no problem. Q: Is CIARUS in Strasbourg good for families? A: Yes. CIARUS has private rooms for three to five people with their own bathrooms, cots on request, and breakfast included for everyone in the room. Q: Is CIARUS wheelchair-accessible? A: Yes. CIARUS says all its indoor and outdoor spaces are accessible, it has four adapted rooms, and it has held the Tourisme et Handicap label since 2002. Q: How much does CIARUS Strasbourg cost? A: Prices at CIARUS Strasbourg start at €120 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at CIARUS Strasbourg? A: CIARUS Strasbourg: Continental breakfast included; self-service lunch restaurant. Q: What does CIARUS Strasbourg have? A: CIARUS Strasbourg lists luggage storage, restaurant, wheelchair accessible, 24 hour reception, wifi, cots. Q: Who is CIARUS Strasbourg good for? A: CIARUS Strasbourg suits families, groups, budget travellers, wheelchair users. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ciarus.com/ https://www.ciarus.com/nos-chambres/ https://www.ciarus.com/hebergement/ https://www.ciarus.com/hebergement/les-familles/ https://www.ciarus.com/hebergement/les-backpackers/ https://www.ciarus.com/conditions-generales-de-vente/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4459529189 ### Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/strasbourg-hotel-cathedrale Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Cathédrale (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Cathédrale Strasbourg, Hotel de la Cathedrale Strasbourg Region: Alsace Area: Grande Île, Place de la Cathédrale City: Strasbourg Address: 12-13 place de la Cathédrale, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.58180, 7.74970 Kind: Hotel From: €165 per room per night (2026) Price: €€ Prices: The hotel lists one rate per room type with no season or year. A tourist tax of €2.45 per adult per day is paid at check-out. Meals: Breakfast buffet 07:00–10:00, until 10:30 at weekends; bar Check-in: 14:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 47 Amenities: Luggage storage, Bar, Air conditioning, Lift, Wifi Best for: couples, first-timers, market-view seekers Price from: €165 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€ Website: https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/ Summary: Hôtel Cathédrale suits couples who want to wake up facing Strasbourg Cathedral and the Maison Kammerzell during the Christmas market. Its 16 Vue Cathédrale rooms cost €345 a night on the hotel's rate page, and a December booking takes a non-refundable first night. The house was the bishop's seat in the Renaissance and later a coaching inn, and it sits directly across the square from the cathedral's west front. Sixteen Vue Cathédrale rooms look onto the parvis between the Maison Kammerzell and the cathedral. Twenty-five Cosy rooms face the old Renaissance courtyard or sit under the roof beams, and six small Économique rooms open onto an atrium at €165 on the hotel's rate page. Breakfast runs from 07:00 to 10:00 (10:30 at weekends) in salons that look out at the square, with kougelhopf on the buffet. Place de la Cathédrale is one of the market sites on the city's Christmas programme, so a front room puts the chalets right under the window. The parvis is pedestrian, and cars can reach the door only before 10:30 on departure day. The hotel names Parking Gutenberg as the closest car park, 75 metres from the door. Tips: - Ask for a Vue Cathédrale room by name. The Cosy rooms are quieter and look over the courtyard or the roofs. - From the last weekend of November to 2 January the hotel takes the first night as a deposit when you book, and it keeps that deposit whatever the date you cancel. - The hotel calls access difficult for wheelchair users. About twenty steps lead from reception to the first floor, and the lift starts there. Q: Does Hôtel Cathédrale in Strasbourg have rooms facing the Christmas market? A: Yes. Its 16 Vue Cathédrale rooms face the cathedral square, which is one of the Strasbourg Christmas market's sites, and they cost €345 for a double on the hotel's rate page. Q: Can I cancel a December booking at Hôtel Cathédrale? A: Only at the cost of your first night. From the last weekend of November to 2 January the hotel charges the first night as a deposit at booking and refunds none of it, whenever you cancel. Q: Is Hôtel Cathédrale step-free? A: No. Reception sits about twenty steps below the first floor with no lift between them, and a lift serves the upper floors from there. Q: How much does Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg cost? A: Prices at Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg start at €165 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg? A: Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg: Breakfast buffet 07:00–10:00, until 10:30 at weekends; bar. Q: What does Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg have? A: Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg lists luggage storage, bar, air conditioning, lift, wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg good for? A: Hotel Cathedrale Strasbourg suits couples, first-timers, market-view seekers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/ https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/portfolio-item/vue-cathedrale/ https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/portfolio-item/cosy/ https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/portfolio-item/economique/ https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/portfolio-item/petit-dejeuner/ https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/cgv https://www.hotel-cathedrale.fr/contact/ https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1574659065 ### Hotel Patricia Strasbourg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/strasbourg-hotel-patricia Type: Stay Local name: Hôtel Patricia Strasbourg Hyper-Centre (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Patricia, Hotel Patricia Strasbourg Hyper Centre Region: Alsace Area: Grande Île, near La Petite France City: Strasbourg Address: 1A rue du Puits, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.57970, 7.74690 Kind: Hotel From: €59 per room per night (2024) Price: € Prices: The hotel publishes indicative ranges dated 1 August 2024, with the tourist tax of €0.88 per person per night included. Meals: No breakfast on site; breakfast at a partner café nearby Amenities: Luggage storage, Wifi, Shared bathrooms Best for: budget travellers, solo travellers, walkers Price from: €59 per room per night (2024) Price band: € Website: https://www.hotelpatricia.fr/ Summary: Hôtel Patricia suits budget travellers who want to walk everywhere in central Strasbourg from a quiet lane. The cheapest rooms share showers and toilets on the landing, and there is no breakfast room in the house. Hôtel Patricia is a plain hotel in a 16th-century building on rue du Puits, which the hotel calls a calm lane. It sits between the cathedral quarter and La Petite France and stands back from the market squares. Rooms come with a private shower and toilet or with a washbasin only, and the shared rooms use one toilet per floor with the shower on the top floor. The rate table runs from €53 for a single with shared facilities to €290 for a quadruple with its own bathroom, and the hotel dates those figures to 1 August 2024. Breakfast is served at a partner café nearby. There is a free luggage room, and a paid secure garage for bikes and motorbikes sits close by. Tips: - Book a room with its own shower and toilet if you are travelling as a couple in December. The shared-bath rooms are the cheapest, and the shower is on the top floor. - The hotel says its direct rates beat third-party sites, and its specials are posted on its Facebook and Instagram pages. Q: How much is Hôtel Patricia in Strasbourg? A: Hôtel Patricia's indicative rates run from €59 to €170 for a double with shared facilities and from €71 to €235 for a double with private shower and toilet. The hotel dates those rates to 1 August 2024 and says they can change. Q: Does Hôtel Patricia serve breakfast? A: No. Breakfast is available at a partner café close to the hotel. Q: What does Hotel Patricia Strasbourg have? A: Hotel Patricia Strasbourg lists luggage storage, wifi, shared bathrooms. Q: Who is Hotel Patricia Strasbourg good for? A: Hotel Patricia Strasbourg suits budget travellers, solo travellers, walkers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotelpatricia.fr/ https://www.hotelpatricia.fr/chambres-tarifs/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2613090221 ### Les Haras Strasbourg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/strasbourg-les-haras Type: Stay Local name: Les Haras Hôtel (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Les Haras Strasbourg, Les Haras Hotel & Spa Region: Alsace Area: La Petite France edge, rue des Glacières City: Strasbourg Address: 23 rue des Glacières, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.57730, 7.74260 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: No rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 4-star category. Meals: Brasserie des Haras on site Check-in: 16:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 115 Amenities: Spa, Indoor pool, Fitness, Restaurant, Parking, Ev charging Best for: couples, spa lovers, quiet sleepers Price band: €€€ Website: https://les-haras-hotel.com/fr/ Summary: Les Haras suits couples who want a calm 4-star base with a spa and pool a short walk from La Petite France. It sits outside the main market squares, so every evening at the chalets starts with a walk back in. The hotel fills the old national stud farm, whose façades, roofs, gateway and great stable are listed historic monuments. Patrick Jouin and Sanjit Manku designed the interiors in wood and leather, and the 115 rooms and suites line a courtyard with century-old trees. The newer wing added 60 rooms, and the hotel has a spa with an indoor pool. The Brasserie des Haras is on site. Rooms are ready from 16:00 and must be cleared by 12:00. The hotel has outdoor parking and a closed garage at extra cost, booked ahead. Tips: - Book the garage with the room if you are driving. The hotel says spaces depend on availability. - Check-in is late at 16:00, so plan an afternoon at the cathedral market before you get the key. Q: Is Les Haras in Strasbourg quiet? A: Yes. The hotel describes itself as calm and sits around a tree-lined courtyard at the edge of La Petite France, away from the Christmas market squares. Q: What time is check-in at Les Haras? A: Check-in at Les Haras starts at 16:00 and check-out is by 12:00, according to the group's terms of sale. Q: Are meals included at Les Haras Strasbourg? A: Les Haras Strasbourg: Brasserie des Haras on site. Q: What does Les Haras Strasbourg have? A: Les Haras Strasbourg lists spa, indoor pool, fitness, restaurant, parking, ev charging. Q: Who is Les Haras Strasbourg good for? A: Les Haras Strasbourg suits couples, spa lovers, quiet sleepers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://les-haras-hotel.com/fr/ https://les-haras-hotel.com/fr/chambres-suites/ https://les-haras-hotel.com/fr/acces-quartier/ https://les-haras-hotel.com/fr/conditions-generales-de-vente/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2556379966 ### Maison Rouge Strasbourg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/strasbourg-maison-rouge Type: Stay Local name: Maison Rouge Strasbourg Hotel & Spa, Autograph Collection (fr) Also known as: Hôtel Maison Rouge Strasbourg, Maison Rouge Autograph Collection Region: Alsace Area: Grande Île, off Place Kléber City: Strasbourg Address: 4 rue des Francs-Bourgeois, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.58220, 7.74600 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€€ Prices: No room rate is published on the hotel's site. The tier follows the hotel's stated 5-star category. Meals: Le 1387 restaurant and bar; breakfast and Sunday brunch in the Salons Mistinguett Check-in: 16:00, out by 12:00 Rooms: 131 Amenities: Spa, Restaurant, Bar, Room service, Parking, Fitness Best for: couples, celebrations, spa lovers Price band: €€€€ Website: https://www.maison-rouge.com/ Summary: Maison Rouge suits travellers who want a 5-star Art Deco hotel in the pedestrian centre near Place Kléber. Parking is the catch in December, when the Indigo Kléber car park closes for the whole market. Maison Rouge traces its name to 1387 and occupies the 1927 annex of the old Palace, renovated in a 1920s Art Deco style after new owners bought it in 2017. The 131 rooms and suites run from singles to the Suite Signature, and some look toward the cathedral. A 150-square-metre spa holds a hammam and a sauna, and its treatments use Alsace grapes and wine. For Christmas 2025 the lobby was dressed as Le Grand Voyage de Noël, with stacked old suitcases and a 1927 train named the Maison Rouge Express. Cabaret nights run on the first Saturday of each month and every Saturday of the market. Room service runs around the clock. Tips: - If you drive, book the hotel's private car park at €50 a day. The hotel says the Indigo Kléber car park is closed throughout the Christmas market and points guests to Parking Sébastopol Les Halles. - Tram stops Langstross/Grand Rue (A, D) and Homme de Fer (B, C, F) serve the hotel. Q: Does Maison Rouge Strasbourg have rooms with a cathedral view? A: Yes. The hotel says some of its 131 rooms and suites look onto Strasbourg Cathedral. Q: Where do I park at Maison Rouge during the Christmas market? A: Book the hotel's own car park, at €50 a day on confirmed reservation. The hotel says the Indigo Kléber car park is closed for the whole Christmas market. Q: Are meals included at Maison Rouge Strasbourg? A: Maison Rouge Strasbourg: Le 1387 restaurant and bar; breakfast and Sunday brunch in the Salons Mistinguett. Q: What does Maison Rouge Strasbourg have? A: Maison Rouge Strasbourg lists spa, restaurant, bar, room service, parking, fitness. Q: Who is Maison Rouge Strasbourg good for? A: Maison Rouge Strasbourg suits couples, celebrations, spa lovers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.maison-rouge.com/ https://www.maison-rouge.com/chambres-suites/ https://www.maison-rouge.com/acces-contacts/ https://www.maison-rouge.com/illustre-passe/ https://www.maison-rouge.com/noel-a-strasbourg-hotel-maison-rouge/ https://www.maison-rouge.com/agenda/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/597443410 ### Der Zauberlehrling URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/stuttgart-der-zauberlehrling Type: Stay Also known as: Zauberlehrling Stuttgart, Hotel Zauberlehrling Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Rosenstraße, Stuttgart-Mitte City: Stuttgart Address: Rosenstraße 38, 70182 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.77409, 9.18422 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its site. Meals: Gourmet restaurant in the hotel Rooms: 17 Amenities: Restaurant, Cooking school Best for: food lovers, couples, special occasions Website: https://www.zauberlehrling.de/ Summary: Der Zauberlehrling suits food lovers who want a tiny design hotel with a gourmet restaurant downstairs. It has only 17 rooms and suites, so December weekends go early, and the hotel publishes no rates. Karen and Axel Heldmann run this family hotel with 13 rooms and four suites across two houses. Every room has its own design, and the owners describe the place as a small world of cultures and styles. The gourmet restaurant is the heart of the house, and a cooking school runs classes in the same building. Rosenstraße lies south-east of Marktplatz. That puts the Christmas market's squares within walking distance, and the restaurant is there for dinner afterwards. Tips: - Book the restaurant when you book the room. The hotel also hosts guest-chef menu evenings. Q: Are meals included at Der Zauberlehrling? A: Der Zauberlehrling: Gourmet restaurant in the hotel. Q: What does Der Zauberlehrling have? A: Der Zauberlehrling lists restaurant, cooking school. Q: Who is Der Zauberlehrling good for? A: Der Zauberlehrling suits food lovers, couples, special occasions. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.zauberlehrling.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/324579428 ### Hotel Unger URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/stuttgart-hotel-unger Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Unger Stuttgart Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Kronenstraße, by the Hauptbahnhof City: Stuttgart Address: Kronenstraße 17, 70173 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.78248, 9.17833 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Meals: Breakfast buffet Amenities: Air conditioning, Parking, Wifi Best for: rail travellers, couples, older travellers Website: https://www.hotel-unger.de/ Summary: Hotel Unger suits travellers who want a quiet four-star room beside the Hauptbahnhof and a straight walk to the market. The hotel publishes no rates, and its garage spaces depend on availability. The Unger family hotel has welcomed guests since 1958 and holds four stars. Rooms are furnished in sustainably made wood and have quiet air conditioning. Works by Swabian artists hang everywhere from the cellar to the attic. Kronenstraße sits right beside the Hauptbahnhof and its S-Bahn. From there Königstraße leads down to Schlossplatz and the market squares. Tips: - The De Luxe category includes rooms with a balcony. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Unger? A: Hotel Unger: Breakfast buffet. Q: What does Hotel Unger have? A: Hotel Unger lists air conditioning, parking, wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Unger good for? A: Hotel Unger suits rail travellers, couples, older travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hotel-unger.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/90843416 ### Hotel Wartburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/stuttgart-hotel-wartburg Type: Stay Also known as: Hotel Wartburg Stuttgart Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Lange Straße, Stuttgart-Mitte City: Stuttgart Address: Lange Straße 49, 70174 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.77670, 9.17157 Kind: Hotel From: €89 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel lists 'from' rates by day of the week with no season. December rates may sit above these. Meals: Breakfast buffet Rooms: 74 Amenities: Parking, Ev charging, Wifi Best for: budget, couples, drivers Price from: €89 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://hotel-wartburg-stuttgart.de/ Summary: Hotel Wartburg suits budget travellers who want a central room close to the market squares at a published price. Weeknight doubles cost more than weekend ones. The Wartburg has 74 rooms in several categories, each furnished differently. Its site lists doubles from €89 on Friday to Monday nights and from €109 Monday to Thursday. You can rent a space in the hotel's underground garage and charge an electric car overnight. The hotel's blog covers the 2026 Christmas market, and the market squares around Schillerplatz are close by. Tips: - Arrive on a Friday and stay the weekend to get the lower rate the hotel lists for Friday to Monday. Q: How much is a room at Hotel Wartburg in Stuttgart? A: The hotel lists doubles from €89 a night Friday to Monday and from €109 Monday to Thursday, and singles from €75 and €95. Q: Are meals included at Hotel Wartburg? A: Hotel Wartburg: Breakfast buffet. Q: What does Hotel Wartburg have? A: Hotel Wartburg lists parking, ev charging, wifi. Q: Who is Hotel Wartburg good for? A: Hotel Wartburg suits budget, couples, drivers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hotel-wartburg-stuttgart.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/109931914 ### Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/stuttgart-motel-one-hauptbahnhof Type: Stay Also known as: Motel One Stuttgart Hbf Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Kriegsbergstraße, by the Hauptbahnhof City: Stuttgart Address: Kriegsbergstraße 32, 70174 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.78433, 9.17723 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel page shows no fixed rate. Stuttgart's tourist tax is €3.21 per guest per night. Meals: Breakfast from 06:00 on weekdays; lounge bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Luggage storage, 24h reception, Bar, Wifi Best for: budget, rail travellers, solo travellers Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/stuttgart/hotel-stuttgart-hauptbahnhof/ Summary: Motel One Hauptbahnhof suits budget rail travellers who want to step off the train and drop their bags. The hotel has no car park of its own, and its page shows no fixed rate. The hotel stands in the immediate vicinity of the main station, with the city centre a short walk away. Reception is staffed around the clock and luggage storage is free. Check-in is from 15:00 and check-out by noon. Stuttgart charges a tourist tax of €3.21 per guest per night, paid on arrival. The market squares lie at the far end of Königstraße from the station. Tips: - Park in a public garage, since the hotel has no underground car park of its own. Q: Are meals included at Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof? A: Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof: Breakfast from 06:00 on weekdays; lounge bar. Q: What does Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof have? A: Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof lists luggage storage, 24h reception, bar, wifi. Q: Who is Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof good for? A: Motel One Stuttgart-Hauptbahnhof suits budget, rail travellers, solo travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/stuttgart/hotel-stuttgart-hauptbahnhof/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/9739912984 ### Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/stuttgart-steigenberger-graf-zeppelin Type: Stay Also known as: Graf Zeppelin Stuttgart, Steigenberger Stuttgart Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Arnulf-Klett-Platz, opposite the Hauptbahnhof City: Stuttgart Address: Arnulf-Klett-Platz 7, 70173 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.78359, 9.17951 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates. Meals: Breakfast buffet, restaurant, bar and Davidoff lounge Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: Spa, Sauna, Gym, Restaurant, Bar, Online check in Best for: rail travellers, couples, business travellers Website: https://hrewards.com/en/steigenberger-graf-zeppelin-stuttgart Summary: Graf Zeppelin suits rail travellers who want a classic hotel right opposite the Hauptbahnhof. The hotel puts Schlossplatz about 900 m away, so the market is a walk down Königstraße each evening, and it lists no room rates. The hotel faces the listed main station across Arnulf-Klett-Platz. Its own figures put Schlossplatz at about 900 m and the opera house at 800 m. Rooms have soundproof windows. There is a restaurant and a bar, and a Davidoff lounge for cigars. The spa has a sauna and an aroma steam bath. Massages are on offer, and a fitness room sits beside it. Check-in opens at 15:00 and you can do it online beforehand, with check-out by noon. Tips: - Use online check-in to drop bags and head straight down Königstraße to the market. Q: Are meals included at Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin? A: Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin: Breakfast buffet, restaurant, bar and Davidoff lounge. Q: What does Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin have? A: Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin lists spa, sauna, gym, restaurant, bar, online check in. Q: Who is Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin good for? A: Steigenberger Graf Zeppelin suits rail travellers, couples, business travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://hrewards.com/en/steigenberger-graf-zeppelin-stuttgart https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/78748800 ### The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/the-cloud-one-wien-staatsoper Type: Stay Also known as: Motel One Wien-Staatsoper, Hotel Wien-Staatsoper Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Elisabethstraße 5, 1010 Wien Coordinates: 48.20159, 16.36798 Kind: Hotel From: €109 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel shows live rates only. Breakfast is booked separately. Meals: Optional breakfast buffet; One Lounge bar with drinks and snacks Check-in: 15:00, out by 12:00 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Free wifi, Bar, Pets allowed, Meeting room Best for: budget travellers, solo travellers, opera-goers Price from: €109 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/wien/hotel-wien-staatsoper/ Summary: Budget travellers who still want the Opera and Karlsplatz on the doorstep should book this one. Rooms are compact at 14 to 16 square metres, and the cheapest Cosy rooms sit in the basement. Motel One's former Wien-Staatsoper house now carries the group's The Cloud One name and sits in a listed building with stone floors and stucco. The Art Advent market at Karlsplatz is the nearest, and the Opera and the Naschmarkt are a short walk. Karlsplatz station gives you the U1 straight to Wien Hauptbahnhof. Reception is staffed around the clock, and pets are welcome after you contact the hotel. Standard rooms measure 16 square metres with a queen or king box-spring bed and a granite rain-shower bathroom. Some come with a city view or a balcony for the same footprint. Breakfast is an optional buffet with organic products, served 06:00 to 10:00 on weekdays and 07:00 to 11:00 at weekends and on holidays. Vienna's city tax is 5 percent of the room price from 1 July 2026. Tips: - Ask for a 'The Cloud mit Aussicht' or balcony room if a window matters to you, because the Cosy rooms are in the souterrain. Q: How much does The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper cost? A: Prices at The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper start at €109 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper? A: The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper: Optional breakfast buffet; One Lounge bar with drinks and snacks. Q: What does The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper have? A: The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper lists 24 hour reception, free wifi, bar, pets allowed, meeting room. Q: Who is The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper good for? A: The Cloud One Wien-Staatsoper suits budget travellers, solo travellers, opera-goers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.motel-one.com/en/hotels/wien/hotel-wien-staatsoper/ ### The Dominican URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/the-dominican-brussels Type: Stay Region: Belgium Area: Lower Town City: Brussels Address: Rue Léopold 9, 1000 Bruxelles Coordinates: 50.84920, 4.35470 Kind: Hotel Price: €€€ Prices: The hotel publishes no room rates on its own site, so the tier follows its stated four-star category. Meals: Restaurant and bar on site Rooms: 150 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Meeting rooms Best for: couples Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.thedominican.be/ Summary: The Dominican suits a couple who want a four-star boutique hotel behind La Monnaie, between the Grand-Place and the Winter Wonders squares. Its festive dinners cost extra and have limited places, so book the Christmas Eve table when you book the room. The hotel has 150 rooms and suites at Rue Léopold 9, and the split-level Loft rooms look across the street at the opera house. Courtyard rooms face inward. For the 2026 season the restaurant serves a four-course Christmas Eve dinner at €89 a person and a six-course New Year's Eve gala at €129, with wine pairings on top. Tips: - An extra bed in an Executive room costs €50 a night. Q: Are meals included at The Dominican? A: The Dominican: Restaurant and bar on site. Q: What does The Dominican have? A: The Dominican lists restaurant, bar, meeting rooms. Q: Who is The Dominican good for? A: The Dominican suits couples. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.thedominican.be/ https://www.thedominican.be/rooms ### The Leo Grand URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/the-leo-grand-vienna Type: Stay Also known as: THE LEO GRAND, Leo Grand Vienna Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Bauernmarkt 1, 1010 Wien Coordinates: 48.20946, 16.37105 Kind: Hotel From: €289 per room per night (2026) Price: €€€ Prices: Published from-rates on the hotel's site run €289 for Royal, €309 for Deluxe and €329 for Patio Deluxe rooms. Meals: Brunch-style breakfast at Cosmo Kitchen until 12:00 Rooms: 76 Amenities: Restaurant, Valet parking Best for: couples, first-timers, late risers Price from: €289 per room per night (2026) Price band: €€€ Website: https://www.theleogrand.com/en/ Summary: Couples who want to step out of the door into the Stephansplatz market should look here first. Rooms start at €289 a night on the hotel's own site, and that price buys an attic Royal room. The Leo Grand fills a 19th-century building on Bauernmarkt with 76 rooms and suites and keeps its thick original doors and spiral staircases. Stephansplatz and its Christmas market are around the corner. Head west for the Am Hof and Freyung markets, and keep going past the Hofburg if you want Rathausplatz. Stephansplatz station serves the U1 and U3, and the U1 runs straight to Wien Hauptbahnhof. Breakfast becomes brunch at Cosmo Kitchen and runs until 12:00, which suits a late night at the stalls. Tips: - The Royal attic rooms open at €289 and the Deluxe rooms with high ceilings at €309, so pay the extra if you want the tall Viennese windows. - Valet parking costs €49 a day, and a partner garage sits a short walk away for drivers who park themselves. Q: How much does The Leo Grand cost? A: Prices at The Leo Grand start at €289 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at The Leo Grand? A: The Leo Grand: Brunch-style breakfast at Cosmo Kitchen until 12:00. Q: What does The Leo Grand have? A: The Leo Grand lists restaurant, valet parking. Q: Who is The Leo Grand good for? A: The Leo Grand suits couples, first-timers, late risers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.theleogrand.com/en/ https://www.theleogrand.com/en/contact-location ### Townhouse Hotel Maastricht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/townhouse-hotel-maastricht Type: Stay Region: The Netherlands Area: Wyck City: Maastricht Address: Sint Maartenslaan 5, 6221 AV Maastricht Coordinates: 50.85140, 5.70350 Kind: Hotel From: €79 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The hotel advertised nights from €79 in October 2026. Meals: Buffet breakfast, usually 07:00–11:00 Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: 24 hour reception, Parking, Apartments Best for: rail travellers, budget travellers, families Price from: €79 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.townhousehotels.nl/maastricht/ Summary: Townhouse Hotel Maastricht suits rail travellers who want to step off the train and into bed, since the hotel stands practically across from the station in Wyck. The Vrijthof market sits over the Maas in the old centre, so every market night ends with a walk back across the bridge. The hotel is at Sint Maartenslaan 5, and its page title advertised nights from €79 when we read it in October 2026. Rooms run from Basic to Extra Large with Courtyard options, and there are apartments as well. Reception is open 24 hours and stores luggage. A buffet breakfast is served in the living room, usually from 07:00 to 11:00, and garage parking in Wyck costs €18.95 a night. Tips: - Wycker Brugstraat is the straight walk from the hotel to the centre. Q: How much does Townhouse Hotel Maastricht cost? A: Prices at Townhouse Hotel Maastricht start at €79 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Townhouse Hotel Maastricht? A: Townhouse Hotel Maastricht: Buffet breakfast, usually 07:00–11:00. Q: What does Townhouse Hotel Maastricht have? A: Townhouse Hotel Maastricht lists 24 hour reception, parking, apartments. Q: Who is Townhouse Hotel Maastricht good for? A: Townhouse Hotel Maastricht suits rail travellers, budget travellers, families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.townhousehotels.nl/maastricht/ https://www.townhousehotels.nl/faqs ### Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/victors-residenz-hotel-leipzig Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Zentrum-Ost, Georgiring City: Leipzig Address: Georgiring 13, 04103 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.34360, 12.38380 Kind: Hotel Prices: The hotel publishes no fixed rates or star category on its own pages, so we leave the tier open. Meals: Restaurant and bar Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Amenities: Restaurant, Bar, Parking Best for: rail travellers, business travellers Website: https://www.victors.de/de/hotels/leipzig/ Summary: Victor's suits travellers who want a city hotel behind an Art Nouveau facade on the ring beside the main station. Its garage holds only 14 cars, so drivers may end up in the station car parks. Victor's Residenz-Hotel faces the Georgiring next to the Hauptbahnhof and its shopping arcade, behind a Jugendstil, or Art Nouveau, front that carries on inside. The whole hotel is non-smoking. There's a restaurant and bar, and rooms for meetings and parties. Check-in is at 15:00 and check-out at 11:00. The underground garage has 14 places at €18 a night, and the hotel points drivers to the long-distance bus terminal car park and the station's east car park when it's full. From the ring you walk in past the Nikolaikirche to the Markt. Tips: - Sign up for the hotel newsletter for 5 percent off the daily rate on direct bookings. Q: Are meals included at Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig? A: Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig: Restaurant and bar. Q: What does Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig have? A: Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig lists restaurant, bar, parking. Q: Who is Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig good for? A: Victor's Residenz-Hotel Leipzig suits rail travellers, business travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.victors.de/de/hotels/leipzig/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/wakeup-copenhagen-bernstorffsgade Type: Stay Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Bernstorffsgade 35, 1577 København V Coordinates: 55.66910, 12.57170 Kind: Hotel From: DKK 400 per room per night (2026) Price: € Prices: The chain advertised rooms from DKK 400 on selected arrival days from 19 December 2026. Earlier December nights carry their own rates. Meals: Breakfast 06:30–10:00 weekdays, 07:00–10:30 weekends and holidays Check-in: 15:00, out by 11:00 Rooms: 585 Amenities: Lockers, Allergy friendly rooms, Air conditioning Best for: budget travellers, rail travellers Price from: DKK 400 per room per night (2026) Price band: € Website: https://www.wakeupcopenhagen.com/the-hotels/copenhagen/bernstorffsgade Summary: Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade suits budget travellers who want a big, plain hotel close to Tivoli and the Central Station. Rooms are small, and the luggage lockers cost extra. The hotel has 585 rooms at Bernstorffsgade 35, and even a Wakeup Large measures about 15 square metres. Sky and Heaven rooms cost more for their views, and the breakfast room on the tenth floor looks out over the city. In October 2026 the chain advertised rooms from DKK 400 on selected arrival days between 19 December 2026 and 31 March 2027. Rooms are ready from 15:00, check-out is at 11:00, and the lockers take cards only. Tips: - Tell reception ahead if you will arrive after 02:00. Q: How much does Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade cost? A: Prices at Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade start at DKK 400 per room per night (2026). Q: Are meals included at Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade? A: Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade: Breakfast 06:30–10:00 weekdays, 07:00–10:30 weekends and holidays. Q: What does Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade have? A: Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade lists lockers, allergy friendly rooms, air conditioning. Q: Who is Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade good for? A: Wakeup Copenhagen Bernstorffsgade suits budget travellers, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wakeupcopenhagen.com/ https://www.wakeupcopenhagen.com/the-hotels/copenhagen/bernstorffsgade ### Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/wombats-leipzig Type: Stay Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Zentrum-Nordwest, Waldstraßenviertel edge City: Leipzig Address: Jacobstraße 1, 04105 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.34440, 12.36890 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The hostel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages; as a hostel it sits in the budget tier. Meals: Breakfast buffet; WomCAFÉ Check-in: 14:00 Amenities: Café, Breakfast buffet, 24 hour reception, Luggage storage Best for: young travellers, friends, budget travellers Price band: € Website: https://www.wombats-hostels.com/leipzig/ Summary: Wombat's suits young travellers and friends who want a social hostel near St Thomas Church on the western edge of the centre. The main station sits on the opposite side of the old town, so it's a longer walk with a pack than from the hotels that face it. Wombat's took over the old Sleepy Lion hostel near the Andermühlbrücke, at the edge of the Waldstraßenviertel, and gave it the chain's look. The Thomaskirche, where Bach worked, and the university are a short walk away. Downstairs there's the WomCAFÉ and a breakfast buffet. Check-in starts at 14:00. Bed linen comes with every bed, reception never closes, and there's safe luggage storage. The Markt and its Christmas market are a walk into the centre past the Thomaskirche. Tips: - Book on the hostel's own site, where it promises its best rates. Q: Are meals included at Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig? A: Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig: Breakfast buffet; WomCAFÉ. Q: What does Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig have? A: Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig lists café, breakfast buffet, 24 hour reception, luggage storage. Q: Who is Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig good for? A: Wombat's City Hostel Leipzig suits young travellers, friends, budget travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wombats-hostels.com/leipzig/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ### Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/stays/wombats-munich-hauptbahnhof Type: Stay Region: Bavaria Area: Ludwigsvorstadt, by the main station City: Munich Address: Senefelderstraße 1, 80336 München Coordinates: 48.13890, 11.56030 Kind: Hostel Price: € Prices: The hostel publishes no fixed rates on its own pages; as a hostel it sits in the budget tier. Meals: Breakfast buffet; café and bar Check-in: 14:00 Amenities: Bar, Café, Breakfast buffet, 24 hour reception, Luggage storage Best for: young travellers, friends, rail travellers Price band: € Website: https://www.wombats-hostels.com/munich/hauptbahnhof Summary: Wombat's suits young travellers and friends sharing a room who want to step off the train and into bed, with Tollwood's winter festival on the Theresienwiese nearby. Age rules change with the season, so read the booking terms before you pay. The hostel sits on Senefelderstraße beside Munich's main station. Every room has its own shower and toilet, and some doubles come with a private terrace. Downstairs there's a glass-roofed courtyard with real trees, the WomBAR and the WomCAFÉ. The breakfast buffet is served in the house. Check-in starts at 14:00, bed linen is included and reception never closes. You can leave bags in safe storage before and after your stay. A free walking tour leaves the hostel each morning at 10:05. Tips: - Book on the hostel's own site, where it promises its best rates. Q: Are meals included at Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof? A: Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof: Breakfast buffet; café and bar. Q: What does Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof have? A: Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof lists bar, café, breakfast buffet, 24 hour reception, luggage storage. Q: Who is Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof good for? A: Wombat's City Hostel Munich Hauptbahnhof suits young travellers, friends, rail travellers. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wombats-hostels.com/munich/hauptbahnhof https://www.wombats-hostels.com/leipzig/ https://nominatim.openstreetmap.org/ ## Culture and history ### Advent calendar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/advent-calendar Type: Culture Local name: Adventskalender (de) Also known as: Weihnachtsuhr, Christmas calendar, Gengenbach Advent calendar house Kind: Custom Period: Handmade calendars from the mid-19th century; printed calendars from 1902–1903; opening windows spread after 1920 Topics: Advent, Printed calendars, Disputed origins Summary: The Advent calendar grew out of German homes in the 19th century and reached print in Hamburg and Munich in 1902 and 1903, and anyone in Europe in December can open one, from a paper card to a whole town hall in Gengenbach. Its inventor is a matter of dispute, since two publishers have a claim and the calendar with doors came later than both. Families counted the days themselves before anything was printed. The German Wikipedia dates a probably handmade calendar of 24 pictures on a wall to a Protestant household in 1851, and Catholic families laid a straw in the crib for each day. Thomas Mann's Buddenbrooks describes a tear-off calendar that the children's nanny makes, in a scene the German Wikipedia dates to 1869. The Hamburg bookseller Friedrich Trümpler printed a Weihnachtsuhr in 1902. It was a clock face with fields for 13 to 24 December and a hand you moved on each day. Gerhard Lang of the Munich printer Reichhold & Lang published Im Lande des Christkinds, which came as a sheet of 24 pictures to cut out and stick into 24 fields, and the sources date it to 1903, 1904 or 1908. Esther Gajek's study Adventskalender von den Anfängen bis zur Gegenwart (Munich, 1988) is the standard work on the subject. Calendars with windows to open spread only after 1920, so Lang counts as an early publisher of the printed calendar. The Nazi party's propaganda office issued an Advent calendar called Vorweihnachten that sold from 1942 to 1944, and versions of it were reprinted in West Germany as late as 1982. After the war the US authorities gave Richard Sellmer Verlag in Stuttgart a licence in 1945 to print 50,000 calendars, and its first calendar was Die kleine Stadt by Elisabeth Lörcher, which came out in 1946 in English and Swedish as well as German. The first chocolate calendar went on sale in 1958, according to the one source the German Wikipedia gives for it. Gengenbach in the Black Forest turns the 24 windows of its Rathaus into an Advent calendar, with one window revealed each evening at 18:00. The pictures in the windows are commissioned work by invited artists, and Marc Chagall and Andy Warhol have featured. The event page carries this year's dates. Tips: - Be on Gengenbach's market square a few minutes before 18:00 if you want to see a window opened, since the crowd is thickest right at the hour. - The German Christmas Museum in Rothenburg ob der Tauber shows Advent calendars a century old if you want to see Lang's kind of printed sheet in person. Q: Who invented the Advent calendar? A: Nobody can claim it alone, since German families made their own calendars through the 19th century. The first printed ones came from Friedrich Trümpler in Hamburg in 1902 and from Gerhard Lang in Munich, whose calendar the sources date to 1903, 1904 or 1908. Q: When did Advent calendars get chocolate? A: The first Advent calendar filled with chocolate went on sale in 1958, according to the single source the German Wikipedia cites for it. Q: Where is the giant Advent calendar house in Germany? A: The best-known Advent calendar house is the Rathaus in Gengenbach in the Black Forest, where one of 24 windows is revealed each evening at 18:00 through Advent. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventskalender https://www.heraeus.com/en/landingspages/hat/adventskalender/24_tage/01_dezember.html https://www.evangelisch.de/inhalte/249772/20-11-2025/die-kunst-des-wartens-fuenf-fakten-ueber-adventskalender https://www.uni-regensburg.de/sprache-literatur-kultur/fakultaet/ags/vergleichende-kulturwissenschaft/team/dr-esther-gajek https://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/erleben/winterurlaub/weihnachtsmaerkte/weltgroesstes-adventskalenderhaus ### Advent wreath URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/advent-wreath Type: Culture Local name: Adventskranz (de) Also known as: Wichern wreath, Wichernkranz, Advent candles Kind: Custom Period: From 1839 (Rauhes Haus, Hamburg); fir greenery from about 1860; in Catholic churches from 1925 Topics: Advent, Candles, Protestant customs, Disputed origins Summary: The Advent wreath began in 1839 at the Rauhes Haus, a children's home in Hamburg, and anyone counting down the Sundays to Christmas in a German home now meets its four-candle descendant. The first wreath worked differently, with a candle for every day of Advent, and the sources disagree on how many it carried. Johann Hinrich Wichern ran the Rauhes Haus in Hamburg-Horn for poor children, and in 1839 he hung a wreath of candles in its prayer hall so they could see Christmas coming. The Rauhes Haus describes a large white candle for each Sunday and a small red one for each weekday up to Christmas Eve. Because Advent varies in length, the count changes every year, and the house's wreath carried 22 candles in 2023. Advent 2026 begins on 29 November, so a wreath on Wichern's pattern needs four white candles and 22 red ones this year by our count. The German Wikipedia, citing NDR and the Bundestag, gives a fixed number: a cart wheel with four white candles and 20 red ones, and other retellings say 23 or 24. One account that cites the Rauhes Haus traces the 23 to a diary entry about a different year. A poem often credited to Matthias Claudius gets used to argue that the wreath is older than Wichern, and it was written by his great-grandson Hermann Claudius. Fir greenery came onto the wreath around 1860. The first wreath in a Catholic church hung in Cologne in 1925, Munich followed in 1930, and many Catholic families took it up only after the Second World War. The four-candle form grew out of Wichern's for practical reasons. Under the Nazi regime the party tried to swap it for a solstice wreath with sun-wheel motifs and candles for the four seasons. Candle colours are each household's or parish's choice. Red candles are the Protestant starting point, and Erzgebirge wreaths traditionally carry red only. Many Catholic homes and churches use three violet candles and one rose candle, which is lit on Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of Advent, on 13 December in 2026. The German Wikipedia records four violet candles in Norway and a white first candle with three violet in Sweden. Tips: - The Rauhes Haus still keeps a wreath on Wichern's pattern, and pupils of its Wichern school hold a short morning devotion around it every Advent morning. Treat it as a school's prayer time if you visit Hamburg. - Light the first candle on the first Sunday of Advent, which falls on 29 November 2026, and add one each Sunday after. Q: Who invented the Advent wreath? A: Johann Hinrich Wichern made the first documented Advent wreath in 1839 at the Rauhes Haus children's home in Hamburg. It held a large white candle for each Sunday of Advent and a small red one for each weekday until Christmas Eve. Q: How many candles were on the first Advent wreath? A: The sources disagree. The Rauhes Haus describes a candle for every day of Advent, so the number changes with the calendar, and popular accounts give fixed figures of 23 or 24. Q: What colour should Advent wreath candles be? A: There is no single rule. Protestant wreaths started with red candles, and many Catholic households use three violet candles and one rose candle for the third Sunday of Advent. Q: How should you behave at Advent wreath? A: At Advent wreath: In a church the wreath's candles are lit as part of the Sunday service. Watch from your seat and leave the photographs until the service ends. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.rauheshaus.de/adventskranz https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adventskranz https://www.evangelisch.de/inhalte/97067/23-11-2009 https://www.wissen.de/woher-kommt-der-adventskranz https://www.berliner-kurier.de/panorama/in-arbeit-wie-in-einem-heim-fuer-verwahrloste-kinder-der-adventskranz-erfunden-wurde-li.2162628 ### Alsace Christmas tree and its decorations URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/alsace-christmas-tree Type: Culture Local name: sapin de Noël (fr) Also known as: Selestat Christmas tree 1521, first Christmas tree, Meisenthal Christmas baubles, boules de Noel de Meisenthal Region: Alsace Area: Alsace, with the glass baubles from the Northern Vosges in neighbouring Moselle City: Selestat Kind: Custom Period: Firs bought for Strasbourg parishes in 1492; Selestat's Christmas fir rule of 1521; glass baubles from 1858 Topics: Christmas tree, Tree decorations, Glass baubles, Disputed origins Summary: Alsace holds some of the earliest written records of the Christmas tree, and the region suits anyone curious about where the decorated tree came from, with Meisenthal's blown glass baubles made just over the border in Moselle. The famous Sélestat date of 1521 is one record among several, and Strasbourg's archives hold an older one. Sélestat is the town most guides name, for a municipal rule of 1521 that let the forest guards allow residents to cut small firs for Christmas. The French Wikipedia cites Perrot (2002) for that rule and sets an older record beside it: in 1492 the Œuvre Notre-Dame in Strasbourg bought nine firs for the city's nine parishes for two florins, to greet the new year. A rule of 1561 regulating the cutting of trees in Alsace shows the habit was spreading, and in 1611 a tree-cutting ban in Turckheim uses the word for a Christmas tree for the first time on record. A Strasbourg writer described households in 1605 setting up firs hung with paper roses, apples, flat wafers, gilded sweets and sugar figures. An early 17th-century chronicle by Balthasar Beck, kept at Sélestat's Bibliothèque Humaniste as manuscript 273, mentions firs decorated with apples and wafers. Alsace also has a habit of hanging the fir upside down from the ceiling, and Sélestat has hung a row of suspended firs in its church. The French Wikipedia treats the claims of a pre-Christian Germanic origin for the tree as wrong and unsupported, and it calls the Luther and Boniface stories legends. The glass baubles come from just over the Alsace line in the Northern Vosges of Moselle. The story says a drought in 1858 left no apples to hang, so the glassblowers made glass ones. The Centre international d'art verrier in Meisenthal tells that tale as a legend and points to the industry behind it: the Goetzenbruck glassworks, which ran from 1721 to 2005, made silvered baubles from 1858, up to 250,000 a year. Production stopped in 1964. In 1998 the CIAV brought the last glassworkers in to teach blowing and silvering, and since 1999 it has issued baubles each year, with new pieces by invited designers next to reissued old models. Tips: - Buy Meisenthal baubles at the glassworks' own shop at Place Robert Schuman in Meisenthal during its opening season. The CIAV warns that each model is blown by hand, so a design you saw online may have sold out. - Sélestat sits on the railway between Strasbourg and Colmar and makes a quieter Advent stop than either city. The Bibliothèque Humaniste holds the town's early manuscripts. Q: Was the first Christmas tree in Sélestat? A: Sélestat holds a well-known record from 1521 that allowed residents to cut small firs for Christmas, and Strasbourg's archives hold an older purchase of nine firs for its parishes in 1492. Neither proves a first tree, and the French Wikipedia's sources treat many of the tree's origin stories as wishful history. Q: Where do Meisenthal Christmas baubles come from? A: Meisenthal baubles are blown at the Centre international d'art verrier in Meisenthal, in the Moselle department next to Alsace. The CIAV revived the craft in 1999 after the Goetzenbruck glassworks, which made baubles from 1858, stopped in 1964. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ciav-meisenthal.fr/rubrique/noel https://ciav-meisenthal.fr/ https://www.bibliotheque-humaniste.fr/ https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sapin_de_No%C3%ABl ### Erzgebirge candle arch URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/candle-arch Type: Culture Local name: Schwibbogen (de) Also known as: Schwibbogen, Erzgebirgischer Schwibbogen, Lichterbogen, candle arch, window arch Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains), especially Johanngeorgenstadt and Schwarzenberg City: Seiffen Kind: Craft Period: Earliest record 1716 (Scheibenberg); oldest surviving arch dated 1740 (Johanngeorgenstadt); today's common design 1937 Topics: Woodcraft, Candle arches, Advent, Disputed origins Summary: The Schwibbogen is the arch of candles that Erzgebirge households stand in their windows through Advent, and the Ore Mountain towns build giant ones for their squares. Its origin is less settled than the tags on souvenir arches say: the 1740 metal arch everyone cites is the oldest that survives, and a church invoice from 1716 is older still. Most tourist pages say the first arch was forged in metal in Johanngeorgenstadt in 1740. That arch exists, and its date turned up only in 2003 under a later coat of paint; historians had read it as 1778 until then. It shows Adam and Eve in the garden, which looks little like the miners and angels on a modern arch. An older trace comes from Scheibenberg, where a church invoice of 1716 pays for an arch set up for the Christmas service. Igor Jenzen, who directed Dresden's Museum für Sächsische Volkskunst until 2021, proposed in 2019 that the arch and the pyramid borrowed from the Saturn festival the Saxon court staged in 1719. The reading you hear in the mountains is that the lights stand for miners longing for daylight after a winter underground, and some add that a lit window guided them home. The German Wikipedia flags the claim that the arch copies the mouth of a mine adit as often repeated and seldom sourced. The design most people picture comes from 1937. For the Feierohmd exhibition in Schwarzenberg that year, the manufacturer Friedrich Emil Krauß ran a competition for an arch for everyone, and the Leipzig illustrator Paula Jordan won it. Her design puts two miners holding the Saxon arms between a woodcarver and a lace-maker, and those were the trades that fed Erzgebirge families in the 18th and 19th centuries. Max Adler and Curt Teller built it 7 by 4 metres and it stayed in Johanngeorgenstadt, while Krauß registered the motif as a trademark. The exhibition took place under the Nazi regime, and Jörg Brückner's 2024 study looks at the arch's history in those years. Metal stayed the usual material well into the 20th century, and wood took over after the Second World War. In the GDR years demand ran ahead of supply, so many families cut their own copies of existing designs with a fretsaw. Most arches in windows now run on electric candles. Johanngeorgenstadt put up a freestanding arch 25 metres across in 2012, according to the town. Tips: - Drive or take the bus through an Erzgebirge village after dark in Advent to see the arches lit in the windows. Johanngeorgenstadt and Schwarzenberg are the towns tied to the oldest arches. - Buy from a named maker if you want an Erzgebirge arch. Original Erzgebirgische Schwibbögen Holger Seidel in Schönheide and Tietze Erzgebirgsdesign in Zwönitz are both members of the makers' association, and "Erzgebirgische Schwibbogen" is one of the names it protects. Q: When was the first Schwibbogen made? A: Nobody knows for certain. A church invoice from Scheibenberg records an arch for the Christmas service in 1716, and the oldest arch that survives is a metal one from Johanngeorgenstadt whose date of 1740 was found under later paint in 2003. Q: What does the Schwibbogen stand for? A: The usual reading in the Erzgebirge is that the candles stand for miners longing for daylight, and the 1937 design sets miners beside a woodcarver and a lace-maker. Both readings come from later writers, and the 1716 invoice records only that an arch was set up. Q: Why is it called a Schwibbogen? A: Schwibbogen is the German architectural word for a flying arch braced between two buildings, and the candle arch borrowed the name for its curved shape. Q: How should you behave at Erzgebirge candle arch? A: At Erzgebirge candle arch: Arches in house windows are part of people's homes. Photograph them from the street and keep your lens off the rooms behind. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://erzgebirge.org/ https://erzgebirge.org/mitgliedsbetriebe/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erzgebirgischer_Schwibbogen https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwibbogen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Schwibbogen https://www.nordthueringen.de/_daten/mm_objekte/2011/11/128746_1104_60900946.pdf ### Czech Christmas carp URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/czech-christmas-carp Type: Culture Local name: vánoční kapr (cs) Also known as: vanocni kapr, Christmas Eve carp, smazeny kapr, smažený kapr, Stedrovecerni vecere, carp in the bathtub Region: Czechia Area: Across Czechia City: Prague Kind: Custom Period: Fish at Christmas recorded from the 17th century; carp general in Czech homes after the First World War Topics: Christmas eve, Food customs, Fish Summary: Fried carp with potato salad is the Czech Christmas Eve dinner, and anyone in Prague or another Czech town in the days before 24 December will see live carp sold from tubs on the street. Some families still keep the fish alive in the bathtub until the day, so the custom is a lot to take in if you love animals. Christmas Eve dinner usually starts with fish soup made from the carp's head and tail. Then comes the carp itself. It is cut across into pieces, breaded and fried in oil or lard, and served with a cold potato salad bound with mayonnaise and pickled vegetables. Beer or white wine goes with it. A carp scale goes under each plate, and some people keep one in their wallet through the year for money. Eating fish at Christmas is recorded in the Czech lands from the 17th century, and ordinary people mostly ignored it for a long time. The carp became the holiday dish of the urban middle class in the 19th century, with Magdalena Dobromila Rettigová's cookbook as the usual witness, and it reached villages and poorer homes only after the First World War. Fried carp became the favourite after the Second World War, partly because farmed carp was cheap. Much of the carp comes from the pond farms of South Bohemia. Rybářství Třeboň, which calls itself the largest freshwater fish producer in the country, says its Třeboňský kapr has carried an EU protected geographical indication since 2007. Through Advent, sellers set up tubs of live carp on the streets, and buyers either take one home alive or have it killed and cleaned at the stand. A carp kept in a bathtub for days often suffers from the trip and the water, and the Czech Wikipedia argues that killing it at the stand is kinder. Some people set their carp free in a river, and fish experts advise against that, since a stressed farmed fish usually dies and can carry disease to wild ones. Food inspectors watch the street sales. Tips: - Ask in a Czech restaurant whether it serves fried carp in December if you want the taste without the tub, and watch for the small bones. - Give the carp tubs a wide berth if live fish being killed upsets you or your children, since buyers often have the fish killed on the spot. Q: What do Czechs eat on Christmas Eve? A: Czechs traditionally eat fried carp with potato salad on Christmas Eve, often after a fish soup made from the carp's head and tail. Q: Why do Czechs keep carp in the bathtub? A: Some Czech families buy a live carp from a street tub before Christmas and keep it in the bathtub until 24 December so the fish stays fresh. Many buyers now have the carp killed and cleaned at the stand instead. Q: How should you behave at Czech Christmas carp? A: At Czech Christmas carp: The carp is a family custom, and the street stands are where people buy their dinner. Ask before you photograph a seller at work, and keep comments about the fish to yourself while families are choosing one. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/V%C3%A1no%C4%8Dn%C3%AD_kapr https://www.rybarstvi.cz/ ### Danish woven Christmas hearts URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/danish-woven-hearts Type: Culture Local name: flettede julehjerter (da) Also known as: julehjerte, julehjerter, woven paper hearts, Danish paper hearts, Scandinavian woven hearts Region: Denmark Area: Across Denmark; the oldest surviving heart is in Odense City: Copenhagen Kind: Craft Period: Oldest surviving heart from the 1850s or about 1860; first printed instructions 1871 Topics: Paper crafts, Tree decorations, Home crafts Summary: The woven Christmas heart is the two-lobed paper heart Danish families weave from two colours of glossy paper and hang on the tree, and it suits anyone with scissors and the patience for a few failed first tries. The story that Hans Christian Andersen made the oldest one rests on a heart kept in Odense, and the sources give different dates for it. Every account starts with a paper heart in yellow and green that Hans Christian Andersen is said to have cut, and H.C. Andersens Hus in Odense keeps it. The Danish Wikipedia, citing Odense City Museums, dates it to the 1850s, while shop and FAQ pages give 1860 or 1861. It has no hanging loop and was never on a tree. The red and white hearts most Danes weave now came later. The oldest known printed instructions for weaving a heart from two strips appeared in Nordisk Husflidstidende in 1871, and the oldest heart in the National Museum of Denmark's collection is from 1873. Woven paper baskets and paper cones hung on Danish trees before the heart came along. Jyllands-Posten reported in 2002 that the hearts took close to 40 years to become common, and kindergartens spread them in the early 20th century as part of Friedrich Fröbel's paper-weaving exercises, though the Danish Wikipedia gives no source for that link. A heart is two pieces of paper, each folded in half and cut into strips from the fold, then woven through each other so the strips lock without glue. Two strips each is the simplest form, and patterned hearts with many strips and cut-outs are a test of patience. The plain two-lobed heart is a household form that anyone may make or draw. Tips: - Use glossy paper in two colours that contrast, cut both pieces to the same size and round the ends before you slit the strips. A heart with three strips per side is a good first try. - Glue a paper handle across the top if you want to hang the heart on the tree. The heart in Odense has no handle, and the sources say it never hung on a tree. Q: Did Hans Christian Andersen invent the Danish woven heart? A: Nobody can say he invented it. The oldest surviving woven heart is attributed to Andersen and kept at H.C. Andersens Hus in Odense, and the sources date it to the 1850s or to about 1860. Q: How old is the Danish Christmas heart? A: The oldest surviving heart dates from the 1850s or about 1860, and the first printed instructions for weaving one appeared in Nordisk Husflidstidende in 1871. The hearts became common in Danish homes over the following decades. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julehjerte https://www.skagenonline.dk/faq/hvem-lavede-det-forste-flettede-julehjerte https://store.vesterheim.org/products/julehjerte-2024-scandinavian-icon-collectible ### Erzgebirge woodcraft URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/erzgebirge-woodcraft Type: Culture Local name: Kunsthandwerk aus dem Erzgebirge (de) Also known as: Erzgebirge nutcracker, Nussknacker, Raeuchermann, smoking man, incense smoker, Christmas pyramid, Weihnachtspyramide, Seiffen woodcraft Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) City: Seiffen Kind: Craft Period: Turning in Seiffen from the 17th century; the nutcracker in its present form from about 1870 Topics: Woodcraft, Nutcrackers, Smoking men, Christmas pyramids, Makers, Intangible heritage Summary: Erzgebirge woodcraft is the turned and painted Christmas work of Saxony's Ore Mountains, and Seiffen is the village where you can watch nutcrackers and smoking men being made by the families and firms who hold the names. The catch is that the same shapes are copied for every market in Europe, so the maker's name and the association's rider seal on the base are what tell you a piece came from the Erzgebirge. Wood turning in Seiffen began in the 17th century as side work for tin miners, and toys took over as the mines gave less. The toy museum in Seiffen grew out of a toy trade show that opened in 1936 in the building it still uses, and it reopened as a local museum in 1953. Its open-air museum on the edge of the village keeps a water-powered turning works from 1760. A turner there shows ring turning, the Seiffen technique of turning a spruce hoop so that each slice cut from it comes out as an animal. Nutcracker figures were being made in Berchtesgaden around 1650 and in Sonneberg from 1735, so the Erzgebirge came to them late. Friedrich Wilhelm Füchtner is credited with turning the first nutcracker in today's Erzgebirge shape and colours around 1870. The figures copied the officials of the day: kings and gendarmes, soldiers, foresters and hussars, with faces meant to look severe. Heinrich Hoffmann bought Erzgebirge figures at Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt to draw from for his 1851 children's book König Nussknacker und der arme Reinhold. The smoking man is a hollow figure in two parts. You set an incense cone on a small tin plate in the base, put the upper body over it, and the smoke drifts out through the figure's mouth while air comes in at a notch in the back. Crottendorf was making incense cones by about 1750. Papier-mâché smoking figures turn up in Sonneberg around 1820–1830, and the toymakers Ferdinand Frohs and Gotthelf Friedrich Haustein made wooden ones in Heidelberg near Seiffen from about 1850, and the early figures were shaped round the pipe, since they began as a play on pipe smoking. A Christmas pyramid turns on warm air. Candles round the base heat the air under a fan wheel at the top, and the wheel carries the tiers of figures round the central shaft. The word appears in a Schneeberg chronicle of 1716, where young people build pyramids of lights for a Christmas service, and those were stacked candles that did not turn. Popular telling says miners modelled the pyramid on the horse-driven winding gear at the pits, and the regional history cited by the German Wikipedia calls that impossible to prove. Big pyramids for a whole town started in the 1930s at Frohnau near Annaberg-Buchholz, and the one Dresden puts up for the Striezelmarkt measured 14.62 metres when it went up in 1997. The Verband Erzgebirgischer Kunsthandwerker und Spielzeughersteller was founded in Olbernhau in 1990 and counts about 50 member firms, and some 130 more craft businesses are linked to it through the Dregeno Seiffen cooperative. Its umbrella mark since 1992 is "Echt Erzgebirge - Holzkunst mit Herz" with a small rider figure, and it lists 17 registered names it guards as collective marks, from Erzgebirgische Nussknacker to Seiffener Reifenvieh. Only makers it has certified may use them. In 2024 the Higher Regional Court in Dresden ruled that selling an imported nutcracker as "im Erzgebirge-Stil" exploits the reputation of the originals, and the Federal Court of Justice refused to hear an appeal on 19 September 2025 (I ZR 222/24). Tips: - Turn a nutcracker or smoking man over before you buy it at a market outside Saxony. A maker's name and town on the base, or the association's rider seal, tells you where it was made. - Give Seiffen a weekday in Advent if you can. The toy museum and the Seiffener Volkskunst show workshop are both in the village, and at the workshop you can watch a figure go from sawn blank to painted piece in one visit. - Burn incense cones made for smoking men. Crottendorfer Räucherkerzen belongs to the association and makes them in Crottendorf, where cones have been made since about 1750. Q: Where are Erzgebirge nutcrackers made? A: Erzgebirge nutcrackers are made in the Ore Mountains of Saxony, in workshops in Seiffen, Olbernhau, Grünhainichen, Annaberg-Buchholz and the villages around them. The makers' association in Olbernhau lists its member firms and their towns on its website. Q: How can I tell a real Erzgebirge nutcracker from a copy? A: Look for the maker's name on the base and for the association's "Echt Erzgebirge" mark with its small rider figure, which only certified makers may use. A German court ruled in 2024 that calling an imported nutcracker "im Erzgebirge-Stil" misleads buyers, and that ruling became final in September 2025. Q: Is Erzgebirge woodcraft on the UNESCO list? A: No. Kunsthandwerk aus dem Erzgebirge joined Germany's nationwide inventory of intangible cultural heritage on 26 March 2025, on an application from the makers' association, and that inventory is kept by Germany under the UNESCO convention. Q: How does a Christmas pyramid turn? A: A Christmas pyramid turns because candles at its base heat the air beneath a fan wheel at the top, and the rising air spins the wheel and the tiers of figures fixed to the same shaft. Q: How should you behave at Erzgebirge woodcraft? A: At Erzgebirge woodcraft: Ask before you photograph inside a family workshop. The turners are working, and some of the designs on the bench are their own unpublished pieces. Describe an uncertified piece by its shape. The association's names, such as Erzgebirgische Nussknacker or Seiffener Pyramiden, belong to certified makers, and German courts have backed them. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://erzgebirge.org/ https://erzgebirge.org/mitgliedsbetriebe/ https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/spielzeugmuseum_geschichte.cfm https://www.erih.net/i-want-to-go-there/the-toy-museum-of-the-ore-mountains https://www.medienservice.sachsen.de/medien/news/1085826/download_pdf https://www.handwerksblatt.de/betriebsfuehrung/nachgemachter-nussknacker-herkunft-fuer-kunsthandwerk-ist-geschuetzt https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nussknacker https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/R%C3%A4uchermann https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtspyramide ### Herrnhut star URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/herrnhut-star Type: Culture Local name: Herrnhuter Stern (de) Also known as: Moravian star, Herrnhuter Stern, Herrnhuter Adventsstern, Advent star Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Upper Lusatia City: Herrnhut Kind: Craft Period: First stars in Moravian Church schools by 1820–1821; the self-supporting assembled star from 1897; the 25-point form patented in 1925 Topics: Paper stars, Advent, Moravian church, Trademarks, Disputed origins Summary: The Herrnhut star is the 25-pointed paper star that Herrnhuter Sterne GmbH makes by hand in Herrnhut in Upper Lusatia, and a visit to its manufactory suits anyone who wants to see the original being folded and assembled. "Herrnhuter Stern" is a registered German mark held by that company, so a many-pointed star from another maker goes by Moravian-style star. In the company's account, the first stars of paper and card hung early in the 19th century in the boarding rooms of the Moravian Church's schools, where an educator had pupils build one from geometric shapes in a mathematics lesson. The first stars were white and red, and the children made them on the first Sunday of Advent and took the custom home to their families. A note by Georg Friedrich Bahnsohn, kept in the Moravian archive in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, puts a star in the Niesky Brüderhaus by Christmas 1820 and credits the Herrnhut craftsman Christian Madsen (1800–1879), who lived in the Brüderhaus. The Volksstimme reported the find in 2013, and until then the earliest known star was one that hung in the courtyard of the Moravian boys' school in Niesky in January 1821. The star as a product starts with Pieter Hendrik Verbeek (1863–1935), who dealt in books and music in Herrnhut. The company dates his first stable star that a buyer could put together to 1897, and some sources give 1894. In 1925 Verbeek patented a star with no separate body to hold the points, and the Stern-Gesellschaft mbH Herrnhut was founded with the Moravian Church's mission institution and the trading house Abraham Dürninger & Co. among its partners. That star has 17 square and 8 triangular points, 25 in all, and the firm still makes it that way. The business was nationalized in 1950 and ran from 1951 as a state-owned star and lampshade works, and the Moravian Church later got it back. Today's Herrnhuter Sterne GmbH was founded in 1991 with 23 staff. Since 2010 the manufactory on Oderwitzer Straße has put production and a show workshop under one roof. The German Patent and Trade Mark Office lists Herrnhuter Stern as a registered word and figurative mark under DE302012005113. Tips: - Plan Herrnhut around the manufactory's show workshop, where you can watch the points being glued and the stars assembled. The manufactory page carries this season's hours. - Call a star from another maker a Moravian-style or many-pointed paper star. Herrnhuter Stern is the company's registered mark. Q: Who makes the Herrnhut star? A: Herrnhuter Sterne GmbH makes the Herrnhut star in its manufactory at Oderwitzer Straße 8 in Herrnhut, Saxony. The company holds the registered German mark Herrnhuter Stern (DE302012005113). Q: How many points does a Herrnhut star have? A: A Herrnhut star has 25 points: 17 square and 8 triangular. Pieter Hendrik Verbeek fixed that form when he patented the star in 1925. Q: Who invented the Herrnhut star? A: The sources disagree. The company credits an unnamed educator at a Moravian boarding school who used the star in a geometry lesson early in the 19th century, and a diary found in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania names the Herrnhut craftsman Christian Madsen, with a star in Niesky by Christmas 1820. Q: How should you behave at Herrnhut star? A: At Herrnhut star: The star began in the Moravian Church, and the company explains the first stars' white as purity and their red as the blood of Christ. Where a star hangs in a church or prayer hall, treat it as part of that congregation's worship. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Entstehungsgeschichte.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Unternehmensgeschichte.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/ https://dpma.de/dpma/wir_ueber_uns/geschichte/30jahre_einheit/ostmarken/herrnhuterstern/index.html https://www.volksstimme.de/lokal/schoenebeck/spur-des-erfinders-fuhrt-nach-bethlehem-in-den-usa-575924 https://www.evangelisch.de/inhalte/140407/01-12-2016/herrnhuter-sterne-werden-seit-mehr-als-100-jahren-sachsen-gefertigt ### Krakow szopka URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/krakow-szopka Type: Culture Local name: szopka krakowska (pl) Also known as: Krakow nativity scene, Krakow crib, szopki krakowskie, Konkurs Szopek Krakowskich, Krakow Nativity Scene Competition Region: Poland Area: Krakow, Main Square (Rynek Główny) City: Krakow Kind: Craft Period: 19th century to today; competition since 1937 UNESCO: World Heritage Site Topics: Nativity scenes, Unesco, Competition, Makers Summary: The Kraków szopka is a tall, glittering Nativity scene built in the shape of the city's own churches and towers, and anyone in Kraków on the first Thursday of December can see the year's new ones carried onto the Main Square for the competition. UNESCO inscribed the tradition on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018 as the first Polish element on that list. Each szopka is the named work of its maker. A szopka is a light tower that its maker builds from card and bristol board on a wooden or plywood frame and then covers in foil. Most stand two or three storeys high and carry an odd number of towers, usually three or five. Its makers borrow Gothic spires and Baroque domes from Kraków's buildings, and the Nativity sits at the centre. Figurines and electric lights fill the rest, and makers use them to show what happened in the city and far beyond it that year. The form grew up in the 19th century among builders and craftsmen from outer districts such as Krowodrza and Zwierzyniec, who built portable puppet theatres for carol singers to carry from house to house. The bricklayer and tiler Michał Ezenekier of Krowodrza gave it its mature architectural form, and his carollers carried his scenes from 1864 until the First World War, when the Austrian authorities banned carolling with szopki. Jerzy Dobrzycki started a competition at the foot of the Mickiewicz monument in 1937. No competition took place during the German occupation. The third was held in December 1945 at the monument the Germans had pulled down, and the city's historical museum has run it since 1946. Makers bring their entries to the Main Square on the first Thursday of December, and the Museum of Kraków shows the cribs from December to February. UNESCO counts about forty active makers who build new szopki each year and teach the craft in workshops and lectures, and Polish sources name the Malik and Gillert families among them. The competition reached its 83rd edition in 2025, and the first Thursday of December falls on 3 December in 2026, a date that stays projected until the museum announces it. Kraków's szopka joined Poland's national list of intangible heritage in 2014 as one of its first five entries, and UNESCO inscribed it on 29 November 2018. Tips: - Be on the Main Square on competition day to see the makers arrive with their szopki, and check the Museum of Kraków's announcement for the 2026 date and schedule. - See the entries again at the museum's exhibition through the winter, when you can look at the details at your own pace. Q: When is the Kraków szopka competition? A: The Kraków szopka competition is held on the first Thursday of December on the Main Square, which in 2026 falls on 3 December. That date is projected from the custom until the Museum of Kraków announces it. Q: Is the Kraków szopka on the UNESCO list? A: Yes. UNESCO inscribed the nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Kraków on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018, as the first Polish element on that list. Q: What is a Kraków szopka made of? A: A Kraków szopka is built mainly of cardboard and bristol board on a wooden or plywood frame. Its maker covers it in coloured foil and models its towers on Kraków's churches, and electric lights shine from inside. Q: How should you behave at Krakow szopka? A: At Krakow szopka: Each szopka is the work of a named maker. Credit the maker and the competition year whenever you share a photograph of one, and link the Museum of Kraków. A szopka holds the Nativity at its centre and is a devotional object for many of the people who build and visit it. Look closely, and keep your hands off the entries while they stand on the square. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/nativity-scene-szopka-tradition-in-krakow-01362 https://ich.unesco.org/en/decisions/13.COM/10.B.29 https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szopka_krakowska https://krakow.pl/aktualnosci/276682,33,komunikat,przed_nami_81__konkurs_szopek_krakowskich.html https://www.europeana.eu/en/stories/krakow-nativity-scenes https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/en ### Mikulas in Czechia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/mikulas-czechia Type: Culture Local name: Mikuláš (cs) Also known as: Mikulas, Mikulasska nadilka, Mikulášská nadílka, St Nicholas Czech Republic, cert a andel Region: Czechia Area: Across Czechia City: Prague Kind: Custom Period: Masked St Nicholas processions in Bohemia from the Middle Ages; today's family visits on 5 December Topics: St nicholas, Gift bringers, Folk custom Summary: On the evening of 5 December, Mikuláš walks Czech streets and calls at family homes with a devil and an angel at his side, and families with young children will find him on town squares from Prague to Český Krumlov. The devil, or čert, rattles a chain and plays at frightening the children, so very small ones may need a hand to hold. Mikuláš is St Nicholas, and he brings company. A devil called a čert walks with him. He rattles a chain and rings a bell to back up the saint's authority, and an angel called an anděl completes the trio. Mikuláš may give a child a short warning about behaving better. The gifts are mostly sweets and biscuits today, and fruit used to be the treat because it was scarce in winter. A child who has misbehaved may be threatened with coal or potatoes, and the potatoes are a Czech touch, though in practice nearly every child goes home with sweets. The visit falls on the evening of 5 December because people once counted a feast day from the dusk before, and the feast itself is 6 December. Games with a boy bishop are recorded in Bohemia from the 13th century, and pupils walked in masked processions of St Nicholas with devils and angels, which the Church banned several times without ending them. Ježíšek, the little Jesus of Czech homes, brings the presents of Christmas itself on 24 December. Tips: - Look out for the trio in Prague's old town and on other squares on the evening of 5 December, which falls on a Saturday in 2026. Český Krumlov's square has a Mikuláš visit for children on its own event page. Q: When does Mikuláš come in Czechia? A: Mikuláš comes on the evening of 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas's Day, together with a devil (čert) and an angel (anděl). In 2026 that is Saturday 5 December. Q: What do Czech children get from Mikuláš? A: Czech children get sweets and biscuits from Mikuláš, and in the past fruit. Coal or potatoes are the joke threat for naughty children, who almost always get sweets anyway. Q: How should you behave at Mikulas in Czechia? A: At Mikulas in Czechia: The čert's job is a gentle scare. Let the family lead with their own child, and never set a frightened child in front of the devil for a photograph. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikul%C3%A1%C5%A1_(sv%C3%A1tek) ### Nuremberg Christkind URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/nuremberg-christkind Type: Culture Local name: Nürnberger Christkind (de) Also known as: Christkind, Christ Child Nuremberg, Christkindlesmarkt Prolog Region: Franconia City: Nuremberg Kind: Custom Period: At the market opening since 1933; chosen by the city every two years since 1969 Topics: Gift bringers, Christkind, Market opening Summary: The Nuremberg Christkind is the young person the city chooses every two years to open the Christkindlesmarkt and represent it through Advent, and anyone in Nuremberg on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent can hear the opening Prolog from the Frauenkirche balcony. Nora Falk holds the role for 2025 and 2026. The opening is a short ceremony in a packed square, so come early or watch it on a broadcast. The Christkind brings the presents in many German homes, and the city's market site traces the idea of the Christ child bringing gifts back to Martin Luther. Nuremberg casts a young woman in the part. Dressed in a white and gold gown with a golden crown, the Christkind opens the market and then keeps more than 170 appointments through the season, at the market and at charitable institutions. The role as it stands began in 1933, when the city's Nazi government reopened the market on the Hauptmarkt, which it had renamed Adolf-Hitler-Platz, with a ceremony that included an actress as the Christkind. Renate Timm played her until 1938. After the war Sofie Keeser took the part from 1948 to 1960 and Irene Brunner from 1961 to 1968. The Prolog spoken since 1948 is the work of Friedrich Bröger, who was chief dramaturg of the city theatres, and it was revised several times up to 1966. The opening moved from 4 December to the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent in 1973, because the crowds had grown too large. Since 1969 the city has chosen its Christkind for a two-year term from the young women of Nuremberg who apply for the voluntary role. A jury chose Nora Falk on 24 July 2025, with members from the local media, the Staatstheater Nürnberg, the city's markets office, its communications office, the tourism board and the previous Christkind, Nelli Lunkenheimer. She opened the market on 28 November 2025 and returns for the 2026 opening. The event page holds this year's time and the details of the ceremony. Tips: - Arrive on the Hauptmarkt well before the Prolog if you want to see the balcony, since the square fills fast. Several broadcasters carry the opening live if you would rather watch from somewhere warm. - The market site says you can meet the Christkind during the season, so check its program for her public appearances if you are travelling with children. Q: Who is the Nuremberg Christkind in 2026? A: Nora Falk is the Nuremberg Christkind for 2025 and 2026. A jury chose her on 24 July 2025, and she opened the Christkindlesmarkt on 28 November 2025. Q: How is the Nuremberg Christkind chosen? A: The city chooses a new Christkind every two years from the young women of Nuremberg who apply for the voluntary role, and a jury of media, theatre, market, tourism and city representatives makes the final pick. Q: When does the Christkind open the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt? A: The Christkind opens the market with the Prolog from the Frauenkirche balcony on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent. In 2026 that is Friday 27 November. Q: How should you behave at Nuremberg Christkind? A: At Nuremberg Christkind: Photograph the Christkind only at her public appearances, and leave her alone when she is off duty. Keep comments to what she does in the role. Talk about her looks or her private life has no place in a post about the market. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/das-christkind https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/en/christkind/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCrnberger_Christkind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frauenkirche,_Nuremberg ### Sinterklaas URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/sinterklaas Type: Culture Also known as: Sinterklaasfeest, Sint-Nicolaas, Sint, pakjesavond, intocht van Sinterklaas, Zwarte Piet debate, Roetveegpiet, sooty Pete Kind: Custom Period: On the Dutch national inventory of intangible heritage from January 2015; reported removed in June 2022 Topics: St nicholas, Gift bringers, Zwarte piet debate, Folk custom Summary: Sinterklaas is the St Nicholas feast of the Netherlands and Flanders, and families in the Netherlands or Belgium in the second half of November can watch him arrive by boat and follow the run-up to 5 December. His helper Zwarte Piet has been the centre of a long debate about blackface, and since 2019 the national arrival and many local ones have used Petes with only smudges of soot on their faces. The season opens with the national arrival by steamboat on the first Saturday after 11 November, broadcast on television, and each town holds its own arrival, or intocht, on a date it picks. Children put out a shoe in the weeks before, often with a carrot or a lump of sugar for his horse, and find a small gift in it the next morning. In the Netherlands the presents come on pakjesavond, the evening of 5 December. Flemish families find theirs on the morning of 6 December, after the saint has done his rounds in the night. Zwarte Piet first appears as Sinterklaas's servant in Jan Schenkman's picture book of 1850, Sint Nikolaas en zijn knecht. Herman Salomonson wrote against the figure in De Groene Amsterdammer as early as 1930. Surinamese groups called for a feast without him in 1981 and 1986, and in 1994 Lulu Helder and Jaffar Forster founded the action committee Zwarte Piet = Zwart Verdriet. The debate went national after 12 November 2011, when Quinsy Gario, Jerry Afriyie and two others were arrested at the national arrival in Dordrecht wearing shirts that read Zwarte Piet is racisme. Kick Out Zwarte Piet formed in 2014. In a letter of 27 November 2015 the Dutch government said it agreed with the UN committee against racial discrimination that the figure can carry negative stereotypes, and it ruled out a state ban. The broadcaster NTR dropped fully blackened Petes from the Sinterklaasjournaal and the national arrival in 2019. Since then those events have used roetveegpieten, whose faces carry a few smudges of soot and stay recognizable. Local arrivals vary. A 2019 survey of 185 municipalities found only fully black Petes at 65 per cent of them, and in November 2024 Kick Out Zwarte Piet still named 23 towns and villages it planned to protest in. The agreement it asked of arrival committees that year set out soot marks on a recognizable face, with no dark undercoat, no red lipstick, no earrings and no afro wigs. EenVandaag's polls found 89 per cent of respondents wanted Zwarte Piet left unchanged in 2013 and 55 per cent in 2023, and acceptance of roetveegpieten at the national arrival rose from 31 per cent in 2019 to 54 per cent in 2023. The feast entered the national inventory of intangible heritage in January 2015, after the Sint & Pietengilde registered it. An opinion site reports that the heritage centre KIEN removed it on 23 June 2022 after rejecting the guild's safeguarding plan, and we could not read KIEN's own page to confirm that. In Flanders a Pietenpact signed in 2016 was meant to end fully blackened Petes from 2017, and practice there still varies by town. Tips: - Check your town's arrival program in early November if you are travelling with children. The arrivals in Amsterdam and Maastricht come two weeks before the Christmas markets open. - Bakeries and shops sell chocolate letters and pepernoten in the weeks before 5 December, so the feast is easy to taste even if you miss the arrival. Q: When does Sinterklaas arrive in the Netherlands? A: Sinterklaas arrives by boat in mid-November, with a national arrival and separate local ones on different dates. Amsterdam's 2026 arrival is on Sunday 15 November. Q: Is Zwarte Piet still used in the Netherlands? A: No, not at the national arrival or on the Sinterklaasjournaal, which have shown only roetveegpieten with soot smudges since 2019. Many towns followed. Some local arrivals still use fully blackened Petes, and campaigners protest at those. Q: When do Dutch children get their Sinterklaas presents? A: Dutch children get their main presents on pakjesavond, the evening of 5 December. In Flanders the presents arrive overnight and are opened on the morning of 6 December. Q: How should you behave at Sinterklaas? A: At Sinterklaas: The debate is about racism and the history of slavery, and Black Dutch campaigners pushed the change for decades. Treat it as a serious question when you talk about it with locals, whichever side they take. Keep images of blackface out of anything you post or share, including photos of a local arrival that still uses fully blackened Petes. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://nos.nl/l/2544081 https://nos.nl/l/2309451 https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwartepietendiscussie https://eerstekamer.nl/9370000/1/j4nvi0xeni9vr2l_j9vvkfvj6b325az/vjzhme843sud/f=/vjzhlrm7l2yg.pdf https://www.hartvannederland.nl/nieuws/2019/traditie-blijft-in-ere-in-meeste-gemeenten-is-piet-gewoon-zwart/ https://www.wyniasweek.nl/zwarte-piet-en-de-caraibisering-van-het-nederlands-cultureel-erfgoed/?pdf=32798 https://immaterieelerfgoed.be/nl/erfgoederen/sinterklaas-en-sint-maartensgebruiken/pdf https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaasfeest ### St Lucia in Denmark URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/st-lucia-denmark Type: Culture Local name: Luciadag (da) Also known as: Lucia procession, Luciaoptog, Santa Lucia, Sankta Lucia, St Lucy's Day Region: Denmark Area: Across Denmark, in churches and schools City: Copenhagen Kind: Custom Period: In Denmark since 1943 or 1944, from Sweden Topics: Lucia, Processions, Advent, Church customs Summary: Danish Lucia processions on 13 December bring a line of singers carrying lights through churches and schools across the country, and anyone in Denmark that evening can hear the Lucia song after dark. The custom came from Sweden during the German occupation, and the sources disagree on where the first Danish procession walked. Lucia was a young Christian woman of Syracuse in Sicily who was martyred under Diocletian, and she is the patron saint of Syracuse and of the blind. Her name links to lux, the Latin for light. Before Denmark's calendar reform of 1700, the night before her feast was the longest of the year, and the National Museum of Denmark notes that it left many traces in folk tradition. The English Wikipedia, citing Kristeligt Dagblad, says the first Danish Lucia was celebrated in 1944 at the National Scala in Copenhagen, on the initiative of the head of the Nordic association Foreningen Norden, as a way to spread light during the war. The Danish Wikipedia puts a procession a year earlier, in 1943 at Th. Langs Skoler in Silkeborg, which a local photographer recorded in his ledger. The National Museum says only that the custom took hold in the years right after the occupation. Most Danish churches hold a Lucia procession as a yearly local event, and schools and kindergartens mark the day too. The Danes sing the same melody as the Swedes, and the usual Danish text says little about faith beyond the saint's name. The priest Holger Lissner wrote a church version, Sankta Lucia, in 1982. Lucia Day falls on Sunday 13 December in 2026, which is also the third Sunday of Advent. Tips: - Ask at your hotel or the nearest parish church for its Lucia time if you are in Denmark on 13 December. Church processions are often the simplest way to hear the song, and Tivoli's procession in Copenhagen has its own event page. Q: When is Lucia Day in Denmark? A: Lucia Day in Denmark is 13 December, which falls on a Sunday in 2026. Churches and schools hold processions on or around the day. Q: When did Denmark start celebrating St Lucia? A: Denmark took the Lucia procession from Sweden during the Second World War. Kristeligt Dagblad dates the first to 1944 in Copenhagen, and a photographer's record from Silkeborg puts one at a school there in 1943. Q: How should you behave at St Lucia in Denmark? A: At St Lucia in Denmark: A church Lucia procession is part of worship for the parish. Stay seated while the singers pass, keep the flash off and wait until the end to talk. The singers in a school or kindergarten procession are children. Leave photography to their families. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://natmus.dk/historisk-viden/temaer/fester-og-traditioner/jul/julens-helgener/sankta-lucia/ https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Luciadag https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day ### St Nicholas and Krampus URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/st-nicholas-and-krampus Type: Culture Local name: Nikolaus und Krampus (de) Also known as: Krampus, Krampusnacht, Krampuslauf, Krampus run, Nikolaus, Kramperl, Bartl, Buttnmandl, Buttnmandllauf, Perchten Kind: Custom Period: Written records of Krampus from the late 16th century; house visits from the mid-17th century; public runs from the mid-19th century Topics: St nicholas, Krampus, Perchten, Folk custom, Safety Summary: St Nicholas and his Krampus visit homes and streets across Austria and Bavaria on 5 and 6 December, and a Krampus run suits adults and older children who want to see carved masks and hear the cowbells up close. The runners carry switches and use them, so small children and anyone nervous should watch from well behind the barriers. On the evening of 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas's feast, St Nicholas calls on families to reward the children who behaved, and the Krampus comes with him to punish the ones who did not. The two often appear together that evening, and in some places on the 6th. He goes by Kramperl in Bavaria and Salzburg. Styria and Carinthia call him Bartl, short for Bartholomew, and in Tyrol you hear Tuifl, the dialect word for devil. The name most likely comes from the Middle High German Krampen, a claw. Popular telling gives the Krampus pre-Christian roots, and the written record begins only at the end of the 16th century. The German Wikipedia links him to an Italian 16th-century image of a devil who devours sinners, an image that spread through the lands of the Counter-Reformation, and dates the house visits to the mid-17th century, when they grew out of school feasts with a boy bishop. Old indoor plays with St Nicholas and his devils survive in Bad Mitterndorf and its neighbouring villages in the Styrian Salzkammergut. Public Krampus runs grew up beside the Perchten runs and came back into the open in the mid-19th century. A Krampus wears a coat of fur or sheepskin and a carved wooden mask, often of stone pine or linden, topped with goat or ram horns. Cowbells hang from his belt, and he carries a birch switch and sometimes a basket on his back for the children he means to take away. Perchten are separate figures tied to the nights between Christmas and Epiphany, which is why Salzburg's Perchten run on the Domplatz comes weeks after its Krampus run. In the Berchtesgadener Land in Bavaria, five municipalities keep the Buttnmandl custom on 5 and 6 December: unmarried men aged 16 and over wrap themselves in long threshed straw and walk with St Nicholas from house to house, with fur-clad Gankerl figures playing the Krampus part. At Lienz in East Tyrol in 2013 eight people went to hospital, most with fractures, and more than 60 were treated on the spot. In November 2024 a brawl at a run in Zams left eight people hurt and led to 67 police reports, and at Imst a Krampus struck a woman's hand with his switch. The Zams organizers now register each Krampus by name and give him a number, and marshals walk with every group. Read the organizer's rules before you go, and find the marshals before the run starts. Tips: - Stand behind the barrier and keep your hands in. A runner who swings a switch at your legs is doing what the custom expects, and grabbing a mask or a horn is how fights start. - Take small children to a St Nicholas procession, where the bishop hands out gifts, and leave the Krampus run for the older ones. Innsbruck's St Nicholas procession is built for young families, and the Krampus run at Hellbrunn near Salzburg starts earlier than the city run. - Note a runner's number if anything goes wrong at a run that registers them, and tell the nearest marshal or the police. Q: When is Krampus night? A: Krampus night is the evening of 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas's Day on 6 December. In 2026 it falls on a Saturday, and many towns in Austria and Bavaria also hold Krampus runs on other evenings from late November into December. Q: Are Krampus runs safe for children? A: Krampus runs are loud and physical, and runners strike spectators with switches, so they suit older children who know what to expect. Small children do better at a St Nicholas procession, and everyone should stay behind the barriers. Q: What is the difference between Krampus and Perchten? A: Krampus walks with St Nicholas around 5 and 6 December, and Perchten belong to the nights between Christmas and Epiphany. The masks look alike, and the two customs grew up side by side. Q: How should you behave at St Nicholas and Krampus? A: At St Nicholas and Krampus: Masks are the carvers' work and the runners' property. Never pull at a mask or a horn, and ask before you photograph a runner who has taken his mask off. St Nicholas is a bishop and a saint for the families who keep the custom. Let the children have their moment with him and keep your camera back. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buttnmandl https://de.euronews.com/2024/12/02/wenn-brauchtum-eskaliert-verletzte-bei-krampus-umzugen https://www.salzburg24.at/news/oesterreich/zwei-frauen-bei-krampuslaeufen-in-tirol-verletzt-art-282471 https://www.tt.com/artikel/16298506/hoellische-gesellen-unter-verschaerfter-aufsicht-in-zams-unterwegs ### Straw stars URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/straw-stars Type: Culture Local name: Strohsterne (de) Also known as: Strohstern, straw star ornaments Kind: Craft Topics: Tree decorations, Home crafts, Stars Summary: Straw stars are flat stars of split, ironed straw bound with thread, and they suit anyone who wants a decoration they can make at a kitchen table in an evening. Their history is thin: no museum source ties them to one maker or region, so treat any shop's founding story with care. A straw star starts as stalks soaked in lukewarm water, slit open and ironed flat until they turn gold or brown. You cut the strips to equal lengths, lay them in crosses and stack the crosses offset from one another, then weave a thread over and under the strips to hold them before you pull it tight and knot it. The ends get trimmed square or to a point, as you like. The German Wikipedia's sources put the decoration in the late 19th century, when the straw trade looked for winter work after the summer hat season and turned leftover straw into ornaments. Home workers in eastern Germany made them for decades, and that income went once cheap stars arrived from China, according to the Berliner Zeitung. A legend about a shepherdess who saw the Star of Bethlehem from her straw sack gets told as the origin, and nobody dates it. People read the straw as the manger and the shape as the Star of Bethlehem. The stars go on trees and in windows, and onto Advent wreaths and bouquets. A plain straw star with eight or more points belongs to everyone, and a design in a named maker's style is that maker's work. Tips: - Buy straw that is already split and flattened if you want to make stars at home, and soak it in warm water before you start so it bends without cracking as you weave the thread. - Start with two crosses of two strips each, set at 45 degrees to each other, for an eight-pointed star. A third cross laid between them gives you twelve points. Q: How do you make a straw star? A: Soak straw in lukewarm water, slit and iron it flat, cut it into equal strips, lay the strips in offset crosses and bind them with thread woven over and under each strip. Trim the ends to points once the thread is knotted tight. Q: Where do straw stars come from? A: Straw stars have no documented single origin. German sources date them as a Christmas decoration to the late 19th century, when the straw trade made ornaments from leftover straw in winter. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strohstern ### Tyrolean nativity cribs URL: https://christmasineurope.com/crafts/tyrol-nativity-cribs Type: Culture Local name: Tiroler Krippen (de) Also known as: Krippen, Weihnachtskrippe, Krippenschauen, Krippele schaugn, Heimatkrippe, Tyrolean crib, South Tyrol nativity scenes Kind: Custom Period: First crib in an Austrian church in 1608 (Innsbruck); crib associations from 1860 and 1909 Topics: Nativity scenes, Woodcarving, Museums, Folk custom Summary: Tyrol and South Tyrol keep a crib tradition that goes back to 1608, with carved Nativity scenes in churches and family homes from Advent until Candlemas on 2 February, and they suit travellers who want a quiet, unhurried side of Christmas. Many of the finest cribs stand in private houses, so you see them only where a family or a crib club opens its doors. Austria's first crib went up in 1608 in the Jesuit church in Innsbruck, and Hall in Tirol followed in 1609, both on the model of a crib set up in Munich in 1607. Hall's Marian congregation bought a crib with dressed figures in 1622, and it still goes up in the town's Jesuit church. In the Baroque period most churches and monasteries in the old county of Tyrol, which took in today's Tyrol, South Tyrol, Trentino and Vorarlberg, set up cribs of high quality. The cribs moved into homes when they were pushed out of churches, and the sources disagree on what pushed them. A heritage application from Ebensee quotes the court decree of 14 May 1782 in which Joseph II banned showy church cribs, after Maria Theresa had already restricted them in 1770. The national application of the Verband der Krippenfreunde Österreichs puts the change down to restrictions during the Napoleonic wars. Families carved small copies and set them up at home, and the home crib stayed after the bans lapsed. An oriental crib places the Nativity in a landscape modelled on the Holy Land, and a Heimatkrippe moves it into an Alpine setting of farmhouses and snowy mountains. Wenns in the Pitztal had a crib club by 1860, and in 1909 the Premonstratensian Chrysostomus Mössl founded the Tyrolean crib association in Innsbruck, together with the magazine Der Krippenfreund, which still appears. The Innsbruck club had more than 3,000 members by 1934 and became the pattern for crib clubs across Austria. Krippenschauen is the custom of going from crib to crib between Epiphany and Candlemas, and Tyroleans call it Krippele schaug'n or Krippele luga. The Austrian application traces it to the big house cribs of Tyrol, where some owner families still open their homes to visitors. South Tyrol has its own centre in Val Gardena, whose carvers are known for crib figures, and the Hofburg Brixen keeps a crib collection in the former prince-bishops' palace. Tips: - Start at the Tiroler Volkskunstmuseum in Innsbruck, at Universitätsstraße 2, which counts the history of the Christmas crib since the 18th century among its highlights. The museum page listed it open daily from 9:00 to 17:00, with last entry at 16:30, when we checked in October 2026. - In South Tyrol, the Hofburg Brixen museum at Hofburgplatz 2 was open daily from 10:00 to 17:00 from October to May and closed on 24 and 25 December when we checked in October 2026. - Ask at the local tourist office or parish for Krippenschauen dates. Some village crib clubs hold exhibitions in early December, and private house cribs open only when the family says so. Q: When can you see the nativity cribs in Tyrol? A: Tyrolean cribs go up in Advent, with the Christ child added on 24 December and the Three Kings by 6 January, and many stay until Candlemas on 2 February. The visiting custom of Krippenschauen runs between Epiphany and Candlemas. Q: Where was the first nativity crib in Austria? A: Austria's first church crib was set up in 1608 in the Jesuit church in Innsbruck, according to the Verband der Krippenfreunde Österreichs. Hall in Tirol followed in 1609. Q: What is a Heimatkrippe? A: A Heimatkrippe is a nativity crib set in the maker's own landscape, with Alpine farmhouses and snowy mountains in place of the Holy Land. The oriental crib keeps a setting modelled on Bethlehem. Q: How should you behave at Tyrolean nativity cribs? A: At Tyrolean nativity cribs: A crib is a devotional object for the families and parishes that set it up. Go into a private house only when it is open to visitors, and ask before you take photographs. Church cribs stand in working churches. Visit outside service times, or sit quietly at the back if a Mass has begun. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.unesco.at/fileadmin/user_upload/Bewerbungsmappe_Krippenbrauch_NEU2021__1_.pdf https://www.unesco.at/fileadmin/Redaktion/Kultur/IKE/IKE-DB/files/984.pdf https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtskrippe https://www.tiroler-landesmuseen.at/haeuser/tiroler-volkskunstmuseum/ https://www.hofburg.it/ ## Dishes and drinks ### Aachener Printen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/aachener-printen Type: Food Also known as: Printen, Aachen Printen, Aachen gingerbread, Oecher Printen, Prente Kind: Bake From: The Rhineland Season: Baked for autumn and winter and sold all year in Aachen. The Christmas market runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026. How to order: Say which texture you want. Hartprinten are the hard original, and Weichprinten are soft because the dough carries more honey. Kräuterprinten are the plain spiced kind and Schokoladenprinten come coated in chocolate. Buy them from an Aachen bakery or at the Christmas market around the cathedral and the town hall. Vegetarian: The dough is flour, water and sweeteners with no fat at all, so plain Printen suit vegetarians. Bakers may sweeten partly with honey and chocolate coatings may contain milk, so vegans should ask. Summary: Aachener Printen suit anyone stopping in Aachen between Brussels and Cologne who wants a spiced biscuit with more bite than Lebkuchen, and the trade-off is that the hard original can be tough on teeth. Ask for Weichprinten if you want them soft. Printen are a brown Lebkuchen from Aachen, dark and sharply spiced, made without any fat and sweetened mostly with sugar-beet syrup, brown sugar and rock-sugar crumbs. The spice mix runs to cinnamon, anise, cloves, cardamom, coriander and allspice with candied peel and ginger, and each maker keeps its proportions secret. The EU protects Aachener Printen as a PGI, and only bakers in Aachen and the neighbouring towns of Alsdorf, Baesweiler, Eschweiler, Stolberg and Würselen may use the name. The word comes from print, the Dutch prent and the Aachen dialect word Prente for an impression or a press. It points back to the carved wooden moulds that 15th-century bakers pressed honey dough into, a craft German Wikipedia says came to Aachen with coppersmiths from the Dinant area. Sources disagree on when the modern Printe was born. German Wikipedia dates it to about 1820, after Napoleon's blockade cut off cane sugar and bakers turned to beet syrup, while English Wikipedia says the Printe took its present form in 1806. The old Aachen firms still bake them. German Wikipedia names Lambertz, van Rey, Nobis, Leo van den Daele, Drouven and Klein among the traditional makers. Printen also go into the city's cooking: they thicken and season the sauce of Rhenish Sauerbraten, and the 35 percent Printenlikör is made from them. Aachen has a second Christmas PGI too, the Aachener Weihnachts-Leberwurst. Tips: - Expect Printen as Bruch, broken slabs, more often than whole moulded figures; that's how most bakers sell them. - Order Rhenish Sauerbraten in an Aachen restaurant if you want to taste Printen cooked into a sauce. Q: What are Aachener Printen? A: Aachener Printen are a hard, dark Lebkuchen from Aachen, made without fat and sweetened mainly with sugar-beet syrup. The name is an EU protected geographical indication. Q: Where can Aachener Printen be made? A: Only in Aachen and the neighbouring towns of Alsdorf, Baesweiler, Eschweiler, Stolberg and Würselen. Q: What is the difference between Printen and Lebkuchen? A: Printen are a kind of Lebkuchen. They contain no fat, are sweetened mostly with sugar-beet syrup and are traditionally hard, while Nuremberg's Lebkuchen are soft and rich in nuts. Q: How do you order Aachener Printen? A: Say which texture you want. Hartprinten are the hard original, and Weichprinten are soft because the dough carries more honey. Kräuterprinten are the plain spiced kind and Schokoladenprinten come coated in chocolate. Buy them from an Aachen bakery or at the Christmas market around the cathedral and the town hall. Q: When is Aachener Printen in season? A: Aachener Printen: Baked for autumn and winter and sold all year in Aachen. The Christmas market runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000013070 https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000015952 https://aachenweihnachtsmarkt.de/ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aachener_Printen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aachener_Printen ### Aebleskiver URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/aebleskiver Type: Food Also known as: æbleskiver, æbleskive, ebleskiver, ebelskiver, Danish pancake balls, Danish doughnut balls Kind: Sweet From: Denmark Season: The Christmas season in Denmark, from November through December. How to order: They come three to a plate with icing sugar and a spoonful of jam for dipping. Order a cup of gløgg with them, which is how Danes eat them at Christmas. Vegetarian: The batter is flour, buttermilk or milk, eggs, sugar and salt, often with butter, so æbleskiver suit vegetarians and aren't vegan. Summary: Æbleskiver suit anyone in Copenhagen in December who wants something warm and sweet with their gløgg, and the trade-off is that many sold at markets and fairs are reheated from frozen. They come three to a plate with icing sugar and jam. Æbleskiver are round Danish cakes fried in a cast-iron pan with half-spherical hollows. The batter is wheat flour with buttermilk or milk, eggs, sugar and salt, sometimes with cardamom or lemon zest. Cooks turn each ball with a knitting needle or a skewer as it sets, which is what makes them round. They aren't sweet on their own, so the icing sugar and the raspberry, strawberry or blackcurrant jam do the work. The name means apple slices, and today's æbleskiver have no apple in them. Danish Wikipedia says that around 1700 the word meant thin slices of apple turned in flour and egg and fried in butter, a dish still known on the island of Als. The word in its modern sense first appears in Peters Jul, a book of Christmas poems from 1866, and Hans Christian Andersen wrote of apple-filled æbleskiver in 1872. Many Danes now buy them ready-fried and frozen and heat them in the oven, and clubs and charities sell them at Christmas markets and fairs three at a time with the usual jam and sugar. English Wikipedia says they're more common at family gatherings than in restaurants. Tips: - Dip each one in the jam, then roll it in the icing sugar. - Pair them with gløgg, the Danish mulled wine. Q: Do æbleskiver have apple in them? A: Modern æbleskiver don't, even though the name means apple slices. Around 1700 the word meant fried slices of apple, and the round batter cakes kept the name. Q: How do you eat æbleskiver? A: Danes eat æbleskiver three to a plate, dusted with icing sugar and dipped in jam, often with a cup of gløgg. Q: How do you order Aebleskiver? A: They come three to a plate with icing sugar and a spoonful of jam for dipping. Order a cup of gløgg with them, which is how Danes eat them at Christmas. Q: When is Aebleskiver in season? A: Aebleskiver: The Christmas season in Denmark, from November through December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86bleskiver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%86bleskiver https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine ### Bethmannchen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/bethmannchen Type: Food Also known as: Bethmännchen, Bethmaennchen, Frankfurt marzipan biscuits, Bethmann biscuits Kind: Sweet From: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Season: Mostly baked and eaten at Christmas. Frankfurt's Christmas market runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026. How to order: Buy a bag at the market around the Römerberg, and drink a cup of hot Apfelwein with them, as Frankfurt's tourism office suggests. Vegetarian: Bethmännchen are marzipan of almonds, icing sugar and rose water, with egg white in the dough and egg yolk brushed on top, so they suit vegetarians and aren't vegan. Summary: Bethmännchen suit anyone at Frankfurt's market who wants a small sweet to take home from the city, and the trade-off is that they're pure marzipan, which not everyone likes. Pair them with a cup of hot Apfelwein from a stall on the Römerberg. Bethmännchen are small balls of marzipan dough made from ground almonds, icing sugar and rose water. Each one gets three almond halves pressed into its sides and a brush of egg yolk before it goes into the oven. They're a variation on the Frankfurter Brenten, a marzipan biscuit the city has known since the Middle Ages. The name comes from Frankfurt's Bethmann banking family. A legend says the Paris confectioner Jean Jacques Gautenier invented them in 1838 while he was chef to the banker Simon Moritz von Bethmann, with four almonds for four sons until one son died in 1845 and an almond came off. German Wikipedia points out that Simon Moritz von Bethmann died in 1826, so the story can't be right as told and the biscuits are probably older. Frankfurt's tourism office keeps to the short version, in which the three almonds recall the Bethmann sons, and the sweet has been a Frankfurt Christmas custom since the 19th century. Frankfurt's tourism office says you'll find them at the Christmas market around the Römerberg, and that Schlosscafé Keth has been there with its handmade version for 40 years. Plenty of Frankfurt families bake their own as well. Tips: - Pair them with hot Apfelwein, Frankfurt's own winter drink, from a stall on the market. Q: What are Bethmännchen? A: Bethmännchen are small Frankfurt marzipan biscuits made from ground almonds, icing sugar and rose water, decorated with three almond halves and baked. They're a Christmas speciality of the city. Q: Why do Bethmännchen have three almonds? A: Frankfurt's tourism office says the three almonds recall the sons of the Bethmann banking family. A legend that there were once four, one for each son, doesn't fit the dates. Q: How do you order Bethmannchen? A: Buy a bag at the market around the Römerberg, and drink a cup of hot Apfelwein with them, as Frankfurt's tourism office suggests. Q: When is Bethmannchen in season? A: Bethmannchen: Mostly baked and eaten at Christmas. Frankfurt's Christmas market runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethm%C3%A4nnchen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bethm%C3%A4nnchen ### Bredele URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/bredele Type: Food Also known as: Bredle, Bredala, Braedele, Winachtsbredele, Alsatian Christmas biscuits, Alsatian Christmas cookies, Weihnachtsbredele Kind: Bake From: Alsace Season: Families start baking in November, and the biscuits fill tins through the Christmas season. Strasbourg's market opens on Friday 27 November 2026. How to order: Buy a mixed bag so you can try several kinds, then ask for the ones you liked by name: Anisbredele, Butterbredele, Schwowebredele or Zimtsterne. In Strasbourg, the Bas-Rhin bakers' stalls at the Marché des délices sell the traditional ones. Vegetarian: Most Bredele are made with butter, egg or egg white, so they suit vegetarians and are rarely vegan. Summary: Bredele suit anyone in Alsace in December who wants to taste what families bake at home, and the trade-off is that the best tins are made in kitchens and given away. In Strasbourg, buy them from the Bas-Rhin bakers at the Marché des délices. Bredele are the small Christmas biscuits of Alsace and Moselle, and the name changes with the valley: bredele or braedele in the Bas-Rhin, bredala in the Haut-Rhin and bredle in Strasbourg itself. Families often bake more than ten kinds from November, keep them in metal tins and hand them round with coffee or as small gifts. Recipes pass down by word of mouth, so French Wikipedia says there are about as many kinds as there are Alsatian families. Nobody can say for sure how old they are. French Wikipedia points to the moulds, the oldest of which dates from the 14th century, and says Bredele spread more widely in the 18th century and grew common in the early 19th, when cutters came into use. The word only entered the Larousse dictionary in 2018 and Le Petit Robert in 2019. Strasbourg's Christmas site sends you to the Marché des délices for them. On the Palais Rohan terrace, bakers from the Fédération Patronale de la Boulangerie du Bas-Rhin sell traditional Bredle beside Alsace wines, and the site lists Bredle-baking lessons in a pop-up bakehouse on Wednesdays, booked ahead by phone. Outside Alsace, Dresden's tourism board lists Alsatian Weihnachtsbredele on its Augustusmarkt. Tips: - Book the Wednesday Bredle lesson at Strasbourg's Marché des délices early if you're travelling with children who like to bake. Q: What are Bredele? A: Bredele are small Alsatian Christmas biscuits. Families bake many kinds from November, among them Anisbredele, Butterbredele, Schwowebredele and Zimtsterne, and keep them in tins through the season. Q: Where can I buy Bredele in Strasbourg? A: Strasbourg's Christmas site points to the Marché des délices on the Palais Rohan terrace, where bakers from the Bas-Rhin bakers' federation sell traditional Bredle. Q: How do you order Bredele? A: Buy a mixed bag so you can try several kinds, then ask for the ones you liked by name: Anisbredele, Butterbredele, Schwowebredele or Zimtsterne. In Strasbourg, the Bas-Rhin bakers' stalls at the Marché des délices sell the traditional ones. Q: When is Bredele in season? A: Bredele: Families start baking in November, and the biscuits fill tins through the Christmas season. Strasbourg's market opens on Friday 27 November 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/w/marche-noel-gourmand https://noel.strasbourg.eu/w/noel-gourmand https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit/weitere-weihnachtsmaerkte.php https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bredele https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bredele ### Dresdner Christstollen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/dresdner-christstollen Type: Food Also known as: Dresden Stollen, Dresdner Stollen, Dresdner Weihnachtsstollen, Dresden Christmas stollen, Striezel Kind: Bake From: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Season: Advent. The Striezelmarkt sells it through December, and the Dresdner Stollenfest falls on Saturday 5 December 2026. How to order: Buy a whole loaf to take home or a thick slice to eat at the Striezelmarkt. Before you pay, look for the golden oval seal of the Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen with its six-digit control number, which traces the loaf to the bakery that made it, and the round blue and yellow EU mark beside it. Vegetarian: The protected recipe needs at least 50 parts butter to 100 parts flour, so it suits vegetarians and isn't vegan. Summary: Dresdner Christstollen suits anyone at the Striezelmarkt who wants the loaf the market is named after, and the trade-off is that a whole one is heavy to carry. It keeps for weeks, so buy it on your last day in Dresden and check for the golden seal. Three names are protected together: Dresdner Christstollen, Dresdner Stollen and Dresdner Weihnachtsstollen. The EU registered them as a PGI in 2010, and only bakers in Dresden and twelve neighbouring towns may use them, including Radebeul, Pirna, Freital, Radeberg and Moritzburg. The specification bans baking in tins and calls for at least 50 parts butter, 65 parts sultanas, 20 parts candied orange or lemon peel and 15 parts almonds to every 100 parts flour. Margarine, artificial preservatives and flavourings are out. The Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen holds the names as collective marks and checks the bakeries that use them. German Wikipedia counts its members at about 110 in one passage and about 120 in another. An authorised loaf carries the association's golden oval seal with a six-digit number that identifies the bakery, next to the EU's round blue and yellow PGI mark. The Striezelmarkt takes its name from the loaf. The city's market page explains that Strutzel or Striezel meant a long yeast bake in Middle High German, probably shaped to recall the swaddled Christ child, and that the name Stollen won out later. Every Stollen sold there comes from Dresden's craft bakeries. The oldest written record of Stollen as a Christmas bake comes from Naumburg in 1329, and German Wikipedia ties the butter in the recipe to a 1491 letter from Pope Innocent VIII. The Schutzverband has run the Dresdner Stollenfest since 1994 on the Saturday before the second Sunday of Advent, which in 2026 is 5 December. The day brings a parade of Stollen bakers and an extra-large Striezel to the market, and the association says tens of thousands of visitors come for it. Tips: - Read the six-digit number on the golden seal; it tells you which bakery made your loaf. - Plan for Saturday 5 December 2026 if you want to see the Stollenfest parade. Q: How can you tell a real Dresdner Christstollen? A: A real Dresdner Christstollen carries the golden oval seal of the Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen, with a six-digit control number that traces the loaf to its bakery, and the EU's blue and yellow PGI mark. Q: When is the Dresdner Stollenfest in 2026? A: The Dresdner Stollenfest is on Saturday 5 December 2026. The Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen holds it every year on the Saturday before the second Sunday of Advent. Q: Where can Dresdner Christstollen be made? A: Only in Dresden and twelve neighbouring towns, among them Radebeul, Pirna, Freital, Radeberg and Moritzburg, under the EU's protected geographical indication. Q: How do you order Dresdner Christstollen? A: Buy a whole loaf to take home or a thick slice to eat at the Striezelmarkt. Before you pay, look for the golden oval seal of the Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen with its six-digit control number, which traces the loaf to the bakery that made it, and the round blue and yellow EU mark beside it. Q: When is Dresdner Christstollen in season? A: Dresdner Christstollen: Advent. The Striezelmarkt sells it through December, and the Dresdner Stollenfest falls on Saturday 5 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000013821 https://www.dresdnerstollen.com https://www.dresdnerstollen.com/nur-echt-mit-dem-siegel/ https://striezelmarkt.dresden.de/de/markttreiben/essen-und-trinken/stollen.php https://striezelmarkt.dresden.de/de/markttreiben/Dresdner-Striezelmarkt-Essen-und-Trinken.php https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen_(Geb%C3%A4ck) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stollen ### Eierpunsch URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/eierpunsch Type: Food Also known as: egg punch, hot egg punch, Eier-Punsch Kind: Drink Season: Advent, at markets in Germany and Austria from mid-November to Christmas. How to order: Ask for einen Eierpunsch, and say mit Sahne if the stall offers the whipped cream on top. At Dresden's Striezelmarkt it comes in the glass mug the market keeps for specialities, under the same deposit system as the other mugs. Vegetarian: Eierpunsch is made with egg liqueur and is often topped with whipped cream, so it suits vegetarians who eat eggs and dairy. It isn't vegan. Summary: Eierpunsch suits anyone who finds Glühwein too sharp and wants something closer to warm custard, and the trade-off is a sweet, rich cup that's hard to drink twice. Look for it at Dresden's Striezelmarkt, where it has its own glass mug. Eierpunsch is a warm, sweetened alcoholic drink built on egg, close to eggnog. The usual recipe heats egg liqueur with white wine and vanilla, and some stalls add orange juice. It's served with a cap of whipped cream, sometimes dusted with cinnamon. German Wikipedia names markets in Germany and Austria as the place to find it, beside the Glühwein. Dresden takes it seriously enough to give it a mug of its own. The Striezelmarkt's 2026 rules for traders split the market's mugs three ways, and they name Eierpunsch as an example of the specialities poured into glass. Ceramic mugs hold the alcoholic drinks such as Glühwein, and the children's mugs hold alcohol-free punch. Tips: - Drink it slowly and early in the evening; it's rich enough to stand in for dessert. Q: What is Eierpunsch? A: Eierpunsch is a warm drink made from egg liqueur, white wine and vanilla, usually topped with whipped cream. German and Austrian Christmas markets sell it beside Glühwein. Q: Is Eierpunsch the same as eggnog? A: They're close relatives. Both are sweet drinks built on egg, and Eierpunsch is usually served hot with white wine and egg liqueur. Q: How do you order Eierpunsch? A: Ask for einen Eierpunsch, and say mit Sahne if the stall offers the whipped cream on top. At Dresden's Striezelmarkt it comes in the glass mug the market keeps for specialities, under the same deposit system as the other mugs. Q: When is Eierpunsch in season? A: Eierpunsch: Advent, at markets in Germany and Austria from mid-November to Christmas. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dresden.de/media/pdf/wirtschaft/markte/STM-2026-Ausschreibungstext.pdf https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eierpunsch https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punsch ### Feuerzangenbowle URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/feuerzangenbowle Type: Food Also known as: fire tongs punch, Feuerzangen-Bowle, Krambambuli Kind: Drink Season: Advent and New Year's Eve, when markets light the sugar cone over their kettles after dark. How to order: Ask for eine Feuerzangenbowle. It's ladled from the big kettle under the burning sugar cone into a mug, and the market's usual mug deposit applies; at Dresden's Striezelmarkt it goes into the ceramic mug kept for alcoholic drinks. Go after dark, when the flame is the show. Vegetarian: The punch is red wine, spices, citrus peel, sugar and rum, which suits vegetarians. Summary: Feuerzangenbowle suits anyone who wants the most theatrical drink at a German market, and the trade-off is a crowd around the kettle and a stronger cup than Glühwein. Nuremberg's riverside kettle and Munich's at the Isartor are the big ones, and different sources call each of them the largest in the world. Feuerzangenbowle is a punch built on red wine heated with cloves, cinnamon sticks and lemon and orange peel. A pair of fire tongs, or today a grid, sits across the top of the pot, and a cone of sugar soaked in rum burns on it and drips caramel into the wine. Overproof rum above 57 percent works best, because weaker rum burns too cool to caramelise the sugar. The name means fire-tongs punch, from the tongs once used to lift glowing coals from the hearth. Most Germans know it from Die Feuerzangenbowle, the 1944 film with Heinz Rühmann based on Heinrich Spoerl's 1933 novel. The drink only appears in the opening scene, where a table of older men drink it and reminisce about school. Universities still screen the film in Advent to packed lecture halls, and students bring sparklers, alarm clocks and torches to join in at set scenes. Sources disagree on which kettle is the biggest. German Wikipedia records a 9,000-litre kettle, about 3.4 metres tall, first set up at the Isartor in Munich in December 2005 and back every winter since. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt calls its own kettle by the Fleischbrücke on the Pegnitz the largest Feuerzangenbowle in the world. Wikipedia also lists one at the Cologne market on Chlodwigplatz and one in Vienna since 2021. Tips: - Hold the mug by the handle: the punch is served at about 70 °C. - In Tübingen, be on the Haagtorplatz at 19:00 on Friday 11 December 2026, which the city picks as the highlight of its three-day market. Q: What is Feuerzangenbowle? A: Feuerzangenbowle is a hot punch of red wine, spices and citrus. A rum-soaked sugar cone is set alight on a grid over the pot so the burning sugar drips into the wine. Q: Where is the biggest Feuerzangenbowle? A: Sources disagree. German Wikipedia gives the title to Munich's 9,000-litre kettle at the Isartor, which has run every winter since 2005, and Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt calls its kettle by the Fleischbrücke the largest in the world. Q: How do you order Feuerzangenbowle? A: Ask for eine Feuerzangenbowle. It's ladled from the big kettle under the burning sugar cone into a mug, and the market's usual mug deposit applies; at Dresden's Striezelmarkt it goes into the ceramic mug kept for alcoholic drinks. Go after dark, when the flame is the show. Q: When is Feuerzangenbowle in season? A: Feuerzangenbowle: Advent and New Year's Eve, when markets light the sugar cone over their kettles after dark. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/essen-trinken https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt/weihnachtsmarkt-in-der-leipziger-innenstadt-im-ueberblick https://www.wuerzburg.de/events-termine/wuerzburger-weihnacht https://www.koblenzer-weihnachtsmarkt.de https://www.tuebingen.de/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.dresden.de/media/pdf/wirtschaft/markte/STM-2026-Ausschreibungstext.pdf https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feuerzangenbowle https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine ### Gebrannte Mandeln URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/gebrannte-mandeln Type: Food Also known as: candied almonds, roasted almonds, burnt almonds, brændte mandler, praline almonds, gebrannte Nüsse Kind: Sweet From: France Season: Christmas markets through Advent, and open-air fairs at other times of year. How to order: Ask for gebrannte Mandeln and say Mandeln if you want almonds, because the same stalls coat cashews, peanuts, walnuts and macadamias the same way. Vegetarian: The basic recipe is almonds, sugar and water, often with vanilla sugar or cinnamon, which is vegan. Summary: Gebrannte Mandeln suit anyone who wants something sweet to carry while walking a market, and the trade-off is a sticky sugar shell that clings to your teeth. Bautzen's Wenzelsmarkt and Berlin's Spandau market both name them in their own descriptions. Gebrannte Mandeln are almonds stirred with sugar and water over heat until the sugar caramelises into a crunchy brown coat. Vanilla sugar and cinnamon are the usual extra flavours, and stalls coat other nuts the same way. Berlin's Spandau district sells its own market on the smell of Glühwein and gebrannte Mandeln drifting through the old town. Sources give two dates for the recipe. English Wikipedia credits the first recipe to the 17th century and to Clément Jaluzot, cook to Marshal du Plessis-Praslin, which is where the French name praline comes from, though it notes the story is murky. German Wikipedia says recipes for gebrannte Mandeln are documented in 18th-century Europe. Today they're a fairground snack across Austria, Switzerland, Germany and Scandinavia. Tips: - Look past the almonds: stalls also roast macadamias, peanuts, Brazil nuts, pecans, walnuts and cashews in the same sugar coat. Q: What are gebrannte Mandeln? A: Gebrannte Mandeln are almonds coated in caramelised sugar, often flavoured with vanilla or cinnamon. German Christmas markets and fairs sell them warm from the pan. Q: How do you order Gebrannte Mandeln? A: Ask for gebrannte Mandeln and say Mandeln if you want almonds, because the same stalls coat cashews, peanuts, walnuts and macadamias the same way. Q: When is Gebrannte Mandeln in season? A: Gebrannte Mandeln: Christmas markets through Advent, and open-air fairs at other times of year. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wenzelsmarkt-bautzen.de/ https://www.visitberlin.de/de/spandauer-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.berlin.de/ba-spandau/politik-und-verwaltung/aemter/strassen-und-gruenflaechenamt/allgemeine-verwaltung/interessenbekundungsverfahren-spandauer-weihnachtsmarkt-2025-bis-2028-1482160.php https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gebrannte_Mandeln https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candied_almonds ### Germknodel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/germknodel Type: Food Also known as: Germknödel, Germknoedel, yeast dumpling, Austrian yeast dumpling Kind: Sweet From: Czechia, Vienna and Lower Austria Season: Served all year in Austria, and a staple of ski huts in the Alps in winter. Austrian confectioners traditionally take orders for it on Fridays, the old fasting day. How to order: Order one Germknödel as a meal, since it's big enough to be one. Choose between the Viennese classic with melted butter and poppy seed with icing sugar, or vanilla sauce where it's offered. Vegetarian: The dough is made with milk, butter and egg, and it's finished with butter, so it suits vegetarians and isn't vegan. Summary: Germknödel suits anyone who wants a hot sweet lunch in Austria in winter, and the trade-off is size: one dumpling makes a full meal. Vienna's tourism board calls it one of the city's best-loved sweet dishes. A Germknödel is a large half-round dumpling of yeast dough, filled with Powidl, a thick plum butter. It's boiled in salted water or steamed over it, then served under melted brown butter with a mix of ground poppy seed and icing sugar. Germ is the Austrian and Bavarian word for yeast, and Vienna's tourism board traces it to gären, to ferment. German Wikipedia says the dumpling reached Vienna from Bohemia, probably in the 18th century, when many Bohemian cooks worked in Viennese households. Austrian cookbooks record it from the 19th century, and by 1880 it counted as an everyday dish. Vienna's tourism board adds that the city's pastry kitchens already loved yeast dough in the 17th century and that pressed yeast, invented in 1847 by the Viennese brewer Adolf Ignaz, made the dough far easier to make. Its relative the Dampfnudel is cooked in a covered pot with milk and butter in Bavaria, or with salted water and fat in the Palatinate, until a crust forms on the bottom. Both regions claim it, and German Wikipedia records a 2008 complaint from the Rhineland-Palatinate farm minister after Bavaria listed the Dampfnudel as a Bavarian speciality. Munich's ministry replied that it had no plans to seek EU protection for it. Tips: - Plan it as lunch; because of its size it's usually served as a main course. Q: What is a Germknödel filled with? A: A Germknödel is filled with Powidl, a thick plum butter, and served with melted butter and poppy seed mixed with icing sugar, or with vanilla sauce. Q: What is the difference between a Germknödel and a Dampfnudel? A: A Germknödel is boiled or steamed and filled with plum butter. A Dampfnudel is fried and steamed together in a covered pot, which gives it a golden crust on the bottom. Q: How do you order Germknodel? A: Order one Germknödel as a meal, since it's big enough to be one. Choose between the Viennese classic with melted butter and poppy seed with icing sugar, or vanilla sauce where it's offered. Q: When is Germknodel in season? A: Germknodel: Served all year in Austria, and a staple of ski huts in the Alps in winter. Austrian confectioners traditionally take orders for it on Fridays, the old fasting day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wien.info/de/essen-trinken/wiener-kueche/rezepte/suesspeisen-und-desserts/germknoedel-346868 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Germkn%C3%B6del https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dampfnudel ### Glogg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/glogg Type: Food Also known as: gløgg, glögg, glögi, glug, Scandinavian mulled wine, Danish mulled wine Kind: Drink From: Scandinavia Season: From November through Christmas, at markets, cafés and bars across Copenhagen. How to order: Ask for en gløgg. Where a bowl of raisins and blanched almonds sits beside the pot, spoon some into your cup, since you eat them out of the drink as you go. Most places also pour an alcohol-free version made with juice. Vegetarian: The usual ingredients are plant-based: red wine, sugar, spices, raisins and almonds. Some versions add spirits, and Copenhagen bars make apple and honey versions too, so ask at the stall if the recipe matters to you. Summary: Gløgg suits anyone in Copenhagen in December who likes a stronger, sweeter cup than German Glühwein, and the trade-off is that the raisins and almonds turn it into something closer to a snack. Order it with æbleskiver, the Danish batter balls, which is how most Danes have it. Gløgg is the Nordic take on mulled wine: red wine with sugar and spices such as cinnamon, cardamom, ginger, cloves and bitter orange, often strengthened with vodka, akvavit, rum or brandy. Raisins and peeled almonds come with it, and everyone adds as many as they like to the warm cup. The word is Swedish, shortened from glödgat vin, heated wine. Danes spell it gløgg, Swedes glögg and Finns and Estonians glögi. Danish Wikipedia says 19th-century gløgg was closer to German Glühwein and much weaker than today's. The strong version came when people found that caramelised sugar improved it, so they set sugar on a grid over the pot and lit the fumes until the flame melted it into the drink. That method halves the alcohol and has mostly gone, but the extra spice stayed. Gløgg became a Christmas habit toward the end of the 19th century, and around 1900 Swedish distillers put bright labels with Christmas elves on the bottles. Visit Copenhagen's own writer says you can't get near a market, café or bar in the city at Christmas without smelling cloves, orange, cinnamon and burnt wine. The tourism board describes an annual Danish gløgg championship held in November at the Torvehallerne food hall. Versions around town run from wine-heavy cups close to Glühwein to apple-juice and rum blends that a purist wouldn't call gløgg at all. Tips: - Eat the almonds and raisins with a spoon as you drink; that's what they're there for. - Pair it with æbleskiver, which Danes eat with icing sugar and jam beside a cup of gløgg. Q: What is the difference between gløgg and Glühwein? A: Gløgg is the Nordic version of mulled wine. It's often stronger, with spirits such as vodka, akvavit or brandy added, and it comes with raisins and blanched almonds in the cup. German Glühwein is usually plain spiced wine. Q: What do Danes eat with gløgg? A: Danes usually eat æbleskiver with gløgg, served with icing sugar and jam. Q: How do you order Glogg? A: Ask for en gløgg. Where a bowl of raisins and blanched almonds sits beside the pot, spoon some into your cup, since you eat them out of the drink as you go. Most places also pour an alcohol-free version made with juice. Q: When is Glogg in season? A: Glogg: From November through Christmas, at markets, cafés and bars across Copenhagen. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/copenhagen/seasons/guide-christmas-and-new-years-copenhagen https://www.visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/this-is-copenhagen/seasons/glogg-a-sweet-and-spicy-seasonal-love-affair https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit/weitere-weihnachtsmaerkte.php https://da.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gl%C3%B8gg https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gl%C3%B6gg https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B5%C3%B5gvein ### Gluhwein URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/gluhwein Type: Food Also known as: Glühwein, Gluehwein, mulled wine, vin chaud, svařák, svarak, forralt bor, grzaniec, hõõgvein, karstvīns, vin brulé, Winzerglühwein, Glühwein mit Schuss Kind: Drink From: Germany Season: Advent, from the first markets in mid-November to Christmas Eve, and into early January wherever a market stays open after Christmas. How to order: Ask for einen Glühwein, or say mit Schuss if you want a shot of rum or another spirit added. The price on the board usually leaves out the deposit (Pfand) on the mug, and you pay both together. Bring the mug back to the stall for the deposit, or keep it and the deposit pays for it. Nuremberg's market says every Glühwein stall there pours into the same mug, and at Dresden's Striezelmarkt the city washes all the mugs centrally and runs one deposit system for every stall. Vegetarian: The drink is wine, sugar and spices, so the base suits vegetarians. Nuremberg's market says almost every Glühwein stand there now has a vegan version, which tells you the standard blend may not be vegan, so ask at the stall. Summary: Glühwein suits anyone walking a German-speaking market after dark, and the trade-off is that the standard stall blend is often sweetened bulk wine. Look for Winzerglühwein on the board if you care what's in the cup, because the grower has to make it from their own grapes. Glühwein is red or white wine heated with cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel and star anise, then sweetened to taste. Most German stalls pour red, while white turns up more in northern Italy and both are common in Austria and Franconia. German law sets 7 percent as the minimum strength for Glühwein sold in shops. Good stalls keep the pot below 80 °C, since the alcohol starts to cook off at 78 °C and the spices turn harsh. The cheapest Glühwein is often bulk wine sweetened hard to cover its faults, and German Wikipedia says so plainly. Winzerglühwein is the grower's version, made from wine pressed from the grower's own grapes, with no water or juice added and only natural sugars for sweetness. A drink with rum, brandy or amaretto in it counts as punch in the strict German sense, and Kinderpunsch or Kinderglühwein is hot spiced fruit juice with no wine at all. The oldest documented Glühwein tankard is a gilded silver one from about 1420, attributed to Count John IV of Katzenelnbogen. Central Germany's oldest surviving recipe is dated 11 December 1834 and comes from August Josef Ludwig von Wackerbarth, with cinnamon, ginger, anise, nutmeg, cardamom and a pinch of saffron. Bottled Glühwein arrived in the winter of 1956, when Rudolf Kunzmann filled bottles at his small cellar in Augsburg and the city's market office fined him because sugar wasn't yet allowed in wine. Most markets charge a deposit on a ceramic or glass mug, and many print a new design every year, so people collect them. Dresden's Striezelmarkt rules allow only its own mugs: ceramic ones for alcoholic drinks, children's mugs for alcohol-free punch and glass ones for specialities such as Eierpunsch. Nuremberg's market says you can skip the refund and take the mug home, and every Glühwein trader there hands out the same one. Tips: - Look for the word Winzerglühwein if you want wine you could drink cold; German wine rules tie the name to the grower's own grapes. - Say mit Schuss for a shot of rum or another spirit in the cup. - Order Kinderpunsch for children, which is hot spiced fruit juice with no alcohol. - Keep the mug if you like the design, because the deposit you already paid covers it. Q: What is Glühwein made of? A: Glühwein is red or white wine heated with spices such as cinnamon, cloves, lemon peel and star anise, and sweetened to taste. In Germany a bottled Glühwein must be at least 7 percent alcohol. Q: Can I keep the Glühwein mug at a Christmas market? A: Yes. You pay a deposit on the mug with your first drink, and if you keep the mug the deposit pays for it. Hand it back at the stall to get the deposit returned. Q: What is Glühwein called in other countries? A: France calls it vin chaud, Czechs say svařák, Hungarians forralt bor and Poles grzane wino or grzaniec. In Estonia it's hõõgvein, in Latvia karstvīns, in northern Italy vin brulé and in Croatia and Slovenia kuhano vino. Denmark has its own gløgg. Q: What does Glühwein mit Schuss mean? A: Glühwein mit Schuss means Glühwein with a shot of rum or another spirit added to the cup. Q: How do you order Gluhwein? A: Ask for einen Glühwein, or say mit Schuss if you want a shot of rum or another spirit added. The price on the board usually leaves out the deposit (Pfand) on the mug, and you pay both together. Bring the mug back to the stall for the deposit, or keep it and the deposit pays for it. Nuremberg's market says every Glühwein stall there pours into the same mug, and at Dresden's Striezelmarkt the city washes all the mugs centrally and runs one deposit system for every stall. Q: When is Gluhwein in season? A: Gluhwein: Advent, from the first markets in mid-November to Christmas Eve, and into early January wherever a market stays open after Christmas. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/touren/tour-1-nurnberger-originale-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.6925225 https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/erlebniswege/tour-6-veganes-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.14473590 https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/essen-trinken https://www.dresden.de/media/pdf/wirtschaft/markte/STM-2026-Ausschreibungstext.pdf https://noel.strasbourg.eu/w/marche-noel-gourmand https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt https://trhypraha.cz/en https://budapest.hu/karacsony2025 https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000017287 https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000017288 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gl%C3%BChwein https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mulled_wine https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vin_chaud https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%B5%C3%B5gvein https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karstv%C4%ABns https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forralt_bor ### Kurtoskalacs URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/kurtoskalacs Type: Food Also known as: Kürtőskalács, kurtos kalacs, kurtosh kalach, chimney cake, Hungarian chimney cake, Baumstriezel, Schornsteinkuchen Kind: Sweet From: Transylvania Season: All year in Hungary, and on Budapest's Christmas markets from mid-November. How to order: Ask for one kürtőskalács and pick a topping, most often ground walnut or cinnamon. Tear it off in strips along the spiral while it's hot. Budapest's Városháza Park market advertises one baked over charcoal to the original recipe. Vegetarian: The home recipe is flour, sugar, butter, milk, eggs, yeast and salt, so it suits vegetarians. Fair versions may swap butter for margarine or oil, and vegan ones exist, so ask at the stall. Summary: Kürtőskalács suits anyone at a Budapest market who wants a warm sweet to share, and the trade-off is a sticky caramel crust that's hard to eat neatly in gloves. At the Városháza Park market, look for the stall baking it over charcoal. Kürtőskalács is a strip of sweet yeast dough wound around a tapering spit, rolled in granulated sugar and turned over charcoal while it's basted with butter. The sugar caramelises into a crisp, shiny crust, and the cake comes off as a hollow cone you tear into spirals. Walnut and cinnamon are the classic toppings. The name joins kürtő, a stovepipe, with kalács, a sweet bread, after the steaming chimney shape. It belongs to the Székely, the Hungarians of Transylvania. English Wikipedia dates the first written record to 1679, in the village of Úzdiszentpéter, now Sânpetru de Câmpie in Romania. The same article gives the first recipe as a 1781 manuscript cookbook in one place and as the 1784 cookbook of Countess Mária Mikes in another, so the date of the first recipe is unsettled. The caramel glaze came later, with the first mention of sugar sprinkled on before baking in an 1876 cookbook from Szeged. Tourism brought it back to Hungarian cities by the mid-1990s, and makers now sell it across Europe. English Wikipedia says Hungary has taken steps to register it with the EU, and the EU register held no entry for it when we checked on 10 October 2026. Its cousins include the Transylvanian Saxon Baumstriezel, the Slovak Skalický trdelník and the Czech-Moravian trdelník, and those have no caramel glaze. Tips: - Share one between two; it's a big, sweet cone. Q: What is kürtőskalács? A: Kürtőskalács is a Hungarian chimney cake from Transylvania: sweet yeast dough wound on a spit, rolled in sugar and baked over charcoal until the sugar caramelises. Q: Is kürtőskalács the same as trdelník? A: They're cousins in the same family of spit cakes. Kürtőskalács is rolled in sugar before baking and gets a caramel glaze, while Slovak and Czech trdelník doesn't. Q: How do you order Kurtoskalacs? A: Ask for one kürtőskalács and pick a topping, most often ground walnut or cinnamon. Tear it off in strips along the spiral while it's hot. Budapest's Városháza Park market advertises one baked over charcoal to the original recipe. Q: When is Kurtoskalacs in season? A: Kurtoskalacs: All year in Hungary, and on Budapest's Christmas markets from mid-November. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://budapest.hu/karacsony2025 https://welovebudapest.com/toplista/karacsonyi-vasar-budapest-2025-adventi-programok/ https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCrt%C5%91skal%C3%A1cs https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCrt%C5%91skal%C3%A1cs ### Maroni URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/maroni Type: Food Also known as: roasted chestnuts, hot chestnuts, Marroni, Maronen, heiße Maroni, marrons chauds, caldarroste Kind: Savoury Season: Late autumn and winter, from the first cold weeks until the Christmas markets close. How to order: Ask for a bag of Maroni at the roasting stand; Swiss stands spell it Marroni. Peel them while they're warm. Vegetarian: Roasted chestnuts are vegan: the nuts are roasted in their shells with nothing added. Summary: Maroni suit anyone who wants a warm, plain snack between sweet stalls, and the trade-off is peeling them with cold fingers. Look for the Maronistand, a small booth roasting them in metal drums, which is a fixture at Vienna's Christmas markets. A Maronistand is a small booth where a vendor roasts sweet chestnuts in and on portable metal drums, often with potato snacks beside them. English Wikipedia calls them a common sight at Viennese Christmas markets. MAGMAG's market on Vienna's Schwarzenbergplatz lists Maroni among its classics with Punsch, Glühwein and fried potatoes. Chestnuts must be cooked before you eat them, and a Salzburg newspaper says roasted is the form you'll find at every Advent market. In Bern, the Strazzini Marroni stand on the Waisenhausplatz market notes on the market's own trader page that chestnuts once gave Alpine farmers two to three times more calories per cultivated unit than grain, which is why people called the chestnut tree the bread tree of the poor. Tips: - Hold the bag in your gloves for a minute; it doubles as a hand warmer. Q: What are Maroni? A: Maroni is the Austrian and south German word for sweet chestnuts, and at Christmas markets it means chestnuts roasted in their shells at a small stand. Q: How do you order Maroni? A: Ask for a bag of Maroni at the roasting stand; Swiss stands spell it Marroni. Peel them while they're warm. Q: When is Maroni in season? A: Maroni: Late autumn and winter, from the first cold weeks until the Christmas markets close. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-sbp/ https://www.weihnachtsmarktbern.ch/ https://www.salzburg24.at/themen/weihnachten/7-einfache-rezepte-fuer-die-beliebtesten-adventmarkt-schmankerl-art-282835 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roasted_chestnut ### Nurnberger Lebkuchen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/nurnberger-lebkuchen Type: Food Also known as: Nuremberg Lebkuchen, Nuremberg gingerbread, Nürnberger Oblatenlebkuchen, Nuernberger Lebkuchen Kind: Bake From: Franconia Season: Bakers in Nuremberg sell it all year, and the big makers ship it to shops for the Christmas months. The Christkindlesmarkt runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026. How to order: Buy by the piece at the market or in tins and boxes to take home. Ask for Elisenlebkuchen for the grade with the most nuts and the least flour. Shops in the city sell Lebkuchen-Bruch, broken or misshapen pieces that failed the bakery's checks, for less. Vegetarian: Lebkuchen is sweetened with honey and baked on a thin wafer, and the usual recipe suits vegetarians. Vegans should look for the vegan Lebkuchen that Lebkuchen-Schmidt sells at its Christkindlesmarkt stall. Summary: Nürnberger Lebkuchen suits anyone at the Christkindlesmarkt who wants the one thing to carry home from Nuremberg, and the trade-off is that the protected name only guarantees where it was baked. For quality, ask for Elisenlebkuchen, the nut-rich grade with almost no flour. The protected name is a pure statement of origin. Since 1996 the EU has registered Nürnberger Lebkuchen as a PGI, and only Lebkuchen baked inside Nuremberg's city limits may carry it. German Wikipedia notes that the name sets no type and no quality bar, so in principle any Lebkuchen from the city qualifies. What most people mean by it is the large round Oblatenlebkuchen, baked on a thin wafer and sold glazed, chocolate-coated or plain with almonds and candied peel. Quality sits in a different label. Elisenlebkuchen is a grade in the German food code, and it needs at least 25 percent almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts with no more than 10 percent flour or 7.5 percent starch. Almost every Nuremberg baker puts its Elisen at the front of the counter, and some print the grade and the city together on the box. Nuremberg's Lebkuchen grew out of its place on Europe's spice routes and the honey from the Lorenzer Reichswald. A Lebküchner is first named in a Nuremberg record in 1395, and Wikipedia gives an earlier mention of Lebkuchen bakers in Ulm in 1296. The market's own food page says the city invented Lebkuchen in the Middle Ages, and it puts the word in quotation marks. In 1487 Emperor Frederick III handed out small Lebkuchen printed with his portrait to the city's children. At the Christkindlesmarkt, the market's own tour of local originals starts at the Lebkuchen-Schmidt stall near the Schöner Brunnen for fresh Lebkuchen, then sends you to the stall of the Lebküchner Wolfgang Woitinek for handmade ones. The vegan tour points out that almost every Lebkuchen stand now has a vegan version. Tips: - Ask for Elisenlebkuchen if you want the nut-rich grade. - Look for Lebkuchen-Bruch in the city's bakery shops for cheaper broken pieces that taste the same. - Buy them in a decorated tin if you're carrying them home; old Lebkuchen tins have become collectors' pieces. Q: What makes Lebkuchen Nürnberger Lebkuchen? A: Nürnberger Lebkuchen is an EU protected geographical indication, so only Lebkuchen baked inside Nuremberg's city limits may use the name. It sets no recipe or quality grade. Q: What are Elisenlebkuchen? A: Elisenlebkuchen is the top Lebkuchen grade in the German food code, with at least 25 percent almonds, hazelnuts or walnuts and no more than 10 percent flour. Q: Where can I buy Nürnberger Lebkuchen at the Christkindlesmarkt? A: The market's own tour sends you to the Lebkuchen-Schmidt stall near the Schöner Brunnen and to the stall of the Lebküchner Wolfgang Woitinek, who bakes by hand. Q: How do you order Nurnberger Lebkuchen? A: Buy by the piece at the market or in tins and boxes to take home. Ask for Elisenlebkuchen for the grade with the most nuts and the least flour. Shops in the city sell Lebkuchen-Bruch, broken or misshapen pieces that failed the bakery's checks, for less. Q: When is Nurnberger Lebkuchen in season? A: Nurnberger Lebkuchen: Bakers in Nuremberg sell it all year, and the big makers ship it to shops for the Christmas months. The Christkindlesmarkt runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000013045 https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/essen-trinken https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/touren/tour-1-nurnberger-originale-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.6925225 https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/erlebniswege/tour-6-veganes-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.14473590 https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/maerkte/dokumente/spezialmaerkte/bekanntmachung_ckm_2026.pdf https://striezelmarkt.dresden.de/de/markttreiben/Dresdner-Striezelmarkt-Essen-und-Trinken.php https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%BCrnberger_Lebkuchen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lebkuchen ### Nurnberger Rostbratwurste URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/nurnberger-rostbratwurste Type: Food Also known as: Nuremberg sausages, Nuremberg bratwurst, Nürnberger Rostbratwurst, Nürnberger Bratwürste, Nürnberger Bratwurst, Drei im Weggla, Drei im Weckla Kind: Savoury From: Franconia Season: All year in Nuremberg, and on the Christkindlesmarkt from 27 November to 24 December 2026. How to order: At a market stall, ask for drei im Weggla: three sausages in a bread roll, eaten standing up. The protection association spells it Weckla. At a table in a Bratwurst kitchen, order six or twelve with sauerkraut. Vegetarian: No. The sausages are pork seasoned with salt, pepper and marjoram. The Christkindlesmarkt's vegan tour lists one stall that sells a vegan sausage in the Nuremberg style. Summary: Nürnberger Rostbratwürste suit anyone at the Christkindlesmarkt who wants a hot lunch in one hand, and the trade-off is that three finger-length sausages make a small meal. The protection association's classic method grills them over a beech-wood fire. These are small pork sausages, about the length of a finger. German Wikipedia gives 7 to 9 cm and 20 to 25 g each in a 15 mm casing, and the protection association rounds the length to 9 cm. The seasoning is salt, pepper and marjoram, and the classic way to cook them is over a beech-wood fire, though the association says the pan and a simmering broth work too. The EU registers both Nürnberger Bratwürste and Nürnberger Rostbratwürste under one PGI, and only sausages made inside Nuremberg's city limits to the fixed recipe may carry the names. German Wikipedia says the city set that recipe in a council committee decision on 18 March 1998. The association traces the city council's interest in sausage quality back to 1313. Small sausages that look the same may be sold elsewhere, as long as Nuremberg stays out of the name. On the Christkindlesmarkt the Bratwurst stalls move every year. The market brought in a rotation in the 1990s so that no trader holds the best pitch for good. The market's tour of local originals sends you to a stall whose butcher makes the sausages in his own shop to the recipe set by the city. Nuremberg also has a Bratwurst museum, open since November 2021 on the Trödelmarkt. Tips: - Ask for drei im Weggla and eat it on your feet; it's the quickest hot meal on the Hauptmarkt. - Look for the stall again in a new spot if you come back next year, because the Bratwurst stalls rotate. Q: What does drei im Weggla mean? A: Drei im Weggla is Franconian for three in a roll: three Nürnberger Rostbratwürste in a bread roll, the standard way to eat them at a stall. Q: Can Nürnberger Rostbratwürste be made outside Nuremberg? A: No. The name is an EU protected geographical indication, and only sausages made inside Nuremberg's city limits to the fixed recipe may use it. Q: How do you order Nurnberger Rostbratwurste? A: At a market stall, ask for drei im Weggla: three sausages in a bread roll, eaten standing up. The protection association spells it Weckla. At a table in a Bratwurst kitchen, order six or twelve with sauerkraut. Q: When is Nurnberger Rostbratwurste in season? A: Nurnberger Rostbratwurste: All year in Nuremberg, and on the Christkindlesmarkt from 27 November to 24 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000013499 https://www.nuernberger-bratwuerste.de https://www.nuernberger-bratwuerste.de/de/erfahren/nurnberger-bratwurst https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/essen-trinken https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/ihr-besuch/touren/tour-1-nurnberger-originale-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.6925225 https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/erlebniswege/tour-6-veganes-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.14473590 https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/maerkte/dokumente/spezialmaerkte/bekanntmachung_ckm_2026.pdf https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratwurst ### Punsch URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/punsch Type: Food Also known as: punch, Austrian punch, Viennese punch, Weihnachtspunsch, Kinderpunsch, Zirbenpunsch Kind: Drink From: India Season: Advent markets in Austria from mid-November, with Vienna's Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz open to 26 December 2026. How to order: Read the board first, since Viennese stands pour several punches and each has its own name. You pay a deposit on the mug with the drink, and the MAGMAG markets in Vienna put one on every punch and hot drink. Hand the mug back for the deposit or keep it as a souvenir. Ask for Kinderpunsch for children, which has no alcohol. Vegetarian: Punsch is usually fruit juice, tea, sugar and spice with rum, wine or another spirit, which suits vegetarians. No legal recipe fixes what goes in, so ask at the stand if you avoid any ingredient. Summary: Punsch suits anyone at an Austrian market who wants a hot drink with more fruit and spirit than wine, and the trade-off is that no rule fixes the recipe, so every stand's cup tastes different. Vienna is where to try it, with the Zirbenpunsch at Am Hof as the local signature. Punsch takes its name from pā̃c, the Hindi word for five, after the five ingredients of the original drink. English sailors of the East India Company met it in India and brought it to Europe in the 17th century. The classic mix was arrack, sugar, lemons, tea or water and spices, and today rum, brandy, wine or fruit juice stand in. German law sets no recipe for Punsch, so a stand can put almost anything in the pot. Vienna and Salzburg came to it late. German Wikipedia says the drink was still unknown there when the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart met it on a trip to England in 1764, and his father Leopold wrote home describing water, rum, sugar and lemons boiled together. Austria, Czechia and Germany now pour Punsch beside Glühwein and Jagertee at their Christmas markets. In Vienna, Punsch is the drink to hold. The market Am Hof created its Zirbenpunsch, flavoured with Swiss stone pine, in 1999, and its own history page says people laughed at it at first and that it has since won over visitors who don't like sweet drinks. For 2026 the MAGMAG markets serve punch in their red boot-shaped mug, made of glass for the first time. Graz Tourismus sends you to the Mehlplatz, where the punch stands try unusual recipes. Tips: - Try the Zirbenpunsch at Am Hof if you find punch too sweet. - Ask for Kinderpunsch for children, or Autofahrerpunsch if you're driving. Q: What is the difference between Punsch and Glühwein? A: Glühwein is spiced hot wine with a minimum strength set in German law. Punsch is a hot mixed drink of fruit juice, tea, sugar and spice with rum, wine or another spirit, and no rule fixes its recipe. Q: What is Zirbenpunsch? A: Zirbenpunsch is a punch flavoured with Swiss stone pine, created in 1999 at the Christmas market Am Hof in Vienna. Q: How do you order Punsch? A: Read the board first, since Viennese stands pour several punches and each has its own name. You pay a deposit on the mug with the drink, and the MAGMAG markets in Vienna put one on every punch and hot drink. Hand the mug back for the deposit or keep it as a souvenir. Ask for Kinderpunsch for children, which has no alcohol. Q: When is Punsch in season? A: Punsch: Advent markets in Austria from mid-November, with Vienna's Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz open to 26 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-hof.at/geschichte/ https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/faqs/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-stp/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-sbp/ https://www.graztourismus.at/advent/de/advent-veranstaltungen/adventmarkt-am-mehlplatz_evt_2339 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Punsch https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gl%C3%BChwein ### Raclette URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/raclette Type: Food Also known as: Raclette, Bratchäs, Bratkäse, raclette cheese, Walliser Raclette, Raclette du Valais Kind: Savoury From: Switzerland Season: Winter, and through Advent at Swiss Christmas markets such as Bern's on the Waisenhausplatz. How to order: At a street stall, raclette often comes scraped onto bread. The Valais plate is melted cheese over boiled potatoes with cornichons and pickled onions, and in Valais people drink black tea or a glass of Fendant with it. Vegetarian: Raclette is cheese with potatoes or bread, and the dish suits most vegetarians. Strict vegetarians should ask about the rennet in the cheese. Summary: Raclette suits anyone at a Swiss market who wants a hot, filling plate of cheese, and the trade-off is a heavy meal that leaves little room for the sweet stalls. In Bern, the Märitbeiz on the Waisenhausplatz market serves it alongside fondue. Raclette means heating a wheel of cheese and scraping off the melted layer, and the name comes from racler, to scrape, in the Franco-Provençal dialect of Valais. The cheese goes onto boiled potatoes in Valais, and at street stalls it more often goes onto bread. Melting cheese this way in front of a fire is recorded in Valais from 1574, and German-speaking Switzerland once called the dish Bratchäs, roasted cheese. Sources differ by a year on when the name took hold: English Wikipedia says raclette has been the usual term since 1875, and German Wikipedia dates the official naming of the Valais cheese to 1874. Valais promoted raclette as its national dish at the cantonal exhibition in Sion in 1909, and it spread across Switzerland and abroad after the national exhibition of 1964. In Valais the plate comes with cornichons and pickled onions, and the drink is black tea or Fendant, the local white wine. Two names are protected. Raclette du Valais is a Swiss AOP made from raw milk in Valais, which sits outside the EU system. Across the border, the EU registers Raclette de Savoie as a PGI. Neither label applies to a stall's raclette unless the stall shows it. Tips: - Ask which cheese the stall is melting; a Raclette du Valais AOP sign means raw-milk cheese from Valais. Q: What is raclette? A: Raclette is a Swiss dish from Valais: a wheel of cheese is heated and the melted layer is scraped onto boiled potatoes or bread, usually with cornichons and pickled onions. Q: Is raclette a protected name? A: Raclette on its own isn't protected. Raclette du Valais is a Swiss AOP, and Raclette de Savoie is an EU protected geographical indication. Q: How do you order Raclette? A: At a street stall, raclette often comes scraped onto bread. The Valais plate is melted cheese over boiled potatoes with cornichons and pickled onions, and in Valais people drink black tea or a glass of Fendant with it. Q: When is Raclette in season? A: Raclette: Winter, and through Advent at Swiss Christmas markets such as Bern's on the Waisenhausplatz. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weihnachtsmarktbern.ch/ https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000015863 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raclette ### Reibekuchen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/reibekuchen Type: Food Also known as: Kartoffelpuffer, potato pancakes, potato fritters, Rievkooche, Reiberdatschi, Baggers, Kartoffelpfannkuchen, Reibeplätzchen Kind: Savoury From: Germany Season: Year-round in German kitchens, and on market stalls through Advent. How to order: Order a portion and choose the topping: apple sauce is the classic, and the Rhineland also eats them with sugar-beet syrup. Elsewhere you'll see them with sauerkraut or a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon. In Franconia the stall may call them Baggers, and in Cologne Rievkooche. Vegetarian: The batter is potato, onion, flour, salt and usually egg, so it suits most vegetarians. Some cooks fry them in lard or clarified butter, so ask what's in the pan. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt lists a stall that makes vegan ones. Summary: Reibekuchen suit anyone who wants something hot, salty and filling between sweet stalls, and the trade-off is the frying fat, which can be lard. Ask what's in the pan if that matters to you. Reibekuchen are flat cakes of grated raw potato and onion, squeezed dry, bound with flour, salt and egg and fried crisp in lard, clarified butter or oil. Every German region has its own name. Kartoffelpuffer is the general one, Rievkooche the Cologne word, Reiberdatschi the Bavarian and Baggers the Franconian, and German Wikipedia lists more than a dozen others. The Rhineland makes them its own way. Cooks there let the starch settle out of the grated potato's liquid and stir it back into the mix, and they eat the cakes with Rübenkraut, a dark sugar-beet syrup, as often as with apple sauce. With bacon and onion in the batter, only the name Reibekuchen is used. At Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt the vegan tour ends at a stall selling vegan Kartoffelpuffer made from freshly grated potatoes, and the market's page notes that Franconians call them Baggers. Tips: - Eat them straight from the pan; they go limp fast in the cold. - Try them with sugar-beet syrup in the Rhineland if you've only had them with apple sauce. Q: What is the difference between Reibekuchen and Kartoffelpuffer? A: They're the same dish under different regional names. Reibekuchen is the usual word in the Rhineland and Kartoffelpuffer the general German one. Q: What do you eat with Reibekuchen? A: Apple sauce is the classic. In the Rhineland people also eat them with sugar-beet syrup, and elsewhere with sauerkraut or sugar and cinnamon. Q: How do you order Reibekuchen? A: Order a portion and choose the topping: apple sauce is the classic, and the Rhineland also eats them with sugar-beet syrup. Elsewhere you'll see them with sauerkraut or a sprinkle of sugar and cinnamon. In Franconia the stall may call them Baggers, and in Cologne Rievkooche. Q: When is Reibekuchen in season? A: Reibekuchen: Year-round in German kitchens, and on market stalls through Advent. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/erlebniswege/tour-6-veganes-auf-dem-christkindlesmarkt-1.14473590 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kartoffelpuffer https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potato_pancake ### Thuringer Rostbratwurst URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/thuringer-rostbratwurst Type: Food Also known as: Thuringian sausage, Thuringian bratwurst, Thüringer Bratwurst, Thüringer Roster, Thueringer Rostbratwurst Kind: Savoury From: Thuringia Season: All year, since Thuringian butchers make it in every season. How to order: Ask for eine Thüringer at the grill. Read the stall's sign first, because only sausages made in Thuringia may use the protected name. Vegetarian: No. It's a pork sausage, sometimes with veal or beef. Summary: Thüringer Rostbratwurst suits anyone who wants a longer, coarser sausage than the little Nuremberg ones, and the trade-off is that a grill far from Thuringia may sell a lookalike under a looser name. Read the sign before you order. The Thüringer is a medium-fine sausage of trimmed pork and pork cheek, sometimes with veal or beef, sold raw or scalded. Salt and pepper season it, and depending on the district caraway, marjoram or garlic join them. Each one is at least 15 cm long and weighs 100 to 150 g, in a narrow natural casing. The EU registers Thüringer Rostbratwurst as a PGI. German Wikipedia gives 6 January 2004 for the registration, while the EU register's protection date reads 15 May 2002. The first rules said at least 51 percent of the raw material had to come from Thuringia, and that clause was dropped in 2012 on the grounds that the sausage's reputation rests on Thuringian butchers' skill and recipes. Thuringia's claim to an old tradition rests on a document in the state archive at Rudolstadt. It copies the accounts of a provost of the Walpurgis convent near Arnstadt, and an entry dated 20 January 1404 records one groschen paid for sausage casings. The German Bratwurst Museum opened at Holzhausen in 2006 and moved to a new building in Mühlhausen, which opened on 16 August 2023. Tips: - Read the stall's sign before you order; a sausage made outside Thuringia can't be sold as a Thüringer Rostbratwurst. Q: What is the difference between a Thüringer and a Nürnberger bratwurst? A: A Thüringer Rostbratwurst is at least 15 cm long and weighs 100 to 150 g, and must be made in Thuringia. Nürnberger Rostbratwürste are 7 to 9 cm long, about 20 to 25 g each, and must be made in Nuremberg. Q: How do you order Thuringer Rostbratwurst? A: Ask for eine Thüringer at the grill. Read the stall's sign first, because only sausages made in Thuringia may use the protected name. Q: When is Thuringer Rostbratwurst in season? A: Thuringer Rostbratwurst: All year, since Thuringian butchers make it in every season. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000013531 https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bratwurst https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thuringian_sausage ### Trdelnik URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/trdelnik Type: Food Also known as: Trdelník, trdlo, chimney cake, Prague chimney cake, trdelnik ice cream Kind: Sweet From: Slovakia, Transylvania Season: All year at Prague's tourist stalls, and on the Christmas markets from late November. How to order: Order it plain, rolled in sugar with nuts or cinnamon, if you want the old style. The versions filled with ice cream came to Prague only after about 2015. Vegetarian: The dough is yeast, flour, egg and milk, and the Skalica recipe registered with the EU also lists pork lard. Vegetarians should ask what greased the dough. Summary: Trdelník suits anyone at Prague's Old Town Square market who wants a warm sweet straight off the fire, and the trade-off is that the label old Bohemian on the stall sign is marketing. Its roots run to Slovakia, Moravia and Transylvania, and the only EU-protected version is baked in Skalica in Slovakia. Trdelník is a strip of yeast dough wound around a wooden or metal roller 8 to 10 cm across, called a trdlo, and turned over charcoal while it's brushed with milk. When it's golden it slides off the roller as a hollow tube and gets rolled in sugar, cinnamon, vanilla or chopped nuts. The word trdlo names the roller, and in Czech it also means a simpleton. Sources disagree about where it began. English Wikipedia places its origin in the northern part of the old Kingdom of Hungary, and Czech Wikipedia thinks it probably came from Transylvania. Both agree on its later homes: Slovakia and Moravia, where 19th-century weddings and fairs served it. Czech writers mention trdelník from 1813, in poems published in Múza Morawská. The traditional Czech claim is the contested part. Prague stalls sell it as a traditional Czech cake or an old Bohemian pastry, and English Wikipedia says the literature mostly calls it a Slovak or Moravian dish and dates its spread in Prague to the early 2000s. The journalist Janek Rubeš has criticised the stalls as tourist traps that present it as traditional, and Czech Wikipedia calls the label staročeský trdelník, old Czech trdelník, a marketing trick. The Slovak town of Skalica holds the EU's protected name for its version, Skalický trdelník, registered in 2007. Local tradition credits the Transylvanian cook of Count József Gvadányi, who lived in the town from 1783 to 1801, with bringing the recipe. The town runs its own bakery for it in the Franciscan monastery and holds a Trdlofest every May. Tips: - Skip anything labelled old Bohemian if that's the reason you're buying it; the cake's roots are Slovak, Moravian and Transylvanian. - Order the plain sugar-and-nut version first, and add fillings only if you want dessert. Q: Is trdelník a traditional Czech pastry? A: Its Czech roots are in Moravia, and Prague came to it late. Sources trace trdelník to Slovakia, Moravia and Transylvania, and it spread in Prague only from the early 2000s. Czech Wikipedia calls the label old Czech trdelník a marketing trick. Q: Is trdelník protected by the EU? A: Only one version has EU protection. Skalický trdelník, baked in the Skalica district of Slovakia, has been an EU protected geographical indication since 2007, and the name covers no trdelník baked in Prague. Q: What is the difference between trdelník and kürtőskalács? A: They belong to the same family of spit cakes. Kürtőskalács is rolled in sugar before baking so it gets a caramel glaze, and Skalický trdelník and the Czech-Moravian trdelník have no caramel glaze. Q: How do you order Trdelnik? A: Order it plain, rolled in sugar with nuts or cinnamon, if you want the old style. The versions filled with ice cream came to Prague only after about 2015. Q: When is Trdelnik in season? A: Trdelnik: All year at Prague's tourist stalls, and on the Christmas markets from late November. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://ec.europa.eu/agriculture/eambrosia/geographical-indications-register/details/EUGI00000013744 https://trhypraha.cz/en https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/7794645-3479097-boehmischer-weihnachtsmarkt-babelsberg.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trdeln%C3%ADk https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trdeln%C3%ADk https://sk.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skalick%C3%BD_trdeln%C3%ADk https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C3%BCrt%C5%91skal%C3%A1cs ### Vanillekipferl URL: https://christmasineurope.com/food/vanillekipferl Type: Food Also known as: vanilla crescents, vanilla crescent cookies, Vanillekipferln, Vanüllekipfal, Vanillekipferl biscuits Kind: Bake From: Vienna and Lower Austria Season: Christmas baking in Austria, Bavaria and the old Habsburg lands, made in Advent and kept through the holidays. How to order: Buy them by the bag from a bakery, and ask for the nut you want, since bakers use almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. Vegetarian: They're shortcrust of flour, butter, sugar and ground nuts, often with egg yolk, so they suit vegetarians and aren't vegan. Summary: Vanillekipferl suit anyone who wants to take home the biscuit Austrians bake every Christmas, and the trade-off is how fragile they are in a suitcase. Pack them in a tin. Vanillekipferl are small crescents of shortcrust made with flour, butter, sugar and ground almonds, or walnuts, hazelnuts or peanuts depending on the region. Bakers roll the dough into finger-length logs, bend them into crescents and bake them, then toss them in icing sugar flavoured with vanilla seeds while they're still warm or once they've cooled. A little egg yolk in the dough makes them extra short. German Wikipedia says they come from Vienna and are known across the old Austro-Hungarian lands, from Austria, Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary to South Tyrol, Bavaria, Poland and Romania. A legend says Viennese bakers first made them in 1683 to mark the defeat of the Ottoman army, shaping them after the crescent on the Ottoman flag. Tips: - Carry them home in a tin; the shortcrust breaks at a touch. Q: What are Vanillekipferl? A: Vanillekipferl are Austrian Christmas biscuits: small crescents of shortcrust made with butter and ground almonds, rolled in vanilla icing sugar. Q: How do you order Vanillekipferl? A: Buy them by the bag from a bakery, and ask for the nut you want, since bakers use almonds, walnuts or hazelnuts. Q: When is Vanillekipferl in season? A: Vanillekipferl: Christmas baking in Austria, Bavaria and the old Habsburg lands, made in Advent and kept through the holidays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanillekipferl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vanillekipferl ## Ways to get around ### Aachen Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/aachen-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Aachen Hbf, Aachen main station Region: The Rhineland City: Aachen Address: Bahnhofplatz 2a, 52064 Aachen Coordinates: 50.76780, 6.09150 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf Summary: Aachen Hauptbahnhof sits on the southern edge of the centre, close enough for most people to walk to the market around the cathedral. Head north from Bahnhofplatz toward the theatre and keep on into the old town until the cathedral comes into view. The Katschhof spreads between the cathedral and the town hall, and the Markt lies on the far side of the town hall. Q: Does Aachen Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 76 small coin lockers at €3 and 18 large ones at €4, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Aachen Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:10 to 22:50. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/aachen-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Annaberg-Buchholz unterer Bahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/annaberg-buchholz-station Type: Transport Also known as: Annaberg-Buchholz unt Bf, Annaberg-Buchholz lower station, Annaberg-Buchholz station Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Annaberg-Buchholz Coordinates: 50.57946, 12.99799 Kind: Station Operator: DB RegioNetz Infrastruktur Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/annaberg-buchholz-unt-bahnhof Summary: The lower station in Annaberg-Buchholz is the closest stop to the market on the Erzgebirgsbahn line from Chemnitz. It sits down in the valley west of the old town, so the walk to the Markt climbs steeply all the way. Allow for the hill if you have a pushchair or bad knees. The market fills the Markt below the tower of St Annenkirche. Q: Is Annaberg-Buchholz unterer Bahnhof step-free? A: DB publishes no accessibility data for the lower station. It does mark step-free access at the Annaberg-Buchholz Mitte stop on the same line. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/annaberg-buchholz-unt-bahnhof https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/annaberg-buchholz-unt-bahnhof https://www.bahnhof.de/annaberg-buchholz-mitte/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4511020913 ### Augsburg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/augsburg-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Augsburg Hbf, Augsburg main station Region: Bavaria City: Augsburg Address: Viktoriastraße 1, 86150 Augsburg Coordinates: 48.36544, 10.88557 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf Summary: Augsburg Hauptbahnhof suits a day trip from Munich, with the Rathausplatz market a straightforward walk east. Follow Bahnhofstraße to the Königsplatz and keep on along the shopping street to the Moritzplatz. Turn left up Maximilianstraße and you come to the Rathausplatz, where the market sets up below the town hall and the Perlach tower. Q: Does Augsburg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 24 small coin lockers at €3 and 12 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Augsburg Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 23:30. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/augsburg-hbf/schliessfaecher ### KlimaTicket Austria URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/austria-klimaticket Type: Transport Local name: KlimaTicket Ö (de) Also known as: Klimaticket, KlimaTicket Österreich, Austria climate ticket, Klimaticket Oesterreich Region: Vienna and Lower Austria City: Vienna Kind: Pass Operator: KlimaTicket Ö Fare from: €1.50 (2026) Booking: Buy from the KlimaTicket online shop or at a listed point of sale, and choose your own start date. Book ahead: The KlimaTicket site gives both one and two months as the advance sales window, so check the shop when you buy. Website: https://www.klimaticket.at/en/ Booking: https://shop.klimaticket.at/en/ticket Summary: KlimaTicket Austria runs for 12 months, so it suits someone who lives in Austria or spends a long winter there, and a 7- to 12-day market trip will rarely earn back its price. The Classic ticket costs €1,400 for a year starting on or after 1 January 2026, and the reduced Youth, Senior and Special tickets cost €1,050. It covers every scheduled public and private train in Austria, ÖBB and WESTbahn included, along with city and regional transport. Travellers aged 25 or younger or 65 or older pay the reduced price, as do disabled travellers,, and up to four children aged 6 to 15 ride along for €140 a year on the family add-on. The ticket stops at the Austrian border, so you need a separate ticket for the foreign part of a trip to Munich or Prague. Tourist lines such as the Schafbergbahn above St Wolfgang and the Wachaubahn sit outside it. First class and seat reservations cost extra. ÖBB gives KlimaTicket holders half off its seat reservations, which brings a seat to €1.50, and the day coach of a Nightjet inside Austria comes at no extra charge, with couchettes and sleepers priced on top. Q: How much is the KlimaTicket in 2026? A: KlimaTicket Ö Classic costs €1,400 for 12 months starting on or after 1 January 2026, and the Youth, Senior and Special tickets cost €1,050. Q: Is the KlimaTicket worth it for a Christmas market trip? A: Rarely. The KlimaTicket is a 12-month ticket priced at €1,400, so it suits residents and long stays. For a short market trip, add up the ÖBB single fares first. Q: Do you need a reservation on a Railjet with the KlimaTicket? A: No. ÖBB has no compulsory reservation on its trains, though it recommends booking a seat on busy travel days, and KlimaTicket holders pay half price for one. Q: Does the KlimaTicket cover the Nightjet? A: Yes, in the seat coach inside Austria at no extra charge. Couchettes and sleeper cabins cost extra. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.klimaticket.at/en/ https://www.oebb.at/en/reiseplanung-services/vor-ihrer-reise/reservierung-sitzplatz https://konzern.oebb.at/en/about-the-group/fakten/reservierungspflicht https://www.nightjet.com/en/buchung/tarifinformationen/interrail-eurail-paesse ### Bad Ischl station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/bad-ischl-station Type: Transport Local name: Bad Ischl (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Bad Ischl, Bad Ischl Bahnhof Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut City: Bad Ischl Address: Bahnhofstraße 8, 4820 Bad Ischl Coordinates: 47.71214, 13.62714 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/oberoesterreich/bad-ischl Summary: Bad Ischl station suits a slow Salzkammergut trip, as it sits at the edge of the spa town's centre on the line that also serves Hallstatt. Walk west along Bahnhofstrasse into town and you come out by the Trinkhalle on Auböckplatz, where the artisans' Christmas market sets up. ÖBB rates the station for independent use. Q: Is Bad Ischl station step-free? A: Yes. ÖBB shows category 1 for Bad Ischl station, its rating for a station you can use on your own, and lists an accessible toilet open from 04:30 to 22:20. Q: Does Bad Ischl station have a ticket office? A: Yes. ÖBB lists a staffed ticket office at Bad Ischl that closes for a midday break. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/oberoesterreich/bad-ischl https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/7566442410 ### Baden-Baden station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/baden-baden-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Baden-Baden (de) Also known as: Baden-Baden Bahnhof, Baden-Baden Oos Region: The Black Forest Area: Oos City: Baden-Baden Address: Ooser Bahnhofstraße 4, 76532 Baden-Baden Coordinates: 48.79033, 8.19083 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden Summary: Baden-Baden station stands in the district of Oos, and the spa town's centre lies several kilometres away. It suits travellers happy to finish the trip by bus or taxi from the forecourt. The market fills the gardens in front of the Kurhaus. Q: Does Baden-Baden station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 21 coin lockers here, and its page gives no price for them. Q: Is Baden-Baden station step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and mobility staff work here every day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/baden-baden/schliessfaecher ### Bamberg station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/bamberg-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Bamberg (de) Also known as: Bamberg Bahnhof, Bamberg Hbf, Bamberg main station Region: Franconia City: Bamberg Address: Ludwigstraße 6, 96052 Bamberg Coordinates: 49.90076, 10.89949 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg Summary: Bamberg station sits north-east of the old town, and the walk in takes you across the river into the market. Head south along Luitpoldstraße and cross the canal on the Kettenbrücke. Hauptwachstraße carries you on to the Maximiliansplatz, where the Christmas market stands in front of the New Town Hall. Q: Does Bamberg station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 48 small coin lockers at €3 and 12 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Bamberg station step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 22:30. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bamberg/schliessfaecher ### Basel SBB URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/basel-sbb Type: Transport Also known as: Basel main station, Basel Bahnhof SBB, Basel SBB station Region: Switzerland City: Basel Address: Centralbahnstrasse 22, 4051 Basel Coordinates: 47.54781, 7.58957 Kind: Station Operator: SBB Website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/basel-sbb-station.html Summary: Basel SBB suits a market trip that arrives from Germany or France, since it is the city's main station and its French platforms sit under the same roof. From Centralbahnplatz walk north down Elisabethenstrasse to the Barfüsserplatz market. Münsterplatz and its second market sit up the hill behind it, by the red sandstone minster. Q: Does Basel SBB have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SBB lockers at Basel SBB are open around the clock, and the first six hours cost CHF 5 to CHF 12 in low season depending on size. Q: How long does SBB allow for a change at Basel with assistance? A: SBB plans 15 minutes for an assisted change at Basel, and 25 minutes between Basel SBB and the French platforms of Basel SNCF. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/basel-sbb-station.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/services-station/luggage-deposit/lockers.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/individual-needs/travelling-reduced-mobility/contact-center-handicap.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1435404743 ### Bautzen station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/bautzen-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Bautzen (de) Also known as: Bautzen Bahnhof, Budyšin Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Bautzen Address: Rathenauplatz 1, 02625 Bautzen Coordinates: 51.17310, 14.42873 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/bautzen Summary: Bautzen station lies south of the old town, and it suits a day trip from Dresden for the Wenzelsmarkt. Walk north from Rathenauplatz along Bahnhofstraße to the old town ring. Go through by the leaning Reichenturm and follow Reichenstraße straight to the Hauptmarkt. Q: Does Bautzen station have luggage lockers? A: No. DB lists no lockers at Bautzen station. Q: Is Bautzen station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at all three platforms, but the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/bautzen https://www.bahnhof.de/bautzen/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bautzen https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bautzen/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit ### Berlin Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/berlin-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Berlin Hbf, Berlin main station, Berlin Central Station Region: Berlin and Brandenburg City: Berlin Address: Europaplatz 1, 10557 Berlin Coordinates: 52.52559, 13.36955 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof Summary: Berlin Hauptbahnhof is the long-distance hub for the city, and it suits travellers arriving from anywhere in Germany. Berlin spreads its markets across the city, so plan on the S-Bahn or U-Bahn from here. The Washingtonplatz exit faces the Spree and the government quarter, with the Reichstag across the river. Head out the Europaplatz side for the northern neighbourhoods. Tips: - The DB Lounge is on the first floor toward the Washingtonplatz exit, beside the DB travel centre, and you can reach it by lift. Q: Does Berlin Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists more than 1,100 coin lockers, from €2 for two hours to €6 for 24 hours. Q: Is Berlin Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and its mobility staff work 24 hours a day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/berlin-hauptbahnhof/schliessfaecher ### Bern station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/bern-station Type: Transport Local name: Bern (de) Also known as: Bern Bahnhof, Bern main station, Bern Hauptbahnhof, Bahnhof Bern Region: Switzerland City: Bern Address: Bollwerk 4, 3011 Bern Coordinates: 46.94764, 7.43943 Kind: Station Operator: SBB Website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/bern-station.html Summary: Bern station suits a market day in the capital because the old town begins at its front door and the arcades keep you dry most of the way. Walk east under the arcades of Spitalgasse and Marktgasse toward the minster, and Münsterplatz sits a few lanes south of the main street. Neuengasse, the parallel street to the north, takes you straight to the Waisenhausplatz market. Q: Does Bern station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SBB lockers in the upper-floor gallery at Bern station are open around the clock, and the first six hours cost CHF 5 to CHF 12 in low season. Q: How do I get help boarding a train at Bern? A: Call the SBB Contact Center Handicap on +41 800 007 102 at least one hour before a domestic journey, or 24 hours before an international one. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/bern-station.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/services-station/luggage-deposit/lockers.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/individual-needs/travelling-reduced-mobility/contact-center-handicap.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2923008421 ### Bonn Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/bonn-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Bonn Hbf, Bonn main station Region: The Rhineland City: Bonn Address: Am Hauptbahnhof 1, 53111 Bonn Coordinates: 50.73201, 7.09714 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf Summary: Bonn Hauptbahnhof sits on the edge of the old town, so Bonn is an easy market city to reach with luggage. Cross the square in front of the station and walk up Poststraße. The Münsterplatz opens at its end with the minster and the Beethoven statue, and the market fills the square around them. Q: Does Bonn Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 56 small coin lockers at €4 and 54 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Bonn Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at all five platforms, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 22:10. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/bonn-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Brno Main Station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/brno-main-station Type: Transport Local name: Brno hlavní nádraží (cs) Also known as: Brno hl.n., Brno hlavni nadrazi, Brno Central Station Region: Czechia City: Brno Address: Nádražní, Brno Coordinates: 49.19067, 16.61326 Kind: Station Operator: České dráhy Website: https://www.cd.cz/en/stanice/brno-hl-n-/33295 Summary: Brno Main Station suits a market day trip from Prague or Vienna, since it faces the old town across one street. Cross Nádražní and walk up Masarykova, which climbs straight to náměstí Svobody and the city's main market. Zelný trh, the old cabbage market square with its own Christmas stalls, lies just west of Masarykova on the way up. Q: Does Brno Main Station have left luggage? A: Yes. Brno Main Station has a staffed left-luggage office open from 06:30 to 21:00 with breaks, and České dráhy also lists self-service lockers. Q: Is Brno Main Station step-free? A: Partly. České dráhy says the building is barrier-free and at least one platform stands at the standard height, with a mobile lift for wheelchair boarding from 06:30 to 22:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cd.cz/en/stanice/brno-hl-n-/33295 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3325029085 ### Bruges station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/bruges-station Type: Transport Local name: Station Brugge (nl) Also known as: Brugge station, Bruges railway station, Brugge Region: Belgium Area: Sint-Michiels City: Bruges Address: Stationsplein 5, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.19698, 3.21724 Kind: Station Operator: SNCB Website: https://www.belgiantrain.be/en Summary: Bruges station suits a day trip from Brussels or Ghent, and it sits at the south-west edge of the old town, so the market walk takes you through the centre. Cross Stationsplein to 't Zand, the big square at the edge of the old town, then follow Zuidzandstraat and Steenstraat to the Markt under the Belfry, where the Christmas market stands. Tips: - SNCB's 2023 station data lists the ticket office as open from 05:45 to 21:30 on weekdays and from 06:00 at weekends. Q: Does Bruges station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCB's station data lists luggage lockers at Bruges station. Q: Is Bruges station step-free? A: SNCB's station data in iRail's 2023 copy lists lifts and escalators to the platforms at Bruges. Check belgiantrain.be before you travel. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iRail/stations/master/facilities.csv https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2929614444 ### Brussels Central URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/brussels-central Type: Transport Local name: Bruxelles-Central (fr) Also known as: Brussels Central Station, Gare Centrale, Centraal Station, Bruxelles Central Region: Belgium City: Brussels Address: Carrefour de l'Europe 2, 1000 Bruxelles Coordinates: 50.84558, 4.35674 Kind: Station Operator: SNCB Website: https://www.belgiantrain.be/en Summary: Brussels Central is the station to use for the markets, because it stands at the top of the old town and the Grand-Place lies downhill from its doors. Head down the lanes west of the station to the Grand-Place, where Winter Wonders puts up its tree and light show. Carry on past the Bourse to Place Sainte-Catherine and the Marché aux Poissons for most of the stalls. Tips: - SNCB's 2023 station data lists the ticket office as open from 06:15 to 22:00 every day. Q: Does Brussels Central have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCB's station data lists luggage lockers at Brussels Central. Q: Is Brussels Central step-free? A: SNCB's station data in iRail's 2023 copy lists lifts to the platforms at Brussels Central. Check belgiantrain.be before you travel. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iRail/stations/master/facilities.csv https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/865007557 ### Brussels-Midi URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/brussels-midi Type: Transport Local name: Bruxelles-Midi (fr) Also known as: Brussels South, Brussel-Zuid, Gare du Midi, Zuidstation, Brussels Midi station Region: Belgium Area: Saint-Gilles City: Brussels Address: Avenue Fonsny 47b, 1060 Saint-Gilles Coordinates: 50.83577, 4.33605 Kind: Station Operator: SNCB Website: https://www.belgiantrain.be/en Summary: Brussels-Midi is the station where most international trains into Brussels arrive, and it lies south of the old town, so you ride on to reach the markets. Trains heading north through the city call at Brussels Central, the stop closest to the Grand-Place. The premetro trams under the boulevards also run from Midi to the Bourse, a few streets from Place Sainte-Catherine. Tips: - SNCB's 2023 station data lists the ticket office as open from 06:15 to 21:00 every day. Q: Does Brussels-Midi have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCB's station data lists luggage lockers at Brussels-Midi. Q: How do I get from Brussels-Midi to the Christmas market? A: Take a train one or two stops north to Brussels Central for the Grand-Place, or ride the premetro from Midi to the Bourse for Place Sainte-Catherine. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iRail/stations/master/facilities.csv https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/17401552 ### Budapest Keleti station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/budapest-keleti Type: Transport Local name: Keleti pályaudvar (hu) Also known as: Budapest-Keleti, Keleti station, Budapest Eastern Station, Keleti Region: Hungary Area: Józsefváros City: Budapest Address: Kerepesi út 2-4, 1087 Budapest Coordinates: 47.50043, 19.08276 Kind: Station Operator: MÁV Website: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/mav-szemelyszallitas/belfoldi-utazas/vasutallomas/budapest-keleti Summary: Budapest Keleti station is where many international trains end, and it sits east of the centre, so a market visitor rides the metro from here. Take the M2 from the station's underground stop to Deák Ferenc tér. Vörösmarty tér and its market lie a short walk west of Deák tér at the top of Váci utca. Tips: - The ticket offices in the Utascentrum open from 04:30 to 00:30 every day. Q: Does Budapest Keleti station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. MÁV's lockers at Keleti stand opposite the Utascentrum travel centre on the underpass level and keep the station's opening hours. Q: Does Budapest Keleti station have a lift? A: Yes. MÁV says a lift is always available at Keleti, and the station has an accessible toilet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/mav-szemelyszallitas/belfoldi-utazas/vasutallomas/budapest-keleti https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1185066365 ### Budapest Nyugati station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/budapest-nyugati Type: Transport Local name: Nyugati pályaudvar (hu) Also known as: Budapest-Nyugati, Nyugati station, Budapest Western Station, Nyugati Region: Hungary Area: Terézváros City: Budapest Address: Teréz krt. 55, 1062 Budapest Coordinates: 47.51027, 19.05672 Kind: Station Operator: MÁV Website: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/mav-szemelyszallitas/belfoldi-utazas/vasutallomas/budapest-nyugati Summary: Budapest Nyugati station suits a Pest-side market visit, since the Advent Bazilika lies down one straight avenue from the old iron train shed. Walk south along Bajcsy-Zsilinszky út to Szent István tér and the Basilica. For Vörösmarty tér, carry on south through the pedestrian streets beyond the Basilica, or ride the M3 metro two stops to Deák Ferenc tér and walk from there. Tips: - The domestic and international ticket offices open from 06:00 to 19:35 every day. Q: Does Budapest Nyugati station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. MÁV's lockers at Nyugati stand at the end of track 6 beside the ticket machines and open from 02:30 to 00:50. Q: Does Budapest Nyugati station have a lift? A: Yes. MÁV says a lift is always available at Nyugati, and the station has an accessible toilet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mavcsoport.hu/mav-szemelyszallitas/belfoldi-utazas/vasutallomas/budapest-nyugati https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/9923411817 ### Czech Railways All-Day Ticket URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/cd-all-day-ticket Type: Transport Also known as: CD All-Day Ticket, ČD All-Day Ticket, Czech rail day ticket Region: Czechia City: Prague Kind: Pass Operator: České dráhy Fare from: CZK 249 (2026) Booking: Buy at a ČD ticket counter, a selected ticket machine, the ČD e-shop or the Můj vlak app; app and e-shop tickets are personal. Book ahead: ČD's conditions and its FAQ disagree on how far ahead you can buy, giving half a year in one place and two months in the other. Website: https://www.cd.cz/en/typy-jizdenek/vnitrostatni-jizdenky/-28234/ Summary: The České dráhy All-Day Ticket suits a market hopper who wants to ride several ČD trains in one day, such as Prague to Český Krumlov and back. The nationwide version costs 799 CZK for unlimited 2nd-class travel on ČD trains until midnight, and regional versions start at 179 CZK. Age makes no difference to the price. Regional tickets cover one region: 319 CZK for Central Bohemia, 249 CZK for South Bohemia, where Český Krumlov sits, and less for some smaller regions. A Prague to Český Krumlov round trip crosses two regions, so it needs the nationwide ticket. Brno lies in South Moravia, which has no regional version on ČD's list. Q: How much is the Czech Railways All-Day Ticket? A: The nationwide České dráhy All-Day Ticket costs 799 CZK for a day of 2nd-class travel on ČD trains, and regional versions cost 179 CZK to 319 CZK. Q: Do you need a seat reservation with the ČD All-Day Ticket? A: Only on some trains. SuperCity trains and railjet business class need a reservation, which you buy separately. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cd.cz/en/typy-jizdenek/vnitrostatni-jizdenky/-28234/ https://www.cd.cz/en/typy-jizdenek/rezervace-mista/-28327/ ### Cesky Krumlov station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/cesky-krumlov-station Type: Transport Local name: Český Krumlov (cs) Also known as: Český Krumlov nádraží, Cesky Krumlov railway station, Krumlov station Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Coordinates: 48.82239, 14.31706 Kind: Station Operator: České dráhy Website: https://www.cd.cz/en/stanice/cesky-krumlov/5476002 Summary: Český Krumlov station sits on the hill north of the old town on line 194 from České Budějovice, and it suits travellers happy to walk downhill into town and climb back up after dark. Walk down into Latrán, the street below the castle, then cross the Vltava and follow Radniční up to náměstí Svornosti, the main square where the market stands. The station sells no tickets, so you buy yours from the conductor on board. Q: Can you buy a train ticket at Cesky Krumlov station? A: No. Český Krumlov station sells no tickets, and České dráhy says you buy your ticket from the conductor on the train. Q: Is Cesky Krumlov station step-free? A: Yes. České dráhy says the station building is barrier-free and all platforms stand at the standard 550-millimetre height, and it lists an accessible toilet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cd.cz/en/stanice/cesky-krumlov/5476002 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4294224867 ### Colmar station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/colmar-station Type: Transport Local name: Gare de Colmar (fr) Also known as: Colmar gare, Gare de Colmar Region: Alsace City: Colmar Address: 9 Place de la Gare, 68000 Colmar Coordinates: 48.07234, 7.34700 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar Summary: Colmar station sits south-west of the old town, and it suits a day trip from Strasbourg or Basel by TER. Walk north-east from the Place de la Gare along Avenue de la République beside the Champ de Mars park. At the Place Rapp end, turn east into the old town and let the lanes carry you down to the Koïfhus and the Place de l'Ancienne Douane. Q: Does Colmar station have luggage lockers? A: SNCF lists no lockers inside the station and sends travellers to its partner Nannybag, which stores bags at shops nearby. Q: Is Colmar station step-free? A: Yes. SNCF lists lifts or ramps, help to the platforms and a wheelchair on loan at Colmar station. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar/services-commerces/consignes-partenaires https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar/services-commerces/consignes-partenaires https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/colmar/accessibilite ### Cologne Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/cologne-hbf Type: Transport Local name: Köln Hauptbahnhof (de) Also known as: Köln Hbf, Cologne Hbf, Cologne main station, Cologne Central Station Region: The Rhineland City: Cologne Address: Trankgasse 11, 50667 Köln Coordinates: 50.94303, 6.95873 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf Summary: Cologne Hauptbahnhof stands right below the cathedral, so the cathedral market starts almost at the station door. Leave by the main front onto the station forecourt and climb the steps to the cathedral plaza. Walk round the south side of the cathedral to Roncalliplatz, where the cathedral market sets up. The Heumarkt and Alter Markt sit a short walk further south through the old town. Tips: - The DB Lounge is upstairs by platform 1, and its step-free lift is in the B passage. Q: Does Cologne Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 996 large lockers that take coins or cards, at €3 for two hours or €6 for 24 hours. Q: Is Cologne Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and mobility staff are on duty 24 hours a day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/koeln-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Copenhagen Airport station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/copenhagen-airport-station Type: Transport Local name: Københavns Lufthavn (da) Also known as: CPH Lufthavn, Københavns Lufthavn Kastrup, Copenhagen Airport railway station, Kastrup station Region: Denmark Area: Kastrup City: Copenhagen Address: Terminal 3, 2770 Kastrup Coordinates: 55.62956, 12.64942 Kind: Station Operator: DSB Website: https://www.dsb.dk/trafikinformation/stationer/kobenhavns-lufthavn-kastrup/ Summary: Copenhagen Airport station sits under Terminal 3, so it suits anyone flying in for the Copenhagen markets and riding straight to Copenhagen Central Station. The station is self-service: buy your ticket in the DSB app or from the machines in Terminal 3 before you board, because DSB sells none on the train. A City Pass Small covers the airport and the city centre. Tips: - DSB Salg & Service in Terminal 3 opens from 07:30 to 20:30 on weekdays, 07:30 to 19:00 on Saturdays and 08:30 to 20:30 on Sundays. Q: Can you buy a train ticket on board from Copenhagen Airport? A: No. DSB sells no tickets on the train, so buy one from the Terminal 3 machines or in the DSB app before you board. Q: Is Copenhagen Airport station step-free? A: Yes. DSB lists step-free access to the platforms at Copenhagen Airport station, with lift or ramp boarding and an accessible toilet below Terminal 3. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dsb.dk/trafikinformation/stationer/kobenhavns-lufthavn-kastrup/ https://www.dsb.dk/globalassets/produkter_og_services/pdf/400404399_handicapservice_dec2024_web_interaktiv.pdf https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/en/find-tickets/day-tickets/city-pass https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3739700409 ### Copenhagen Central Station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/copenhagen-central Type: Transport Local name: Københavns Hovedbanegård (da) Also known as: København H, Copenhagen H, Hovedbanegården, Copenhagen main station Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Banegårdspladsen 7, 1570 København V Coordinates: 55.67245, 12.56537 Kind: Station Operator: DSB Website: https://www.dsb.dk/trafikinformation/stationer/kobenhavn-h/ Summary: Copenhagen Central Station suits every market visitor to the city, because Tivoli's gardens face its main entrance across Bernstorffsgade. Tivoli's main gate is round the corner on Vesterbrogade, and City Hall Square lies just beyond it. From City Hall Square, Strøget leads east to Nytorv and Gammeltorv and on to Højbro Plads, and Nyhavn sits past Kongens Nytorv at the far end. Tips: - DSB Salg & Service sells domestic and international tickets from 07:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 18:00 at weekends. - DSB closes the waiting hall for cleaning between 02:15 and 04:30, except on the nights after Friday and Saturday. Q: Does Copenhagen Central Station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DSB lockers at Copenhagen Central Station cost 70 DKK for a small box and 90 DKK for a large one per 24 hours, and a staffed Bagagecenter takes larger items. Q: Is Copenhagen Central Station open on Christmas Eve? A: Yes. DSB's Bagagecenter at Copenhagen Central opens from 08:00 to 16:00 on 24 December and from 08:00 to 01:00 on 25 and 26 December. Q: Is Copenhagen Central Station step-free? A: Yes. DSB lists step-free access to the platforms at Copenhagen Central Station, with lifts and ramps for boarding, and asks you to book help at least 12 hours ahead on 70 13 14 19. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dsb.dk/trafikinformation/stationer/kobenhavn-h/ https://www.dsb.dk/find-produkter-og-services/bagagecenter/ https://www.dsb.dk/globalassets/produkter_og_services/pdf/400404399_handicapservice_dec2024_web_interaktiv.pdf https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3739700410 ### Copenhagen City Pass URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/copenhagen-city-pass Type: Transport Local name: City Pass (da) Also known as: City Pass Small, City Pass Large, Copenhagen travel pass, DOT City Pass Region: Denmark City: Copenhagen Kind: Pass Operator: DOT (Din Offentlige Transport) Fare from: DKK 100 (2026) Booking: Buy every City Pass in the Rejsebillet app, or buy Small and Large at Copenhagen Airport, at DSB ticket machines around Greater Copenhagen and at metro station machines. Website: https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/en/find-tickets/day-tickets/city-pass Summary: The City Pass Small suits a Copenhagen market visit of one to five days, because it covers the airport and the city centre on public transport. It costs 100 DKK for 24 hours and 340 DKK for 120 hours, and two children under 12 ride free with each adult. The Large pass reaches all of Greater Copenhagen for day trips beyond the centre. City Pass Small covers zones 1 to 4, which takes in Copenhagen Airport and the city centre. City Pass Large covers zones 1 to 99 for 200 DKK a day. Children aged 12 to 15 pay half price. The passes for wider zones are sold for 24 hours only. Q: Does the Copenhagen City Pass cover the airport? A: Yes. City Pass Small covers zones 1 to 4, which include Copenhagen Airport and the city centre. Q: How much is the Copenhagen City Pass? A: City Pass Small costs 100 DKK for 24 hours and 340 DKK for 120 hours, and City Pass Large costs 200 DKK to 680 DKK. Q: Do children need a City Pass in Copenhagen? A: Two children under 12 ride free with each adult, and children aged 12 to 15 pay half price for their own pass. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://dinoffentligetransport.dk/en/find-tickets/day-tickets/city-pass https://www.dsb.dk/en/tickets-and-services/Citypass/ ### Deutschlandticket URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/deutschlandticket Type: Transport Also known as: Deutschland-Ticket, D-Ticket, Germany Ticket, 63 euro ticket Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Frankfurt Kind: Pass Operator: Participating German transport companies and associations, sold by DB and others Fare from: €63 (2026) Booking: Subscribe online at deutschlandticket.de or through DB, and the ticket shows in the app or your phone wallet. Book ahead: A ticket ordered for the current month reaches the app within minutes. Website: https://deutschlandticket.de/ Booking: https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket Summary: The Deutschlandticket suits a market trip built on regional trains, trams and buses, since it covers all of them across Germany for €63 a month in 2026. Anyone can buy it, visitors included. It runs as a monthly subscription and leaves out the ICE, IC and EC, so pair it with a separate ticket for any long-distance leg. You buy the ticket as a subscription that runs month by month, and it lives on your phone in an app or a digital wallet. To use it for a single month, cancel by the 10th and it ends on the last day of that month. It belongs to one named person, so you cannot pass it on. It covers buses, trams, U-Bahn and S-Bahn trains and the RB and RE regional trains in 2nd class, whichever company runs them. It leaves out DB Fernverkehr and FlixTrain long-distance trains, including the RE services DB Fernverkehr runs, and transport run mainly for tourists or as a heritage line. A slow regional hop between Nuremberg and Bamberg or Regensburg works on it, and so does a day of trams in Munich. Q: Can tourists buy the Deutschlandticket? A: Yes. The official seller deutschlandticket.de markets it to visitors, and you can hold it for a single month if you cancel by the 10th. Q: Is the ICE included in the Deutschlandticket? A: No. DB says the ticket is not valid on ICE, IC or EC trains, or on other long-distance trains such as FlixTrain. Q: How much is the Deutschlandticket in 2026? A: It costs €63 a month in 2026. Q: Do you need to book Deutschlandticket ahead? A: Deutschlandticket: A ticket ordered for the current month reaches the app within minutes. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/regional/deutschland-ticket https://deutschlandticket.de/ ### Dresden Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/dresden-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Dresden Hbf, Dresden main station, Dresden Central Station Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Dresden Address: Wiener Platz 4, 01069 Dresden Coordinates: 51.04056, 13.73203 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf Summary: Dresden Hauptbahnhof is the stop for the Striezelmarkt, and it suits anyone who would sooner walk than change to a tram. Leave by the north side onto Wiener Platz and follow the long pedestrian shopping street of Prager Straße toward the old town. Cross the ring road at the far end and carry on to the Altmarkt, where the Striezelmarkt fills the square. The Neumarkt and the Frauenkirche lie a few streets further north. Q: Does Dresden Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 238 coin lockers in two sizes, from €1.50 for four hours to €4 for 24 hours. Q: Is Dresden Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and its mobility staff work from 06:00 to midnight. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/dresden-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Dusseldorf Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/dusseldorf-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Düsseldorf Hbf, Dusseldorf Hbf, Duesseldorf Hbf, Düsseldorf main station Region: The Rhineland City: Dusseldorf Address: Konrad-Adenauer-Platz 14, 40210 Düsseldorf Coordinates: 51.21996, 6.79432 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf Summary: Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof sits well east of the old town, so most people take the U-Bahn under the city to the Altstadt. On foot, head west through the city centre to the Königsallee and cross into the Altstadt. The main market stands on the Marktplatz in front of the town hall, and more markets spread along the streets between there and the Kö. Q: Does Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 237 card-only lockers, at €6 or €8 for 24 hours. Q: Is Düsseldorf Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and mobility staff are on duty 24 hours a day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/duesseldorf-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Einsiedeln station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/einsiedeln-station Type: Transport Local name: Einsiedeln (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Einsiedeln Region: Switzerland City: Einsiedeln Coordinates: 47.12810, 8.74414 Kind: Station Operator: SOB (Südostbahn) Summary: Einsiedeln station is the end of the Südostbahn branch into the pilgrimage village, and it suits a day trip from Zurich to the market in front of the abbey. Walk east from the station through the village along Hauptstrasse, where the stalls begin. Keep going uphill to Klosterplatz and the abbey church that closes the street. Q: Which railway serves Einsiedeln station? A: The Südostbahn (SOB) runs Einsiedeln station at the end of its branch line into the village. Q: How do I get help boarding a train to Einsiedeln? A: Call the SBB Contact Center Handicap on +41 800 007 102, which books assistance for journeys across Switzerland, at least one hour ahead. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/individual-needs/travelling-reduced-mobility/contact-center-handicap.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1741399260 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5694792816 ### Esslingen station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/esslingen-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Esslingen (Neckar) (de) Also known as: Esslingen (Neckar), Esslingen am Neckar Bahnhof, Esslingen Bahnhof Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Esslingen Address: Bahnhofsplatz 1, 73728 Esslingen am Neckar Coordinates: 48.73855, 9.30052 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar Summary: Esslingen station sits just south of the old town, and it suits a short hop from Stuttgart on the S-Bahn. Walk north from Bahnhofsplatz along Bahnhofstraße into the old town. The medieval market spreads over the Marktplatz and the Rathausplatz below the old town hall. Q: Does Esslingen station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 24 small coin lockers at €3 and six large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Esslingen station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, but the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/esslingen-neckar/schliessfaecher ### Frankfurt Airport long-distance station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/frankfurt-airport-station Type: Transport Local name: Frankfurt (Main) Flughafen Fernbahnhof (de) Also known as: Frankfurt Flughafen Fernbahnhof, Frankfurt Airport station, FRA station, Frankfurt Airport Regionalbahnhof Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Frankfurt Airport City: Frankfurt Address: Hugo-Eckener-Ring, 60549 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.05293, 8.56991 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/transport-and-parking/to-from-the-airport/travel-by-train.html Summary: Frankfurt Airport has its own long-distance station, which suits anyone flying in and heading straight for the markets without going into Frankfurt first. ICE and IC trains stop at the long-distance station, which Fraport says you reach from Terminal 1 by following the signs. The S-Bahn lines S8 and S9 and regional trains leave from a separate regional station on the lowest level of Terminal 1, and they are the way into Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof. Tips: - Fraport says Terminal 3 is reached on the SkyLine train from either station, so allow for that change if you fly from Terminal 3. Q: Is Frankfurt Airport long-distance station step-free? A: Yes for the regional station, where DB marks step-free access at all three tracks and Fraport lists lifts. Register with DB's mobility service in advance if you need someone to help you. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.frankfurt-airport.com/en/transport-and-parking/to-from-the-airport/travel-by-train.html https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-flughafen-regionalbahnhof https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-flughafen-regionalbahnhof/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-flughafen-regionalbahnhof https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/30221936 ### Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/frankfurt-hbf Type: Transport Local name: Frankfurt (Main) Hauptbahnhof (de) Also known as: Frankfurt (Main) Hbf, Frankfurt Hbf, Frankfurt main station, Frankfurt Central Station Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Frankfurt Address: Im Hauptbahnhof, 60329 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.10668, 8.66283 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf Summary: Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof is the hub for most Rhine-Main market trips and for long-distance trains across Germany. The neighbourhood right outside is rough around the edges, so keep your bags close. For the Römerberg, cross the station forecourt and follow Kaiserstraße east into the city centre, then head south past St Paul's Church on Paulsplatz to the Römer and its half-timbered square. Q: Does Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 144 card-only lockers here, at €6 or €7 for 24 hours depending on size. Q: Is Frankfurt Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and its mobility staff work 24 hours a day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/frankfurt-main-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Freiberg station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/freiberg-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Freiberg (Sachsen) (de) Also known as: Freiberg (Sachs), Freiberg Bahnhof, Freiberg Saxony station Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Freiberg Address: Am Bahnhof 17, 09599 Freiberg Coordinates: 50.90872, 13.34414 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/freiberg-sachs Summary: Freiberg station sits south-west of the old mining town, and it suits a day trip from Dresden or Chemnitz. Walk north-east to the Postplatz and follow Erbische Straße uphill into the old town. It brings you out on the Obermarkt, where the Christmarkt sets up in front of the town hall. Q: Does Freiberg station have luggage lockers? A: No. DB lists no lockers at Freiberg station. Q: Is Freiberg station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at all four platforms, but the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/freiberg-sachs https://www.bahnhof.de/freiberg-sachs/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/freiberg-sachs https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/freiberg-sachs/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit ### Freiburg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/freiburg-hbf Type: Transport Local name: Freiburg (Breisgau) Hauptbahnhof (de) Also known as: Freiburg (Breisgau) Hbf, Freiburg Hbf, Freiburg im Breisgau main station Region: The Black Forest City: Freiburg Address: Bismarckallee 5-7, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Coordinates: 47.99770, 7.84117 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf Summary: Freiburg Hauptbahnhof suits a Black Forest trip by train, with the old town a short walk east. Cross Bismarckallee in front of the station and follow Eisenbahnstraße east to the Rotteckring. The old town starts across the ring, and the Rathausplatz market sits a few streets in. Watch your step on the way, because Freiburg's little street channels, the Bächle, run open beside the pavement. Q: Does Freiburg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 142 coin lockers, from €3 for four hours in a large one to €5 for 24 hours. Q: Is Freiburg Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, though some platforms are low. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/freiburg-breisgau-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Gengenbach station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/gengenbach-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Gengenbach (de) Also known as: Gengenbach Bahnhof, Gengenbach Region: The Black Forest City: Gengenbach Address: Bahnhofstraße 3, 77723 Gengenbach Coordinates: 48.40466, 8.01019 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/gengenbach Summary: Gengenbach station is a small stop in the Kinzig valley, and it suits a day trip from Offenburg or Freiburg to see the town hall turned into an Advent calendar. Walk east from the platforms into the old town and through the Kinzigtor. Victor-Kretz-Straße carries you straight on to the Marktplatz and the Rathaus. Q: Does Gengenbach station have luggage lockers? A: No. DB lists no lockers at Gengenbach station. Q: Is Gengenbach station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at both platforms, but they are low and the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/gengenbach https://www.bahnhof.de/gengenbach/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/gengenbach https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/gengenbach/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit ### German Rail Pass URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/german-rail-pass Type: Transport Also known as: GRP, German Rail Pass Flexi, German Rail Twin Pass, Interrail One Country Pass Germany Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Frankfurt Kind: Pass Operator: Deutsche Bahn (DB Fernverkehr) Fare from: €167 (2026) Booking: Buy online from DB at int.bahn.de, where the pass and the Twin Pass come as mobile passes. Book seat reservations and pass surcharges separately. Website: https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/german-rail-pass Booking: https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/german-rail-pass Summary: The German Rail Pass suits someone who lives outside Germany and plans several long train days on a market trip, such as Munich to Nuremberg, then on to Dresden and Berlin. In 2026 the Flexi pass costs €223 for three travel days in one month in 2nd class and €507 for fifteen. With only one or two long journeys planned, price DB's saver fares against the pass before you buy. DB sells the pass as a Flexi pass with 3, 4, 5, 7, 10 or 15 travel days that you pick freely within one month. It covers DB trains across Germany, ICE included, and DB says it also covers some routes in Italy, Belgium and Austria. Two adults travelling together can share a Twin Pass, which costs less than two single passes, and DB now issues the Twin Pass as a mobile pass too. The pass leaves seat reservations out of the price. On the ICE they are optional, and Interrail recommends one on busy DB trains, which Advent weekends tend to fill. DB also asks for a pass surcharge on top of the reservation on some routes, such as the ICE and TGV trains to France. Q: Who can buy the German Rail Pass? A: DB sells the German Rail Pass to travellers who live outside Germany. Q: How much is the German Rail Pass in 2026? A: DB's 2026 price list, valid from 5 January 2026, starts at €223 for three travel days in one month in 2nd class and runs to €507 for fifteen days. In 1st class the same passes cost €299 and €649. Q: Do I need a seat reservation on the ICE with a German Rail Pass? A: No, ICE reservations inside Germany are optional. DB charges from €5.50 for one, and it is worth booking on busy Advent weekends. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/german-rail-pass https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:d05b60e7-f0ce-4e40-816e-b56c478920a3/PreiseGermanRailPass2026_IntBahnDe.2025-12-17-11-40-05.pdf https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/additional-services/seat-reservation https://www.interrail.com/en-int/book-reservations/reservation-fees/domestic-train-reservation-fees https://www.interrail.com/en-int/book-reservations/reservation-fees/night-train-reservation-fees ### Gent-Dampoort URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/ghent-dampoort Type: Transport Also known as: Ghent Dampoort, Dampoort station, Gand-Dampoort Region: Belgium Area: Dampoort City: Ghent Address: Oktrooiplein 10, 9000 Gent Coordinates: 51.05632, 3.74027 Kind: Station Operator: SNCB Website: https://www.belgiantrain.be/en Summary: Gent-Dampoort suits a visitor bound for the Winter Festival, as it sits on the east side of the old centre, closer to Sint-Baafsplein than the main Sint-Pieters station. Head west along Dampoortstraat and Steendam into the old centre and walk past Sint-Jacobs church. From there the lanes lead to Sint-Baafsplein beside the cathedral, where the festival stalls begin. Tips: - SNCB's 2023 station data lists the ticket office as open from 05:45 to 20:00 on weekdays and from 06:00 at weekends. Q: Does Gent-Dampoort have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCB's station data lists luggage lockers at Gent-Dampoort. Q: Is Gent-Dampoort or Gent-Sint-Pieters closer to the Christmas market? A: Gent-Dampoort sits on the east side of the old centre and closer to Sint-Baafsplein, though more trains stop at Gent-Sint-Pieters. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iRail/stations/master/facilities.csv https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4065304198 ### Gent-Sint-Pieters URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/ghent-sint-pieters Type: Transport Also known as: Ghent Sint-Pieters, Ghent main station, Gand-Saint-Pierre, Sint-Pieters station Region: Belgium Area: Stationsbuurt City: Ghent Address: Koningin Maria Hendrikaplein 1, 9000 Gent Coordinates: 51.03610, 3.71081 Kind: Station Operator: SNCB Website: https://www.belgiantrain.be/en Summary: Gent-Sint-Pieters is Ghent's main station, where most trains from Brussels and Bruges stop, and it lies south of the old centre, so market visitors ride a tram in. Tram 1 runs from the station square to the Korenmarkt, a short walk from Sint-Baafsplein and the Winter Festival stalls. Gent-Dampoort on the east side sits closer to the centre if your train calls there. Tips: - SNCB's 2023 station data lists the ticket office as open from 05:45 to 21:30 on weekdays and from 06:00 at weekends. Q: Does Gent-Sint-Pieters have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCB's station data lists luggage lockers at Gent-Sint-Pieters. Q: How do I get from Gent-Sint-Pieters to the Christmas market? A: Take tram 1 from the station square to the Korenmarkt, then walk on to Sint-Baafsplein for the Winter Festival. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://raw.githubusercontent.com/iRail/stations/master/facilities.csv https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/40852759 ### Gorlitz station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/gorlitz-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Görlitz (de) Also known as: Görlitz Bahnhof, Gorlitz Bahnhof, Goerlitz station Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Gorlitz Address: Bahnhofstraße 76, 02826 Görlitz Coordinates: 51.14677, 14.97908 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz Summary: Görlitz station sits south-west of the old town, and the walk to the Christkindelmarkt crosses the whole centre. Follow Berliner Straße north to the Postplatz and the Marienplatz. Carry on through the Obermarkt and down Brüderstraße to the Untermarkt, where the market stands among the Renaissance houses. Q: Does Görlitz station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 36 small coin lockers at €2 and 12 large ones at €3, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Görlitz station step-free? A: Partly. DB marks platforms 9 and 10 without step-free access, so ask the mobility service which platform your train uses. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/goerlitz/schliessfaecher ### Graz Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/graz-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Graz Hbf, Graz main station, Graz Central Station Region: Graz and Styria City: Graz Address: Europaplatz 4, 8020 Graz Coordinates: 47.07248, 15.41752 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/steiermark/graz-hauptbahnhof Summary: Graz Hauptbahnhof suits a market trip that spreads over the old town, because one straight street leads from its doors to the river and the Hauptplatz beyond. Leave by the main entrance onto Europaplatz and follow Annenstrasse east to the Mur. Cross on the Erzherzog-Johann-Brücke and Murgasse brings you onto the Hauptplatz, with the Schlossberg rising behind the stalls. Q: Does Graz Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. ÖBB lists multifunctional lockers run by Tamburi at Graz Hauptbahnhof, with the price shown when you book. Q: Is Graz Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. ÖBB rates Graz Hauptbahnhof category 1 for independent use and lists lifts and escalators, and its accessible toilet is open from 03:20 to 02:20 every day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/steiermark/graz-hauptbahnhof https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/986608337 ### Hall in Tirol station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/hall-in-tirol-station Type: Transport Local name: Hall in Tirol (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Hall in Tirol, Hall station Region: Tyrol City: Hall in Tirol Address: Bahnhofstraße 14, 6060 Hall in Tirol Coordinates: 47.27724, 11.50131 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/hall-in-tirol Summary: Hall in Tirol station suits an easy evening hop from Innsbruck, since it sits right below the old town on the Inn valley floor. Walk north-east from the station and climb the lanes of the old town to the Oberer Stadtplatz, the upper square by St Nicholas' parish church where the Advent market stands. The station has ticket machines and no staffed office. Q: Can you buy a ticket at Hall in Tirol station? A: Yes, from a machine. ÖBB lists ticket machines at Hall in Tirol station and no staffed ticket office. Q: Is Hall in Tirol station step-free? A: Yes. ÖBB lists a lift at Hall in Tirol station and gives it category 1, its rating for a station you can use on your own. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/hall-in-tirol https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2989203590 ### Hallstatt station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/hallstatt-station Type: Transport Local name: Hallstatt (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Hallstatt, Hallstatt Bahnhof, Hallstatt railway station Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Obertraun City: Hallstatt Address: 4831 Obertraun Coordinates: 47.56761, 13.66202 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Fare from: €4 (2025) Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/oberoesterreich/hallstatt Summary: Hallstatt station stands on the far shore of the Hallstätter See from the village, so every rail arrival ends with a short boat crossing. Walk down from the platform to the landing and board the MS Stefanie, which Hallstättersee-Schifffahrt runs between the station and Hallstatt Markt every day of the year. The boat lands you on the village waterfront, and the Marktplatz with its Christmas market sits just up from the pier. Pick a weekday if you can, since the village is small and fills up on Advent weekends. The boat operator says it can shift departures when a train runs late. A single crossing costs €4 and a return €8, paid in cash on board, at the fares the operator has charged since 1 January 2025. Bikes cost €4 when there is room. The MS Stefanie carries 150 passengers and Hallstättersee-Schifffahrt says wheelchair users can board. Q: How do you get from Hallstatt station to the village? A: By boat. The MS Stefanie crosses the lake between Hallstatt station and Hallstatt Markt every day, and a single costs €4 in cash at the 2025 fare. Q: Does the Hallstatt boat run in December? A: Yes. Hallstättersee-Schifffahrt runs the station boat every day of the year, and its timetable to 13 December 2026 shows the last boat from Hallstatt Markt at 18:30. Q: Is Hallstatt station step-free? A: ÖBB puts Hallstatt station in category 2a, which means it recommends help for blind and partially sighted travellers at the rail-level platform crossing. The boat itself has wheelchair access. Q: How much is Hallstatt station? A: Boat single, station to Hallstatt Markt on Hallstatt station costs €4 (2025). Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/oberoesterreich/hallstatt https://www.hallstattschifffahrt.at/ https://hallstattschifffahrt.at/uploads/downloads/Fahrplan-Markt-zur-Bahnstation-14.12.25-13.12.26.pdf https://hallstattschifffahrt.at/uploads/downloads/Fahrplan-Bahnhof-nach-Hallstatt-2026.pdf https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/181317730 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2532073900 ### Heidelberg-Altstadt station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/heidelberg-altstadt Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Heidelberg-Altstadt (de) Also known as: Heidelberg Altstadt, Heidelberg Karlstor Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Heidelberg Address: Am Karlstor 1, 69118 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.41524, 8.72089 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-altstadt Summary: Heidelberg-Altstadt is the S-Bahn stop by the Karlstor at the east end of the old town, and it suits anyone who wants to start right among the market squares. Walk west through the Karlstor into the old town, and the Karlsplatz and the Kornmarkt come first. The Hauptstraße carries on west from there past the other market squares. Q: Does Heidelberg-Altstadt station have luggage lockers? A: No. DB lists no lockers at Heidelberg-Altstadt, though Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof has them. Q: Is Heidelberg-Altstadt station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at both platforms, but the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-altstadt https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-altstadt/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-altstadt https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-altstadt/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit ### Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/heidelberg-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Heidelberg Hbf, Heidelberg main station Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Heidelberg Address: Willy-Brandt-Platz 5, 69115 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.40357, 8.67544 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf Summary: Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof is where the long-distance trains stop, and it sits well west of the old town. It suits anyone carrying luggage who wants a staffed station and lockers. Walk north-east along the Kurfürsten-Anlage to the Bismarckplatz, or take a tram there, and the Hauptstraße leads east from the square through the market squares of the old town. Q: Does Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 184 card-only lockers in three sizes, from €7 to €11 for 24 hours. Q: Is Heidelberg Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 23:55. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/heidelberg-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/innsbruck-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Innsbruck Hbf, Innsbruck main station, Innsbruck Central Station Region: Tyrol City: Innsbruck Address: Südtiroler Platz 7, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26353, 11.40043 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/innsbruck-hauptbahnhof Summary: Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof suits anyone doing the Tyrol markets by train, since every market in the centre sits within walking distance of its main entrance on Südtiroler Platz. Cross the square and follow Salurner Strasse west to the triumphal arch, where Maria-Theresien-Strasse begins and the first stalls stand. Keep north up that street past St Anne's Column and it carries you into the Old Town and the market below the Golden Roof. Tips: - ÖBB's information desk sits on the lower level beside the ticket office and opens from 07:00 to 20:30 Monday to Saturday and from 08:00 on Sundays. Q: Does Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. ÖBB lists multifunctional lockers run by Tamburi at Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof, and you see the price when you book one on the spot or online. Q: Is Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. ÖBB puts Innsbruck Hauptbahnhof in its category 1, its rating for a station you can use on your own, and lists lifts and escalators. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/innsbruck-hauptbahnhof https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1140270367 ### Interrail Pass URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/interrail Type: Transport Also known as: Interrail, Interrail Global Pass, Interrail One Country Pass, Eurail Pass, Eurail Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Frankfurt Kind: Pass Operator: Interrail Fare from: €212 (2026) Booking: Buy from Interrail at interrail.com, or from DB at int.bahn.de, and book reservations through the Interrail website or the railway that runs the train. Website: https://www.interrail.com/en-int Booking: https://www.interrail.com/en-int/interrail-passes/global-pass Summary: The Interrail Global Pass suits a long market hop across several countries, say Strasbourg to Munich and on to Vienna, when you would rather not price every leg. Since 9 September 2026 it is the one pass for everyone, wherever you live, because Eurail joined the Interrail brand. In 2026 an adult pays €283 for four travel days in one month in 2nd class, and reservations on fast and night trains cost extra on top. The Global Pass covers trains in 33 countries, from a handful of travel days in a month to three months in a row. Youth passes cover ages 12 to 27 and senior passes start at 60. Each adult can take up to two children aged 4 to 11 free on a Child Pass, and under-4s need no pass at all. If your home is in one of the 33 Pass countries, the pass covers only one journey out of your own country and one back. Travellers who live outside the network have no such limit. German ICE trains run without reservations, and so do Austrian Railjets and most regional trains. French TGVs and every night train need one, and the passholder fare on the trains between Paris and Germany comes to €19. Q: Who can buy an Interrail Pass? A: Since 9 September 2026 anyone can, because Eurail joined the Interrail brand and non-European residents now buy the Interrail Pass too. Residents of the 33 Pass countries get only one outbound and one inbound journey in their home country. Q: How much is the Interrail Global Pass in 2026? A: DB's price list, valid from 5 January 2026, starts at €283 for an adult with four travel days in one month in 2nd class. Youth passes for ages 12 to 27 start at €212 and senior passes from 60 at €255. Q: Do I need reservations with an Interrail Pass? A: On some trains. German ICE trains run without them, while French TGVs and all night trains need one, paid on top of the pass. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.interrail.com/en-int/interrail-passes/global-pass https://www.interrail.com/en-int/interrail-passes/what-is-interrail/travel-your-own-country https://www.interrail.com/en-int/interrail-passes/one-country-pass https://www.interrail.com/en-int/book-reservations/all-about-seat-reservations https://www.interrail.com/en-int/book-reservations/reservation-fees/domestic-train-reservation-fees https://www.interrail.com/en-int/book-reservations/reservation-fees/international-train-reservation-fees https://www.interrail.com/en-int/book-reservations/reservation-fees/night-train-reservation-fees https://community.interrail.com/news-and-announcements-39 https://int.bahn.de/en/offers/interrail https://assets.static-bahn.de/dam/jcr:6fc22f3d-72c4-473b-a15a-7b234ba0f03c/PreiseIRGlobal2026BahnDeIntBahnDeEN_05012026.2025-12-17-10-00-09.pdf ### Kitzbuhel station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/kitzbuhel-station Type: Transport Local name: Kitzbühel (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Kitzbühel, Kitzbuehel station, Kitzbühel Bahnhof Region: Tyrol City: Kitzbuhel Address: Bahnhofplatz 2, 6370 Kitzbühel Coordinates: 47.45426, 12.39064 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/kitzbuehel Summary: Kitzbühel station suits a day trip from Innsbruck or Salzburg, with a staffed ticket office and a step-free layout. Walk south from Bahnhofplatz into the town centre and up into the Vorderstadt and Hinterstadt, the two old streets where the Advent market sets up. A second stop called Kitzbühel Hahnenkamm sits at the other end of town by the ski lifts, so check which one your train serves. Tips: - The ticket office opens from 07:00 to 17:00 Monday to Saturday with a break from 12:45 to 13:15, and on Sundays from 08:00 to 16:15 with the same break. Q: Does Kitzbuhel station have luggage lockers? A: ÖBB lists no lockers or left-luggage office at Kitzbühel station. Q: Is Kitzbuhel station step-free? A: Yes. ÖBB rates Kitzbühel station category 1 for independent use and lists a lift and an accessible toilet open from 04:00 to 01:15. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/kitzbuehel https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/137054237 ### Koblenz Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/koblenz-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Koblenz Hbf, Koblenz main station Region: The Rhineland City: Koblenz Address: Bahnhofsplatz 2, 56068 Koblenz Coordinates: 50.35093, 7.58835 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf Summary: Koblenz Hauptbahnhof sits south of the old town, and it suits a stop on a Rhine valley trip by train. Walk north along Löhrstraße through the shopping streets. Keep on into the old town and the market at the Jesuitenplatz, with more stalls spread over the squares nearby. Q: Does Koblenz Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 64 small coin lockers at €3 and 60 large ones at €4, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Koblenz Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:05 to 22:20. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/koblenz-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Leipzig Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/leipzig-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Leipzig Hbf, Leipzig main station, Leipzig Central Station Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Leipzig Address: Willy-Brandt-Platz 5, 04109 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.34547, 12.38206 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf Summary: Leipzig Hauptbahnhof sits on the edge of the city centre, so the market is an easy walk for most people. Cross Willy-Brandt-Platz and head south down Nikolaistraße past the Nikolaikirche. Turn right on Grimmaische Straße and you reach the Markt and the Old Town Hall, where the Christmas market centres. Q: Does Leipzig Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. Mobile Locker runs 160 card-only lockers by the S-Bahn entrance, from €4 to €8 for 24 hours, and you can book one online. Q: Is Leipzig Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and its mobility staff work from 06:00 to midnight. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/leipzig-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Lindau-Insel station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/lindau-insel Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Lindau-Insel (de) Also known as: Lindau Insel, Lindau Hbf, Lindau island station Region: Bavaria City: Lindau Address: Bahnhofplatz 1, 88131 Lindau Coordinates: 47.54434, 9.68047 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel Summary: Lindau-Insel station sits on the island right beside the harbour, so it suits anyone who wants to step off the train and onto the market. Leave the station and turn toward the water. The harbour promenade with the lion and the lighthouse is a few steps away, and the Hafenweihnacht stretches along it. Q: Does Lindau-Insel station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 12 small coin lockers at €3 and 42 large ones at €4, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Lindau-Insel station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, though most are low. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/lindau-insel/schliessfaecher ### Lucerne station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/lucerne-station Type: Transport Local name: Luzern (de) Also known as: Luzern Bahnhof, Lucerne main station, Bahnhof Luzern Region: Switzerland City: Lucerne Address: Zentralstrasse 1, 6002 Luzern Coordinates: 47.05033, 8.31027 Kind: Station Operator: SBB Website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/luzern-station.html Summary: Lucerne station suits a lakeside market trip, as it opens straight onto the water and the Franziskanerplatz market lies along the same bank. Leave by the arch onto Bahnhofplatz and follow Bahnhofstrasse west beside the Reuss, past the end of the Chapel Bridge and the Jesuit Church. Turn left into Franziskanerplatz, where the stalls gather around the Franciscan church. Q: Does Lucerne station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SBB lists red-and-grey lockers at Lucerne, which take Swiss franc coins and cards, with a six-hour standard period and a 96-hour limit. Q: How long does SBB allow for an assisted change at Lucerne? A: SBB plans ten minutes for an assisted change at Lucerne station. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/luzern-station.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/services-station/luggage-deposit/lockers.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/individual-needs/travelling-reduced-mobility/contact-center-handicap.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/1056781822 ### Ludwigsburg station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/ludwigsburg-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Ludwigsburg (de) Also known as: Ludwigsburg Bahnhof Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Ludwigsburg Address: Bahnhofstraße 10, 71638 Ludwigsburg Coordinates: 48.89186, 9.18542 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg Summary: Ludwigsburg station suits a short S-Bahn trip from Stuttgart, with the baroque market square a walk east. Follow Myliusstraße and carry on past the Arsenalplatz. The Marktplatz opens ahead between its two facing churches, and the baroque Christmas market fills it. Q: Does Ludwigsburg station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 33 small coin lockers at €3 and three large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Ludwigsburg station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at all five platforms, but the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/ludwigsburg/schliessfaecher ### Lyon Part-Dieu station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/lyon-part-dieu Type: Transport Local name: Gare de Lyon-Part-Dieu (fr) Also known as: Lyon Part Dieu, Part-Dieu, Gare Part-Dieu Region: Lyon and the Alps City: Lyon Address: 5 Place Charles Béraudier, 69003 Lyon Coordinates: 45.76082, 4.85919 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu Summary: Lyon Part-Dieu is the city's main TGV station and stands in the business district on the east bank of the Rhône. Most travellers from Paris arrive here, and the old town and the Place Carnot market lie some way off. Tram T1 runs from Part-Dieu across the river to Perrache, where Place Carnot sits right outside the station. Q: Does Lyon Part-Dieu have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCF lists left luggage in the Galerie Villette, and its partner Bounce stores bags at shops nearby. Q: Is Lyon Part-Dieu step-free? A: Yes. SNCF lists 14 lifts and an assistance point in the Galerie Villette. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/infos-pratiques https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/services-commerces/consigne-partenaires https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/infos-pratiques https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/services-commerces/consigne-partenaires https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-part-dieu/accessibilite ### Lyon Perrache station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/lyon-perrache Type: Transport Local name: Gare de Lyon-Perrache (fr) Also known as: Perrache, Gare de Perrache, Lyon Perrache Region: Lyon and the Alps City: Lyon Coordinates: 45.74858, 4.82584 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache Summary: Lyon Perrache is the station for the Place Carnot market, which sits right outside its northern side on the Presqu'île. Leave the station on the north side and come down to street level, and the square opens in front of you. Many TGVs stop at Part-Dieu only, so check which Lyon station your train uses. Q: Does Lyon Perrache have luggage lockers? A: SNCF lists no lockers inside Perrache and sends travellers to its partner Bounce nearby. Q: Is Lyon Perrache step-free? A: Yes. SNCF lists lifts, and its assistance point is on level 1 of the central hall beside the lift. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache/services-commerces/consignes-partenaires https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache/services-commerces/consignes-partenaires https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/lyon-perrache/accessibilite ### Maastricht station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/maastricht-station Type: Transport Local name: Station Maastricht (nl) Also known as: Maastricht Centraal, Maastricht railway station Region: The Netherlands Area: Wyck City: Maastricht Address: Stationsplein, Maastricht Coordinates: 50.85018, 5.70525 Kind: Station Operator: NS Website: https://www.ns.nl/en/station-information/mt/maastricht Summary: Maastricht station suits a market weekend in the city or a base for Valkenburg, and it stands in Wyck on the east bank of the Maas, so you cross the river to reach the stalls. Walk west down Stationsstraat to the Sint Servaasbrug and over the Maas into the old centre. Keep west through the shopping streets to the Vrijthof, where Magisch Maastricht sets up. Q: Does Maastricht station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. NS lockers at Maastricht cost €5 for a small locker and €7.50 for a large one for the first 24 hours, at the tariff NS set on 1 December 2024. Q: How do I book help at Maastricht station? A: Book NS Reisassistentie at least one hour before you travel, by phone on 030 2357822 or in the NS app. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ns.nl/binaries/_ht_1730119020136/content/assets/ns-nl/tarieven/2025/consumenten/prijzen-bagagekluizen-ns-stations-per-december-2024.pdf https://www.ns.nl/reizen/reizen-met-een-beperking/ns-reisassistentie https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/5311118145 ### Mainz Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/mainz-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Mainz Hbf, Mainz main station Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Mainz Address: Bahnhofplatz 1, 55116 Mainz Coordinates: 50.00112, 8.25872 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf Summary: Mainz Hauptbahnhof sits on the north-west edge of the centre, and the walk to the cathedral market heads downhill toward the Rhine. Follow Bahnhofstraße to the Schillerplatz and turn down the Ludwigsstraße. The cathedral rises at its end, and the market fills the Markt and the Liebfrauenplatz around it. Q: Does Mainz Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 196 coin lockers, from €2 for six hours to €5.50 for 24 hours. Q: Is Mainz Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:10 to 22:30. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/mainz-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Michelstadt station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/michelstadt-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Michelstadt (de) Also known as: Michelstadt Bahnhof Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Michelstadt Address: Hulsterstraße 2, 64720 Michelstadt Coordinates: 49.68486, 9.00145 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/michelstadt Summary: Michelstadt station is a small stop on the Odenwald line, and it suits a slow day out from Frankfurt or Darmstadt. Walk east from the station into the old town. The market fills the Marktplatz around the half-timbered town hall. Q: Does Michelstadt station have luggage lockers? A: No. DB lists no lockers at Michelstadt station. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/michelstadt https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/michelstadt ### Montreux station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/montreux-station Type: Transport Local name: Montreux (fr) Also known as: Gare de Montreux, Montreux railway station Region: Switzerland City: Montreux Coordinates: 46.43612, 6.91012 Kind: Station Operator: SBB Website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/montreux-station.html Summary: Montreux station suits a lakeside market evening, though it sits on the slope above the town and you head downhill to reach the stalls. Walk down from the station to the Grand-Rue and the shore. Montreux Noël fills Place du Marché and the quays along Lake Geneva. Q: Does Montreux station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SBB lockers at track level in Montreux station are open around the clock, and the first six hours cost CHF 5 to CHF 12 in low season. Q: Does Montreux station have a ticket counter? A: Yes. SBB lists a ticket counter and a luggage check-in service at Montreux, and its 24-hour line on 0848 44 66 88 answers questions about both. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/montreux-station.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/services-station/luggage-deposit/lockers.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/individual-needs/travelling-reduced-mobility/contact-center-handicap.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/8059385910 ### Mulhouse station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/mulhouse-station Type: Transport Local name: Gare de Mulhouse-Ville (fr) Also known as: Mulhouse-Ville, Gare de Mulhouse, Mulhouse gare Region: Alsace City: Mulhouse Address: 14 Avenue du Général Leclerc, 68100 Mulhouse Coordinates: 47.74272, 7.34315 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse Summary: Mulhouse station sits south of the centre across the canal, and it suits a stop on the TGV and TER lines between Strasbourg and Basel. Walk north across the canal and on through the pedestrian streets of the centre. The market fills the Place de la Réunion, where the tall red Temple Saint-Étienne marks the spot. Q: Does Mulhouse station have luggage lockers? A: SNCF lists no lockers inside the station and sends travellers to its partner Nannybag nearby. Q: Is Mulhouse station step-free? A: Yes. SNCF lists lifts, help to the platforms and a wheelchair on loan at Mulhouse station. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/infos-pratiques https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/services-commerces/consignes-partenaires https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/infos-pratiques https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/services-commerces/consignes-partenaires https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/mulhouse/accessibilite ### Munich Airport station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/munich-airport-station Type: Transport Local name: München Flughafen Terminal (de) Also known as: Flughafen München, Munich Airport S-Bahn, MUC station, München Flughafen Terminal Region: Bavaria Area: Munich Airport, Oberding City: Munich Address: MUC II Terminal, 85356 Oberding Coordinates: 48.35373, 11.78597 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/flughafen-muenchen Summary: Munich Airport station suits anyone landing at MUC who wants to ride the S-Bahn into Munich. The S1 and S8 lines run from the airport to the city, and from Munich Hauptbahnhof the walk to Marienplatz is straightforward. DB's station page lists toilets and a taxi rank and shows no lockers. Q: Does Munich Airport station have luggage lockers? A: DB's station page lists no lockers at the airport station. Q: Is Munich Airport station step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at both platforms, and its mobility staff help if you register in advance. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/flughafen-muenchen https://www.bahnhof.de/flughafen-muenchen/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/flughafen-muenchen https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/flughafen-muenchen/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.munich-airport.com/ https://www.s-bahn-muenchen.de/en ### Munich Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/munich-hbf Type: Transport Local name: München Hauptbahnhof (de) Also known as: München Hbf, Munich Hbf, Munich main station, Munich Central Station Region: Bavaria City: Munich Address: Bayerstraße 10a, 80335 München Coordinates: 48.14023, 11.55833 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf Summary: Munich Hauptbahnhof suits a traveller who wants the Marienplatz market without a transfer, since a straight walk east takes you there. The station is a building site while DB rebuilds it, so give yourself extra time to find your way through the hall. Leave toward Bahnhofplatz and cross to Karlsplatz. Once you pass under the Karlstor, the pedestrian street of Neuhauser Straße and Kaufingerstraße leads straight on until it opens onto Marienplatz and the New Town Hall. Tips: - The DB Lounge is on the first floor opposite platform 24, toward the Arnulfstraße exit, with a lift for step-free access. Q: Does Munich Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists more than 1,000 coin lockers, from €2 for six hours in a small one to €6 for 24 hours in a large one, and it warns that the building work can close some of them. Q: Is Munich Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Mostly. DB marks step-free access at platforms 5 to 36 and lists platforms 1 and 2 without it, and mobility staff are on duty 24 hours a day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/muenchen-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/nuremberg-hbf Type: Transport Local name: Nürnberg Hauptbahnhof (de) Also known as: Nürnberg Hbf, Nuremberg Hbf, Nuremberg main station, Nuremberg Central Station Region: Franconia City: Nuremberg Address: Bahnhofsplatz 9, 90443 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.44562, 11.08299 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf Summary: Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof works well for anyone basing a Franconia trip on the train, because the old town starts right across the road. Bahnhofsplatz is a wide, busy ring road, so use the underpass from the main hall and come up by the Königstor. From there Königstraße runs past St Lorenz down to the Pegnitz. Cross on the Museumsbrücke and the stalls of Hauptmarkt open up in front of you. Tips: - The DB Lounge sits upstairs toward the west exit and the DB Museum, with a lift for step-free access. Q: Does Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 460 small coin lockers at €3 for 24 hours and 120 large ones at €5, plus 42 large lockers at €3 for six hours. Q: Is Nuremberg Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: DB lists step-free access to every platform it publishes data for, and its mobility staff are on hand from 06:00 to midnight. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/nuernberg-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/oberhausen-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Oberhausen Hbf, Oberhausen main station Region: The Rhineland City: Oberhausen Address: Willy-Brandt-Platz 1, 46045 Oberhausen Coordinates: 51.47488, 6.85159 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf Summary: Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof is the main-line stop for the market at the CentrO shopping centre, and the two lie a few kilometres apart. Trams and buses run from the station to the Neue Mitte stop beside CentrO, and that ride suits most visitors better than the walk. Q: Does Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 40 small coin lockers at €3.50 and 12 large ones at €4.50, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Oberhausen Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 22:30. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/oberhausen-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Obernai station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/obernai-station Type: Transport Local name: Gare d'Obernai (fr) Also known as: Obernai gare Region: Alsace City: Obernai Address: Place de la Gare, 67210 Obernai Coordinates: 48.46230, 7.48907 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/obernai Summary: Obernai station is a small TER stop on the line from Strasbourg, and it suits a half-day trip to a quieter market. Walk west from the station into the walled old town. The market fills the Place du Marché around the town hall and the belfry. Q: Does Obernai station have luggage lockers? A: No. SNCF lists no left-luggage service at Obernai station. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/obernai https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/obernai/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/obernai https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/obernai/accessibilite ### Paris Gare de l'Est URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/paris-est Type: Transport Local name: Gare de l'Est (fr) Also known as: Paris Est, Gare de l'Est, Paris East station Region: Alsace Area: Paris City: Strasbourg Address: Place du 11 Novembre 1918, 75010 Paris Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est Summary: Paris Gare de l'Est is where the TGV to Strasbourg and the rest of Alsace leaves, so it suits anyone starting an Alsace market trip in Paris. The station has its main entrance on the Place du 11 Novembre 1918, and Gare du Nord lies a short walk north for Eurostar arrivals. Q: Does Paris Gare de l'Est have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCF lists left luggage on level -1 toward the metro, and it takes cards only. Q: Is Paris Gare de l'Est step-free? A: Yes, with help booked 48 hours ahead through Accès Plus. SNCF lists lifts and a wheelchair on loan. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est/infos-pratiques https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est/infos-pratiques https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/paris-est/accessibilite ### Passau Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/passau-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Passau Hbf, Passau main station Region: Bavaria City: Passau Address: Bahnhofstraße 29, 94032 Passau Coordinates: 48.57363, 13.45078 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf Summary: Passau Hauptbahnhof sits at the west end of the old town peninsula, so the walk to the cathedral market runs east along it. Follow Bahnhofstraße to the Ludwigsplatz and carry on along the pedestrian Ludwigstraße. The streets climb gently to the Domplatz, where the market stands in front of St Stephen's Cathedral. Q: Does Passau Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 12 small coin lockers at €2 and 72 large ones at €4, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Passau Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 22:00. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/passau-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Prague Main Station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/prague-main-station Type: Transport Local name: Praha hlavní nádraží (cs) Also known as: Praha hl.n., Prague hlavni nadrazi, Prague Central Station, Hlavni nadrazi Region: Czechia Area: Nové Město City: Prague Address: Wilsonova, Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08316, 14.43351 Kind: Station Operator: České dráhy Website: https://www.cd.cz/en/stanice/5457076/ Summary: Prague Main Station suits a market visitor who wants to walk, because both of the big squares lie within reach of its park-side entrance. For Wenceslas Square, cross the park in front of the station and follow Opletalova to the square. For the Old Town Square market, head north-west to the Powder Tower and follow Celetná street from the tower straight into the square. Tips: - The ČD Lounge waiting area opens from 06:00 to 22:00 every day, and the Airport Express bus stops in front of the station. Q: Does Prague Main Station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. České dráhy lists self-service lockers at Prague Main Station, though its page gives no hours or prices. Q: Is Prague Main Station step-free? A: Yes. České dráhy says the station building is barrier-free and every platform stands at the standard 550-millimetre height, with a mobile lift for wheelchair boarding from 07:00 to 19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cd.cz/en/stanice/5457076/ https://www.cd.cz/stanice/5457076 https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/4303448343 ### Rattenberg-Kramsach station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/rattenberg-kramsach Type: Transport Local name: Rattenberg-Kramsach (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Rattenberg-Kramsach, Rattenberg station Region: Tyrol Area: Radfeld City: Rattenberg Address: Bienerstraße 88, 6240 Rattenberg Coordinates: 47.43930, 11.89622 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/rattenberg-kramsach Summary: Rattenberg-Kramsach is the small halt for Rattenberg, and it suits travellers who can manage steps, since ÖBB warns of access barriers here. The town starts just west of the platforms. Walk into the pedestrian old town and along Südtiroler Strasse, the main street where the Advent stalls and lanterns line up. Q: Is Rattenberg-Kramsach station step-free? A: No. ÖBB rates Rattenberg-Kramsach category 3, which means it does not recommend using the station on your own because of access barriers. Q: Can you buy a ticket at Rattenberg-Kramsach station? A: Yes, from a machine. ÖBB lists ticket machines and no staffed office at Rattenberg-Kramsach. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/tirol/rattenberg-kramsach https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3000738887 ### Regensburg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/regensburg-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Regensburg Hbf, Regensburg main station Region: Bavaria City: Regensburg Address: Bahnhofstraße 18, 93047 Regensburg Coordinates: 49.01167, 12.09962 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf Summary: Regensburg Hauptbahnhof sits at the southern edge of the old town, which makes it easy for anyone walking to the Neupfarrplatz market with a bag. Leave by the main exit and walk straight up Maximilianstraße toward the river. Near its top end, Neupfarrplatz opens on your left. Schloss Thurn und Taxis and its market lie the other way, a short walk west of the station along the park. Q: Does Regensburg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 112 small coin lockers at €3 and 72 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Regensburg Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 22:30. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/regensburg-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Rothenburg ob der Tauber station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber-station Type: Transport Local name: Bahnhof Rothenburg ob der Tauber (de) Also known as: Rothenburg Bahnhof, Rothenburg station Region: Franconia City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Bahnhofstraße 12, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37669, 10.19070 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber Summary: Rothenburg station is the end of a short branch line from Steinach, so it suits a traveller happy to change trains for a walled town at the end of the track. The station stands outside the walls on the east side. Walk west along Ansbacher Straße to the Rödertor. Through the gate, Rödergasse leads into the old town, and the Reiterlesmarkt waits on the Marktplatz in front of the town hall. Q: Does Rothenburg ob der Tauber station have luggage lockers? A: No. DB lists no lockers at Rothenburg ob der Tauber station. Q: Is Rothenburg ob der Tauber station step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at the one platform, but it is very low and the station has no staff. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber https://www.bahnhof.de/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit ### Salzburg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/salzburg-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Salzburg Hbf, Salzburg main station, Salzburg Central Station Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut City: Salzburg Address: Südtiroler Platz 1, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.81312, 13.04491 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/salzburg/salzburg-hauptbahnhof Summary: Salzburg Hauptbahnhof suits a first visit because the walk into town passes one market before it reaches the big one by the cathedral. Head south along Rainerstrasse to Mirabellplatz, where the Mirabell market stands in front of the palace. From there you cross the Salzach and walk through the old town to Residenzplatz and Domplatz, home of the Christkindlmarkt. Q: Does Salzburg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. ÖBB lists multifunctional lockers run by Tamburi at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, and Tamburi shows the price when you book. Q: Does Salzburg Hauptbahnhof have lifts? A: Yes. ÖBB lists lifts and escalators at Salzburg Hauptbahnhof, along with an accessible toilet open around the clock. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/salzburg/salzburg-hauptbahnhof https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/439180937 ### Selestat station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/selestat-station Type: Transport Local name: Gare de Sélestat (fr) Also known as: Sélestat gare, Selestat gare Region: Alsace City: Selestat Address: 1 Place de la Gare, 67600 Sélestat Coordinates: 48.26008, 7.44323 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat Summary: Sélestat station sits on the main line between Strasbourg and Colmar, which makes it an easy stop between the two on a quieter day. Walk east from the station into the old town. The market sets up on the Place du Docteur Maurice Kubler. Q: Does Sélestat station have luggage lockers? A: No. SNCF lists no left-luggage service at Sélestat station. Q: Is Sélestat station step-free? A: Yes. SNCF lists five lifts and an assistance service at the information point by platform A. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat/infos-pratiques https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat/infos-pratiques https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/selestat/accessibilite ### Strasbourg station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/strasbourg-station Type: Transport Local name: Gare de Strasbourg (fr) Also known as: Strasbourg-Ville, Gare de Strasbourg-Ville, Strasbourg Gare Centrale, Strasbourg main station Region: Alsace City: Strasbourg Address: 20 Place de la Gare, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.58544, 7.73520 Kind: Station Operator: SNCF Gares & Connexions Website: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg Summary: Strasbourg station sits just west of the Grande Île, so the markets are a walk away for anyone arriving by TGV or TER. Cross the Place de la Gare and follow Rue du Maire Kuss to the Ill, then cross on the Pont Kuss. Rue du 22 Novembre leads on to Place Kléber and its great tree, and the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie lies a few streets further east. Tips: - SNCF opened the station from 04:15 to 01:00 on weekdays and from 05:00 at weekends in September 2026, and the platforms stay open until the last train leaves. Q: Does Strasbourg station have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SNCF lists a left-luggage office on platform 1 at door 8, by the escalator from the central underpass. Q: Is Strasbourg station step-free? A: Yes. SNCF lists lifts, help to the platforms and a wheelchair on loan, and its assistance point is in the north hall. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/infos-pratiques https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/services-commerces https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/services-commerces/consignes https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/accessibilite https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/infos-pratiques https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/services-commerces https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/services-commerces/consignes https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.garesetconnexions.sncf/fr/gares-services/strasbourg/accessibilite ### Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/stuttgart-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Stuttgart Hbf, Stuttgart main station, Stuttgart Central Station Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Stuttgart Address: Arnulf-Klett-Platz 2, 70173 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.78478, 9.18276 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf Summary: Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof sits at the head of Königstraße, so the market is a straight walk downhill for most people. The station is in the middle of the long Stuttgart 21 rebuild, and the routes through it change, so follow the signs to the Königstraße exit. Walk down Königstraße to the Schlossplatz, then turn left past the Stiftskirche for the stalls on Schillerplatz and the Marktplatz. Q: Does Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 152 small coin lockers at €3 and 96 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at every platform it publishes data for, and mobility staff are on duty 24 hours a day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/stuttgart-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Swiss Travel Pass URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/swiss-travel-pass Type: Transport Also known as: STP, Swiss Pass for tourists, Swiss Travel Pass Flex, Swiss Travel Pass Youth Region: Switzerland City: Zurich Kind: Pass Operator: Swiss Travel System Fare from: CHF 179 (2026) Booking: Buy online from SBB, with a SwissPass login or as a guest, and carry the pass in the SBB Mobile app or as an emailed QR code. Book ahead: Sales open 11 months before the first day of validity. Website: https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/planning/transport-accommodation/tickets-public-transport/swiss-travel-pass/ Booking: https://www.sbb.ch/en/offers/buy-swiss-travel-pass Summary: The Swiss Travel Pass suits a visitor who lives outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein and plans to ride Swiss trains and boats on most days of a market trip, with city trams and buses thrown in. A 3-day pass in 2nd class costs CHF 254 for an adult in 2026 and a 15-day one CHF 499. On a short stay with one long journey, price a single ticket against the pass before you buy. The pass gives unlimited travel on the Swiss Travel System network and on public transport in more than 90 towns and cities. It also lets you into more than 500 museums for free and up the Rigi and some other mountains at no charge, with up to half off many other mountain trips. Buy the consecutive-day pass for 3, 4, 6, 8 or 15 days in a row, or the Flex version if you want to pick 3 to 15 travel days within one month. Families do well out of it. Children aged 6 to 15 travel free with a parent who holds a pass, on the free Swiss Family Card, and children under 6 ride free with any adult who holds a valid ticket. Travellers under 25 pay 30% less on the Youth pass. Tips: - You can buy the pass up to 11 months before its first day, and a pass bought with a SwissPass login shows in the SBB Mobile app. Q: How much is the Swiss Travel Pass in 2026? A: SBB prices the 2026 Swiss Travel Pass from CHF 254 for 3 days in 2nd class to CHF 499 for 15 days, and from CHF 405 to CHF 787 in 1st class, valid until 31 December 2026. Q: Do you need seat reservations with the Swiss Travel Pass? A: Only on some trains. The Glacier Express, Bernina Express, Gotthard Panorama Express and Palm Express need a seat reservation or a supplement on top of the pass. Q: Do children travel free on the Swiss Travel Pass? A: Yes. Children aged 6 to 15 travel free with a parent who holds a Swiss Travel Pass, using the free Swiss Family Card. Q: Who can buy the Swiss Travel Pass? A: The Swiss Travel Pass is sold to people who live outside Switzerland and Liechtenstein. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/offers/buy-swiss-travel-pass https://www.myswitzerland.com/en-us/planning/transport-accommodation/tickets-public-transport/swiss-travel-pass/ ### Trier Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/trier-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Trier Hbf, Trier main station Region: The Rhineland City: Trier Address: Bahnhofsplatz 1, 54292 Trier Coordinates: 49.75685, 6.65245 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf Summary: Trier Hauptbahnhof sits east of the old town, and the walk to the market passes the Roman city gate on the way. Head west along Theodor-Heuss-Allee to the Porta Nigra. Walk through the gate and down Simeonstraße, and the Hauptmarkt opens at its end, with the cathedral square just beyond. Q: Does Trier Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 48 small coin lockers at €3.50 and 24 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Trier Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, and mobility staff work here every day. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/trier-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Tubingen Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/tubingen-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Tübingen Hbf, Tubingen Hbf, Tuebingen Hbf, Tübingen main station Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Tubingen Address: Europaplatz 17, 72072 Tübingen Coordinates: 48.51564, 9.05540 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf Summary: Tübingen Hauptbahnhof sits south of the Neckar, with the old town rising on the far bank. Walk north up Karlstraße and cross the river on the Eberhardsbrücke. Climb through the lanes past the Stiftskirche to the Marktplatz, and expect steep, cobbled streets on the last stretch. Q: Does Tübingen Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 36 small coin lockers at €3 and 12 large ones at €5, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Tübingen Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, though two platforms are low. The old town beyond is hilly and cobbled. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/tuebingen-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Valkenburg station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/valkenburg-station Type: Transport Local name: Station Valkenburg (nl) Also known as: Valkenburg aan de Geul station, Valkenburg railway station Region: The Netherlands City: Valkenburg Address: Stationsstraat, Valkenburg aan de Geul Coordinates: 50.86929, 5.83288 Kind: Station Operator: Arriva Summary: Valkenburg station suits a cave-market day trip from Maastricht or Aachen, and its building, opened in 1853, is the oldest station building in the Netherlands. Arriva trains on the Maastricht to Heerlen and Aachen lines stop here. Walk downhill from Stationsstraat into the centre for the WinterGlow on Walramplein, and keep on to the Cauberg for the Gemeentegrot cave market. Q: Which trains stop at Valkenburg station? A: Arriva trains between Maastricht and Heerlen and the RE 18 between Maastricht and Aachen stop at Valkenburg. Q: Is Valkenburg station close to the Christmas markets? A: Yes. The centre and its cave markets lie downhill from Valkenburg station within walking distance. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Valkenburg_railway_station https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/2815620698 ### Vienna Airport station URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/vienna-airport-station Type: Transport Local name: Flughafen Wien (de) Also known as: Bahnhof Flughafen Wien, Vienna Airport railway station, Wien Flughafen Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Schwechat City: Vienna Address: Einfahrtsstraße, 1300 Wien Flughafen Coordinates: 48.12023, 16.56427 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/niederoesterreich/flughafen-wien Summary: Flughafen Wien station sits beside the terminals at Vienna Airport, so you can step off a flight and onto an ÖBB train toward Vienna Hauptbahnhof without leaving the building's shelter. It suits anyone flying in for the Vienna markets or starting a rail loop through Austria. ÖBB lists lifts and escalators, and its page names no lockers. Q: Does Vienna Airport station have luggage lockers? A: ÖBB's page for Flughafen Wien station lists no lockers, so plan to keep your bags with you or store them in the city. Q: Does Vienna Airport station have lifts? A: Yes. ÖBB lists lifts and escalators at Flughafen Wien station. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/niederoesterreich/flughafen-wien https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/62823673 ### Vienna Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/vienna-hbf Type: Transport Local name: Wien Hauptbahnhof (de) Also known as: Wien Hbf, Vienna Central Station, Vienna main station, Vienna Hbf Region: Vienna and Lower Austria City: Vienna Address: Am Hauptbahnhof 1, 1100 Wien Coordinates: 48.18584, 16.37587 Kind: Station Operator: ÖBB Website: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/wien/wien-hauptbahnhof Summary: Vienna Hauptbahnhof is where most long-distance trains arrive, and it sits south of the centre, so you walk to only one market from here and ride the U-Bahn to the rest. The Belvedere Christmas village is the walkable one: head north from the station through the new Quartier Belvedere and cross the Gürtel to the gardens of the Upper Belvedere. Take the U1 from the station's own U-Bahn stop to Karlsplatz or Stephansplatz, and change at Karlsplatz onto the U2 for Rathaus and the Rathausplatz market. Q: Does Vienna Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. ÖBB lists both classic lockers and multifunctional Tamburi lockers at Vienna Hauptbahnhof, and the Tamburi price appears when you book. Q: Is Vienna Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. ÖBB rates Vienna Hauptbahnhof category 1 for independent use and lists lifts and escalators. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bahnhof.oebb.at/en/wien/wien-hauptbahnhof https://www.oebb.at/de/reiseplanung-services/am-bahnhof/gepaeckaufbewahrung https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/3755997723 ### Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/wiesbaden-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Wiesbaden Hbf, Wiesbaden main station Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Wiesbaden Address: Bahnhofsplatz 1, 65189 Wiesbaden Coordinates: 50.07079, 8.24373 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf Summary: Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof sits south of the centre at the foot of a long, straight walk to the market. Head north up Bahnhofstraße and keep going through the shopping streets. The Sternschnuppenmarkt fills the Schlossplatz between the town hall and the red Marktkirche. Q: Does Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 84 small coin lockers at €3 and 18 large ones at €4, both for 24 hours. Q: Is Wiesbaden Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at all ten platforms, though mobility staff finish early in the evening. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/wiesbaden-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Wurzburg Hauptbahnhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/wurzburg-hbf Type: Transport Also known as: Würzburg Hbf, Wurzburg Hbf, Wuerzburg Hbf, Würzburg main station Region: Franconia City: Wurzburg Address: Bahnhofplatz 4, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.80180, 9.93578 Kind: Station Operator: DB InfraGO Website: https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf Summary: Würzburg Hauptbahnhof sits at the north end of the old town, and the walk to the market runs downhill on one street almost all the way. Leave onto Bahnhofplatz and walk south down Kaiserstraße. Keep going along the shopping street of Schönbornstraße, and it brings you out on the Marktplatz beside the red-and-white Marienkapelle. Q: Does Würzburg Hauptbahnhof have luggage lockers? A: Yes. DB lists 126 lockers that take coins or cards, at €6 or €8 for 24 hours. Q: Is Würzburg Hauptbahnhof step-free? A: Yes. DB marks step-free access at every platform it lists, with mobility staff from 06:00 to 22:45. Checked: 2026-10 Sources: https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf/schliessfaecher https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf/ausstattung-barrierefreiheit https://web.archive.org/web/2026/https://www.bahnhof.de/wuerzburg-hbf/schliessfaecher ### Zurich HB URL: https://christmasineurope.com/getting-around/zurich-hb Type: Transport Also known as: Zürich Hauptbahnhof, Zurich main station, Zurich Central Station, Zurich Hauptbahnhof Region: Switzerland City: Zurich Address: Museumstrasse 1, 8001 Zürich Coordinates: 47.37732, 8.54007 Kind: Station Operator: SBB Website: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/zuerich-hb-station.html Summary: Zurich HB suits every market visitor to the city, because one market fills the station's own main hall and the others start a short walk from its doors. The Polarzauber market sets up inside the concourse. For the Dörfli market in the old town, cross the Limmat on the Bahnhofbrücke and turn right into Niederdorfstrasse. Bahnhofstrasse leads south from Bahnhofplatz toward Werdmühleplatz and the Singing Christmas Tree. Q: Does Zurich HB have luggage lockers? A: Yes. SBB runs lockers on level -1 of the ShopVille mall at Zurich HB, and the first six hours cost CHF 5 to CHF 12 in low season depending on size. Q: How do I get help boarding a train at Zurich HB? A: Call the SBB Contact Center Handicap on +41 800 007 102 at least one hour before a domestic journey, or 24 hours before an international one. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/find-station/zuerich-hb-station.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/stations/services-station/luggage-deposit/lockers.html https://www.sbb.ch/en/travel-information/individual-needs/travelling-reduced-mobility/contact-center-handicap.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/node/356297795 ## Events and seasons ### Concertgebouw Orchestra Christmas Matinee URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/amsterdam-concertgebouw-christmas-matinee Type: Event Local name: Kerstmatinee van het Concertgebouworkest (nl) Also known as: Kerstmatinee, Christmas Matinee Amsterdam, Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra Christmas concert Region: The Netherlands Area: Oud-Zuid City: Amsterdam Address: Concertgebouw, Concertgebouwplein, Amsterdam Status: seasonal. The 2026 date is projected until the Concertgebouw Orchestra publishes the concert. Coordinates: 52.35630, 4.87910 Kind: Concert When: Christmas Day afternoon at the Concertgebouw, broadcast on Dutch radio and television. Next dates: December 25, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: The 2026 start time and programme had not been published by the orchestra when checked. In 2025 the radio broadcast began at 14:00 and the NPO 2 television broadcast at 15:00. Venue: Concertgebouw Website: https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/en Summary: The Concertgebouw Orchestra's Christmas Matinee is Amsterdam's Christmas Day concert, and it suits music lovers spending 25 December in the city, though the 2026 date is projected and the programme had not been published in October. The orchestra first played a Christmas Matinee in its founding year of 1888, and Dutch television has carried it since 1975. The tradition goes back to the orchestra's founding year: the first Christmas Matinee was played on Boxing Day 1888 under Willem Kes. Today it falls on Christmas Day at the Concertgebouw. In 2025 AVROTROS carried it live on NPO Klassiek radio and NPO 2 television, Medici TV streamed it that evening, and ARTE showed it on 4 January. If you cannot get a seat, the broadcast lets you follow it from a hotel room or a café. Tips: - The concert sits a short walk from the Christmas Village on the Museumplein, which also opens on Christmas Day, from 12:00 to 19:00 in 2026. Q: When is the Concertgebouw Christmas Matinee in 2026? A: The Concertgebouw Orchestra's Christmas Matinee is held on Christmas Day, so the 2026 concert is projected for Friday 25 December. The orchestra had not published the 2026 time or programme in October 2026. Q: Can I watch the Concertgebouw Christmas Matinee on TV? A: Yes. In 2025 AVROTROS broadcast the Christmas Matinee live on NPO Klassiek radio from 14:00 and on NPO 2 television from 15:00. Q: What are the opening hours of Concertgebouw Orchestra Christmas Matinee? A: Concertgebouw Orchestra Christmas Matinee is open the 2026 start time and programme had not been published by the orchestra when checked. In 2025 the radio broadcast began at 14:00 and the NPO 2 television broadcast at 15:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/en/stories/the-christmas-matinee-50-1-years-of-an-orchestra-tradition/ https://www.concertgebouw.nl/en/accessibility https://icevillage.nl/ ### Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/amsterdam-sinterklaas-arrival Type: Event Local name: Intocht van Sinterklaas in Amsterdam (nl) Also known as: Amsterdam Sinterklaas parade, Sinterklaasintocht Amsterdam, Sint in Amsterdam Region: The Netherlands Area: Amstel and the city centre City: Amsterdam Address: Het Scheepvaartmuseum, where the boat arrived in 2025 Status: seasonal. Sunday 15 November 2026; route and times to follow on the organizer's site. Coordinates: 52.37140, 4.91470 Kind: Procession When: The third Sunday of November. Sinterklaas sails in by steamboat in the morning and rides through the centre on horseback in the afternoon. Next dates: November 15, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The 2026 route and times were not out when this was checked. In 2025 the boat left at 10:00, passed the Omval at 10:15 and reached the Scheepvaartmuseum at about 11:30; the land procession left the Stopera at 13:00 and reached the Leidseplein around 14:15, where the programme ran until 15:30. Website: https://www.sintinamsterdam.nl/ Summary: Amsterdam's Sinterklaas arrival brings the city's children out along the Amstel and through the centre, and it suits families with young children who can stand on a cold canal bank for an hour, though it falls in mid-November, two weeks before the Christmas markets open. The 2026 arrival is on Sunday 15 November, with Sinterklaas coming in by boat along the Amstel and then riding through the centre. Sinterklaas is the Dutch Saint Nicholas, and he arrives each November by steamboat, and Amsterdam has held its own arrival every year since 1934. The morning belongs to the water: in 2025 the boat came down the Amstel past the Omval and Sarphatistraat to the Scheepvaartmuseum, where the city welcomed him. After lunch he rides on horseback from the Stopera through Rembrandtplein and the Utrechtsestraat to the Leidseplein, with bands and dancers along the way. Stichting Sinterklaas in Amsterdam runs the day with about 1,100 volunteers. The tradition has changed most in how his helpers, the Pieten, look. For decades Zwarte Piet was played in blackface, and since the 2010s the figure has drawn sustained criticism for its association with slavery, alongside defence from people who see it as a children's custom. Amsterdam moved first among the big cities: in 2016 it was the only municipality where no fully blacked-up Pieten took part in the arrival. Its Pieten now appear as Roetveegpieten, with only soot smudges on their faces, and the national arrival broadcast by the NTR has used Roetveegpieten only since 2019. Tips: - Pick one spot on the land route and stay there; the Leidseplein hosts the closing programme. - From the arrival onwards Dutch children put out a shoe at night, and the presents come on the evening of 5 December, which the Dutch call pakjesavond. Q: When does Sinterklaas arrive in Amsterdam in 2026? A: Sinterklaas arrives in Amsterdam on Sunday 15 November 2026. The organizer, Stichting Sinterklaas in Amsterdam, publishes the route and times closer to the day. Q: Are there Zwarte Pieten at the Amsterdam Sinterklaas arrival? A: No. Amsterdam's arrival uses Roetveegpieten, whose faces carry only soot smudges, and in 2016 it was already the only Dutch municipality with no fully blacked-up Pieten at its arrival. Q: Where can I see Sinterklaas arrive by boat in Amsterdam? A: In 2025 the boat sailed along the Amstel and arrived at the Scheepvaartmuseum around 11:30. The 2026 route had not been published in October 2026. Q: What are the opening hours of Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam? A: Sinterklaas arrival in Amsterdam is open the 2026 route and times were not out when this was checked. In 2025 the boat left at 10:00, passed the Omval at 10:15 and reached the Scheepvaartmuseum at about 11:30; the land procession left the Stopera at 13:00 and reached the Leidseplein around 14:15, where the programme ran until 15:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sintinamsterdam.nl/ https://www.sintinamsterdam.nl/organisatie/ https://sintinamsterdam.nl/intocht https://www.rodi.nl/amsterdam-nieuw-west/uit/415622/sinterklaasintocht-amsterdam-dit-is-het-programma- https://www.binnenlandsbestuur.nl/bestuur-en-organisatie/gemeente-en-provinciefonds/grote-steden-stappen-over-op-roetveegpiet https://nos.nl/artikel/2309451 https://www.sinterklaasmaastricht.nl/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1616123 ### Annaberg-Buchholz Great Miners' Parade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/annaberg-buchholz-grosse-bergparade Type: Event Local name: Große Bergparade Annaberg-Buchholz (de) Also known as: Annaberg Bergparade, Bergparade Annaberg-Buchholz, Annaberg miners' parade Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge City: Annaberg-Buchholz Address: Old town, ending at the St. Annenkirche, 09456 Annaberg-Buchholz Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.57860, 13.00530 Kind: Procession When: The town holds its Große Bergparade at 13:30 on the fourth Sunday of Advent, and the miners' bands close it with a concert in front of the St. Annenkirche. Next dates: December 20, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: The parade starts at 13:30 by tradition. The 2026 time is not confirmed yet. Venue: Old town of Annaberg-Buchholz Entry opens: 13:30 Website: https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/bergparade.php Summary: Annaberg-Buchholz's Große Bergparade suits anyone who wants the largest Advent miners' parade in the Erzgebirge, with more than 1,000 marchers, and its 2026 date isn't published yet. By the town's custom it falls at 13:30 on Sunday 20 December 2026. Over 1,000 people in miners' costume come from across Saxony and other German mining regions for the parade, and the town calls it the most impressive miners' parade of Advent. After the march the miners' bands gather in front of the St. Annenkirche for a closing concert. The parade falls three days before the Annaberger Weihnachtsmarkt ends on 23 December 2026, so you can see both on one trip. Tips: - Arrive by late morning and choose a spot along the route; the concert in front of the St. Annenkirche follows the march. Q: When is the Annaberg-Buchholz Bergparade in 2026? A: Annaberg-Buchholz holds its Große Bergparade by tradition at 13:30 on the fourth Sunday of Advent, which falls on 20 December 2026. The town has not yet confirmed the 2026 date. Q: What are the opening hours of Annaberg-Buchholz Great Miners' Parade? A: Annaberg-Buchholz Great Miners' Parade is open the parade starts at 13:30 by tradition. The 2026 time is not confirmed yet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/bergparade.php https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q896131 ### Augsburg Engelesspiel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/augsburg-engelesspiel Type: Event Local name: Augsburger Engelesspiel (de) Also known as: Angel play Augsburg, Engelesspiel Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Augsburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.36870, 10.89870 Kind: Folk custom When: November to December Next dates: November 23, 2026 to December 23, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The Engelesspiel starts at 18:00 on each listed day; the organizer gives no end time. Venue: Rathaus, Rathausplatz Summary: Augsburg's Engelesspiel suits families who want a short, free performance on the market square, at 18:00 on Advent Fridays to Sundays and on 23 November and 23 December 2026; on other evenings the windows stay dark. Young Augsburg women chosen for their poise and musicality play the 23 angels, who appear in the windows and on the balcony of the town hall and turn the facade into a living Advent calendar. A former tourism director, Fritz Kleiber, devised the play in 1977 after a painting by Hans Holbein, and the Stadtsparkasse Augsburg funds it. On 23 December the angels come down the stairs to the portal. Q: What time is the Engelesspiel in Augsburg? A: The Engelesspiel starts at 18:00 on Advent Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays, and on 23 November and 23 December 2026, at Augsburg's town hall. Q: When is Augsburg Engelesspiel? A: Augsburg Engelesspiel takes place november to December. The next dates we have are November 23, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Augsburg Engelesspiel? A: Augsburg Engelesspiel is open the Engelesspiel starts at 18:00 on each listed day; the organizer gives no end time. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: http://www.augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/engelesspiel http://www.augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/ ### Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/berlin-cathedral-christmas-oratorio Type: Event Local name: J. S. Bach: Weihnachtsoratorium im Berliner Dom (de) Also known as: Weihnachtsoratorium Berliner Dom, Christmas Oratorio Berlin Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Mitte City: Berlin Address: Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin Status: seasonal Coordinates: 52.51920, 13.40110 Kind: Concert When: Cantatas I–III in the week before Christmas, with cantatas IV–VI in early January. Next dates: December 18, 2026 to January 9, 2027 (announced) Hours: Performances on Friday 18 December 2026 at 20:00, Saturday 19 December at 15:00 and 18:00, and Saturday 9 January 2027 at 18:00. Venue: Berliner Dom Entry: €14.25 per person (2026) Price from: €14.25 per person (2026) Summary: Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral suits anyone who wants the Advent soundtrack in a grand church, and the trade-off is that the four performances sell as separate tickets from €14.25. berlin.de lists cantatas I–III on 18 and 19 December 2026 and cantatas IV–VI on 9 January 2027. The Berliner Dom splits the six cantatas across two parts of the season. Cantatas I–III play three times in the week before Christmas, on the Friday evening and twice on the Saturday. Cantatas IV–VI follow on 9 January 2027 for anyone still in town. Tips: - Pick the Saturday 15:00 performance on 19 December if you want an evening free for the markets. Q: When is the Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral in 2026? A: berlin.de lists Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral with cantatas I–III on 18 December 2026 at 20:00 and 19 December at 15:00 and 18:00. Cantatas IV–VI follow on 9 January 2027 at 18:00. Q: What are the opening hours of Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral? A: Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral is open performances on Friday 18 December 2026 at 20:00, Saturday 19 December at 15:00 and 18:00, and Saturday 9 January 2027 at 18:00. Q: How much does Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral cost? A: Prices at Bach's Christmas Oratorio at Berlin Cathedral start at €14.25 per person (2026). Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.berlin.de/tickets/klassische-konzerte/berliner-dom-j-s-bach-weihnachtsoratorium-6b6c7b26-f8ff-477f-aab9-c5cb33daec26/ https://www.berlin.de/tickets/klassische-konzerte/berliner-dom-j-s-bach-weihnachtsoratorium/2026-12-18-bach-weihnachtsoratorium-kantaten-i-iii-1f6d4fc2-5694-4f5d-ac16-7f6323acfa47/ ### Torch Swim on the Moselle (Bernkastel-Kues) URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/bernkastel-kues-torch-swim Type: Event Local name: Fackelschwimmen in Bernkastel-Kues (de) Also known as: Fackelschwimmen Bernkastel-Kues Region: The Rhineland Area: Moselufer City: Bernkastel-Kues Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.91610, 7.06940 Kind: Folk custom When: A Saturday in early December, during the Christmas market. Next dates: December 5, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The market page gives the date but no start time. Venue: Moselufer, Bernkastel Summary: On Saturday 5 December 2026 more than 100 sport divers swim the Moselle at Bernkastel-Kues carrying torches (confirmed), and St Nicholas follows by boat with gifts for the children. Families watch it free from the riverbank. The swimmers set off along the river below the old town while the market runs above them. St Nicholas rides alongside in a boat and hands out presents to children waiting on the bank. Tips: - Find a spot on the Moselle bank early, then walk up to the market afterwards. Q: When is the Bernkastel-Kues torch swim in 2026? A: The torch swim on the Moselle at Bernkastel-Kues takes place on Saturday 5 December 2026. The market page has not published a start time. Q: What are the opening hours of Torch Swim on the Moselle (Bernkastel-Kues)? A: Torch Swim on the Moselle (Bernkastel-Kues) is open the market page gives the date but no start time. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bernkastel.de/weihnachtsmarkt ### Brno Christmas Tree Lighting URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/brno-tree-lighting Type: Event Local name: Rozsvícení vánočního stromu v Brně (cs) Also known as: Brno tree lighting, Brnenske Vanoce opening Region: Czechia Area: Brno-střed City: Brno Address: náměstí Svobody, 602 00 Brno Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.19500, 16.60830 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The tree on náměstí Svobody is lit on the first day of TIC Brno's markets. Next dates: November 27, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Carols start at 15:30 and the lights go on at 17:00. Venue: náměstí Svobody Website: https://brnenskevanoce.cz/rozsviceni-vanocniho-stromu/ Summary: Brno's tree lighting suits families and anyone who likes a story behind the ceremony, because the city says the first public Christmas tree in the country stood on this square in 1924. It takes place on Friday 27 November 2026 at 17:00. The programme on náměstí Svobody starts at 15:30 with carols from the Kantilénka preparatory choir and aerial acrobatics from AirGym Art Company. City leaders and the Brno bishopric switch on the lights at 17:00. TIC Brno counts 2026 as the tree's 102nd year on the square. Tips: - The TIC Brno markets open the same day, so the stalls are fresh and busy that evening. Q: When is Brno Christmas Tree Lighting? A: Brno Christmas Tree Lighting takes place the tree on náměstí Svobody is lit on the first day of TIC Brno's markets. The next dates we have are November 27, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Brno Christmas Tree Lighting? A: Brno Christmas Tree Lighting is open carols start at 15:30 and the lights go on at 17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://brnenskevanoce.cz/rozsviceni-vanocniho-stromu/ https://brnenskevanoce.cz/ ### Bruges Winter Glow Ice Rink URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/bruges-ice-rink Type: Event Local name: IJsschaatspiste Wintergloed (nl) Also known as: Bruges ice rink, Brugge schaatsbaan, Brugge ijsschaatspiste Region: Belgium Area: Koning Albert I-park City: Bruges Address: Koning Albert I-park, 8000 Brugge Status: seasonal Coordinates: 51.20169, 3.21906 Kind: Ice rink When: A covered rink in the Koning Albert I-park from the Friday before Totensonntag to the first Sunday of January, open 10:00–22:00. Next dates: November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: Open 10:00–22:00 every day, with shorter hours on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. Venue: Koning Albert I-park Entry: €9 per person (2026) Price from: €9 per person (2026) Website: https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/ice-rink Summary: The Bruges Winter Glow ice rink is a covered rink in the Koning Albert I-park, open 10:00–22:00 daily from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and it suits families who want skating that a rainy day won't cancel. Tickets cost €9 a person in 2026 with under-3s free, and the page lists no skate hire price. Bruges sets up its rink under a roof in the Koning Albert I-park for the first time in 2026, as part of the Winter Glow programme. The park lies between 't Zand and the station, so you can skate before or after a train. The IJsgloed winter bar overlooks the ice for anyone who would sooner watch with a drink. Adults and children pay the same €9, and groups of ten or more pay €8 each. Visit Bruges takes Bancontact, Payconiq or cash at the rink. Tips: - On 24 and 31 December the rink closes at 17:30. - On Christmas Day and New Year's Day it opens at 12:00 and runs to 22:00. Q: How much is the ice rink in Bruges? A: The Bruges Winter Glow ice rink costs €9 a person in 2026, for adults and children alike. Children up to 3 skate free, and groups of ten or more pay €8 each. Q: Is the Bruges ice rink covered? A: Yes. Visit Bruges describes the 2026 rink in the Koning Albert I-park as covered. Q: Is the Bruges ice rink open on Christmas Day? A: Yes. The Bruges rink opens 12:00–22:00 on 25 December 2026 and on 1 January 2027. Q: When is Bruges Winter Glow Ice Rink? A: Bruges Winter Glow Ice Rink takes place a covered rink in the Koning Albert I-park from the Friday before Totensonntag to the first Sunday of January, open 10:00–22:00. The next dates we have are November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/ice-rink https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q33100150 ### Midnight Mass at Brussels Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/brussels-cathedral-midnight-mass Type: Event Local name: Messe de minuit (fr) Also known as: Brussels cathedral Christmas Mass, Midnight Mass St Gudula, Nachtmis Sint-Goedele Region: Belgium Area: Treurenberg City: Brussels Address: Rue du Bois Sauvage 15, 1000 Bruxelles Status: seasonal. The 2026 time is not published. The date is projected from the fixed feast. Coordinates: 50.84778, 4.36028 Kind: Church service When: Midnight Mass on the night of 24 December, sung by the Gregorian ensemble Voces Desuper. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: The cathedral has not published the 2026 start time. Venue: Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula Website: https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/ Summary: Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula in Brussels is the Catholic Mass of Christmas night on 24 December, and it suits visitors who want to attend a sung Christmas liturgy in the city's cathedral. It is worship first, and the cathedral has not yet published the 2026 time or language. This is a Mass for the people who come to pray, and visitors are welcome to join it as worshippers. The cathedral says the Gregorian ensemble Voces Desuper sings Midnight Mass and Christmas Day along with its Sunday Masses. Its regular Sunday 11:00 Mass is bilingual in French and Dutch. The cathedral has not said which language Christmas night uses. Winter Wonders closes at 18:00 on 24 December, and there is no Grand-Place show that night. The cathedral turns 800 in 2026, and its Gudula26 calendar runs to the end of December. Tips: - Check cathedralisbruxellensis.be in December for the 2026 time, or call +32 2 229 24 90. - Use the shop door on Place Sainte-Gudule for step-free entry, and ring the bell. Q: What time is Midnight Mass at Brussels cathedral in 2026? A: The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula has not yet published the 2026 time for Midnight Mass. Its regular schedule says the Gregorian ensemble Voces Desuper sings it. Q: Can tourists attend Midnight Mass at Brussels cathedral? A: Yes, as worshippers. Midnight Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is a service, and the cathedral stops tourist visits during services. Q: When is Midnight Mass at Brussels Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at Brussels Cathedral takes place midnight Mass on the night of 24 December, sung by the Gregorian ensemble Voces Desuper. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Midnight Mass at Brussels Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at Brussels Cathedral is open the cathedral has not published the 2026 start time. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/ https://cathedralisbruxellensis.be/visiter/ ### Brussels Winter Wonders Ice Rink URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/brussels-ice-rink Type: Event Also known as: Brussels ice rink, Patinoire place De Brouckère, Schaatsbaan De Brouckèreplein Region: Belgium Area: Place De Brouckère City: Brussels Address: Place De Brouckère, 1000 Bruxelles Status: seasonal. The 2026 rink is not yet announced. Prices, hours and the location on this page come from the 2025 season. Coordinates: 50.85147, 4.35279 Kind: Ice rink When: A rink on Place De Brouckère for the whole run of Winter Wonders, open 12:00–22:00 in 2025. Next dates: November 27, 2026 to January 3, 2027 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the rink opened 12:00–22:00 from 28 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. Winter Wonders closes at 18:00 on 24 and 31 December and 3 January in 2026. Venue: Place De Brouckère Entry: €12 per person (2025) Price from: €6 per child (2025) Website: https://winterpret.be/en Summary: The Brussels Winter Wonders ice rink stood on Place De Brouckère for the whole 2025 season, open 12:00–22:00 with skates included in the €12 ticket, and it suits families who want a skate in the middle of the Christmas market. The organizer has not yet published the 2026 rink details, so the dates here are projected from the market's run. Place De Brouckère turned into a small winter village around the rink in 2025, with curling, a ball-fishing game, a reindeer carousel and a virtual reality booth beside the ice. Covered terraces let parents watch out of the rain. The square has its own metro stop at De Brouckère. In 2025 a ticket cost €12 for anyone over 16 and €6 for under-16s, with skate hire included. A family ticket for two adults and two children cost €30, and a companion of a visitor with reduced mobility skated free. The rink stayed open to 4 January 2026, after most chalets elsewhere had closed. Tips: - Curling ran beside the rink in 2025 at €8 for over-16s and €4 for under-16s. - Check winterpret.be in November for the 2026 rink prices before you budget. Q: Where is the ice rink in Brussels at Christmas? A: In 2025 the Winter Wonders ice rink stood on Place De Brouckère. The organizer has not yet confirmed the 2026 location. Q: How much does the Brussels Christmas ice rink cost? A: The Brussels Winter Wonders rink cost €12 for over-16s and €6 for under-16s in 2025, skates included. A family ticket for two adults and two children cost €30. Q: When is Brussels Winter Wonders Ice Rink? A: Brussels Winter Wonders Ice Rink takes place a rink on Place De Brouckère for the whole run of Winter Wonders, open 12:00–22:00 in 2025. The next dates we have are November 27, 2026 to January 3, 2027, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Brussels Winter Wonders Ice Rink? A: Brussels Winter Wonders Ice Rink is open in 2025 the rink opened 12:00–22:00 from 28 November 2025 to 4 January 2026. Winter Wonders closes at 18:00 on 24 and 31 December and 3 January in 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://winterpret.be/attractions https://winterpret.be/marche-de-noel https://winterpret.be/infos-pratiques https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1821749 ### City Park Ice Rink URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/budapest-city-park-ice-rink Type: Event Local name: Városligeti Műjégpálya (hu) Also known as: Varosligeti Mujegpalya, Budapest City Park Ice Rink, Városliget ice rink Region: Hungary Area: Városliget (District XIV) City: Budapest Address: Olof Palme sétány 5, 1146 Budapest Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.51390, 19.08010 Kind: Ice rink When: The rink opens in the second half of November when the weather and the ice allow, and closes at the end of February or the first days of March. The 2025/26 season was set to open on 24 November 2025 and ended on 1 March 2026. Hours: In 2025/26 the rink opened Monday to Thursday 09:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 21:00, Friday 09:00 to 13:00 and 17:00 to 21:00, Saturday 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 21:00, and Sunday 10:00 to 14:00 and 16:00 to 20:00. Venue: Városligeti Műjégpálya Entry: 3,500 Ft per adult (2025) Website: https://mujegpalya.hu/ Booking: https://jegy.mujegpalya.hu/ Summary: The City Park Ice Rink (Városligeti Műjégpálya) is Budapest's largest outdoor rink, laid on the lake in Városliget each winter from late November to about the end of February, and it suits families who want an hour of skating between markets. The 2026/27 opening date is not out yet, and the rink closes for a few hours in the middle of each weekday. The rink sits in City Park, a few minutes from the city centre, and in summer the same water serves as a boating lake. On weekdays in the 2025/26 season it opened from 09:00 to 13:00 and again from 17:00 to 21:00, with longer sessions at weekends and over the holidays. Children under 6 skate free, and under-12s need an adult with them who also buys a ticket. Skates, helmets and seal-shaped skating aids for small children are for hire at the rink. Tips: - Ticket prices go up on Friday afternoons, weekends, public holidays and the school winter break, which the rink counts as its peak period. - The ticket desk closes 60 minutes before the rink does. - In rain or snow the rink usually opens, but the weather can change the hours, so check the rink's site or Facebook page on the day. Q: When does the City Park Ice Rink in Budapest open? A: The City Park Ice Rink in Budapest opens in the second half of November when the weather allows. The 2025/26 season was set to open on 24 November 2025 and closed on 1 March 2026, and the 2026/27 date had not been announced on 10 October 2026. Q: How much does skating cost at Városliget ice rink? A: In the 2025/26 season an adult ticket at the City Park Ice Rink cost 3,500 HUF in the normal period and 4,500 HUF in the peak period. Skate hire cost 3,500 HUF, and children under 6 skated free. Q: When is City Park Ice Rink? A: City Park Ice Rink takes place the rink opens in the second half of November when the weather and the ice allow, and closes at the end of February or the first days of March. The 2025/26 season was set to open on 24 November 2025 and ended on 1 March 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://mujegpalya.hu/ https://mujegpalya.hu/jegyarak-es-nyitvatartas/ https://mujegpalya.hu/gyakran-ismetelt-kerdesek/ https://www.timeout.com/hu/budapest/hirek/megvan-mikor-nyit-a-varosligeti-mujegpalya-111925 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q3074483 ### Christmas Day High Mass at Matthias Church URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/budapest-matthias-church-christmas-mass Type: Event Local name: Karácsonyi ünnepélyes nagymise a Mátyás-templomban (hu) Also known as: Matthias Church Christmas Mass, Matyas-templom karacsonyi mise Region: Hungary Area: Buda Castle (District I) City: Budapest Address: Szentháromság tér 2, 1014 Budapest Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.50190, 19.03420 Kind: Church service When: Matthias Church holds a solemn high Mass with a full musical setting on Christmas morning, among several Masses through the day. Next dates: December 25, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the high Mass began at 10:00. Venue: Matthias Church Website: https://plebania.matyas-templom.hu/ Summary: The Christmas Day high Mass at Matthias Church on Buda's Castle Hill is a Catholic Mass and worship first, sung in 2025 to Beethoven's Mass in C major at 10:00. Visitors are welcome to attend as part of the congregation, and the 2026 time is not posted yet. On 25 December 2025 the parish calendar listed a quiet Mass at 07:00, a Mass for families with small children at 08:30 and the solemn high Mass at 10:00 with Beethoven's Mass in C major. An organ Mass followed at 12:00 and another at 18:00. In October 2026 the calendar had no feast-day services posted for this Christmas yet, so check it again in December. This is a parish Mass in Hungarian, and the church asks for modest dress. Tips: - Cover shoulders and knees. The church's visitor rules apply to everyone who comes in. - For a quieter Mass on the same day, the 08:30 family Mass and the 12:00 organ Mass ran in 2025 too. Q: What time is Christmas Mass at Matthias Church in Budapest? A: In 2025 Matthias Church held its Christmas Day high Mass at 10:00, with other Masses at 07:00, 08:30, 12:00 and 18:00. The parish calendar will carry the 2026 times once the church posts them. Q: When is Christmas Day High Mass at Matthias Church? A: Christmas Day High Mass at Matthias Church takes place matthias Church holds a solemn high Mass with a full musical setting on Christmas morning, among several Masses through the day. The next dates we have are December 25, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Day High Mass at Matthias Church? A: Christmas Day High Mass at Matthias Church is open in 2025 the high Mass began at 10:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://plebania.matyas-templom.hu/ https://plebania.matyas-templom.hu/Naptari_esemenyek-Nyitonaptar_nap_ajax.html?Napkozep=2025-12-25 https://plebania.matyas-templom.hu/Naptari_esemenyek-Nyitonaptar_nap_ajax.html?Napkozep=2026-12-25 https://matyas-templom.hu/en/visitor-rules/ ### The Nutcracker at the Hungarian State Opera URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/budapest-nutcracker-opera Type: Event Local name: A diótörő (hu) Also known as: Nutcracker Budapest, Diotoro Operahaz, Budapest Opera Nutcracker Region: Hungary Area: Terézváros (District VI) City: Budapest Address: Andrássy út 22, 1061 Budapest Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.50280, 19.05820 Kind: Concert When: The Hungarian National Ballet dances The Nutcracker at the Opera House from late November into the first weeks of January, with matinées and evening shows. Next dates: November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: Matinées run 11:00 to about 13:30. Evening shows start at 18:00 or 19:00. On 31 December 2026 the shows start at 13:00 and 21:00, and on 1 January 2027 at 14:00. Venue: Hungarian State Opera House Website: https://www.opera.hu/en/programme/2026-2027/the-nutcracker/ Summary: The Hungarian National Ballet dances Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker at the Hungarian State Opera House in Budapest from 20 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, including performances on 24 and 25 December and New Year's Eve. It makes a good family outing for children aged 6 and up, which is the Opera's own recommendation. Wayne Eagling and Tamás Solymosi made this version for Christmas 2015, after the previous production had run for more than half a century. It keeps the classical shape of the ballet and slips in Hungarian details: Hungarian paintings hang on the walls, and the castle behind the Ják Chapel shows up in the scenery for the Waltz of the Snowflakes. A performance runs about two and a half hours with the interval. Matinées start at 11:00 and most evening shows at 18:00 or 19:00. Tips: - Christmas Eve and Christmas Day both have an 11:00 matinée in 2026, and New Year's Eve has shows at 13:00 and 21:00. - The Opera's family discount does not apply to The Nutcracker, so budget full price for children. - Standing tickets go on sale one hour before a matinée if the performance has sold out. Q: When is The Nutcracker on at the Budapest Opera in 2026? A: The Nutcracker plays at the Hungarian State Opera House from 20 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Matinées start at 11:00, and most evening performances start at 18:00 or 19:00. Q: Is The Nutcracker in Budapest suitable for children? A: Yes, for children aged 6 and over. The Hungarian State Opera does not recommend the performance for children under 6, and every child needs a ticket. Q: Is The Nutcracker on at the Budapest Opera on Christmas Day? A: Yes. The Hungarian State Opera has an 11:00 matinée of The Nutcracker on 25 December 2026, and another at 11:00 on 24 December. Q: What are the opening hours of The Nutcracker at the Hungarian State Opera? A: The Nutcracker at the Hungarian State Opera is open matinées run 11:00 to about 13:30. Evening shows start at 18:00 or 19:00. On 31 December 2026 the shows start at 13:00 and 21:00, and on 1 January 2027 at 14:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.opera.hu/en/programme/2026-2027/the-nutcracker/ https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/prices-concessions/ https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/informations/ ### Angel Procession in Cesky Krumlov URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cesky-krumlov-angel-procession Type: Event Local name: Andělský průvod (cs) Also known as: Krumlov angel procession, Andelsky pruvod Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.81000, 14.31610 Kind: Procession When: The angels walk through the old town on the Friday before the third Sunday of Advent. Next dates: December 11, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The procession gathers at Klášterní dvůr and sets off at 16:45. Venue: From Klášterní dvůr to St Vitus Church Website: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent Summary: The angel procession suits families and anyone who likes a slow evening walk through the old town. It sets off on Friday 11 December 2026 at 16:45. The procession gathers in the Klášterní dvůr (monastery courtyard) and walks by way of Tramín, Latrán and Radniční to náměstí Svornosti. It ends on the steps in front of St Vitus Church. Music plays on the square the same afternoon, from 16:00 and again from 18:00. Tips: - The route runs through Latrán, so you can watch there or wait for the angels on the square. Q: When is Angel Procession in Cesky Krumlov? A: Angel Procession in Cesky Krumlov takes place the angels walk through the old town on the Friday before the third Sunday of Advent. The next dates we have are December 11, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Angel Procession in Cesky Krumlov? A: Angel Procession in Cesky Krumlov is open the procession gathers at Klášterní dvůr and sets off at 16:45. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-2025-v-ceskem-krumlove/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-v-ceskem-krumlove-prinasi-tradicni-program-i-zarive-novinky/ ### Krampuslauf at Port 1560 URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cesky-krumlov-krampuslauf Type: Event Local name: Krampuslauf v Portu 1560 (cs) Also known as: Krampus run Cesky Krumlov, Krampuslauf Krumlov Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Address: Port 1560, 381 01 Český Krumlov Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.81210, 14.31970 Kind: Folk custom When: December Next dates: December 4, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 18:00 to 22:00 in the Port 1560 courtyard. Venue: Port 1560 courtyard Website: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent Summary: The Krampuslauf suits older children and adults who like a loud, masked night out. It is a procession of demonic creatures in the Port 1560 courtyard on Friday 4 December 2026, from 18:00 to 22:00. Krumlov's Krampuslauf fills the Port 1560 courtyard the evening before Mikuláš. The town's programme lists it under the St Nicholas celebrations and describes a procession of devilish figures. Runners in heavy masks and bells can be rough with the crowd, so keep to the edges if you would rather watch than take part, and leave very young children at home. Tips: - Stand back from the route and keep children at a distance. Runners may swat with switches, and nobody in the crowd has to accept being touched. - Mikuláš comes to náměstí Svornosti the next day at 17:00 if you want a gentler version for children. Q: When is Krampuslauf at Port 1560? A: Krampuslauf at Port 1560 takes place december. The next dates we have are December 4, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Krampuslauf at Port 1560? A: Krampuslauf at Port 1560 is open 18:00 to 22:00 in the Port 1560 courtyard. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent ### Living Nativity at Cesky Krumlov Castle URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cesky-krumlov-living-nativity Type: Event Local name: Živý betlém (cs) Also known as: Zivy betlem Cesky Krumlov, Krumlov living nativity Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Status: seasonal Kind: Folk custom When: A living nativity is staged in the castle's second courtyard on 23 December. Next dates: December 23, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Two performances, at 16:15 and 18:30. Venue: Second castle courtyard (II. zámecké nádvoří) Website: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent Summary: The living nativity suits families and anyone in Krumlov the day before Christmas Eve. It plays twice in the second castle courtyard on 23 December 2026, at 16:15 and 18:30. The nativity is staged in the second courtyard of the castle. Earlier the same afternoon the Pardubičtí pozounéři brass players perform on náměstí Svornosti at 14:00, 15:00 and 16:00, so you can hear them and then walk up to the castle for the first showing. The next morning at 10:00 the same courtyard hosts Medvědí Vánoce, when visitors bring fruit and treats for the castle bears. Q: When is Living Nativity at Cesky Krumlov Castle? A: Living Nativity at Cesky Krumlov Castle takes place a living nativity is staged in the castle's second courtyard on 23 December. The next dates we have are December 23, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Living Nativity at Cesky Krumlov Castle? A: Living Nativity at Cesky Krumlov Castle is open two performances, at 16:15 and 18:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-v-ceskem-krumlove-prinasi-tradicni-program-i-zarive-novinky/ ### St Nicholas Visit in Cesky Krumlov URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cesky-krumlov-mikulas Type: Event Local name: Mikulášská nadílka (cs) Also known as: Mikulas Cesky Krumlov, St Nicholas Eve Krumlov Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Address: náměstí Svornosti, 381 01 Český Krumlov Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.81070, 14.31540 Kind: Folk custom When: Mikuláš comes on the evening of 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas's day. Next dates: December 5, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 17:00 on náměstí Svornosti. Venue: náměstí Svornosti Website: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent Summary: The Mikulášská nadílka suits families with children, who meet Mikuláš and get small gifts on the square. It takes place on Saturday 5 December 2026 at 17:00. Czech St Nicholas Eve falls on 5 December. Mikuláš walks with an angel and a devil, and children are expected to say a verse or sing before they get their treat. In Český Krumlov the visit happens on náměstí Svornosti at 17:00, in the middle of the second Advent weekend. Tips: - The devil is part of the fun for most children, but a small child may find him frightening, so keep yours close the first time. Q: When is St Nicholas Visit in Cesky Krumlov? A: St Nicholas Visit in Cesky Krumlov takes place mikuláš comes on the evening of 5 December, the eve of St Nicholas's day. The next dates we have are December 5, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of St Nicholas Visit in Cesky Krumlov? A: St Nicholas Visit in Cesky Krumlov is open 17:00 on náměstí Svornosti. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-2025-v-ceskem-krumlove/ ### Three Kings Procession in Cesky Krumlov URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cesky-krumlov-three-kings Type: Event Local name: Tři králové (cs) Also known as: Epiphany Cesky Krumlov, Trikralova sbirka Krumlov Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Address: náměstí Svornosti, 381 01 Český Krumlov Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.81070, 14.31540 Kind: Procession When: The Three Kings arrive on náměstí Svornosti on 6 January and close the Christmas season. Next dates: January 6, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: The Tříkrálová sbírka procession sets off through town at 16:00, and the Three Kings reach the square at 16:30. Venue: náměstí Svornosti Website: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent Summary: The Three Kings procession suits anyone still in Krumlov at Epiphany, when the town closes its Christmas season. It takes place on Wednesday 6 January 2027, with the kings on the square at 16:30. The Tříkrálová sbírka is the Czech Catholic Charity's annual Epiphany collection, and in Krumlov its procession walks through town at 16:00. The Three Kings then arrive on náměstí Svornosti at 16:30 to close the Christmas market season. In the 2024 season the town kept the tree and part of the lights up until Hromnice on 2 February 2025. Q: When is Three Kings Procession in Cesky Krumlov? A: Three Kings Procession in Cesky Krumlov takes place the Three Kings arrive on náměstí Svornosti on 6 January and close the Christmas season. The next dates we have are January 6, 2027, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Three Kings Procession in Cesky Krumlov? A: Three Kings Procession in Cesky Krumlov is open the Tříkrálová sbírka procession sets off through town at 16:00, and the Three Kings reach the square at 16:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-v-ceskem-krumlove-prinasi-tradicni-program-i-zarive-novinky/ ### Cesky Krumlov Advent Opening and Tree Lighting URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cesky-krumlov-tree-lighting Type: Event Local name: Rozsvícení vánočního stromu a zahájení adventu (cs) Also known as: Cesky Krumlov tree lighting, Krumlov Advent opening Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Address: náměstí Svornosti, 381 01 Český Krumlov Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.81070, 14.31540 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The town opens Advent and lights the tree on the first Sunday of Advent. Next dates: November 29, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 16:30 on náměstí Svornosti. Venue: náměstí Svornosti Website: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent Summary: Krumlov's Advent opening suits anyone in town on the first Sunday of Advent. It is a short evening ceremony on the market square, at 16:30 on 29 November 2026. The town lights its tree and opens Advent on the first Sunday of the season. In 2024 the lighting came with a blessing. The market itself has been open for a week by then, and the Friday and Saturday before bring music on the square in the afternoon and early evening. Q: When is Cesky Krumlov Advent Opening and Tree Lighting? A: Cesky Krumlov Advent Opening and Tree Lighting takes place the town opens Advent and lights the tree on the first Sunday of Advent. The next dates we have are November 29, 2026, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-2025-v-ceskem-krumlove/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-v-ceskem-krumlove-prinasi-tradicni-program-i-zarive-novinky/ ### Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cologne-cathedral-christmas-day-mass Type: Event Local name: Pontifikalamt zum Weihnachtsfest im Kölner Dom (de) Also known as: Cologne Cathedral Christmas Day Mass Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt-Nord City: Cologne Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.94140, 6.95830 Kind: Church service When: A Pontifical Mass at 10:00 on Christmas Day, celebrated by the Archbishop of Cologne. Next dates: December 25, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 10:00 on Friday 25 December 2026. Venue: Kölner Dom Summary: Cardinal Woelki celebrates the Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral at 10:00 on 25 December 2026 (confirmed). It is worship first and free to attend. The Pontifical Mass is the cathedral's main Christmas Day service, with the Archbishop of Cologne presiding. Sightseeing stops during services, so come for the Mass itself. Q: What time is Christmas Day Mass at Cologne Cathedral? A: The Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral begins at 10:00 on Friday 25 December 2026, celebrated by Cardinal Woelki. Q: When is Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral? A: Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral takes place a Pontifical Mass at 10:00 on Christmas Day, celebrated by the Archbishop of Cologne. The next dates we have are December 25, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral? A: Christmas Day Pontifical Mass at Cologne Cathedral is open 10:00 on Friday 25 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.koelner-dom.de/glauben/gottesdienste-und-beichte https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/wichtige-hinweise ### Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cologne-cathedral-christmas-midnight-mass Type: Event Local name: Christmette im Kölner Dom (de) Also known as: Cologne Cathedral Christmas Eve Mass, Christmette Kölner Dom Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt-Nord City: Cologne Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.94140, 6.95830 Kind: Church service When: The Christmette begins at midnight on the night of 24 to 25 December. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 24:00 on Thursday 24 December 2026. Venue: Kölner Dom Summary: Cologne Cathedral celebrates its Christmette at midnight as 24 December 2026 turns into Christmas Day (confirmed). It is a Mass and worship first, open free to anyone who comes to take part. The cathedral lists the Christmette at 24:00 on 24 December 2026, and the Pontifical Mass with Cardinal Woelki follows at 10:00 on Christmas Day. The cathedral has not said whether the midnight Mass needs an admission card, so check its service calendar in December. Large bags and rolling cases stay outside. Tips: - Expect a full cathedral and come in good time; the Christmas market on Roncalliplatz has closed by then. Q: Is there a Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral on Christmas Eve 2026? A: Yes. Cologne Cathedral holds its Christmette at midnight on the night of 24 to 25 December 2026. Services at the cathedral are free to attend. Q: When is Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral takes place the Christmette begins at midnight on the night of 24 to 25 December. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral is open 24:00 on Thursday 24 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.koelner-dom.de/glauben/gottesdienste-und-beichte https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/wichtige-hinweise https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/fotografieren-und-filmen https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/neue-besichtigungsgebuehr-ab-dem-1-juli-2026 ### Heumarkt Ice Rink (Cologne) URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/cologne-heumarkt-ice-rink Type: Event Local name: Eisbahn auf dem Heumarkt (de) Also known as: Heinzels ice rink, Cologne ice skating Heumarkt Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt City: Cologne Address: Heumarkt, 50667 Köln Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.93620, 6.96070 Kind: Ice rink When: November to January Next dates: November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: These are the market's hours; the organizer sells rink sessions through its ticket site and does not list separate rink times. Venue: Heumarkt Summary: The ice rink at Heinzels Wintermärchen loops around the equestrian statue on Cologne's Heumarkt from 23 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 (confirmed), and suits families who want to skate in the old town. Tickets sell through the market's own site. The rink circles the statue in the middle of the Heumarkt, with straights of more than 100 metres, and the market's stalls ring it on every side. Curling lanes sit beside it, and they book out early. Tips: - Reserve curling lanes before you travel. Q: When is the Heumarkt ice rink in Cologne open? A: The Heumarkt ice rink runs with Heinzels Wintermärchen from 23 November 2026 to 10 January 2027, and is closed on 24 and 25 December. Q: When is Heumarkt Ice Rink (Cologne)? A: Heumarkt Ice Rink (Cologne) takes place november to January. The next dates we have are November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.heinzels-wintermaerchen.de ### Tivoli Christmas Fireworks URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/copenhagen-tivoli-christmas-fireworks Type: Event Local name: Julefyrværkeri i Tivoli (da) Also known as: Tivoli Christmas fireworks, Tivoli julefyrværkeri Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Vesterbrogade 3, 1620 København V Status: seasonal Coordinates: 55.67360, 12.56830 Kind: Light festival When: Christmas Day and 26 December, mid-evening. Next dates: December 25, 2026 to December 26, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 20:45 to 21:00 on 25 and 26 December 2026. Venue: Tivoli Gardens Entry: DKK 180 per person (2026) Summary: Tivoli fires its Christmas fireworks at 20:45 on 25 and 26 December 2026, and they suit anyone spending Christmas Day or Boxing Day evening in Copenhagen. The show is short, about 15 minutes in Tivoli's listing, so be in the garden before it starts. Tivoli calls the show a Christmas greeting to the whole city. It goes up on Christmas Day and again on 26 December, the two evenings after the garden's Christmas Eve closure. Inside the garden the show is part of normal entry, and on both evenings Tivoli stays open until 23:00. Tips: - Tivoli is closed on 24 December, so Christmas Day evening is the first chance after the closure to see the garden lit. Q: When are the Tivoli Christmas fireworks in 2026? A: Tivoli's Christmas fireworks go up at 20:45 on Friday 25 December and Saturday 26 December 2026, according to Tivoli's programme. Each show is listed from 20:45 to 21:00. Q: When is Tivoli Christmas Fireworks? A: Tivoli Christmas Fireworks takes place christmas Day and 26 December, mid-evening. The next dates we have are December 25, 2026 to December 26, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Tivoli Christmas Fireworks? A: Tivoli Christmas Fireworks is open 20:45 to 21:00 on 25 and 26 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tivoli.dk/program/events/julefyrvaerkeri https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons ### Tivoli-Garden Christmas Parade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/copenhagen-tivoli-christmas-parade Type: Event Local name: Tivoli-Gardens juleparade (da) Also known as: Tivoli Christmas parade, Tivoli Guard parade Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Vesterbrogade 3, 1620 København V Status: seasonal Coordinates: 55.67360, 12.56830 Kind: Procession When: Saturday afternoons from late November until the Saturday before Christmas. Next dates: November 21, 2026 to December 19, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 13:30 to 14:00 on Saturdays 21 and 28 November and 5, 12 and 19 December 2026. Venue: Tivoli Gardens Entry: DKK 180 per person (2026) Summary: Tivoli-Garden marches through the Tivoli Gardens at 13:30 every Saturday from 21 November to 19 December 2026, and it suits families who want a half hour of brass and drums in daylight before the rides. The parade is free once you're inside, so the only cost is Tivoli's entry. Tivoli founded its guard in 1844, and the band today has 90 members aged 9 to 16 who train at the Tivoli-Garden music school. On parade days they wear red uniform jackets with bearskin hats and play Danish and English marches mixed with Christmas tunes. The route starts and finishes at the Tivoli castle, so stand near there if you want to see them form up. Tips: - The parade lasts about half an hour, from 13:30 to 14:00 in Tivoli's listing. Q: When is the Tivoli Christmas parade in 2026? A: The Tivoli-Garden Christmas parade runs at 13:30 on the five Saturdays from 21 November to 19 December 2026, according to Tivoli. It starts and ends at the Tivoli castle. Q: What are the opening hours of Tivoli-Garden Christmas Parade? A: Tivoli-Garden Christmas Parade is open 13:30 to 14:00 on Saturdays 21 and 28 November and 5, 12 and 19 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tivoli.dk/program/events/tivoli-gardens-juleparade https://www.tivoli.dk/om-tivoli/tivolis-historie ### Lucia Procession in Tivoli URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/copenhagen-tivoli-lucia-procession Type: Event Local name: Luciaoptog i Tivoli (da) Also known as: Tivoli Lucia, St Lucia procession Copenhagen, Santa Lucia Tivoli Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Vesterbrogade 3, 1620 København V Status: seasonal Coordinates: 55.67360, 12.56830 Kind: Procession When: 13 December, after dark. Next dates: December 13, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the procession ran from 17:30 to 18:15. The 2026 time is not published. Venue: Tivoli Gardens Entry: DKK 180 per person (2026) Summary: Tivoli held a Lucia procession of about 100 singers through the garden at 17:30 on 13 December 2025, and it suits anyone in Copenhagen on Lucia Day who wants to hear the Lucia song after dark. Tivoli hadn't published the 2026 programme on 10 October, so the 2026 date below is projected from the feast day. Lucia Day falls on 13 December, and in 2025 Tivoli's procession set off once darkness had settled over the garden. The choir drew about 100 singers from several choirs, and it stopped at points along the way to sing the Lucia song with other Christmas melodies. Tivoli ties the procession to its long habit of using light in the garden. In 2026 Lucia Day is a Sunday. Tips: - Tivoli's 2025 listing marked a limited area with wheelchair access, so arrive early if you need a place there. Q: Is there a Lucia procession in Tivoli in 2026? A: Tivoli had not published its 2026 Lucia programme on 10 October 2026. In 2025 the Lucia procession walked through Tivoli at 17:30 on 13 December, and Lucia Day falls on Sunday 13 December in 2026. Q: When is Lucia Procession in Tivoli? A: Lucia Procession in Tivoli takes place 13 December, after dark. The next dates we have are December 13, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Lucia Procession in Tivoli? A: Lucia Procession in Tivoli is open in 2025 the procession ran from 17:30 to 18:15. The 2026 time is not published. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tivoli.dk/program/events/luciaoptog-i-tivoli ### Tivoli Christmas Tree Lighting URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/copenhagen-tivoli-tree-lighting Type: Event Local name: Juletræstænding i Tivoli (da) Also known as: Tivoli tree lighting, Tivoli juletræ tænding Region: Denmark Area: Vesterbro City: Copenhagen Address: Vesterbrogade 3, 1620 København V Status: seasonal Coordinates: 55.67360, 12.56830 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The opening day of Christmas in Tivoli, late afternoon. Next dates: November 13, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the lighting ran from 16:30 to 17:00. The 2026 time is not published. Venue: Tivoli Gardens Entry: DKK 180 per person (2026) Summary: Tivoli lights its big Christmas tree on the opening day of its Christmas season, which fell on Friday 14 November in 2025 at 16:30, and it suits families who want the season's first evening with sing-along songs and Santa. The 2026 lighting is projected for Friday 13 November, the day Christmas in Tivoli opens, since Tivoli hadn't published it on 10 October. In 2025 the tree stood on the skating rink, and Santa came to help switch it on. Pjerrot and Rasmus Klump led the singing with music from the Tivoli-Garden band. The ceremony lasted about half an hour, from 16:30 to 17:00. Tips: - Get to the rink before 16:30 if you want children near the front. Q: When is the Tivoli Christmas tree lit in 2026? A: Tivoli had not announced the 2026 tree lighting on 10 October 2026. In 2025 Tivoli lit the tree at 16:30 on 14 November, its opening day, and Christmas in Tivoli opens on Friday 13 November in 2026. Q: What are the opening hours of Tivoli Christmas Tree Lighting? A: Tivoli Christmas Tree Lighting is open in 2025 the lighting ran from 16:30 to 17:00. The 2026 time is not published. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tivoli.dk/program/events/juletraestaending https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons ### Dresden Stollen Festival URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/dresden-stollenfest Type: Event Local name: Dresdner Stollenfest (de) Also known as: Stollenfest Dresden, Dresden Stollenfest, Dresden giant stollen parade Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Dresden Address: Festival stage in front of the Kulturpalast, Altmarkt, 01067 Dresden Status: seasonal Coordinates: 51.04970, 13.73810 Kind: Procession When: The Stollenfest falls on the Saturday before Advent 2. A parade of bakers, marching bands and costume groups carries a giant stollen through the old town to the stage in front of the Kulturpalast, where it is cut and sold. Next dates: December 5, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The parade reaches the festival stage at the Kulturpalast at 12:00. The full 2026 timetable is not out yet. Venue: Old town parade route ending at the stage by the Kulturpalast Website: https://www.dresdnerstollen.com/stollenfest-schutzverband-dresdner-stollen-e-v/ Summary: The Stollenfest suits anyone who wants to see Dresden's bakers parade a giant stollen through the old town, and about 65,000 people came in 2025, so expect full streets. It falls on Saturday 5 December 2026. The bakers of the Schutzverband Dresdner Stollen have held the festival since 1994, and their association looks after the protected name Dresdner Christstollen. Hundreds of bakers march with fanfare bands and costume groups, and the year's Stollenmädchen joins them as the festival's patron. A wagon carries the giant stollen, which weighed more than two tonnes in 2025. At the stage in front of the Kulturpalast it is cut and sold, and part of the takings goes to a local charity each year. The festival borrows its idea from 1730, when Augustus the Strong had the baker Johann Andreas Zacharias and 60 helpers bake a stollen of about 1,800 kilograms for the Zeithain pleasure camp. A cultural researcher came across an engraving of that feast in the early 1990s. In 1994 Dresden's bakers made a stollen of the same weight for the first festival. Tips: - Stand along the route in the old town well before noon; the parade reaches the stage at the Kulturpalast at 12:00. - Buy a slice of the giant stollen at the stage; part of the money goes to the year's charity project. Q: When is the Dresden Stollenfest in 2026? A: The Dresdner Stollenfest is on Saturday 5 December 2026, the organizer confirms. It always falls on the Saturday before Advent 2. Q: What happens at the Dresden Stollenfest? A: A parade of bakers and bands carries a giant Dresdner Christstollen through the old town to the stage in front of the Kulturpalast, where it is cut and sold. In 2025 the stollen weighed more than two tonnes. Q: What are the opening hours of Dresden Stollen Festival? A: Dresden Stollen Festival is open the parade reaches the festival stage at the Kulturpalast at 12:00. The full 2026 timetable is not out yet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dresdnerstollen.com/stollenfest-schutzverband-dresdner-stollen-e-v/ https://www.dresdnerstollen.com/ https://www.evangelisch.de/inhalte/250241/06-12-2025/65000-menschen-bei-dresdner-stollenfest https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit/striezelmarkt.php ### Ko on Ice (Dusseldorf) URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/dusseldorf-ko-on-ice Type: Event Local name: Kö on Ice (de) Also known as: Kö on Ice, Düsseldorf ice rink, Corneliusplatz ice rink Region: The Rhineland Area: Königsallee City: Dusseldorf Address: Corneliusplatz, 40212 Düsseldorf Status: seasonal Coordinates: 51.22600, 6.77890 Kind: Ice rink When: November to January Next dates: November 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: The rink, the curling lanes and the food stands share these hours. Venue: Corneliusplatz Entry: €9 per adult (2026) Summary: Kö on Ice runs a skating rink and six curling lanes on Düsseldorf's Corneliusplatz from 6 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 (confirmed), and suits families pairing skating with the Christmas markets. Adult entry costs €9. The rink sits at the top of the Königsallee beside the Kö-Bogen market. The operator shrank the area of real ice to save energy and moved the curling lanes onto a synthetic surface by Theodor-Körner-Straße. Children under 11 skate for €6, and skates hire for €6. Tips: - Book a curling lane online. A lane holds up to eight players and costs from €110 an hour, Monday to Wednesday before 16:00. Q: How much is ice skating at Kö on Ice in Düsseldorf? A: Entry to Kö on Ice costs €9 for adults and €6 for children under 11 in the 2026–27 season, and skate hire costs €6. The rink is closed on 22 November and 24 December 2026. Q: When is Ko on Ice (Dusseldorf)? A: Ko on Ice (Dusseldorf) takes place november to January. The next dates we have are November 6, 2026 to January 10, 2027, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Ko on Ice (Dusseldorf)? A: Ko on Ice (Dusseldorf) keeps these hours: Mon–Thu 11:00–21:00; Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00; Sun 11:00–21:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://xn--k-on-ice-n4a.online/ https://www.visitduesseldorf.de/attraktionen/eisbahn-koe-on-ice-2900b3b21a ### Christmas Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/einsiedeln-christmas-midnight-mass Type: Event Local name: Mitternachtsmesse im Kloster Einsiedeln (de) Region: Switzerland Area: Klosterplatz City: Einsiedeln Address: Kloster Einsiedeln, 8840 Einsiedeln Coordinates: 47.12670, 8.75140 Kind: Church service When: The abbey's Christmas Eve begins with Vespers and the Salve Regina at 16:30 and ends with the Midnight Mass at 23:00. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: On 24 December 2026 the Orchesterverein Einsiedeln gives a Christmas concert from 22:00, and the Midnight Mass begins at 23:00 with music by Karl Kempter. The Vigil, Vespers and Mass are streamed live. Venue: Einsiedeln Abbey church Website: https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/agenda-kultur/veranstaltungen/weihnachten Summary: Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey suits travellers who want to keep Christmas Eve in a monastery church with an orchestra, and its trade-off is a late night in a mountain village after the market has closed. It is a Mass and worship first. In 2026 it begins at 23:00 on 24 December, after a Christmas concert by the Orchesterverein Einsiedeln from 22:00. This is a Catholic Mass celebrated by the Benedictine community, and visitors join as a congregation. The orchestra plays the concert before it and helps with the Mass itself, which uses Karl Kempter's pastoral music. Christmas Day follows with a Pontifical High Mass at 10:30 and Pontifical Vespers with the Salve Regina at 16:30. Q: Do you need a ticket for Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln? A: The abbey publishes no ticket requirement for its Christmas services, which are open to the public. The Mass begins at 23:00 on 24 December 2026. Q: When is Christmas Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey? A: Christmas Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey takes place the abbey's Christmas Eve begins with Vespers and the Salve Regina at 16:30 and ends with the Midnight Mass at 23:00. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey? A: Christmas Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey is open on 24 December 2026 the Orchesterverein Einsiedeln gives a Christmas concert from 22:00, and the Midnight Mass begins at 23:00 with music by Karl Kempter. The Vigil, Vespers and Mass are streamed live. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/agenda-kultur/veranstaltungen/weihnachten https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/fileadmin/seiteninhalt/dateien/kultur/stiftsorchester_ausschreibung_2026.pdf ### Christmas Eve at Frankfurt Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/frankfurt-cathedral-christmas-eve Type: Event Local name: Heiligabend im Frankfurter Dom (de) Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Domplatz 1, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.11060, 8.68500 Kind: Church service When: 24 December: family nativity service mid-afternoon, Mass at 18:00 after the city bells. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: 2025 times: 15:00 Krippenfeier, 18:00 Christmette. Venue: Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus Summary: Frankfurt Cathedral holds a children's nativity service at 15:00 and the Christmas Eve Mass at 18:00, straight after the city's bells, going by the 2025 times; the 2026 times are not yet published. Both are worship first and open to anyone who comes to take part. In 2025 the cathedral's boys' choir, the Bartholomäuse of the Frankfurter Domsingschule, sang at the 15:00 Krippenfeier for families. The Christmette at 18:00 follows the Stadtgeläut, when the cathedral's nine bells ring with those of nine other churches from 17:00 to 17:30. On 26 December 2025 the 10:00 Mass went out live on the hr4 radio station. Tips: - Arrive well before the bells start if you want a seat for the 18:00 Mass. - Step-free entry is through the ground-level main door, which is heavy, and an accessible toilet sits to the right under the organ. Q: What time is Christmas Eve Mass at Frankfurt Cathedral? A: In 2025 Frankfurt Cathedral held its Christmas Eve Mass at 18:00, after the city's bell ringing, with a family nativity service at 15:00. The cathedral parish has not yet published the 2026 times. Q: When is Christmas Eve at Frankfurt Cathedral? A: Christmas Eve at Frankfurt Cathedral takes place 24 December: family nativity service mid-afternoon, Mass at 18:00 after the city bells. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Eve at Frankfurt Cathedral? A: Christmas Eve at Frankfurt Cathedral is open 2025 times: 15:00 Krippenfeier, 18:00 Christmette. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.journal-frankfurt.de/journal_news/Stadtleben-2/Frankfurter-Kirchen-Gottesdienste-an-Heiligabend-und-den-Weihnachtsfeiertagen-44957.html https://www.dom-frankfurt.de/dom/kaiserdom-frankfurt https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt ### Frankfurt City Bell Ringing URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/frankfurt-stadtgelaut Type: Event Local name: Frankfurter Stadtgeläut (de) Also known as: Stadtgeläut, Frankfurt Stadtgelaut Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Römerberg, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.11030, 8.68220 Kind: Folk custom When: The Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent and Christmas Eve. Next dates: November 28, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: 16:30–17:00 on 28 November, 17:00–17:30 on 24 December. Venue: Ten city-centre churches, best heard from the Römerberg Summary: The Frankfurter Stadtgeläut rings the bells of ten city-centre churches together on Saturday 28 November 2026 from 16:30 to 17:00 and on Christmas Eve from 17:00 to 17:30. Stand on the Römerberg near the cathedral to hear it best, and come on the 24th if you want the one Christmas Eve moment Frankfurt's old town still offers after the market has gone. Fifty bells ring at once from the cathedral and nine other churches. The cathedral alone has nine, and the Paulskirche and St Leonhard six each, with the rest spread across the Katharinenkirche, Peterskirche, Dreikönigskirche, Liebfrauenkirche, Alte Nikolaikirche and the Dominican and Carmelite monasteries. The sound carries across the old town and the Main for half an hour. Tips: - On 24 December the market has already closed, so dress for standing still in the cold. - In 2025 the Christmas Eve Mass in Frankfurt Cathedral followed the bells at 18:00. Q: When is the Frankfurt Stadtgeläut in 2026? A: The Frankfurter Stadtgeläut rings on 28 November 2026 from 16:30 to 17:00 and on 24 December 2026 from 17:00 to 17:30, as published by Frankfurt's tourism office. Q: What are the opening hours of Frankfurt City Bell Ringing? A: Frankfurt City Bell Ringing is open 16:30–17:00 on 28 November, 17:00–17:30 on 24 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/fileadmin/Mediendatenbank/Dokumente/PM/Presse-Info_Frankfurter_Weihnachtsmarkt_2023.pdf ### Frankfurt Tower Brass URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/frankfurt-turmblaser Type: Event Local name: Turmbläser der Alten Nikolaikirche (de) Also known as: Turmbläser Frankfurt, Frankfurt Turmblaser Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Römerberg, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.11000, 8.68240 Kind: Concert When: 18:00 on Wednesday and Saturday evenings of the market, plus the opening evening. Next dates: November 23, 2026 to December 19, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Each performance starts at 18:00. Venue: Balcony (Altan) of the Alte Nikolaikirche Summary: Brass players sound Advent music from the balcony of the Alte Nikolaikirche over Frankfurt's Römerberg at 18:00 on nine evenings between 23 November and 19 December 2026. It's free, it lasts a short while, and you hear it best from the middle of the square. The organizer says the brass play every Wednesday and Saturday evening, and its 2026 list also adds the opening Monday and a few other days. The full list for 2026 is 23, 25 and 28 November and 2, 5, 9, 12, 16 and 19 December. Check the market page on the day, because the two descriptions don't quite match. Q: When do the tower brass play at the Frankfurt Christmas market? A: The tower brass play from the Alte Nikolaikirche at 18:00 on 23, 25 and 28 November and 2, 5, 9, 12, 16 and 19 December 2026, according to Frankfurt's tourism office. Q: When is Frankfurt Tower Brass? A: Frankfurt Tower Brass takes place 18:00 on Wednesday and Saturday evenings of the market, plus the opening evening. The next dates we have are November 23, 2026 to December 19, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Frankfurt Tower Brass? A: Frankfurt Tower Brass is open each performance starts at 18:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt ### Frankfurt Christmas Market opening URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/frankfurt-weihnachtsmarkt-opening Type: Event Local name: Eröffnung des Frankfurter Weihnachtsmarkts (de) Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Römerberg, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.11030, 8.68220 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The Monday after Totensonntag, late in the afternoon. Next dates: November 23, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Carillon 17:05, opening speech 17:10 with the Oper Frankfurt concert, tower brass 18:00. Venue: Römerberg stage Summary: The Frankfurt Christmas Market opens on Monday 23 November 2026 on the Römerberg stage, with the Alte Nikolaikirche carillon at 17:05, a speech by Mayor Mike Josef at 17:10 framed by a Christmas concert from Oper Frankfurt, and tower brass at 18:00. Come early if you want to see the stage, because the square fills well before five. Frankfurt's Lord Mayor Mike Josef and Thomas Feda, who runs the city's tourism company, open the market from the stage in front of the Römer. Singers from Oper Frankfurt give the Christmas concert around the speeches, and the evening ends with the brass players on the balcony of the Alte Nikolaikirche at 18:00. Tips: - A small wheelchair area in front of the stage is reached from Limpurger Gasse on the stage's left side; places are limited. Q: When does the Frankfurt Christmas Market open in 2026? A: The Frankfurt Christmas Market opens on Monday 23 November 2026. The stalls open at 10:00, and the ceremony on the Römerberg stage starts with the carillon at 17:05. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt ### Freiberg Torchlight Miners' Parade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/freiberg-bergparade Type: Event Local name: Bergparade im Fackelschein (de) Also known as: Freiberg Bergparade, Freiberger Bergparade, Freiberg miners' parade Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Freiberg Address: Obermarkt and the old town, 09599 Freiberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.91710, 13.34240 Kind: Procession When: The torchlight parade marches through the old town on the Saturday before Advent 2, and a miners' sermon follows on the Christmarkt. Next dates: December 5, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The parade starts at 17:00 on 5 December 2026. The city publishes traffic and viewing advice in the days before. Venue: Old town of Freiberg Entry opens: 17:00 Website: https://www.freiberger-christmarkt.de/ Summary: Freiberg's torchlight parade suits anyone who wants to see the Erzgebirge's mining custom in the dark, in the old silver town it comes from, and the city calls it the high point of its Christmarkt. It starts at 17:00 on Saturday 5 December 2026. Freiberg's historic guild of miners and smelters, the Historische Freiberger Berg- und Hüttenknappschaft, marches through the lit old town by torchlight while the Bergmusikkorps Saxonia plays. The parade ends on the Christmarkt with a Bergpredigt, a sermon for the miners. Freiberg holds it every year on the Saturday before Advent 2, so it falls on the same day as the Dresden Stollenfest. Freiberg Cathedral performs Bach's Christmas Oratorio the same day, at 16:00 and 19:30, so you can hear one performance and still see the parade. Tips: - Pick your spot along the route before 17:00; the city posts viewing tips for the route ahead of the day. - Book the 16:00 or 19:30 Christmas Oratorio in the cathedral around the parade. Q: When is the Freiberg Bergparade in 2026? A: Freiberg's Bergparade im Fackelschein starts at 17:00 on Saturday 5 December 2026. It is held every year on the Saturday before Advent 2. Q: What are the opening hours of Freiberg Torchlight Miners' Parade? A: Freiberg Torchlight Miners' Parade is open the parade starts at 17:00 on 5 December 2026. The city publishes traffic and viewing advice in the days before. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.freiberger-christmarkt.de/ https://www.freiberger-christmarkt.de/aktuelles/tipps-zur-bergparade-im-fackelschein-am-6-dezember.html https://www.freiberger-dom.de/fileadmin/files/konzerte/freiberger-dom-konzertprogramm-2026-web.pdf ### Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/freiberg-christmas-oratorio Type: Event Local name: Weihnachtsoratorium im Freiberger Dom (de) Also known as: Freiberg Christmas Oratorio, Bach Weihnachtsoratorium Freiberg, Freiberger Dom Weihnachtsoratorium Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Freiberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.92030, 13.34330 Kind: Concert When: December Next dates: December 5, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Two performances on 5 December 2026, at 16:00 and 19:30. Venue: Freiberg Cathedral (Dom St. Marien) Entry: €13 per person (2026) Price from: €13 per person (2026) Website: https://www.freiberger-dom.de/konzerte.html Summary: The Freiberg Christmas Oratorio suits anyone who wants Bach in a late-Gothic cathedral with two Silbermann organs, and it shares its day with the town's torchlight parade, so book early. Parts I to III play at 16:00 and 19:30 on Saturday 5 December 2026. Freiberg Cathedral's choirs sing parts I to III of Bach's Christmas Oratorio BWV 248 twice on 5 December 2026. The cathedral's choirs perform with soloists Isabel Schicketanz, Ulrike Malotta, Fabian Kelly and Klaus Mertens. Tickets run in five price tiers from 13 to 27 euros. The 16:00 performance lets you walk out to the Obermarkt in time for the 17:00 torchlight miners' parade, and the 19:30 one follows it. Tips: - Choose the 16:00 performance if you also want the 17:00 torchlight parade; the 19:30 one starts after it. Q: When is Bach's Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg in 2026? A: Freiberg Cathedral performs parts I to III of Bach's Christmas Oratorio on Saturday 5 December 2026 at 16:00 and 19:30. Tickets cost from 13 to 27 euros, plus 2 euros at the door. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg Cathedral? A: Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg Cathedral is open two performances on 5 December 2026, at 16:00 and 19:30. Q: How much does Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg Cathedral cost? A: Prices at Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg Cathedral start at €13 per person (2026). Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.freiberger-dom.de/fileadmin/files/konzerte/freiberger-dom-konzertprogramm-2026-web.pdf https://www.freiberger-dom.de/konzerte.html ### Organ Music at Market Time in Freiburg Minster URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/freiburg-minster-organ-music Type: Event Local name: Orgelmusik zur Marktzeit (de) Also known as: Freiburg Minster Saturday organ music, Orgelmusik zur Marktzeit Freiburg Region: The Black Forest Area: Altstadt City: Freiburg Address: Münsterplatz 1, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.99550, 7.85290 Kind: Concert When: Every Saturday at 11:30 from mid-April until Christmas, for about 25 minutes. Next dates: April 18, 2026 to December 19, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Recitals start at 11:30 on Saturdays and last about 25 minutes. The box office at the main door opens at 11:00 on the day. Venue: Freiburg Minster Entry opens: 11:00 Entry: €5 per person (2026) Price from: €5 per person (2026) Website: https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/detail/nachricht/id/239847-orgelmusik-zur-marktzeit-2026/ Summary: Organ Music at Market Time is a 25-minute organ recital in Freiburg Minster every Saturday at 11:30 until Christmas 2026, with tickets at €5. It suits market visitors who want a seated half-hour of music during the busy Saturday morning market on the Münsterplatz. Every Saturday at 11:30 the Minster's organists give a short recital on the cathedral's four organs while the Münstermarkt trades outside. The series runs from 18 April until Christmas, so the four Advent Saturdays in 2026 all have one. Tickets cost €5 from the c-punkt MÜNSTERFORUM at Herrenstraße 30, from the Minster's online shop, or at the main door from 11:00. Tips: - Buy ahead at the c-punkt MÜNSTERFORUM on Herrenstraße to skip the queue at the door on an Advent Saturday. Q: When is the organ music in Freiburg Minster? A: Freiburg Minster's Organ Music at Market Time plays every Saturday at 11:30 from 18 April until Christmas 2026. Each recital lasts about 25 minutes. Q: How much are tickets for the Saturday organ music in Freiburg Minster? A: Tickets cost €5 in 2026, sold at the c-punkt MÜNSTERFORUM, online, or at the Minster's main door from 11:00 on the day. Q: What are the opening hours of Organ Music at Market Time in Freiburg Minster? A: Organ Music at Market Time in Freiburg Minster keeps these hours: Mon–Fri closed; Sat 11:30–12:00; Sun closed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/detail/nachricht/id/239847-orgelmusik-zur-marktzeit-2026/ https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/ ### St Nicholas at the Freiburg Christmas Market URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/freiburg-st-nicholas Type: Event Local name: Nikolaus auf dem Freiburger Weihnachtsmarkt (de) Also known as: Nikolaus Freiburg, St Nicholas Day Freiburg Region: The Black Forest Area: Altstadt City: Freiburg Address: Rathausplatz, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.99620, 7.84950 Kind: Folk custom When: Every 6 December at 17:00 on the Rathausplatz. Next dates: December 6, 2026 (announced) Hours: St Nicholas arrives at 17:00 with a big sack of presents for the children. Venue: Rathausplatz Website: https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/highlights Summary: St Nicholas visits the Freiburg Christmas Market on the Rathausplatz at 17:00 every 6 December, which falls on a Sunday in 2026. It suits families with small children, who get presents from his sack. St Nicholas's feast falls on 6 December, and each year the Nikolaus comes to the Rathausplatz at 17:00 that evening with a sack of presents. FWTM invites every child along, and grown-ups too. On 6 December 2026 the market keeps Sunday hours, from 11:30 to 19:30, so there's time for the Kinderbackstube on the Kartoffelmarkt beforehand. Tips: - Get to the Rathausplatz a little before 17:00 if your children want to be near the front. Q: When does St Nicholas come to the Freiburg Christmas Market? A: St Nicholas comes to the Freiburg Christmas Market on 6 December at 17:00 on the Rathausplatz. In 2026 that is a Sunday. Q: What are the opening hours of St Nicholas at the Freiburg Christmas Market? A: St Nicholas at the Freiburg Christmas Market is open st Nicholas arrives at 17:00 with a big sack of presents for the children. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/highlights https://fwtm.freiburg.de/fileadmin/user_upload/FWTM/PR/2025/Freiburger_Weihnachtsmarkt_oeffnet_am_20.11.pdf ### Gengenbach Advent Calendar URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/gengenbach-advent-calendar Type: Event Local name: Gengenbacher Adventskalender (de) Also known as: Gengenbach Advent calendar house, Gengenbach Rathaus Advent calendar, Adventskalenderhaus Gengenbach Region: The Black Forest Area: Kinzig valley, Ortenau City: Gengenbach Address: Rathaus, Victor-Kretz-Straße 2, 77723 Gengenbach Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.40410, 8.01530 Kind: Light festival When: One window opens each evening at 18:00 from 30 November to 23 December, and the finished calendar stays lit for viewing until 6 January. Next dates: November 30, 2026 to January 6, 2027 (announced) Hours: The opening ritual starts at 18:00 each evening and reveals the window for the following day. A stage program in front of the Rathaus starts at 17:00 on weekdays and at 15:00 on weekends. Venue: Rathaus on the Marktplatz Entry opens: 18:00 Website: https://www.gengenbach.info/gengenbach-entdecken/adventskalender-1 Summary: The Gengenbach Advent Calendar turns the 24 windows of the town's Rathaus into a giant Advent calendar, with one window revealed at 18:00 each evening from 30 November to 23 December and the whole facade on view until 6 January. It suits anyone who likes a ceremony with a crowd around it, and the square is at its busiest right at 18:00. Gengenbach has used its Rathaus as an Advent calendar since 1996, and the town bills the building as the world's largest Advent calendar house. Each season the windows carry pictures by one artist, and earlier seasons drew on work by Marc Chagall and Andy Warhol. When the opening begins the facade sits in darkness, then coloured light plays across it before the day's window is revealed. From 2023 to 2025 the windows showed paintings by the German illustrator Olaf Hajek on a theme the town calls Paradiese. The pictures are copyrighted, so this page describes them in words only: the town calls them varied takes on heavenly gardens and says each one reads the theme its own way. A dpa report from the 2025 opening called it his third year in a row. On 10 October 2026 the town's page still named Hajek, and it said nothing about a new artist for 2026. Museum Haus Löwenberg next to the square has shown Hajek's originals alongside the calendar, with a companion book. The Adventsmarkt runs around the Rathaus from 27 November to 23 December 2026, so the window opening and the stalls make one evening. Tips: - Watch the opening on a weekday, when the stage program starts at 17:00 and you can find your spot before the ritual. - Come between 24 December and 6 January to see all 24 windows lit together after the market has closed. Q: What time does the Gengenbach Advent Calendar open its windows? A: A window of the Gengenbach Advent Calendar opens at 18:00 every evening from 30 November to 23 December. Each evening's ritual reveals the window for the following day. Q: How long can you see the Gengenbach Advent Calendar? A: The Gengenbach Advent Calendar stays on view until 6 January. In 2026 the windows open from 30 November, with viewing until 6 January 2027, as announced by the town's tourist office. Q: Who designed the Gengenbach Advent Calendar windows? A: Olaf Hajek designed the windows from 2023 to 2025 on a theme the town calls Paradiese, which pictures heavenly gardens. The town had not named a 2026 artist when we checked on 10 October 2026. Q: When is Gengenbach Advent Calendar? A: Gengenbach Advent Calendar takes place one window opens each evening at 18:00 from 30 November to 23 December, and the finished calendar stays lit for viewing until 6 January. The next dates we have are November 30, 2026 to January 6, 2027, announced. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gengenbach.info/gengenbach-entdecken/adventskalender-1 https://www.gengenbach.info/pois/der-gengenbacher-adventskalender-ca423cff1e https://www.nordkurier.de/panorama/jeden-abend-eine-uberraschung-groesstes-adventskalenderhaus-der-welt-startet-in-die-saison-4149005 https://www.schwarzwald-tourismus.info/erleben/winterurlaub/weihnachtsmaerkte/weltgroesstes-adventskalenderhaus https://microsites.bahn.de/regional-de/regionen/baden-wuerttemberg/ausflugstipps/weihnachtsmaerkte-uebersicht/weihnachtsmarkt_gengenbach ### Gorlitz Old Town Ice Rink URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/gorlitz-ice-rink Type: Event Local name: Romantische Eislaufbahn Görlitz (de) Also known as: Eislaufen in Görlitz, Görlitz ice rink, Görlitz Eisbahn Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Gorlitz Address: Altstadt, 02826 Görlitz Status: seasonal Coordinates: 51.15660, 14.99100 Kind: Ice rink When: The rink opens about two weeks before the Christkindelmarkt and stays into the new year. Next dates: November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: Rink hours and prices for 2026 are not published yet. Venue: Old town of Görlitz Website: https://www.eislaufen-in-goerlitz.de/ Summary: The Görlitz ice rink suits families who want to skate in the old town before and after the Christkindelmarkt, and its 2026 prices aren't out yet. It runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. The Christkindelmarkt organizer lists its romantic ice rink as one of the market's highlights, with a curling lane alongside. The rink opens on 20 November 2026, a fortnight ahead of the stalls, and keeps going into the new year until 3 January 2027. Tips: - Skate after the market closes on 20 December; the rink stays open through the holidays to 3 January 2027. Q: When is the Görlitz ice rink open in 2026? A: The old town ice rink in Görlitz runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, according to the Christkindelmarkt organizer. Q: When is Gorlitz Old Town Ice Rink? A: Gorlitz Old Town Ice Rink takes place the rink opens about two weeks before the Christkindelmarkt and stays into the new year. The next dates we have are November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.schlesischer-christkindelmarkt-goerlitz.de/ https://www.eislaufen-in-goerlitz.de/ ### Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Graz Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/graz-cathedral-christmette Type: Event Local name: Christmette im Grazer Dom (de) Also known as: Graz midnight Mass, Christmette Graz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Innere Stadt City: Graz Address: Bürgergasse 1, 8010 Graz Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.07190, 15.44220 Kind: Church service When: 24 December; in 2025 the Mass began at 23:00. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: 2025 times: children's service 15:00, Mass 17:00, tower brass 22:00, carols 22:30, Midnight Mass 23:00. Venue: Graz Cathedral Website: https://graz-dom.graz-seckau.at/ Summary: Come to the cathedral on Christmas Eve for the bishop's Mass, with brass from the tower beforehand. A Christmette is worship first, so plan to stay for the whole service. In 2025 Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl said the Christmette at 23:00. Brass played from the tower at 22:00, and from 22:30 the congregation sang shepherds' songs and carols. Families came earlier, for a children's nativity service at 15:00 and a Mass at 17:00. The 2026 times will come from the parish in December; the date here is projected from the fixed feast. Q: When is Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Graz Cathedral? A: Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Graz Cathedral takes place 24 December; in 2025 the Mass began at 23:00. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Graz Cathedral? A: Christmas Eve Midnight Mass at Graz Cathedral is open 2025 times: children's service 15:00, Mass 17:00, tower brass 22:00, carols 22:30, Midnight Mass 23:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.meinbezirk.at/steiermark/c-freizeit/christmetten-und-krippenspiele-in-der-steiermark-am-24-dezember_a7892643 https://graz-dom.graz-seckau.at/ ### Graz New Year's Eve show on the Hauptplatz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/graz-silvesterspektakel Type: Event Local name: Silvesterspektakel (de) Also known as: Graz New Year's Eve, Silvester Graz Hauptplatz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Innere Stadt City: Graz Address: Hauptplatz, 8010 Graz Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.07100, 15.43850 Kind: Light festival When: 31 December on the Hauptplatz. Next dates: December 31, 2026 (confirmed) Venue: Hauptplatz, in front of the Rathaus Website: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ Summary: See the year out on the Hauptplatz if you want a big free show without fireworks smoke. Times for 2026 aren't out yet, so plan the evening around a late check of the city's page. Graz runs its New Year's Eve show on the Hauptplatz with water, fire, laser and light in place of fireworks, and the Graz region's tourist board stresses that it leaves no fine dust behind. Video is projected onto a screen of water in front of the Rathaus. Holding Graz lists 31 December 2026 and has not yet published the times. Q: When is Graz New Year's Eve show on the Hauptplatz? A: Graz New Year's Eve show on the Hauptplatz takes place 31 December on the Hauptplatz. The next dates we have are December 31, 2026, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ https://www.steiermark.com/00_Regionen/07_Region_Graz/PDFs/B2B/2026/Advent-in-der-Erlebnisregion-Graz-2026.pdf ### Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/graz-tree-lighting Type: Event Local name: Illumination des Weihnachtsbaums und Eiskrippe-Eröffnung (de) Also known as: Graz Christbaum illumination, Grazer Christbaum Region: Graz and Styria Area: Innere Stadt City: Graz Address: Hauptplatz 1, 8010 Graz Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.07100, 15.43850 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, from 16:00. Next dates: November 28, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Tree lighting 16:00 to 17:00; the ice nativity opens at 17:00. Venue: Hauptplatz, then the Landhaushof Website: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ Summary: Be on the Hauptplatz at 16:00 on Saturday 28 November if you want to see Graz switch Advent on. It is free and short, and the square packs out early. The tree in the middle of the Hauptplatz is lit between 16:00 and 17:00, and at 17:00 the ice nativity opens in the Landhaushof a short walk south. Holding Graz runs both and says more details for 2026 will follow. In 2025 the tree was a spruce of about 28 metres and some 150 years old, cut in a forest near the Koralpe and hung with 25,000 LEDs. That year it was lit daily from 05:30 to 08:00 and from 16:00 to 23:00, with lights left on until 02:00 on Christmas Eve. The 2026 tree has not been named. Tips: - Find a spot on the Rathaus side of the square by 15:30, then follow the crowd down Herrengasse to the Landhaushof for 17:00. Q: When is Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening? A: Graz Christmas tree lighting and ice nativity opening takes place the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, from 16:00. The next dates we have are November 28, 2026, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ https://www.graztourismus.at/advent/de/advent-veranstaltungen/illumination-des-weihnachtsbaums-und-eiskrippe-eroeffnung_evt_1330 https://www.5min.at/graz/5202511030854/28-meter-hoch-150-jahre-alt-christbaum-am-grazer-hauptplatz-aufgestellt/ ### Grazer Winterwelt ice rink URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/graz-winterwelt Type: Event Local name: Grazer Winterwelt (de) Also known as: Graz Winter World, Graz ice rink, Eislaufplatz Graz Region: Graz and Styria Area: Jahngasse City: Graz Address: Jahngasse 3, 8010 Graz Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.07820, 15.43970 Kind: Ice rink When: November to January Next dates: November 13, 2026 to January 31, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: Skating runs in fixed two-hour slots. In 2025/26 the rink opened 09:00 to 13:30 on 24 December, 11:30 to 19:00 on 25 December and 1 January, 09:00 to 21:30 on 26 December and 09:00 to 19:00 on 31 December; the 2026/27 holiday hours are not out yet. Venue: Landessportzentrum Steiermark, below the Schlossberg Entry: €8 per adult (2025) Price from: €5 per child (2025) Website: https://grazerwinterwelt.at/ Summary: Skaters of every age get 3,000 square metres of ice right under the Schlossberg, a short walk from the old town. You book a two-hour slot rather than skating all day, and the rink is cash only for rentals. The Landessportzentrum Steiermark runs the rink at Jahngasse 3, with a winter food and drink area beside it. The 2026/27 season runs from 13 November 2026 to 31 January 2027. Each ticket buys one skating slot: 09:00 to 11:00, 11:30 to 13:30, 14:00 to 16:00 or 17:00 to 19:00, with an extra evening slot from 19:30 to 21:30 on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. In 2025/26 adults paid €8.00, young people aged 11 to 16 €6.00, children aged 6 to 10 €5.00, and under-6s went free. Skate hire was €8.00 for adults and €6.00 under 17, paid in cash on site. Friday and Saturday evenings ran as an ice disco with two local radio stations hosting. Tips: - The holiday timetable in 2025/26 cut 24 December to 09:00 to 13:30 and opened late on 25 December and 1 January; expect something similar. Q: When is Grazer Winterwelt ice rink? A: Grazer Winterwelt ice rink takes place november to January. The next dates we have are November 13, 2026 to January 31, 2027, confirmed. Q: How much does Grazer Winterwelt ice rink cost? A: Prices at Grazer Winterwelt ice rink start at €5 per child (2025). Q: What are the opening hours of Grazer Winterwelt ice rink? A: Grazer Winterwelt ice rink keeps these hours: Mon–Wed 09:00–19:00; Thu–Sat 09:00–21:30; Sun 09:00–19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://grazerwinterwelt.at/preise/ https://www.steiermark.com/de/Region-Graz/Urlaub-planen/Veranstaltungen/Grazer-Winterwelt_ed_26570942 https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ https://www.holding-graz.at/en/advent-in-graz/ ### Heidelberg Ice Rink on Karlsplatz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/heidelberg-ice-rink Type: Event Local name: Heidelberger Eisbahn (de) Also known as: Eisbahn Karlsplatz, Heidelberg ice rink, Eislaufen Heidelberg Karlsplatz Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt City: Heidelberg Address: Karlsplatz, 69117 Heidelberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.41220, 8.71280 Kind: Ice rink When: An open-air rink on Karlsplatz below the castle opens with the Christmas market and runs on into January. Next dates: November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (announced) Hours: Daily hours and prices for 2026 are not published yet. In 2025 the rink closed on 24 December. Venue: Karlsplatz Summary: The rink suits families and couples who want to skate with Heidelberg Castle lit up overhead, and it stays open after the market closes. Its hours and prices for 2026 are still unpublished, and it closed on Christmas Eve in 2025. Heidelberg Marketing lists the rink as one of the Christmas market's six squares, though a separate operator runs it. The rink has run on green electricity since 2017. Reservations for the rink go through the market office at weihnachtsmarkt@heidelberg.de. Tips: - Go after dark for the castle floodlit above the ice. Q: When is Heidelberg Ice Rink on Karlsplatz? A: Heidelberg Ice Rink on Karlsplatz takes place an open-air rink on Karlsplatz below the castle opens with the Christmas market and runs on into January. The next dates we have are November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027, announced. Q: What are the opening hours of Heidelberg Ice Rink on Karlsplatz? A: Heidelberg Ice Rink on Karlsplatz is open daily hours and prices for 2026 are not published yet. In 2025 the rink closed on 24 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.heidelberg.de/HD/Leben/Veranstaltungen%20_%20Festivals.html https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en/events/heidelberg-christmas-market https://www.heidelberg.de/HD/Presse/17_12_2025+veranstaltungstipps+fuer+die+zeit+rund+um+weih-nachten+und+zwischen+den+jahren.html https://www.heidelberg.de/Stadtblatt/start/stadtblatt-artikel+in+der+uebersicht/19_11_2025+weihnachtsmarkt+startet+am+24_+november.html ### Christmas Masses at Innsbruck Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/innsbruck-cathedral-christmas-masses Type: Event Local name: Weihnachtsgottesdienste im Dom zu St. Jakob (de) Also known as: Christmette Innsbruck Dom, Midnight Mass Innsbruck Cathedral Region: Tyrol Area: Altstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Domplatz, 6020 Innsbruck Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.26940, 11.39420 Kind: Church service When: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses in the cathedral; the parish publishes the times in December. Next dates: December 24, 2026 to December 25, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: Mass times for Christmas 2026 are not yet published. On ordinary Sundays and holidays Mass is at 10:00 and 11:30. Venue: Dom zu St. Jakob Summary: The Christmas Masses at Innsbruck Cathedral (Dom zu St. Jakob) are the parish's celebrations of Christmas in the Baroque cathedral beside the Old Town market, free to enter with no ticket, and they are worship first. The 2026 Mass times for 24 and 25 December are not yet published; ordinary Sunday and holiday Masses are at 10:00 and 11:30. A Christmas Mass in the cathedral is a parish service, and visitors are welcome to join it as worshippers. Come in quietly and stay to the end. You do not need to take communion to attend. The parish office posts the Christmas schedule on its website and answers questions on +43 512 583902 between 10:00 and 11:30 on weekdays. Tips: - Check dibk.at/st.jakob in early December for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass times. Q: Do you need a ticket for Christmas Mass at Innsbruck Cathedral? A: No. The Dompfarre St. Jakob publishes no ticket requirement for its Masses, and the cathedral is free to enter. Q: What time is Midnight Mass at Innsbruck Cathedral in 2026? A: The 2026 Christmas Mass times at Innsbruck Cathedral have not been published yet. The parish posts them on dibk.at/st.jakob. Q: When is Christmas Masses at Innsbruck Cathedral? A: Christmas Masses at Innsbruck Cathedral takes place christmas Eve and Christmas Day Masses in the cathedral; the parish publishes the times in December. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026 to December 25, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Masses at Innsbruck Cathedral? A: Christmas Masses at Innsbruck Cathedral is open mass times for Christmas 2026 are not yet published. On ordinary Sundays and holidays Mass is at 10:00 and 11:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dibk.at/st.jakob ### Innsbruck Christkind Procession URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/innsbruck-christkindleinzug Type: Event Local name: Innsbrucker Christkindleinzug (de) Also known as: Christkindleinzug Innsbruck, Christkind parade Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Innenstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Maria-Theresien-Straße, 6020 Innsbruck Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.26620, 11.39400 Kind: Procession When: The procession runs at 17:00 on the fourth Sunday of Advent, the last Sunday before Christmas. Next dates: December 20, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Starts at 17:00 on Maria-Theresien-Straße. Venue: Maria-Theresien-Straße to the square in front of the Tiroler Landestheater Summary: The Innsbruck Christkind Procession (Christkindleinzug) is a free parade on the last Sunday of Advent in which more than 400 children dressed as shepherds and angels walk with sheep beside the Christkind's carriage, and it suits families with children who can wait in the cold. In 2026 it starts at 17:00 on Sunday 20 December on Maria-Theresien-Straße, as confirmed by the Bergweihnacht organizer. In Austria the Christkind brings the presents, and on the last Sunday before Christmas Innsbruck's Christkind rides through the city centre in an ornate carriage. More than 400 children dressed as shepherds and angels walk around it with live sheep. The Christkind is a young person chosen for the role, so photograph them as you would any member of the public. The route starts on Maria-Theresien-Straße, crosses the Marktgraben and ends on the square in front of the Tiroler Landestheater. Pick one spot along it and stay put. The Maria-Theresien-Straße market stays open until 21:00 for a warm drink afterwards. Tips: - Find a place on Maria-Theresien-Straße by about 16:30; children at the front see the sheep up close. - Head to the Landestheater end if you want to see the procession arrive. Q: When is the Christkindleinzug in Innsbruck in 2026? A: The Innsbruck Christkindleinzug is on Sunday 20 December 2026 at 17:00, starting on Maria-Theresien-Straße. Entry is free. Q: Where does the Innsbruck Christkind procession go? A: The Innsbruck Christkind procession goes from Maria-Theresien-Straße across the Marktgraben to the square in front of the Tiroler Landestheater. Q: What are the opening hours of Innsbruck Christkind Procession? A: Innsbruck Christkind Procession is open starts at 17:00 on Maria-Theresien-Straße. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/christkindleinzug/89-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/veranstaltungen/185-0.html ### Innsbruck Krampus and Perchten Runs URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/innsbruck-krampus-perchten-runs Type: Event Local name: Perchten- und Krampuseinzüge Innsbruck (de) Also known as: Krampuslauf Innsbruck, Perchtenlauf Innsbruck, Krampus run Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Innsbruck City: Innsbruck Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.26860, 11.39330 Kind: Folk custom When: Four runs between the end of November and the first week of December, in the evening from about 17:00. Next dates: November 29, 2026 to December 7, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Igls on 29 November from 17:45, the Old Town on 3 December at 18:30, Hungerburg on 6 December from 17:00 and Maria-Theresien-Straße on 7 December at 18:00. Venue: Igls, the Old Town, Hungerburg and Maria-Theresien-Straße Summary: Innsbruck's Krampus and Perchten runs bring shaggy, masked figures through four parts of the city in late November and early December, and they suit adults and older children who want to see a living Alpine custom up close, though they are loud and meant to frighten. In 2026 the Bergweihnacht organizer lists runs on 29 November in Igls, 3 December in the Old Town, 6 December at Hungerburg and 7 December on Maria-Theresien-Straße. In Tyrol the Krampus walks with St Nicholas in early December, and the Perchten belong to an older winter custom that the organizer traces to pre-Christian times. The organizer describes them as shaggy figures who rattle loudly through the streets and pull faces at the crowd. Runners come close to onlookers and some may brush past or touch people. Keep children who might panic well back from the route, and walk away if anyone in your group is frightened. You can refuse to be touched by stepping back behind the front row, and the runners move on. For a gentler first look, go to Igls on 29 November, where St Nicholas arrives at 17:00 before the Krampus run starts at 17:45. The Old Town run on 3 December takes the figures through the narrow lanes around the Golden Roof, where there is little room to step aside. Tips: - Keep phones and bags close; runs draw tight crowds after dark. - Check the organizer's page in late November for any change to the times. Q: When are the Krampus runs in Innsbruck in 2026? A: The Bergweihnacht organizer lists four Krampus and Perchten runs in Innsbruck in 2026: 29 November in Igls from 17:45, 3 December in the Old Town at 18:30, 6 December at Hungerburg from 17:00 and 7 December on Maria-Theresien-Straße at 18:00. Q: Are Krampus runs safe for children? A: Krampus runs are meant to frighten, and runners come close to the crowd. Keep small children well back from the route and leave if a child becomes upset. Q: When is Innsbruck Krampus and Perchten Runs? A: Innsbruck Krampus and Perchten Runs takes place four runs between the end of November and the first week of December, in the evening from about 17:00. The next dates we have are November 29, 2026 to December 7, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Innsbruck Krampus and Perchten Runs? A: Innsbruck Krampus and Perchten Runs is open igls on 29 November from 17:45, the Old Town on 3 December at 18:30, Hungerburg on 6 December from 17:00 and Maria-Theresien-Straße on 7 December at 18:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/perchten-krampusse/88-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/nikolausumzüge/90-0.html ### Innsbruck St Nicholas Procession URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/innsbruck-st-nicholas-procession Type: Event Local name: Nikolauseinzug in die Innsbrucker Altstadt (de) Also known as: Nikolauseinzug Innsbruck, St Nicholas parade Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: St. Nikolaus and Altstadt City: Innsbruck Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.27190, 11.39220 Kind: Procession When: St Nicholas walks into the Old Town on an evening in the first week of December, with more visits to the markets around 6 December. Next dates: December 4, 2026 to December 6, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The main procession sets off at 17:00 on Friday 4 December 2026 from the parish church of St. Nikolaus. Venue: From the parish church of St. Nikolaus to the Old Town Summary: The Innsbruck St Nicholas Procession brings St Nicholas with angels and musicians from the St. Nikolaus district across the Inn into the Old Town, and it suits families with young children, who recite a poem and get a small gift. In 2026 it sets off at 17:00 on Friday 4 December, and St Nicholas visits four of the city's markets on 5 and 6 December. St Nicholas comes before the Christkind in Austria, and Innsbruck gives him several evenings. On 4 December he leaves the parish church of St. Nikolaus at 17:00 with his angels and a band of musicians and walks into the Old Town. On the markets the children gather to recite a poem for him and receive a small present in return. The next two days spread the visits around. On Saturday 5 December he hands out treat bags on Marktplatz every hour from 15:00 to 17:00. On Sunday 6 December he is at Wilten and Hungerburg at 17:00 and at the St. Nikolaus market at 18:00. The Hungerburg visit comes with a Krampus run, so choose Wilten or St. Nikolaus for small children who scare easily. Tips: - Help children learn a short verse before the evening; St Nicholas listens to each one. Q: When does St Nicholas come to Innsbruck in 2026? A: St Nicholas walks from the parish church of St. Nikolaus into Innsbruck's Old Town on Friday 4 December 2026 at 17:00. He then visits Marktplatz on 5 December and the Wilten, Hungerburg and St. Nikolaus markets on 6 December. Q: What are the opening hours of Innsbruck St Nicholas Procession? A: Innsbruck St Nicholas Procession is open the main procession sets off at 17:00 on Friday 4 December 2026 from the parish church of St. Nikolaus. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/nikolausumzüge/90-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/marktplatz/36-0.html ### Tiroler Adventsingen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/innsbruck-tiroler-adventsingen Type: Event Also known as: Tyrolean Advent singing Innsbruck, Adventsingen Congress Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Altstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Congress Innsbruck, Rennweg, 6020 Innsbruck Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.27040, 11.39460 Kind: Concert When: One Advent Sunday each year, with two performances in the afternoon and early evening and a carol sing-along in between. Next dates: December 13, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the performances ran at 14:00 and 17:00, with a sing-along at 16:00. The 2026 times are not out yet. Venue: Saal Tirol, Congress Innsbruck Entry: €27 per person (2025) Summary: The Tiroler Adventsingen is the Tiroler Volksmusikverein's Advent show of Alpine folk music, singing and a short play in the Saal Tirol at Congress Innsbruck, and it suits anyone curious about Tyrolean folk music, though the play is in German. Its 2026 date is projected for Sunday 13 December from the third-Sunday pattern of 2025 and has not been announced. Singers and musicians from across Tyrol share the stage with actors for a story told in music and scenes. In 2025 the story was "Die Mär von Christkind und Teufel", a tale of the Christkind and the devil, with the choir of the Pädagogische Hochschule Tirol and the Zillertal wind players among the performers. Between the two performances the hall holds a carol sing-along, which ran at 16:00 in 2025. That year tickets sold through oeticket and the Innsbruck-Ticket Service at half price for children up to 12. Groups of 12 or more can ask the association for their own offer. Tips: - Watch the Tiroler Volksmusikverein site in November for the 2026 date and times before you book anything else that Sunday. Q: When is the Tiroler Adventsingen 2026? A: The 2026 date is not yet published. The Tiroler Adventsingen ran on the third Sunday of Advent in 2025, which would put it on Sunday 13 December 2026, so treat that date as projected. Q: How much are tickets for the Tiroler Adventsingen? A: In 2025 tickets for the Tiroler Adventsingen started at €27, with half price for children up to 12. The 2026 price has not been published. Q: What are the opening hours of Tiroler Adventsingen? A: Tiroler Adventsingen is open in 2025 the performances ran at 14:00 and 17:00, with a sing-along at 16:00. The 2026 times are not out yet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tiroler-volksmusikverein.at/ https://www.samerbergernachrichten.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Tiroler-Adventsingen-2025_Flyer.pdf https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/veranstaltungen/185-0.html ### Krakow Szopka Contest URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/krakow-szopka-contest Type: Event Local name: Konkurs na Najpiękniejszą Szopkę Krakowską (pl) Also known as: Kraków nativity scene contest, Krakow crib contest, szopka krakowska, Krakow szopka competition 2026 Region: Poland Area: Stare Miasto City: Krakow Address: Rynek Główny, Kraków Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.06170, 19.93720 Kind: Competition When: Every year on the first Thursday of December, the makers bring their szopki to the Main Square and the museum's jury judges them. Next dates: December 3, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: The Muzeum Krakowa has not yet published the 2026 programme or start time. Venue: Rynek Główny Website: https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/ Summary: The szopka contest suits anyone in Kraków on the first Thursday of December, and it costs nothing to watch the makers carry their glittering cribs onto the Main Square. The 2026 date of Thursday 3 December comes from that fixed custom, because the Muzeum Krakowa has not yet published this year's programme. A szopka krakowska is a nativity crib built as a fantasy of Kraków's own buildings. The classic form is slender and symmetrical with three towers, and makers cover it in thin metal foil coloured red for the city's brick and green for its old copper domes. The tradition began in the late 19th century as a portable puppet theatre, and mechanical figures later took the place of the amateur players. The Muzeum Krakowa (Museum of Kraków) runs the contest. Its jury sorts the entries into four groups by size, from miniatures to large cribs, and looks at architecture and proportion, the decoration and the figures, and how closely each maker keeps to tradition. After the judging the museum puts the cribs on public show from December into February. UNESCO inscribed the Nativity scene (szopka) tradition in Krakow on its Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2018, crediting about forty of the most active makers who build new cribs each year. Many work in family lines, and the museum names the Malik and Gillert families among those who have built szopki for generations. Each crib is its maker's own design, so credit the maker by name when you share a photo. Tips: - If you miss the contest, the museum's exhibition of the entries runs into February. Q: When is Krakow Szopka Contest? A: Krakow Szopka Contest takes place every year on the first Thursday of December, the makers bring their szopki to the Main Square and the museum's jury judges them. The next dates we have are December 3, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Krakow Szopka Contest? A: Krakow Szopka Contest is open the Muzeum Krakowa has not yet published the 2026 programme or start time. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://muzeumkrakowa.pl/szopkarstwo-krakowskie-1 https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/nativity-scene-szopka-tradition-in-krakow-01362 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q11742624 ### Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/leipzig-thomaskirche-christmas-eve-motet Type: Event Local name: Weihnachtsmotette in der Thomaskirche (de) Also known as: Thomaskirche Christmas Eve motet, Weihnachtsmotette Leipzig, Thomanerchor Christmas Eve Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Innenstadt City: Leipzig Address: Thomaskirchhof, 04109 Leipzig Status: seasonal Coordinates: 51.33930, 12.37260 Kind: Church service When: A motet at 13:30 on 24 December, usually sung by the Thomanerchor. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: The motet begins at 13:30, and doors open 45 minutes earlier. Venue: Thomaskirche Entry opens: 12:45 Entry: €3 per person (2026) Price from: €3 per person (2026) Website: https://www.thomaskirche.org/ Summary: The Christmas Eve motet suits anyone in Leipzig on 24 December who wants to hear the Thomanerchor in Bach's church, and the 2026 program is not published yet. The parish holds it at 13:30, with doors open 45 minutes before. A motet in the Thomaskirche takes the liturgical form of a vesper, so it's worship first. On Christmas Eve the parish holds it at 13:30, early enough to leave the afternoon free. The Thomanerchor usually sings the motets, and guest ensembles step in when the choir is away. You buy a 3-euro programme at the door in place of a ticket. Tips: - Arrive when the doors open at 12:45; the church seats nearly 1,500, and Christmas Eve draws a crowd. Q: What time is the Christmas Eve motet at the Thomaskirche? A: The Thomaskirche in Leipzig holds its Christmas Eve motet at 13:30 on 24 December, and doors open 45 minutes earlier. Entry needs a 3-euro programme bought at the door. Q: When is Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig? A: Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig takes place a motet at 13:30 on 24 December, usually sung by the Thomanerchor. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig? A: Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig is open the motet begins at 13:30, and doors open 45 minutes earlier. Q: How much does Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig cost? A: Prices at Christmas Eve Motet at St. Thomas Church, Leipzig start at €3 per person (2026). Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.thomaskirche.org/glauben/gottesdienste-motetten https://www.thomaskirche.org/entdecken/besucherinformationen ### 8 December Procession to Fourviere URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/lyon-8-december-procession Type: Event Local name: Procession du 8 décembre à Fourvière (fr) Also known as: Montée aux flambeaux, Fourvière procession, Immaculate Conception procession Lyon Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Vieux Lyon and Fourvière City: Lyon Address: Place Saint-Jean, 69005 Lyon Status: seasonal. The 2026 programme for 8 December at Fourvière is not published yet. The 2026 date follows the feast; the times below are from 2024 and 2025. Coordinates: 45.76080, 4.82720 Kind: Procession When: The evening of 8 December, leaving Saint-Jean cathedral at 18:30 in 2024 and 2025. Next dates: December 8, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the sanctuary held Mass at 17:00, the procession left Saint-Jean at 18:30, and a youth Mass followed at 20:00. The 2026 times are due on fourviere.org. Venue: From Saint-Jean cathedral to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière Summary: The 8 December procession suits a visitor who wants to see the religious feast at the root of the Fête des Lumières, as Catholics of the Lyon diocese walk from Saint-Jean cathedral up to Fourvière, and its trade-off is that the 2026 times are not published yet. In 2024 and 2025 it left Saint-Jean at 18:30. This is an act of worship first, held by the Catholic diocese of Lyon on the feast of the Immaculate Conception. The procession leaves Saint-Jean cathedral in Vieux Lyon and climbs to the basilica on Fourvière hill, where the evening's Masses take place. In 2025 the sanctuary scheduled a Mass for the Lyonnais at 17:00, the procession at 18:30 and a Mass for the diocese's young people at 20:00, led by Archbishop Olivier de Germay. The year before, a late Mass for all Lyonnais closed the night at 22:00. The procession shares the evening with the last night of the Fête des Lumières, so the old town is crowded. Visitors who are not taking part can watch respectfully from the side of the route and keep the way clear. Tips: - Check fourviere.org in November for the 2026 times of the procession and the Masses. Q: What time is the 8 December procession in Lyon? A: The 8 December procession left Saint-Jean cathedral for Fourvière at 18:30 in both 2024 and 2025. The 2026 time is not published yet. Q: Can visitors join the procession to Fourvière? A: The procession is a Catholic act of worship led by the Lyon diocese and needs no ticket. Visitors who are not taking part can watch from the side of the route. Q: What are the opening hours of 8 December Procession to Fourviere? A: 8 December Procession to Fourviere is open in 2025 the sanctuary held Mass at 17:00, the procession left Saint-Jean at 18:30, and a youth Mass followed at 20:00. The 2026 times are due on fourviere.org. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.fourviere.org/fr/https-www-fourviere-org-fr-le-8-decembre-fete-de-limmaculee-conception-de-la-vierge-marie/ https://cellar-c2.services.clever-cloud.com/org-fourviere-www/uploads/2024/10/Programme-du-5-au-8-decembre-2024.pdf https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/?p=472216 ### Christmas Masses at Fourviere URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/lyon-fourviere-christmas-masses Type: Event Local name: Messes de Noël à Fourvière (fr) Also known as: Fourvière Christmas Mass, Midnight Mass Lyon Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Lyon 5e (Fourvière hill) City: Lyon Address: Place de Fourvière, 69005 Lyon Status: seasonal. The 2026 Christmas Mass times are not published yet; the times below are from 2025. Coordinates: 45.76230, 4.82260 Kind: Church service When: Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with several Masses on each day. Next dates: December 24, 2026 to December 25, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the sanctuary held Christmas Eve Masses at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00 and Christmas Day Masses at 07:30, 09:30, 11:00 and 17:30. Venue: Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière Summary: The Christmas Masses at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière suit a visitor who wants to attend Christmas worship in Lyon's Marian sanctuary, with entry free and step-free access by lift, and the trade-off is that the 2026 times are not out yet. In 2025 the Christmas Eve Masses were at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00. A Mass is worship first, and visitors who come should join quietly or sit at the back. The basilica holds several Masses across Christmas Eve and Christmas Day: in 2025 the Eve had Masses at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00, and Christmas Day had four, from 07:30 to 17:30. Entry to the basilica is free and needs no booking, though access to the church can be restricted during Masses and major celebrations. Around Christmas in 2025 the crypt held the Lyonnais crèche from 4 December to 2 February, open 09:00 to 18:00 and free, and the museum showed a nativity by the sculptor Goudji. The façade projection from the Fête des Lumières returned from 26 to 31 December, between 18:45 and 21:45. Tips: - Check fourviere.org in December for the 2026 Christmas Mass times before you go up the hill. Q: Is there a midnight Mass at Fourvière? A: In 2025 the latest Christmas Eve Mass at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière started at 23:00, after Masses at 17:30 and 19:30. The 2026 times are not published yet. Q: Do you need a ticket for Christmas Mass at Fourvière? A: No. Entry to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is free and needs no booking, though access can be restricted during major celebrations. Q: When is Christmas Masses at Fourviere? A: Christmas Masses at Fourviere takes place christmas Eve and Christmas Day, with several Masses on each day. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026 to December 25, 2026, projected from past years. Q: Is Christmas Masses at Fourviere open all year? A: Christmas Masses at Fourviere opens for part of the year. The 2026 Christmas Mass times are not published yet; the times below are from 2025. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.fourviere.org/fr/horaires/ https://www.fourviere.org/fr/visiter-notre-dame-de-fourviere/visites-libres/ https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/?p=472216 https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/region-des-lumieres-fourviere ### Lumignons on 8 December in Lyon URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/lyon-lumignons-8-december Type: Event Local name: Les lumignons du 8 décembre (fr) Also known as: 8 décembre Lyon, Lyon candles in windows, Illuminations du 8 décembre Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Lyon City: Lyon Status: seasonal Kind: Folk custom When: Every 8 December, on the evening of the feast of the Immaculate Conception. Next dates: December 8, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The candles go out on windowsills once it gets dark on 8 December. The Fête des Lumières installations run 19:00 to 23:00 that night in 2026. Venue: Windowsills across Lyon Summary: The lumignons of 8 December suit any visitor in Lyon on the evening of Tuesday 8 December 2026, when many households set small candles on their windowsills, and the trade-off is that it is a private custom in people's homes with no programme or route. It dates from 8 December 1852 and gave rise to the Fête des Lumières. Lumignons are small candles in glass. On 8 December 1852 Lyon was due to inaugurate the gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on Fourvière hill, a ceremony already moved from September by a Saône flood. Bad weather threatened that evening too, the sky cleared, and the Lyonnais put candles in their windows as a sign of devotion. The custom has its roots in Catholic worship of the Virgin, and residents still set lumignons in their windows each 8 December. The basilica keeps its own version: in 2025 visitors could set a lumignon on the esplanade to light a large dove of peace, with the donations going to a Catholic charity for migrants. The city's festival runs its Lumignons du Cœur charity installation each year as well, and in 2025 it raised €53,500 for SINGA Lyon, an association that helps newcomers settle in. Tips: - Look up at the apartment windows as you walk between festival sites on the evening of 8 December. Q: What are lumignons in Lyon? A: Lumignons are small candles in glass that many Lyonnais set on their windowsills on the evening of 8 December. The custom began on 8 December 1852, when Lyon inaugurated the statue of the Virgin Mary on Fourvière hill. Q: Is 8 December a public holiday in Lyon? A: No. 8 December is not a public holiday in France; it is the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception, and in 2026 it is also the last night of Lyon's free Fête des Lumières. Q: What are the opening hours of Lumignons on 8 December in Lyon? A: Lumignons on 8 December in Lyon is open the candles go out on windowsills once it gets dark on 8 December. The Fête des Lumières installations run 19:00 to 23:00 that night in 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/histoire-de-la-fete https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/horaires-et-dates-fete-des-lumieres-2026 https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/actualite/une-edition-2025-festive-entre-tradition-et-modernite https://www.fourviere.org/fr/https-www-fourviere-org-fr-le-8-decembre-fete-de-limmaculee-conception-de-la-vierge-marie/ https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/?p=472216 ### Sinterklaas arrival in Maastricht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/maastricht-sinterklaas-arrival Type: Event Local name: Intocht van Sinterklaas in Maastricht (nl) Also known as: Sinterklaasintocht Maastricht, Maastricht Sinterklaas parade Region: The Netherlands Area: Kesselskade, Wyck and the city centre City: Maastricht Address: Kesselskade, Maastricht (2025 landing point) Coordinates: 50.85020, 5.69370 Kind: Procession When: A Saturday in mid-November, usually the same day as the national arrival. Sinterklaas lands by boat on the Kesselskade and leads a procession through Wyck and the old centre to the town hall on the Markt. Next dates: November 14, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the boat moored at the Kesselskade at 10:50 and the day ran from about 10:30 to 15:00. The route crossed the Sint Servaesbrug into Wyck and back, then wound through the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and the Grote Staat to the town hall on the Markt. Summary: Maastricht's Sinterklaas arrival brings the saint in by boat to the Kesselskade on the Maas, and it suits families staying in the city in mid-November, though the 2026 date is projected and the market season on the Vrijthof only starts two weeks later. If the pattern holds it falls on Saturday 14 November 2026. In Maastricht Sinterklaas arrives on the river. In 2025 his boat tied up at the Kesselskade just before 11:00, and he then crossed the Sint Servaesbrug into Wyck and back before winding through the old centre to the town hall on the Markt. The local organizers go by the name Sinterklaas in Maastricht. Maastricht changed how its Pieten look after the protests against Zwarte Piet's blackface make-up. By 2016 the city already had more Roetveegpieten in its parade, and in 2021 its arrival featured Roetveegpieten, whose faces carry only soot smudges. Tips: - Check the route before you go: in 2025 it crossed the river twice, so the Wyck side of the Sint Servaesbrug also saw the parade. Q: When does Sinterklaas arrive in Maastricht in 2026? A: Maastricht had not published its 2026 date in October 2026. Its arrival has fallen on the national arrival's Saturday in recent years, which projects to Saturday 14 November 2026. Q: Where does Sinterklaas land in Maastricht? A: In 2025 Sinterklaas landed by boat at the Kesselskade at 10:50 and the procession ended at the town hall on the Markt. Q: Where is the national Sinterklaas arrival in 2026? A: The 2026 national Sinterklaas arrival is in Grave, in North Brabant, on Saturday 14 November, according to the NTR's announcement reported by Hart van Nederland. Maastricht holds its own arrival on the river. Q: What are the opening hours of Sinterklaas arrival in Maastricht? A: Sinterklaas arrival in Maastricht is open in 2025 the boat moored at the Kesselskade at 10:50 and the day ran from about 10:30 to 15:00. The route crossed the Sint Servaesbrug into Wyck and back, then wound through the Onze Lieve Vrouweplein and the Grote Staat to the town hall on the Markt. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://go-kids.nl/limburg/agenda/sinterklaasintocht-maastricht https://rtvmaastricht.nl/nieuws/artikel/sinterklaas-optocht-to-go-ahead-with-updated-piet https://www.binnenlandsbestuur.nl/bestuur-en-organisatie/gemeente-en-provinciefonds/grote-steden-stappen-over-op-roetveegpiet https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q19298141 https://www.hartvannederland.nl/entertainment/evenementen/artikelen/dit-is-de-stad-waar-de-landelijke-intocht-van-sinterklaas-dit-jaar-is ### Christmas Eve Mass at Mariazell Basilica URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/mariazell-basilica-christmette Type: Event Local name: Christmette in der Basilika Mariazell (de) Also known as: Mariazell Christmette, Mariazell midnight Mass Region: Graz and Styria Area: Hauptplatz City: Mariazell Address: Benedictusplatz 1, 8630 Mariazell Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.77280, 15.31860 Kind: Church service When: 24 December; in 2025 the Christmette began at 22:00. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: 2025 times: children's service 15:00, Christmette 22:00. Venue: Mariazell Basilica Website: https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/ Summary: Spend Christmas Eve at Austria's great pilgrimage church if the reason you came to Mariazell is the basilica. The Christmette is worship first, and visitors who join should stay to the end. In 2025 the basilica held a children's nativity service at 15:00 and the Christmette at 22:00. The Advent market on the square closes on 20 December, so by Christmas Eve the evening belongs to the church. The 2026 times aren't out yet; the date here is projected from the fixed feast. Q: When is Christmas Eve Mass at Mariazell Basilica? A: Christmas Eve Mass at Mariazell Basilica takes place 24 December; in 2025 the Christmette began at 22:00. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Eve Mass at Mariazell Basilica? A: Christmas Eve Mass at Mariazell Basilica is open 2025 times: children's service 15:00, Christmette 22:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.meinbezirk.at/steiermark/c-freizeit/christmetten-und-krippenspiele-in-der-steiermark-am-24-dezember_a7892643 https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/ ### Mariazell Krampus run URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/mariazell-krampuslauf Type: Event Local name: Traditioneller Krampuslauf Mariazell (de) Also known as: Krampuslauf Mariazell, Mariazell Krampus parade Region: Graz and Styria Area: Hauptplatz City: Mariazell Address: Hauptplatz, 8630 Mariazell Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.77370, 15.31820 Kind: Folk custom When: The Saturday of the Mariazell Advent's opening weekend, in the early evening. Next dates: November 21, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Starts at 19:00. Venue: Hauptplatz Website: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/eroeffnungs-wochenende/ Summary: Watch the Krampus run if you want to see the Alpine custom up close, with carved masks and cowbells on the market square. It is loud and physical, so keep small children and anyone nervous well back from the route. Regional Krampus groups parade across the Hauptplatz at 19:00 on Saturday 21 November 2026, the opening weekend of the Mariazell Advent. The organizer singles out their hand-carved masks. In 2023 the run came on the same Saturday of the opening weekend, at 18:00, with St Nicholas walking alongside. Krampus figures in full costume come close to the crowd, and some children find them frightening. Nobody has to take part. Stand at the back if you'd rather just watch, tell children beforehand what's coming, and walk away if it gets too much. Q: When is Mariazell Krampus run? A: Mariazell Krampus run takes place the Saturday of the Mariazell Advent's opening weekend, in the early evening. The next dates we have are November 21, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Mariazell Krampus run? A: Mariazell Krampus run is open starts at 19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/eroeffnungs-wochenende/ https://www.pressetext.com/news/mariazeller-advent-eroeffnungswochenende-mit-konzert-der-wiener-saengerknaben-und-krampuslauf.html ### Vienna Boys' Choir Advent concerts in Mariazell URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/mariazell-vienna-boys-choir Type: Event Local name: Weihnachtskonzert der Wiener Sängerknaben (de) Also known as: Wiener Sängerknaben Mariazell, Vienna Boys Choir Mariazell Region: Graz and Styria Area: Hauptplatz City: Mariazell Address: Benedictusplatz 1, 8630 Mariazell Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.77280, 15.31860 Kind: Concert When: The first Thursday of the Mariazell Advent, at 19:00. Next dates: November 19, 2026 to November 20, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Both concerts start at 19:00. Venue: Mariazell Basilica Website: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/konzertprogramm-onlinebuchung/ Summary: Book this if you want the Mariazell market's opening weekend at its best, with the Vienna Boys' Choir in the basilica. Demand is high enough that 2026 has two nights, and you reach the town by bus while the railway is closed. The Vienna Boys' Choir opens the Mariazell Advent with Christmas concerts in the basilica at 19:00 on Thursday 19 and Friday 20 November 2026. The organizer added the second night because of demand. The choir also opened the 2023 season on the market's first Thursday. Tickets are booked online through the Mariazell Advent website, which doesn't list prices. Rail replacement buses run between St. Pölten and Mariazell from 2 to 20 November 2026, so anyone coming by train should allow for the bus on both concert nights. Q: When is Vienna Boys' Choir Advent concerts in Mariazell? A: Vienna Boys' Choir Advent concerts in Mariazell takes place the first Thursday of the Mariazell Advent, at 19:00. The next dates we have are November 19, 2026 to November 20, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Vienna Boys' Choir Advent concerts in Mariazell? A: Vienna Boys' Choir Advent concerts in Mariazell is open both concerts start at 19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/konzertprogramm-onlinebuchung/ https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/eroeffnungs-wochenende/ https://www.pressetext.com/news/mariazeller-advent-eroeffnungswochenende-mit-konzert-der-wiener-saengerknaben-und-krampuslauf.html https://www.mariazellerbahn.at/ ### Munich Eiszauber Ice Rink URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/munich-eiszauber Type: Event Local name: Münchner Eiszauber (de) Also known as: Eiszauber Stachus, Karlsplatz ice rink Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Munich Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.13920, 11.56580 Kind: Ice rink When: November to January Next dates: November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027 (projected from past years) Hours: The organizer gives 10:30 to 22:00 daily for 2026/2027, closing at 16:00 on 24 December and at 18:00 on 31 December. In 2025 the rink also closed on Totensonntag. Venue: Karlsplatz (Stachus) Website: https://www.muenchnereiszauber.de/ Summary: The Eiszauber rink on Karlsplatz suits families and couples who want to skate between markets in the city centre, daily from 10:30 to 22:00; its 2026/2027 dates are projected from last season, and the 2026 prices aren't published. The open-air rink covers 750 square metres on Karlsplatz at the west end of the pedestrian zone, and locals call the square Stachus. Skates and helmets are for hire on site. Last season it ran from 21 November 2025 to 11 January 2026, and themed nights included Tracht on Ice. Q: Can you hire skates at the Munich Eiszauber? A: Yes. The Münchner Eiszauber on Karlsplatz hires out skates and helmets on site for a fee. Q: When is Munich Eiszauber Ice Rink? A: Munich Eiszauber Ice Rink takes place november to January. The next dates we have are November 20, 2026 to January 10, 2027, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Munich Eiszauber Ice Rink? A: Munich Eiszauber Ice Rink keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 10:30–22:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.muenchnereiszauber.de/ https://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/freizeit/weihnachtsmarkt-christkindlmarkt/muenchner-eiszauber ### Munich Krampus Run URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/munich-krampuslauf Type: Event Local name: Krampuslauf am Münchner Christkindlmarkt (de) Also known as: Krampus parade Munich, Munich Krampuslauf Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Munich Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.13720, 11.57530 Kind: Procession When: About 25 Krampus and Perchten groups with more than 300 masked figures, mostly from the Alpine regions, walk through the old town in mid-December. Next dates: December 13, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The run starts at 15:00 sharp on Sunday 13 December 2026 and lasts until about 17:00. Venue: Augustinerstraße to the Old Town Hall Website: https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/krampus-parade-munich-christmas-market-2026 Summary: Munich's Krampus run suits families with older children and anyone curious about Alpine folk customs, on Sunday 13 December 2026 from 15:00 to 17:00; up to 50,000 people line a short route, so small children may find the crush and the masks too much. The figures line up on Augustinerstraße and walk through the pedestrian zone, Färbergraben, Rosental and Sendlinger Straße, then by Oberanger, Rindermarkt and Petersplatz to the Viktualienmarkt and the Old Town Hall. The groups come from Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, South Tyrol, the Allgäu and Carinthia, and Munich's own Sparifankerl-Pass group has organized the run with the city since the first one on 12 December 2004. The masks weigh up to about 10 kg, and the figures play with the crowd, snatching a hat and handing it back. The city says children are welcome at the front. Stand back if a child is frightened, and ask before you touch a costume or take a close photograph. Tips: - Find a spot on Sendlinger Straße or Rindermarkt before 15:00; the organizer says the route changed slightly for 2026. Q: When is the Munich Krampus run in 2026? A: The Munich Krampus run takes place on Sunday 13 December 2026 from 15:00 to 17:00. It starts on Augustinerstraße and ends at the Old Town Hall. Q: Is the Munich Krampuslauf suitable for children? A: The organizers say children are welcome at the front and the figures are playful. Up to 50,000 spectators attend, so keep small or nervous children further back. Q: What are the opening hours of Munich Krampus Run? A: Munich Krampus Run keeps these hours: Sun 15:00–17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/krampus-parade-munich-christmas-market-2026 https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/home ### Carols under the Christmas Tree, Munich URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/munich-singen-unterm-christbaum Type: Event Local name: Singen unterm Christbaum (de) Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Munich Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.13880, 11.57040 Kind: Concert When: November to December Next dates: November 25, 2026 to December 16, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Each sing starts at 16:30 and lasts about 30 minutes. Venue: In front of St. Michael, Neuhauser Straße Entry: Free Summary: The Wednesday carol sing in front of St. Michael's suits anyone who wants to join in Bavarian Advent songs for free, on four Wednesdays at 16:30 from 25 November to 16 December 2026; it lasts about half an hour and happens outdoors. Traudi Siferlinger and Monika Drasch lead the singing with Hansi Zeller on accordion, and songbooks are handed out free. The city has built it for everyone: texts come in Braille and large print, a sign language interpreter works alongside, mobile induction loops are on hand and assistance dogs are welcome. Q: Is the Munich carol sing accessible? A: Yes. The square in front of St. Michael's is accessible with rollators and wheelchairs, and the carol sing offers Braille and large-print texts, a sign language interpreter and mobile induction loops. Q: When is Carols under the Christmas Tree, Munich? A: Carols under the Christmas Tree, Munich takes place november to December. The next dates we have are November 25, 2026 to December 16, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Carols under the Christmas Tree, Munich? A: Carols under the Christmas Tree, Munich keeps these hours: Wed 16:30–17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/node/23158 https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/home ### Nuremberg Christkind Prolog URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/nuremberg-christkind-prolog Type: Event Local name: Prolog des Nürnberger Christkinds (de) Also known as: Christkindlesmarkt opening ceremony, Eröffnung Christkindlesmarkt Nürnberg Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Hauptmarkt, 90403 Nürnberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.45400, 11.07820 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The Friday before the first Sunday of Advent, at 17:30. Next dates: November 27, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The Prolog begins at 17:30, when the lights around the Hauptmarkt go out. Market stalls pause from 17:25 to 18:00 in 2026. Venue: Gallery of the Frauenkirche, facing the Hauptmarkt Website: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/die-eroeffnung Summary: The Nuremberg Christkind opens the Christkindlesmarkt at 17:30 on Friday 27 November 2026 by reading the Prolog from the gallery of the Frauenkirche, and it suits anyone willing to stand in a packed Hauptmarkt for a short, famous ceremony. The trade-off is standing in a crowd on the Hauptmarkt for it. At 17:30 the lights around the Hauptmarkt go out and every face turns to the gallery of the Frauenkirche. The Christkind reads the Prolog that declares the market open, and the stalls, which paused at 17:25, start trading again at 18:00. Several broadcasters carry the ceremony live if you would rather watch it from your hotel. Nuremberg's Christkind is a young person a jury of city, theatre and media representatives picks for a two-year term. The Christkind chosen in July 2025 opened the market that November and returns for the 2026 Prolog. In 2025 the Christkind then visited the Kinderweihnacht and the Christkindlesmarkt on Tuesday to Friday afternoons through Advent. Tips: - Pick a spot facing the Frauenkirche, not behind a stall roof, and get there well before 17:30. - If the square is too full, watch one of the live broadcasts and walk in after 18:00 when trading restarts. Q: What time is the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt opening in 2026? A: The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt opening begins at 17:30 on Friday 27 November 2026, when the Christkind reads the Prolog from the gallery of the Frauenkirche. The market's own site confirms the date and time. Q: Who is the Nuremberg Christkind? A: The Nuremberg Christkind is a young person chosen by a jury for a two-year term. The Christkind picked in 2025 serves through the 2026 season. Q: When is Nuremberg Christkind Prolog? A: Nuremberg Christkind Prolog takes place the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent, at 17:30. The next dates we have are November 27, 2026, confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/die-eroeffnung https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/das-christkind https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/maerkte/dokumente/spezialmaerkte/bekanntmachung_ckm_2026.pdf ### Christmas Eve Devotion on the Hauptmarkt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/nuremberg-christmas-eve-devotion Type: Event Local name: Ökumenische Andacht an Heiligabend (de) Also known as: Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt closing service, Heiligabend Andacht Hauptmarkt Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Hauptmarkt, 90403 Nürnberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.45370, 11.07730 Kind: Church service When: 24 December at 12:00, two hours before the Christkindlesmarkt closes. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the devotion began at 12:00 on the podium in front of the Frauenkirche. Venue: Podium in front of the Frauenkirche, Hauptmarkt Website: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/veranstaltungen Summary: On Christmas Eve Nuremberg closes its Christkindlesmarkt with an ecumenical devotion at 12:00 on the podium in front of the Frauenkirche, and the Christkind attends. It suits anyone in town on the 24th who wants a short, free service in the open air; the 2026 date is projected from 2025. On 24 December the market has only a couple of hours left, and at noon the Protestant and Catholic churches hold a short devotion together on the podium in front of the Frauenkirche. The Christkind is a guest. It is worship first, held in German, and anyone standing on the square is welcome to join in or listen quietly. Through Advent the same podium carries a short Advent word from a church speaker at 17:30 each day, going by the 2025 programme. On the 24th the stalls shut at 14:00, which leaves time for a last Glühwein after the devotion. Tips: - Stand near the podium in front of the Frauenkirche by 11:50 if you want to hear the readings clearly. Q: Is there a service at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt on Christmas Eve? A: Yes. In 2025 an ecumenical devotion with the Christkind began at 12:00 on 24 December on the podium in front of the Frauenkirche. The 2026 devotion is projected for the same day; the stage programme isn't published yet. Q: When is Christmas Eve Devotion on the Hauptmarkt? A: Christmas Eve Devotion on the Hauptmarkt takes place 24 December at 12:00, two hours before the Christkindlesmarkt closes. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Eve Devotion on the Hauptmarkt? A: Christmas Eve Devotion on the Hauptmarkt is open in 2025 the devotion began at 12:00 on the podium in front of the Frauenkirche. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/kommunikation_stadtmarketing/dokumente/internet/ckm/25_ckm_rundum.pdf https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de ### Nuremberg Lantern Procession URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/nuremberg-lichterzug Type: Event Local name: Lichterzug der Nürnberger Schulkinder (de) Also known as: Lichterzug Nürnberg, Nuremberg children's lantern parade Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Fleischbrücke, 90403 Nürnberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.45290, 11.07680 Kind: Procession When: A Thursday evening in the second week of Advent. Next dates: December 10, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: In 2025 the children gathered at 17:45 at the Fleischbrücke. The 2026 time isn't published yet. Venue: From the Fleischbrücke over the Hauptmarkt to the Kaiserburg Website: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/fuer-kinder/lichterzug Summary: Nuremberg's Lichterzug sends about 1,000 schoolchildren with home-made lanterns from the Fleischbrücke up to the Kaiserburg on Thursday 10 December 2026, and it suits families and anyone who likes a local custom with no ticket. The trade-off is timing: it is one evening only, and the 2026 start time is still to come. Nuremberg's schoolchildren have walked this route with lanterns since 1948, and 2026 brings the 76th procession. In 2025 the Christkind led about 1,000 children from the Fleischbrücke over the Hauptmarkt, past the Rathaus and St. Sebald, and up to the castle. The children come from Nuremberg's state schools and make their lanterns themselves. The walk ends below the Kaiserburg. At the sandstone rocks of the Ölberg, pupils from one of the city's middle schools act out the Christmas story in living tableaux with carols around them. Stay for the nativity play at the top if you can find a place to stand. Tips: - Line the route near the Hauptmarkt if you have small children and skip the climb to the castle. - Check christkindlesmarkt.de in late November for the 2026 start time. Q: When is the Nuremberg Lichterzug in 2026? A: The Nuremberg Lichterzug, the lantern procession of the city's schoolchildren, takes place on Thursday 10 December 2026. The Christkindlesmarkt's site confirms the date; in 2025 the children gathered at 17:45. Q: Where does the Nuremberg lantern procession go? A: The Nuremberg lantern procession runs from the Fleischbrücke over the Hauptmarkt, past the Rathaus and St. Sebald, up to the Kaiserburg. It ends with a nativity play at the castle. Q: What are the opening hours of Nuremberg Lantern Procession? A: Nuremberg Lantern Procession is open in 2025 the children gathered at 17:45 at the Fleischbrücke. The 2026 time isn't published yet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/fuer-kinder/lichterzug https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/kommunikation_stadtmarketing/dokumente/internet/ckm/25_ckm_rundum.pdf ### Christmette at St. Lorenz, Nuremberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/nuremberg-st-lorenz-christmette Type: Event Local name: Christmette in St. Lorenz (de) Also known as: St. Lorenz midnight service, Christmas Eve service St. Lorenz Nuremberg Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Lorenzer Platz 1, 90402 Nürnberg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.45100, 11.07870 Kind: Church service When: 24 December at 23:00. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the Christmette began at 23:00. St. Lorenz also held a service at 15:00 and the Christvesper at 17:00. Venue: St. Lorenz Website: https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtportal/heiligabend.html Summary: The Christmette at St. Lorenz is the late Christmas Eve service in Nuremberg's Lutheran church on the Lorenzer Platz, held at 23:00 in 2025, and it suits travellers who want to end the 24th in church. It is worship first, in German, and the 2026 time is projected until the city publishes its list. St. Lorenz keeps three services on Christmas Eve, and the Christmette is the last of them. In 2025 it began at 23:00, after a service at 15:00 and the Christvesper, or Christmas Eve vespers, at 17:00. It is a Lutheran service in German, and visitors join it as part of the congregation. The parish calls the building God's fridge, so wear proper winter clothes. Getting home is easy: on Christmas Eve 2025 the Nightliner buses left the Hauptbahnhof hourly from 01:00 to 04:00. Tips: - Check the city's Christmas Eve page in December for the confirmed 2026 time. Q: What time is the Christmas Eve Christmette at St. Lorenz, Nuremberg? A: The Christmette at St. Lorenz in Nuremberg began at 23:00 on Christmas Eve 2025. The 2026 time is projected to match until the city publishes its Christmas Eve list. Q: Do you need a ticket for Christmas Eve services at St. Lorenz? A: No. Christmas Eve services at St. Lorenz in Nuremberg are free and open to everyone. Q: When is Christmette at St. Lorenz, Nuremberg? A: Christmette at St. Lorenz, Nuremberg takes place 24 December at 23:00. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmette at St. Lorenz, Nuremberg? A: Christmette at St. Lorenz, Nuremberg is open in 2025 the Christmette began at 23:00. St. Lorenz also held a service at 15:00 and the Christvesper at 17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtportal/heiligabend.html https://www.lorenzkirche.de/ ### Silent Night Commemoration in Oberndorf URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/oberndorf-silent-night-commemoration Type: Event Local name: Stille-Nacht-Gedächtnisfeier (de) Also known as: Stille Nacht Gedenkfeier Oberndorf, Silent Night memorial service, Silent Night Chapel Christmas Eve Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Oberndorf bei Salzburg City: Salzburg Address: Stille-Nacht-Platz 1, 5110 Oberndorf bei Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.94550, 12.93640 Kind: Church service When: Every 24 December at 17:00 in front of the chapel. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: It starts at 17:00. Venue: In front of the Silent Night Chapel Website: https://www.salzburgerland.com/de/oberndorf-stille-nacht/ Summary: Stand in front of the Silent Night Chapel at 17:00 on Christmas Eve if the carol is why you came to Salzburg. It's a commemoration with prayer, outdoors, and the square fills well before the start. Silent Night was first sung in Oberndorf's church of St Nikola on the evening of 24 December 1818, after the Christmas Mass. Every Christmas Eve since 1953 people have gathered in front of the memorial chapel on that site at 17:00, and the carol is sung in many languages. It's a religious commemoration, so come to join in or stand quietly at the back. Oberndorf lies on the Salzach about 20 kilometres north of Salzburg. The Silent Night Museum next to the chapel tells the story of Joseph Mohr and Franz Xaver Gruber, and the town's Advent post office franks Christmas letters with a special postmark. Tips: - Visit on an Advent weekday too, when the square is quiet and the museum next door is the main draw. Q: What time is the Silent Night service in Oberndorf on Christmas Eve? A: It starts at 17:00 on 24 December in front of the Silent Night Chapel. It has taken place every year since 1953, and the 2026 programme was not yet published on 10 October. Q: When is Silent Night Commemoration in Oberndorf? A: Silent Night Commemoration in Oberndorf takes place every 24 December at 17:00 in front of the chapel. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Silent Night Commemoration in Oberndorf? A: Silent Night Commemoration in Oberndorf is open it starts at 17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburgerland.com/de/oberndorf-stille-nacht/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night_Chapel ### Passau Cathedral Advent Midday Organ Concerts URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/passau-cathedral-advent-organ-concerts Type: Event Local name: Mittagskonzerte im Advent, Dom St. Stephan (de) Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Passau Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.57420, 13.46550 Kind: Concert When: November to December Next dates: November 28, 2026 to December 19, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Each concert starts at 12:00, with doors from 11:20. Venue: Dom St. Stephan Entry opens: 11:20 Entry: €6 per adult (2026) Summary: The Advent midday organ concerts in Passau cathedral suit market visitors who want to hear one of the largest church organs, at 12:00 from Wednesday to Saturday between 28 November and 19 December 2026; tickets are sold only on the day and run out. Tickets cost €6, or €3 reduced, and go on sale from 10:00 to 12:00 at the Kassenhaus in the cathedral courtyard; only groups of ten or more can book ahead. The organ is being restored in stages until 2028, so some divisions are silent for now. Q: Can you book the Passau cathedral organ concert in advance? A: No, unless you are a registered group of ten or more. Individual tickets for the Advent midday organ concerts are sold on the day from 10:00 at the Kassenhaus in the cathedral courtyard. Q: When is Passau Cathedral Advent Midday Organ Concerts? A: Passau Cathedral Advent Midday Organ Concerts takes place november to December. The next dates we have are November 28, 2026 to December 19, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Passau Cathedral Advent Midday Organ Concerts? A: Passau Cathedral Advent Midday Organ Concerts is open each concert starts at 12:00, with doors from 11:20. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bistum-passau.de/files/downloads/Bistum-Passau/Dommusik_Jahresprogramm_2026_web.pdf ### Christmette in Passau Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/passau-cathedral-christmette Type: Event Local name: Christmette, Pontifikalamt im Dom St. Stephan (de) Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Passau Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.57420, 13.46550 Kind: Church service When: December Next dates: December 24, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Christmas brass music starts at 21:30 and the Christmette at 22:00 on 24 December 2026. Venue: Dom St. Stephan Summary: The Christmette in Passau cathedral suits visitors spending Christmas Eve in Passau who want a sung Mass with choir and orchestra, at 22:00 on 24 December 2026; it is a Pontifical Mass and worship first. The cathedral choir and orchestra sing Wolfram Menschick's Salzburg Stille Nacht Mass with soloists, and brass music opens the evening at 21:30. On Christmas Day a Pontifical Mass follows at 9:30 and Pontifical Vespers at 17:00. Q: When is Christmette in Passau Cathedral? A: Christmette in Passau Cathedral takes place december. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmette in Passau Cathedral? A: Christmette in Passau Cathedral is open christmas brass music starts at 21:30 and the Christmette at 22:00 on 24 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bistum-passau.de/files/downloads/Bistum-Passau/Dommusik_Jahresprogramm_2026_web.pdf ### Sinterklaas Festival in Potsdam URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/potsdam-sinterklaas Type: Event Local name: Sinterklaasfest im Holländischen Viertel (de) Also known as: Sinterklaas Potsdam, Sinterklaas-Fest Potsdam, Dutch Quarter Christmas market Potsdam Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Holländisches Viertel City: Potsdam Address: Holländisches Viertel, Mittelstraße, Potsdam Status: seasonal. Held on 12 and 13 December 2026. Coordinates: 52.40280, 13.06110 Kind: Folk custom When: The weekend after St Nicholas' Day on 6 December. Next dates: December 12, 2026 to December 13, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The organizer's site gives Saturday 11:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 11:00 to 18:00. Some event listings show an hour later on each day. Venue: Holländisches Viertel Entry: Free Website: https://www.sinterklaas-potsdam.de/ Summary: The Sinterklaas Festival in Potsdam suits families who want a Dutch take on St Nicholas inside Germany, and the trade-off is a single weekend. The organizer confirms 12 and 13 December 2026 in the Holländisches Viertel, with free entry. For one weekend Potsdam's Dutch Quarter becomes a Dutch Christmas village. About 100 stalls bring Dutch culture, crafts and food, from kniepertjes wafer rolls to matjes herring and genever. Festival listings put Sinterklaas's arrival on his white horse at around 13:30 on the Saturday. Tips: - Come on Saturday for Sinterklaas's arrival. Q: When is Sinterklaas in Potsdam in 2026? A: The Sinterklaas Festival in Potsdam's Holländisches Viertel runs on 12 and 13 December 2026, from 11:00 to 19:00 on Saturday and 11:00 to 18:00 on Sunday, according to the organizer. Q: What are the opening hours of Sinterklaas Festival in Potsdam? A: Sinterklaas Festival in Potsdam keeps these hours: Sat 11:00–19:00; Sun 11:00–18:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sinterklaas-potsdam.de/termine/ https://www.sinterklaas-potsdam.de/ https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/5972327-3479097-sinterklaasfest-in-potsdam.html https://www.mynewsdesk.com/de/potsdam-marketing-und-service-gmbh/pressreleases/weihnachtliches-potsdam-3414356 https://www.festivalsindeutschland.de/festival/sinterklaas-fest-potsdam https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q895599 ### Old Town Square Christmas Tree Lighting URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/prague-old-town-square-tree-lighting Type: Event Local name: Rozsvícení vánočního stromu na Staroměstském náměstí (cs) Also known as: Prague Christmas tree lighting, Prague tree lighting 2026 Region: Czechia Area: Staré Město City: Prague Address: Staroměstské náměstí, 110 00 Praha 1 Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.08750, 14.42140 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The tree on Old Town Square is lit on the opening day of the Taiko markets, which is the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. Next dates: November 28, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the lights went on at 16:30. Taiko has not published the 2026 time. Venue: Staroměstské náměstí Website: https://trhypraha.cz/en Summary: The tree lighting suits anyone in Prague on the market's first evening who does not mind a dense crowd. The 2026 date is projected from the opening day, Saturday 28 November, because the organizer has not announced the ceremony yet. In 2025 the lighting took place on Saturday 29 November at 16:30, the same day the Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square markets opened. That tree was a 26-metre spruce from the Ústí nad Labem region. Prague's search for the 2026 tree was still running in early October, with tips taken until the middle of the month, so the tree's origin and the ceremony time are both still to come. Tips: - Arrive well before the lighting if you want to see the tree up close. Q: When is Old Town Square Christmas Tree Lighting? A: Old Town Square Christmas Tree Lighting takes place the tree on Old Town Square is lit on the opening day of the Taiko markets, which is the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent. The next dates we have are November 28, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Old Town Square Christmas Tree Lighting? A: Old Town Square Christmas Tree Lighting is open in 2025 the lights went on at 16:30. Taiko has not published the 2026 time. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://trhypraha.cz/en https://trhypraha.cz/en/dates-of-markets http://trhypraha.cz/ https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/a-comlete-guide-to-christmas-markets-in-prague-this-year-2024-vaoqu https://www.e15.cz/vanocni-trhy-praha-2025 ### Christmas Midnight Mass at St Vitus Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/prague-st-vitus-midnight-mass Type: Event Local name: Půlnoční mše svatá v katedrále sv. Víta (cs) Also known as: Prague midnight Mass, St Vitus Christmas Mass, pulnocni mse Praha Region: Czechia Area: Hradčany City: Prague Address: III. nádvoří Pražského hradu, 119 00 Praha 1 Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.09080, 14.40060 Kind: Church service When: The Archbishop of Prague celebrates midnight Mass in the cathedral on the night of 24 December. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2023 the Mass began at 24:00 and the doors opened at 23:25. The 2026 time is not published. Venue: St Vitus Cathedral Website: https://www.katedralasvatehovita.cz/bohosluzby/ Summary: Midnight Mass at St Vitus suits visitors who want to mark Christmas Eve in Prague's cathedral and will treat the night as worship. The 2026 timetable is not out, so the date below is projected and the times come from 2023. This is a Catholic Mass and a service of worship, celebrated by the Archbishop of Prague, and visitors join a congregation. In 2023 Archbishop Jan Graubner celebrated it, carols greeted people from 23:25, and the Mass at 24:00 included Jakub Jan Ryba's Czech Christmas Mass. The cathedral also streamed it online through katedrala.tv. Attending a service at St Vitus is free and needs no registration. Tips: - Check the bohoslužby page of katedralasvatehovita.cz in December for the 2026 time. - If you cannot get in, the Mass has been streamed on katedrala.tv. Q: When is Christmas Midnight Mass at St Vitus Cathedral? A: Christmas Midnight Mass at St Vitus Cathedral takes place the Archbishop of Prague celebrates midnight Mass in the cathedral on the night of 24 December. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Midnight Mass at St Vitus Cathedral? A: Christmas Midnight Mass at St Vitus Cathedral is open in 2023 the Mass began at 24:00 and the doors opened at 23:25. The 2026 time is not published. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.katedralasvatehovita.cz/bohosluzby/ https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/domaci-zivot-v-cesku-pulnocni-mse-vanoce-242201 ### Christmas Day Pontifical Mass with the Regensburger Domspatzen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/regensburg-cathedral-christmas-day-mass Type: Event Local name: Pontifikalmesse am Hochfest der Geburt des Herrn (de) Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Regensburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.01950, 12.09830 Kind: Church service When: December Next dates: December 25, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The Pontifical Mass starts at 10:00 on Friday 25 December 2026. Venue: Dom St. Peter Summary: The Christmas Day Pontifical Mass in Regensburg Cathedral suits visitors who want to hear the Domspatzen in daylight, at 10:00 on 25 December 2026; it is a Mass and worship first. The boys' choir and a men's schola sing under Christian Heiß, with Franz Josef Stoiber at the organ. A sung Vespers follows later on Christmas Day with the cathedral's vocal quintet. Q: When is Christmas Day Pontifical Mass with the Regensburger Domspatzen? A: Christmas Day Pontifical Mass with the Regensburger Domspatzen takes place december. The next dates we have are December 25, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Day Pontifical Mass with the Regensburger Domspatzen? A: Christmas Day Pontifical Mass with the Regensburger Domspatzen is open the Pontifical Mass starts at 10:00 on Friday 25 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/pontifikalmesse-geburt-des-herrn-5/ https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/ ### Christmette with the Regensburger Domspatzen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/regensburg-cathedral-christmette Type: Event Local name: Christmette im Regensburger Dom (de) Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Regensburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.01950, 12.09830 Kind: Church service When: December Next dates: December 24, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The Christmette starts at 22:00 on Thursday 24 December 2026. Venue: Dom St. Peter Summary: The Christmette in Regensburg Cathedral suits visitors who want to attend Christmas Eve Mass with the Regensburger Domspatzen, at 22:00 on 24 December 2026; it is a Mass and worship first, so plan to stay for the whole service. The Domspatzen boys' choir sings under Domkapellmeister Christian Heiß with a men's schola, and Franz Josef Stoiber plays the organ. The choir sings motets, hymns and psalms in falsobordone settings. The listing names no ticket, so expect a full cathedral and come early. Q: When is Christmette with the Regensburger Domspatzen? A: Christmette with the Regensburger Domspatzen takes place december. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmette with the Regensburger Domspatzen? A: Christmette with the Regensburger Domspatzen is open the Christmette starts at 22:00 on Thursday 24 December 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/christmette-5/ https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/ ### Arrival of the Rothenburg Reiterle URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/rothenburg-reiterle-arrival Type: Event Local name: Ankunft des Rothenburger Reiterle (de) Also known as: Reiterle opening Rothenburg, Rothenburger Reiterle Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Marktplatz, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Status: seasonal Coordinates: 49.37710, 10.17920 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The Friday before the first Sunday of Advent, at 17:00. Next dates: November 27, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the Reiterle rode onto the Marktplatz at 17:00. Venue: Marktplatz Website: https://www.rothenburg-tourismus.de/reiterlesmarkt Summary: The Reiterle, the legendary horseman who gives Rothenburg's Christmas market its name, rides onto the Marktplatz on the Friday before Advent, which falls on 27 November in 2026. It suits families and anyone in Rothenburg that evening; the 2026 date is projected from the 2025 programme. Since 2025 Rothenburg opens its Reiterlesmarkt a week earlier than it used to, and the Reiterle keeps its own evening on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent. In 2025 the rider came onto the Marktplatz on horseback at 17:00 on 28 November to open the Christmas season. The tourism service hasn't posted the 2026 programme, so 27 November is our projection from that pattern. Old Rothenburg believed the Reiterle carried the souls of the dead through the winter sky. Over the centuries the figure softened into a welcome messenger of Christmas, which is the version that rides in today. The market around it takes its name from the rider. Tips: - Arrive at the Marktplatz before 17:00 if you want to see the Reiterle ride in. Q: When does the Reiterle arrive at the Rothenburg Christmas market? A: The Reiterle rides onto the Rothenburg Marktplatz on the Friday before Advent; in 2025 it arrived at 17:00 on 28 November. For 2026 that Friday is 27 November, a projected date until Rothenburg Tourismus Service publishes its programme. Q: What are the opening hours of Arrival of the Rothenburg Reiterle? A: Arrival of the Rothenburg Reiterle is open in 2025 the Reiterle rode onto the Marktplatz at 17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://stadt.rothenburg.de/nachrichten/artikel/rothenburger-reiterlesmarkt-2025 https://www.rothenburg-tourismus.de/reiterlesmarkt https://www.rothenburg.de/fileadmin/Tourismus/Bilder/Veranstaltungen/Reiterlesmarkt/RTS_BR_Reiterlesmarkt_2025_EN_WEB.pdf ### Salzburger Adventsingen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-adventsingen Type: Event Also known as: Salzburg Advent Singing, Adventsingen Grosses Festspielhaus Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Altstadt City: Salzburg Address: Hofstallgasse 1, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.79860, 13.04110 Kind: Concert When: The first three Advent weekends in the Grosses Festspielhaus. Next dates: November 27, 2026 to December 13, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Performances last about 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval. Venue: Grosses Festspielhaus Website: https://www.salzburgeradventsingen.at/ Summary: Book the Adventsingen if you want a seated evening of Alpine Advent music in Salzburg's biggest hall. It sells through the organizer and plays only on the first three Advent weekends. The Salzburger Adventsingen has run for more than 75 years and passed a thousand performances. The 2026 programme is a staged oratorio by Hans Köhl and Shane Woodborne under the title Das große Geheimnis, and it marks the end of Köhl's 27 years as artistic director. Each show runs about 1 hour 40 minutes without an interval. Tickets sell through the organizer's online shop, by phone and at the Salzburger Heimatwerk on the Residenzplatz. The organizer also offers a free stream. Tips: - Pick a 14:00 show if you want the markets after dark. The 17:30 show ends around 19:10, which still leaves time on the Domplatz. Q: When is the Salzburger Adventsingen in 2026? A: From 27 November to 13 December 2026 in the Grosses Festspielhaus, on the first three Advent weekends, with a holiday show on 8 December. Q: What are the opening hours of Salzburger Adventsingen? A: Salzburger Adventsingen is open performances last about 1 hour 40 minutes with no interval. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburgeradventsingen.at/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q669768 ### Christmas Eve at Salzburg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-cathedral-christmas-eve Type: Event Local name: Heiliger Abend im Dom zu Salzburg (de) Also known as: Christmette Salzburger Dom, Salzburg Cathedral midnight Mass, Christmas Mass Salzburg Cathedral Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Altstadt City: Salzburg Address: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.79780, 13.04690 Kind: Church service When: Christmas Eve, with Vespers in the afternoon and the Christmas Mass late in the evening. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (announced) Hours: Pontifical Vespers starts at 15:00. The youth choir sings carols from 23:00, and the Christmas Mass begins at 23:30. Venue: Salzburg Cathedral Website: https://www.salzburger-dom.at/ Summary: Christmas Eve in Salzburg Cathedral pairs the late Mass with Mozart's Organ Solo Mass, sung by the cathedral's own musicians. It's a Mass first, so come to take part quietly, and expect the nave to fill. The cathedral marks Christmas Eve twice. Pontifical Vespers at 15:00 is sung by the seminary's chant schola with the cathedral musicians. Late in the evening the youth choir sings carols from 23:00, and at 23:30 the Christmas Mass begins with Mozart's Organ Solo Mass, K. 259, sung by soloists, the youth choir and the cathedral orchestra. This is worship, and visitors are guests at it. Stay for the whole Mass once you sit down, stand and sit with the congregation, and keep phones away. The Christkindlmarkt outside closes at 15:00 that day. Tips: - Pair it with the 17:00 Silent Night commemoration in Oberndorf only if you have a car or a confirmed late train back, since the two fall on the same evening. Q: What time is Midnight Mass at Salzburg Cathedral? A: Salzburg's tourist board lists the Christmas Mass on 24 December 2026 at 23:30, after carols from 23:00. Q: When is Christmas Eve at Salzburg Cathedral? A: Christmas Eve at Salzburg Cathedral takes place christmas Eve, with Vespers in the afternoon and the Christmas Mass late in the evening. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, announced. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Eve at Salzburg Cathedral? A: Christmas Eve at Salzburg Cathedral is open pontifical Vespers starts at 15:00. The youth choir sings carols from 23:00, and the Christmas Mass begins at 23:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburg.info/de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungskalender/heiliger-abend-im-dom-zu-salzburg_event_42149210 https://salzburg.info/de/sehenswertes/kirchen-friedhoefe/salzburger-dom ### Hohensalzburg Krampus Parade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-fortress-krampus-parade Type: Event Local name: Krampuslauf der Stefani-Perchten (de) Also known as: Festung Krampuslauf, Stefani-Perchten Hohensalzburg Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Festungsberg City: Salzburg Address: Mönchsberg 34, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.79500, 13.04720 Kind: Folk custom When: The Stefani-Perchten parade through the fortress courtyard on the first Advent Sunday afternoon. Next dates: November 29, 2026 (announced) Hours: The parade starts at 15:00. Venue: Burghof of Hohensalzburg Fortress Website: https://www.festung-hohensalzburg.at/ Summary: This daytime parade is the gentlest way to meet Krampus in Salzburg, billed as family-friendly and over before dark. You need to get up to the fortress, by the steep lane or the paid funicular. The Stefani-Perchten bring their Krampus figures into the Burghof of Hohensalzburg at 15:00 on 29 November, the first Sunday of the fortress Advent market. The tourist board describes it as a Krampus run for families. Brass bands play in the courtyard from 15:30, so you can stay on for the music and the view as the lights come on below. Masked runners come right up to the crowd, and some will touch or crowd spectators at the front. Stand further back if you or your children don't want contact, and tell children beforehand what they'll see. Nobody should grab at the costumes or masks. Tips: - Walk up the Festungsgasse for free, or pay for the Festungsbahn funicular to save the climb. Q: Is there a family-friendly Krampus run in Salzburg? A: Yes. The Stefani-Perchten parade through the fortress courtyard at 15:00 on Sunday 29 November 2026, and the tourist board bills it as family-friendly. Q: When is Hohensalzburg Krampus Parade? A: Hohensalzburg Krampus Parade takes place the Stefani-Perchten parade through the fortress courtyard on the first Advent Sunday afternoon. The next dates we have are November 29, 2026, announced. Q: What are the opening hours of Hohensalzburg Krampus Parade? A: Hohensalzburg Krampus Parade is open the parade starts at 15:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburg.info/de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungskalender/adventmarkt-auf-der-festung-hohensalzburg_event_41302821 ### Hellbrunn Krampus Run URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-hellbrunn-krampus-run Type: Event Local name: Lauf der Grossgmainer Krampusse (de) Also known as: Krampuslauf Hellbrunn, Grossgmainer Krampusse Hellbrunn Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Hellbrunn City: Salzburg Address: Fürstenweg 37, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.76220, 13.06080 Kind: Folk custom When: The Grossgmain Krampus group runs at the Hellbrunn Advent market in early December. Next dates: December 4, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The run starts at 18:00 on 4 December. The Tag der Krampusse follows on 13 December, with no time published yet. Venue: Courtyard of Schloss Hellbrunn Entry: €8 per person (2026) Website: https://www.hellbrunneradventzauber.at/ Summary: Hellbrunn's Krampus run suits families who want to see the custom in a palace courtyard with an earlier start than the city run. The market's €8 entry applies until 19:00. The Grossgmain Krampus group performs a pole dance in the Schlosshof and has become a fixed part of the Hellbrunn market. The organizer suggests standing in front of the stairs for the best view. The Krampuswelt exhibition by the Anif Krampus group shows original masks and costumes all season. On 13 December the Tag der Krampusse brings members of the Anif group out without their masks. They talk about the custom, explain how a Krampus differs from a Percht and let visitors try a mask on, which suits children who are nervous of the run. Masked runners come right up to the crowd, and some will touch or crowd spectators at the front. Stand further back if you or your children don't want contact, and tell children beforehand what they'll see. Nobody should grab at the costumes or masks. Tips: - Choose 13 December over 4 December for younger children, since the figures appear unmasked. Q: When is the Krampus run at Hellbrunn in 2026? A: Friday 4 December 2026 at 18:00 in the courtyard of Schloss Hellbrunn. Q: What are the opening hours of Hellbrunn Krampus Run? A: Hellbrunn Krampus Run is open the run starts at 18:00 on 4 December. The Tag der Krampusse follows on 13 December, with no time published yet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hellbrunneradventzauber.at/hellbrunner-weihnachtswelt/krampuswelt/ https://www.hellbrunneradventzauber.at/info-service/eintritt/ ### Salzburg Krampus Run URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-krampus-run Type: Event Local name: Lauf der Krampusse (de) Also known as: Krampuslauf Salzburg, Salzburg Krampus parade, Krampus run Domplatz Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Domplatz City: Salzburg Address: Domplatz, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.79792, 13.04546 Kind: Folk custom When: Krampus groups run on the eve of St Nicholas, 5 December, on the market's big stage. Next dates: December 5, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The run is expected to start at about 19:00. The next afternoon, 6 December, St Nicholas and a children's Krampus group visit the market at 15:30. Venue: Big stage on the Domplatz Website: https://www.christkindlmarkt.co.at/ Summary: Come to the Domplatz on 5 December if you want to see Salzburg's Krampus figures in full costume at night. It's loud and crowded, and small children may find it frightening. Krampus is the horned, fur-clad companion of St Nicholas in Alpine custom, and on 5 December his groups take over the stage in front of the cathedral. The organizer gives about 19:00 as the start and marks the time as provisional. On the afternoon of 6 December St Nicholas comes to the market with a children's Krampus group at 15:30, and the Christkind follows at 16:00. Masked runners come right up to the crowd, and some will touch or crowd spectators at the front. Stand further back if you or your children don't want contact, and tell children beforehand what they'll see. Nobody should grab at the costumes or masks. Tips: - Bring younger children to the 6 December afternoon visit instead, when St Nicholas leads and the children's Krampus group is gentler. - Check the market's website on the day, because the 19:00 start is marked provisional. Q: When is the Krampus run in Salzburg in 2026? A: The Christkindlmarkt organizer lists Saturday 5 December 2026 at about 19:00 on the Domplatz. Q: What are the opening hours of Salzburg Krampus Run? A: Salzburg Krampus Run is open the run is expected to start at about 19:00. The next afternoon, 6 December, St Nicholas and a children's Krampus group visit the market at 15:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/krampus-nikolo-perchten/ https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine/ ### Salzburg Perchten Run URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-perchtenlauf Type: Event Local name: Perchtenlauf (de) Also known as: Perchtenlauf Salzburg, Salzburg Perchten parade, First Rauhnacht Perchten run Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Domplatz City: Salzburg Address: Domplatz, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.79792, 13.04546 Kind: Folk custom When: The Perchten run on 21 December, which the organizer counts as the first of the Rauhnächte, the dark nights around the turn of the year. Next dates: December 21, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The run is expected to start at about 19:00. Venue: Big stage on the Domplatz Website: https://www.christkindlmarkt.co.at/ Summary: Catch the Perchten on the Domplatz on 21 December if you're in Salzburg for the last week before Christmas. Like the Krampus run, it's noisy and crowded and better for older children. The Perchten are masked winter figures of Salzburg custom, linked to the Rauhnächte, the long nights between the solstice and Epiphany. The market's organizer puts their run on the big stage in front of the cathedral on 21 December, the first of those nights, at about 19:00. Masked runners come right up to the crowd, and some will touch or crowd spectators at the front. Stand further back if you or your children don't want contact, and tell children beforehand what they'll see. Nobody should grab at the costumes or masks. Tips: - The start time is marked provisional, so check the market's website on the day. Q: When is the Perchtenlauf in Salzburg in 2026? A: The Christkindlmarkt organizer lists Monday 21 December 2026 at about 19:00 on the Domplatz. Q: What are the opening hours of Salzburg Perchten Run? A: Salzburg Perchten Run is open the run is expected to start at about 19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/krampus-nikolo-perchten/ https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine/ ### Salzburg Turmblasen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/salzburg-turmblasen Type: Event Local name: Traditionelles Salzburger Turmblasen (de) Also known as: Salzburg tower brass, Turmblasen Residenzplatz, Advent tower music Salzburg Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Residenzplatz City: Salzburg Address: Residenzplatz, 5020 Salzburg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 47.79852, 13.04649 Kind: Concert When: Thursday and Saturday evenings at 18:30 from the opening of the Christkindlmarkt to the Saturday before Christmas. Next dates: November 19, 2026 to December 19, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Each performance starts at 18:30. A youth ensemble from the Musikum Salzburg plays on the Domplatz on Wednesdays at 18:00. Venue: Residenzplatz, played from three towers Website: https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/traditionelles-salzburger-turmblasen/ Summary: The Turmblasen is the sound of Advent in Salzburg, and it costs nothing to stand on the Residenzplatz and listen. It plays only on Thursday and Saturday evenings, so build those into your days. Brass players perform Advent music from three towers around the Residenzplatz, and the sound drops onto the market below. Tobi Reiser started the custom in 1952, and the Christkindlmarkt association has run it since 2008. On Wednesdays at 18:00 a young ensemble from the Musikum Salzburg plays on the Domplatz instead. Tips: - Find a spot on the open Residenzplatz a few minutes before 18:30 and face the towers, since the music comes from above. Q: When is the Turmblasen in Salzburg? A: Thursdays and Saturdays at 18:30 on the Residenzplatz from 19 November to 19 December 2026. Q: What are the opening hours of Salzburg Turmblasen? A: Salzburg Turmblasen is open each performance starts at 18:30. A youth ensemble from the Musikum Salzburg plays on the Domplatz on Wednesdays at 18:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/traditionelles-salzburger-turmblasen/ https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine/ ### Seiffen Great Miners' Parade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/seiffen-grosse-bergparade Type: Event Local name: Große Bergparade Seiffen (de) Also known as: Seiffen Bergparade, Bergparade Seiffen, Seiffen miners' parade Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Erzgebirge City: Seiffen Address: Ortszentrum, 09548 Kurort Seiffen Status: seasonal Coordinates: 50.64830, 13.45220 Kind: Procession When: The village's large miners' parade falls on a Saturday in Advent and brings more than 400 people in miners' dress through the centre. Next dates: December 12, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The parade starts at 15:30 on 12 December 2026, and the market stays open until 20:00 that Saturday. Venue: Village centre of Seiffen Entry opens: 15:30 Website: https://seiffen.de/weihnachten/ Summary: Seiffen's Große Bergparade suits families who want a miners' parade in the toy village with the market open into the evening, and the stalls stay open into the evening that Saturday. It starts at 15:30 on 12 December 2026. More than 400 people in miners' costume march through Seiffen's centre for the Große Bergparade. The village holds a smaller parade at 09:30 on 28 November 2026 to open the Seiffener Weihnacht. On a Saturday the stalls stay open until 20:00, so you can stay on after dark. Tips: - Plan your journey home before you go; the parade ends as the mid-December light fades. Q: When is the Seiffen miners' parade in 2026? A: The Große Bergparade in Seiffen starts at 15:30 on Saturday 12 December 2026, according to the village. A small parade opens the market at 09:30 on 28 November 2026. Q: What are the opening hours of Seiffen Great Miners' Parade? A: Seiffen Great Miners' Parade is open the parade starts at 15:30 on 12 December 2026, and the market stays open until 20:00 that Saturday. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://seiffen.de/weihnachten/ ### Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/strasbourg-cathedral-midnight-mass Type: Event Local name: Messe de Minuit à la cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg (fr) Also known as: Strasbourg Cathedral Christmas Eve Mass, Messe de Minuit Strasbourg Region: Alsace Area: Grande Île City: Strasbourg Address: Place de la Cathédrale, 67000 Strasbourg Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.58190, 7.75100 Kind: Church service When: A Christmas vigil of carols, music and organ starts at 23:30 and Midnight Mass begins at midnight, going by the 2025 programme. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: 2025 times: family Mass at 17:00 with doors at 16:30, vigil at 23:30 with doors at 23:00, then Midnight Mass. On 25 December the Gregorian schola sang Mass at 09:30, and another Mass followed at 11:00. Venue: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg Summary: Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral suits visitors who want to join Christmas Eve worship in the Gothic nave, and it is a Mass and worship first. The 2026 times are not out, so the 24 December date is projected; in 2025 a vigil began at 23:30 and the Mass at midnight. The cathedral lists its Christmas Masses as free and open to all, and nobody needs a reservation. In 2025 it closed to visitors on the afternoon of 24 December, opened at 16:30 for a 17:00 family Mass and opened again at 23:00 for a vigil of carols, music and organ. The Chœur de Notre-Dame sang the Midnight Mass. Tips: - Bags are checked at the door, so travel light and have yours open. Q: Is there a Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral? A: Yes. In 2025 Strasbourg Cathedral held a Christmas vigil at 23:30 and Midnight Mass with the Chœur de Notre-Dame at midnight on 24 December. The Masses are free and need no reservation, and the 2026 times are not published yet. Q: When is Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral takes place a Christmas vigil of carols, music and organ starts at 23:30 and Midnight Mass begins at midnight, going by the 2025 programme. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral is open 2025 times: family Mass at 17:00 with doors at 16:30, vigil at 23:30 with doors at 23:00, then Midnight Mass. On 25 December the Gregorian schola sang Mass at 09:30, and another Mass followed at 11:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/noel https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/horaires_acces https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/tenues-vestimentaires ### Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/stuttgart-advent-organ-music Type: Event Local name: Orgelmusik zum Weihnachtsmarkt (de) Also known as: Orgelmusik zum Weihnachtsmarkt Stuttgart, Stiftskirche organ half-hour Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Stuttgart-Mitte City: Stuttgart Address: Stiftstraße 12, 70173 Stuttgart Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.77670, 9.17810 Kind: Concert When: A half-hour of Advent organ music every day at 13:15 during the market, with chorale preludes, solo works and improvisations on carols. The Stiftsmusik organists and guests from the region play 21 different programmes. Next dates: November 30, 2026 to December 22, 2026 (announced) Hours: Daily 13:15 to 13:45. Monday to Saturday in the Stiftskirche on the Mühleisen organ; on Sundays in the Schlosskirche in the Altes Schloss on the Queen Katharina organ. Venue: Stiftskirche, and the Schlosskirche on Sundays Entry: €4 per person (2026) Price from: €4 per person (2026) Summary: The organ half-hour suits anyone who needs a seat and some quiet in the middle of a market day, at 13:15 right off Schillerplatz. It lasts thirty minutes, which fits neatly into a lunch break. The Stiftsmusik Stuttgart runs the series, led by church music director Kay Johannsen, every day from 30 November to 22 December 2026. The market's organizer bills it as a calm, restoring pause at midday. Expect chorale preludes and improvised variations on carols you will know. Tips: - Arrive a few minutes early if you want a seat. Q: When is Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche? A: Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche takes place a half-hour of Advent organ music every day at 13:15 during the market, with chorale preludes, solo works and improvisations on carols. The Stiftsmusik organists and guests from the region play 21 different programmes. The next dates we have are November 30, 2026 to December 22, 2026, announced. Q: What are the opening hours of Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche? A: Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche is open daily 13:15 to 13:45. Monday to Saturday in the Stiftskirche on the Mühleisen organ; on Sundays in the Schlosskirche in the Altes Schloss on the Queen Katharina organ. Q: How much does Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche cost? A: Prices at Advent organ music at the Stiftskirche start at €4 per person (2026). Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stuttgart.de/veranstaltungskalender/veranstaltungen/orgelmusik-zum-weihnachtsmarkt-2026-535390 https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/konzerte/stiftskirche-konzerte/ ### Stuttgart Christmas Market opening URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/stuttgart-christmas-market-opening Type: Event Local name: Eröffnung des Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkts (de) Also known as: Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt Eröffnung, Stuttgart market opening ceremony Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Stuttgart-Mitte City: Stuttgart Address: Altes Schloss, Schillerplatz 6, 70173 Stuttgart Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.77720, 9.17920 Kind: Opening ceremony When: The market opens with a ceremony in the arcaded Renaissance courtyard of the Altes Schloss on its first evening. In 2025 it began at 18:00, an hour after the stalls opened. Next dates: November 25, 2026 (announced) Hours: The 2026 start time is not published yet. In 2025 the ceremony began at 18:00 and the stalls opened at 17:00. Venue: Renaissance courtyard of the Altes Schloss Website: https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de Summary: The opening suits anyone in Stuttgart on the first night who likes a ceremony in a handsome setting, because it takes place in the arcaded Renaissance courtyard of the Altes Schloss. The courtyard is small next to the crowds the market draws, so arrive well before the start. The Christmas concert series that follows uses the same courtyard on almost every evening of the market, so a later night works if you miss the opening. Watch the organizer's news page in November for the 2026 time and programme. Tips: - Get into the courtyard early and stand under the arcades if it rains. Q: When is Stuttgart Christmas Market opening? A: Stuttgart Christmas Market opening takes place the market opens with a ceremony in the arcaded Renaissance courtyard of the Altes Schloss on its first evening. In 2025 it began at 18:00, an hour after the stalls opened. The next dates we have are November 25, 2026, announced. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://presse.stuttgart-tourist.de/_Resources/Persistent/1/3/b/d/13bda869a5e2e264ad3f965d79d269bf9d6d5dd3/05_Weihnachtsstadt_Stuttgart.pdf https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/aktuelles/ https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.das-sollten-besucher-wissen-preise-anreise-programm-alle-infos-zum-weihnachtsmarkt-in-stuttgart.f2aac63f-0fb7-4f79-95da-f47ee769d7b7.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q384841 ### Tower brass at the Stiftskirche URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/stuttgart-stiftskirche-tower-brass Type: Event Local name: Turmbläser der Stiftskirche (de) Also known as: Stuttgart Turmbläser, Turmblasen Stiftskirche Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Stuttgart-Mitte City: Stuttgart Address: Stiftstraße 12, 70173 Stuttgart Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.77670, 9.17810 Kind: Concert When: Trombone choirs from Stuttgart and the region climb the 232 steps of the Stiftskirche's west tower and play Advent and Christmas music from about 60 metres up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings of every market weekend. Next dates: November 25, 2026 to December 23, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Evenings from Friday to Sunday during the market. The organizer posts the groups and times shortly before the opening. Venue: West tower of the Stiftskirche Summary: The tower brass suit anyone walking the market on a weekend evening, because you hear them from the square for free. Times are not published until just before the market, so you may need to ask at the info stand. Brass playing from this tower goes back to 1618, and today the tower players still sound out on Tuesday and Thursday mornings at 8:45. During the market the trombone choirs take over on weekend evenings with Advent music. Tips: - Listen from Schillerplatz, where the tower stands right over the stalls. Q: When is Tower brass at the Stiftskirche? A: Tower brass at the Stiftskirche takes place trombone choirs from Stuttgart and the region climb the 232 steps of the Stiftskirche's west tower and play Advent and Christmas music from about 60 metres up on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings of every market weekend. The next dates we have are November 25, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Tower brass at the Stiftskirche? A: Tower brass at the Stiftskirche is open evenings from Friday to Sunday during the market. The organizer posts the groups and times shortly before the opening. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/konzerte/stiftskirche-turmblaeser/ ### Turckheim Night Watchman's Round URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/turckheim-night-watchman Type: Event Local name: La ronde du veilleur de nuit de Turckheim (fr) Also known as: Turckheim night watchman, Veilleur de nuit Turckheim Region: Alsace Area: Old town City: Turckheim Address: Corps de Garde, Place Turenne, 68230 Turckheim Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.08640, 7.28060 Kind: Folk custom When: The watchman sets off at 21:00 and the agenda blocks out 21:00 to 22:30 for the round. Next dates: December 1, 2026 to December 30, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Rounds start at 21:00 from the Corps de Garde on Place Turenne. Venue: Corps de Garde, Place Turenne Entry: Free Website: https://www.noel-colmar.com/agenda-de-noel/F235015751_la-ronde-de-lunique-et-authentique-veilleur-de-nuit-pendant-lavent-turckheim Summary: Turckheim's night watchman suits anyone staying near Colmar who wants a free Alsatian custom after the markets shut. He walks the town in period costume at 21:00 every evening from 1 to 30 December 2026 (confirmed), except 24 and 25 December. The watchman wears period dress with a tricorn hat and carries a halberd, a lantern and a horn. He starts from the Corps de Garde on Place Turenne, tells stories of the town along the way and sings his calls in Alsatian. The Société d'Histoire Wickram organizes the rounds. Tips: - Wait at the Corps de Garde on Place Turenne a few minutes before 21:00. Q: When does the Turckheim night watchman walk? A: Turckheim's night watchman sets off at 21:00 every evening from 1 to 30 December 2026, except 24 and 25 December. The round is free and starts from the Corps de Garde on Place Turenne. Q: What are the opening hours of Turckheim Night Watchman's Round? A: Turckheim Night Watchman's Round keeps these hours: Mon–Sun 21:00–22:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.noel-colmar.com/agenda-de-noel/F235015751_la-ronde-de-lunique-et-authentique-veilleur-de-nuit-pendant-lavent-turckheim https://www.noel-colmar.com/agenda-de-noel/F235015768_le-marche-de-noel-des-lutins-turckheim ### Valkenburg Christmas Parade URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/valkenburg-christmas-parade Type: Event Local name: Landal Christmas Parade (nl) Also known as: Landal Christmas Parade, Kerstparade Valkenburg, Valkenburg light parade Region: The Netherlands Area: Valkenburg aan de Geul old town City: Valkenburg Address: Streets of Valkenburg's historic centre Status: seasonal. Nine evening parades between 14 November and 30 December 2026. Coordinates: 50.86520, 5.83210 Kind: Procession When: Saturday evenings from mid-November, with a second weekly parade on Wednesdays through December, ending on 30 December. Next dates: November 14, 2026 to December 30, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Saturday parades start at 19:30 on 14, 21 and 28 November and 12 and 19 December 2026. Wednesday parades start at 19:00 on 9, 16, 23 and 30 December. There is no parade on Saturday 5 December (pakjesavond) or Saturday 26 December. Website: https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/te-doen/christmas-parade/ Summary: The Valkenburg Christmas Parade is a lit procession of floats and costumed dancers through the old town, and it suits families who can stay out into the evening, though it runs on a handful of evenings and most of them are Saturdays, when the town is at its busiest. In 2026 it runs on Saturdays at 19:30 from 14 November and adds Wednesdays at 19:00 from 9 December, with the last parade on 30 December. Valkenburg's parade goes out after dark, so the lights on the floats carry the whole show. Dancers in costume ride on the wagons and act out a story, and the music was written for the parade, which you can hear on Spotify before you go. The route winds through the narrow streets of the historic centre. Pick a Wednesday in December if you can. Kerststad Valkenburg asks everyone to avoid weekends, and a Saturday parade adds to an already full day. Locals who come by bike can use a free guarded bike park on the Kerkstraat, near the Halderstraat. Tips: - Pair a Wednesday parade with an afternoon slot in one of the cave markets; the caves close at 19:00, just as the Wednesday parade starts. - Kerststad Valkenburg recommends coming by train. Parking in town costs up to €12 a day during the season, and the Cauberg car park can be booked ahead. Q: When is the Valkenburg Christmas Parade in 2026? A: The Valkenburg Christmas Parade runs on Saturdays 14, 21 and 28 November and 12 and 19 December 2026 at 19:30, and on Wednesdays 9, 16, 23 and 30 December at 19:00. There is no parade on 5 or 26 December. Q: Is the Valkenburg Christmas Parade on a weekday? A: Yes, in December. From 9 December 2026 the parade also runs on Wednesday evenings at 19:00, and Kerststad Valkenburg asks visitors to come on weekdays when they can. Q: What are the opening hours of Valkenburg Christmas Parade? A: Valkenburg Christmas Parade keeps these hours: Sat 19:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/te-doen/christmas-parade/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/te-doen/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/faq/faq-bereikbaarheid/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q100076 ### Vienna Boys Choir Christmas Concert at MuTh URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/vienna-boys-choir-christmas-concert Type: Event Local name: GUTE HIRTEN: Weihnachten mit den Wiener Sängerknaben (de) Also known as: Gute Hirten, Vienna Boys Choir Christmas concert, Wiener Sängerknaben Weihnachtskonzert, MuTh Christmas concert Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Leopoldstadt City: Vienna Address: Am Augartenspitz 1, 1020 Wien Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.22010, 16.37990 Kind: Concert When: Five Christmas concerts in early and late December, matinees at 16:00 on the weekend and evenings at 19:00. Next dates: December 4, 2026 to December 22, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: Weekday concerts start at 19:00 and the weekend ones at 16:00, each with an interval. Venue: MuTh, the Vienna Boys Choir's concert hall Entry: €61 per person (2026) Price from: €14 per person (2026) Website: https://muth.at/programm/gute-hirten-2026-12-04/ Booking: https://muth.at/programm/gute-hirten-2026-12-04/ Summary: The Vienna Boys Choir's Christmas concert, GUTE HIRTEN, plays five times at the choir's own hall, MuTh, between 4 and 22 December 2026, and it suits families with children from age 4. Tickets cost €61 to €74, with under-26 seats from €14. The concert takes its name from the shepherds of the Christmas story. The Vienna Boys Choir sings with Chorus Juventus and the Schubert Akademie under Jimmy Chiang, in a programme of Haydn, Handel and Britten followed by well-loved carols. The audience is invited to sing along to Joy to the World. The choir performs in its own concert hall at the tip of the Augarten in Vienna's 2nd district. The weekend matinees at 16:00 on 5 and 6 December are the best fit for younger children. Tips: - Book through the MuTh ticket line on +43 1 347 80 80, open on weekdays from 10:00 to 14:00, or at tickets@muth.at. - Anyone under 26 qualifies for Junges MuTh seats from €14. Q: When does the Vienna Boys Choir give Christmas concerts in Vienna in 2026? A: The Vienna Boys Choir sings its Christmas concert GUTE HIRTEN at MuTh on 4 December at 19:00, on 5 and 6 December at 16:00, and on 21 and 22 December 2026 at 19:00. Q: How much do Vienna Boys Choir Christmas concert tickets cost? A: Tickets for GUTE HIRTEN at MuTh cost €61 to €74 in 2026, and €82 for VIP seats. Visitors under 26 pay €14 to €25. Q: Is the Vienna Boys Choir Christmas concert suitable for children? A: Yes. MuTh recommends GUTE HIRTEN for children aged 4 and up. Q: What are the opening hours of Vienna Boys Choir Christmas Concert at MuTh? A: Vienna Boys Choir Christmas Concert at MuTh is open weekday concerts start at 19:00 and the weekend ones at 16:00, each with an interval. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://muth.at/programm/gute-hirten-2026-12-04/ https://muth.at/ ### Christmas Day Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofburg Chapel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/vienna-hofburgkapelle-christmas-mass Type: Event Local name: Heilige Messe am Christtag in der Hofburgkapelle (de) Also known as: Vienna Boys Choir Christmas Mass, Wiener Sängerknaben Christtag Messe, Hofburgkapelle Christmas Mass, Imperial Chapel Christmas Mass Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Hofburg, Schweizerhof, 1010 Wien Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.20660, 16.36590 Kind: Church service When: Mass at 09:15 on Christmas Day, with an orchestral Mass setting sung by the Vienna Boys Choir. Next dates: December 25, 2026 (confirmed) Hours: The 2026 Christmas Day Mass begins at 09:15. The box office in the Schweizerhof opens from 08:00 to 08:45 on the day. Venue: Hofburgkapelle (Hofburg Chapel) Entry opens: 08:00 Entry: €14 per person (2026) Price from: €14 per person (2026) Website: https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/programm/messen Booking: https://www.culturall.com/ticket/hmk/ Summary: On Christmas Day 2026 the Vienna Boys Choir sings Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai at the 09:15 Mass in the Hofburg Chapel, and it suits anyone who wants to hear the choir in the setting it was founded for. It is a Catholic Mass and worship first, and seats cost €14 to €52, with free standing places from 08:30. The Hofburgkapelle is the old court chapel inside the Hofburg, and the Wiener Hofmusikkapelle still provides music for its Sunday and feast-day Masses. On 25 December 2026 the Vienna Boys Choir sings Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai with members of the Vienna State Opera orchestra and men's chorus, with Johannes Ebenbauer and Robert Kovács named as the musical leads. Many seats in the galleries have a restricted view or none. Category 4 listening seats at €14 come with no view or only a screen, so choose category 1 or 2 if you want to see the altar or the orchestra. The choir also sings Sunday Mass here on 13 and 20 December 2026 and on 27 December, when the setting is Mozart's Coronation Mass. Tips: - Collect reserved tickets on the day between 08:00 and 08:45 at the box office in the Schweizerhof. - Leave big bags, rucksacks, prams and umbrellas behind; none are allowed into the chapel. - Book an accessible place at least a week ahead by emailing office@hofmusikkapelle.gv.at. Q: Does the Vienna Boys Choir sing on Christmas Day? A: Yes. The Vienna Boys Choir sings Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai at the 09:15 Mass in the Hofburg Chapel on 25 December 2026. Q: How much are tickets for the Vienna Boys Choir Mass at the Hofburgkapelle? A: Seats for Mass at the Hofburgkapelle cost €14 to €52 in 2026. Free standing places at the back of the nave are handed out from 08:30 on the day. Q: Can I take photos at the Vienna Boys Choir Mass? A: No. The Hofburgkapelle bans photography, recording and phone use during Mass. Q: When is Christmas Day Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofburg Chapel? A: Christmas Day Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofburg Chapel takes place mass at 09:15 on Christmas Day, with an orchestral Mass setting sung by the Vienna Boys Choir. The next dates we have are December 25, 2026, confirmed. Q: What are the opening hours of Christmas Day Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofburg Chapel? A: Christmas Day Mass with the Vienna Boys Choir at the Hofburg Chapel is open the 2026 Christmas Day Mass begins at 09:15. The box office in the Schweizerhof opens from 08:00 to 08:45 on the day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/programm/messen https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/service/kartenverkauf https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/service/hausordnung https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/service/barrierefreiheit-anreise ### International Advent Singing at Vienna City Hall URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/vienna-international-advent-singing Type: Event Local name: Internationales Adventsingen im Wiener Rathaus (de) Also known as: Adventsingen Rathaus, Internationales Adventsingen, Advent choir concerts City Hall Vienna, Advent singing Vienna Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Lichtenfelsgasse 2, 1010 Wien Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.21080, 16.35740 Kind: Concert When: Friday to Sunday on each of the four Advent weekends, 15:30 to 19:00. Next dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: Choirs sing from 15:30 to 19:00 on each Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Advent. Doors open at 15:00. Venue: Festsaal of Vienna City Hall Entry opens: 15:00 Entry: Free Website: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/adventsingen/ Summary: The International Advent Singing brings dozens of choirs (83 in 2025) to the Festsaal of Vienna City Hall on the four Advent weekends, Friday to Sunday from 15:30 to 19:00, and it suits anyone at the Rathausplatz market who wants a warm seat and free choral music. Entry is free with no tickets, and the 2026 programme comes out in November. Step off the Rathausplatz market and into the City Hall's grand Festsaal for Advent and Christmas songs from Austria and abroad. In 2025 more than 2,600 singers from 83 choirs took part, and the 2026 edition is the 44th. A café in the hall sells coffee and cake. Entry is free and there are no tickets or reservations, so you walk straight in through the Lichtenfelsgasse entrance. The whole event is step-free. Tips: - Use the entrance at Lichtenfelsgasse 2, on the side of City Hall away from the market. - Check the programme on christkindlmarkt.at in November to catch a particular choir. Q: Is the Advent singing at Vienna City Hall free? A: Yes. The International Advent Singing in Vienna City Hall's Festsaal is free, and no tickets or reservations are needed. Q: When is the Advent singing in Vienna City Hall in 2026? A: The 44th International Advent Singing runs Friday to Sunday on the four Advent weekends, from 15:30 to 19:00. On the Advent calendar that projects to 27 November to 20 December 2026; the programme is published in November. Q: What are the opening hours of International Advent Singing at Vienna City Hall? A: International Advent Singing at Vienna City Hall is open choirs sing from 15:30 to 19:00 on each Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Advent. Doors open at 15:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/adventsingen/ https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Internationale-Adventsingen-2025.pdf ### Ice Dream at the Vienna Christmas Market URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/vienna-rathausplatz-ice-skating Type: Event Local name: Eistraum am Christkindlmarkt (de) Also known as: Wiener Eistraum Advent, Rathausplatz ice skating, Vienna Christmas market ice rink, Eislaufen Rathausplatz Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Rathausplatz, 1010 Wien Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.21030, 16.35880 Kind: Ice rink When: November to January Next dates: November 13, 2026 to January 6, 2027 (confirmed) Hours: The ice opens daily 10:00 to 22:00. It closes at 18:30 on 24 December and all day on 31 December. Venue: Rathausplatz Website: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/en/ Summary: Eistraum am Christkindlmarkt is the skating rink on Vienna's Rathausplatz, open daily 10:00 to 22:00 from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, and it suits families and couples who want to skate with City Hall lit up behind them. It closes all day on 31 December, and prices aren't published yet. The rink opens on the same day as the Christkindlmarkt and runs on after the stalls close on 26 December, through to Epiphany. You skate between the Burgtheater and City Hall, in front of the lit Christmas park. After a break in January the bigger Wiener Eistraum takes over the square from 22 January to 7 March 2027. Tips: - Skate between Christmas and New Year. The market stalls pack up on 26 December, and the ice stays open to 6 January. Q: When is the ice rink at Vienna's Rathausplatz open? A: Eistraum am Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz opens from 13 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 10:00 to 22:00. It closes at 18:30 on 24 December and all day on 31 December. Q: When is the Wiener Eistraum in 2027? A: The Wiener Eistraum on Rathausplatz runs from 22 January to 7 March 2027, daily 10:00 to 22:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/ https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/en/ https://stadtwienmarketing.at/presse/ ### Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/vienna-st-stephens-midnight-mass Type: Event Local name: Mitternachtsmette im Stephansdom (de) Also known as: Christmette Stephansdom, Vienna Midnight Mass, Christmas Eve Mass Vienna, Mitternachtsmette Wien Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Wien Status: seasonal Coordinates: 48.20840, 16.37330 Kind: Church service When: Midnight Mass begins at midnight on the night of 24 December. In 2025 Christmas Eve Vespers came first at 16:30, sung to Mozart's Vesperae solennes de Confessore. Next dates: December 24, 2026 (projected from past years) Hours: In 2025 the cathedral held Vespers at 16:30 on 24 December, Midnight Mass at midnight, and a high Mass (Hochamt) at 10:15 on Christmas Day. The 2026 times aren't published yet. Venue: St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) Website: https://www.dompfarre.info/Gottesdienste/ Summary: Vienna's Midnight Mass (Mitternachtsmette) is celebrated in St. Stephen's Cathedral at midnight on 24 December, and it is a Catholic Mass and worship first, open to anyone who comes to take part quietly. The cathedral parish publishes the 2026 times in December; in 2025 Vespers came first at 16:30. This is the main answer to where Midnight Mass is held in Vienna. The cathedral on Stephansplatz hosts the Mass at midnight, and in 2025 the cathedral's parish priest, Toni Faber, celebrated it. The Christmas Eve Vespers earlier that afternoon was led by Josef Grünwidl, who was installed as Archbishop of Vienna in the cathedral on 24 January 2026. Come as a worshipper, or at least as a respectful guest. The service is in German. If you'd rather watch than take part, Radio klassik Stephansdom has broadcast the cathedral's Christmas services in past years. Tips: - Enter through the Riesentor, the main west door facing the U-Bahn exit, which is step-free. After services there's also a ramp out through the Primtor. - The Stephansplatz Christmas market closes at 16:00 on 24 December, so eat before you come. - On Christmas Day the cathedral's regular holiday schedule includes a high Mass (Hochamt) at 10:15. Q: Where is Midnight Mass in Vienna? A: Vienna's best-known Midnight Mass is held in St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) on Stephansplatz, starting at midnight on 24 December. It is a Catholic Mass celebrated in German. Q: What time is Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral in 2026? A: Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral starts at midnight on the night of 24 December. The cathedral parish hadn't published its 2026 Christmas timetable by 10 October 2026; in 2025 Vespers was at 16:30 and the Mass at midnight. Q: Is there a dress code for Midnight Mass in Vienna? A: St. Stephen's Cathedral asks all visitors to dress in keeping with the dignity of the church, and men to remove their hats. Q: When is Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral takes place midnight Mass begins at midnight on the night of 24 December. In 2025 Christmas Eve Vespers came first at 16:30, sung to Mozart's Vesperae solennes de Confessore. The next dates we have are December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Q: What are the opening hours of Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral? A: Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral is open in 2025 the cathedral held Vespers at 16:30 on 24 December, Midnight Mass at midnight, and a high Mass (Hochamt) at 10:15 on Christmas Day. The 2026 times aren't published yet. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dompfarre.info/Gottesdienste/Regelmaessige_Gottesdienste/ https://www.katholisch.at/aktuelles/156347/orf-uebertraegt-erste-christmette-mit-papst-leo-xiv.-live-aus-rom https://www.katholisch.at/erzbischof-josef-gruenwidl https://www.stephanskirche.at/faq.php https://www.stephanskirche.at/ ### Marlitram Fairy-Tale Tram in Zurich URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/zurich-marlitram Type: Event Local name: St. Annahof Märlitram (de) Also known as: Märlitram, Zurich fairy-tale tram Region: Switzerland Area: Bellevue City: Zurich Address: Bellevue, 8001 Zürich Kind: Folk custom When: November to December Next dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026 (announced) Hours: Departure times were not published when checked in October 2026. Tickets for the 2026 season go on sale online on 13 November and are collected at Coop City St. Annahof, Bellevue, Sihlcity or Oerlikon, or at the Visitor Information in Zürich Hauptbahnhof. Venue: Märlitram stop at Bellevue Entry opens: 2026-11-13 Summary: The Märlitram suits children aged 4 to 9, and its trade-off is that only children may ride, so parents wait at the stop. The old tram runs through Zurich from 20 November to 23 December 2026, with Christmas angels telling fairy tales in German on board. Coop City runs the Märlitram, a vintage tram that leaves from its own stop at Bellevue with angels reading fairy tales to the children on board. Only children between 4 and 9 may ride, and the stories are in German. Tickets for 2026 go on sale online on 13 November and must be collected at a Coop City branch or the Visitor Information in the main station. Q: When is Marlitram Fairy-Tale Tram in Zurich? A: Marlitram Fairy-Tale Tram in Zurich takes place november to December. The next dates we have are November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, announced. Q: What are the opening hours of Marlitram Fairy-Tale Tram in Zurich? A: Marlitram Fairy-Tale Tram in Zurich is open departure times were not published when checked in October 2026. Tickets for the 2026 season go on sale online on 13 November and are collected at Coop City St. Annahof, Bellevue, Sihlcity or Oerlikon, or at the Visitor Information in Zürich Hauptbahnhof. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.zuerich.com/de/besuchen/sehenswuerdigkeiten/st-annahof-maerlitram https://www.zuerich.com/de/informieren-planen/jahreszeiten-und-klima/weihnachten-in-zuerich/veranstaltungen-im-advent ### Samichlaus Parade on Bahnhofstrasse URL: https://christmasineurope.com/events/zurich-samichlaus-umzug Type: Event Local name: Samichlaus-Umzug (de) Also known as: Zurich St Nicholas parade, Samichlaus Zürich Region: Switzerland Area: Bahnhofstrasse City: Zurich Address: Bahnhofstrasse, 8001 Zürich Coordinates: 47.37230, 8.53880 Kind: Procession When: November Next dates: November 29, 2026 (announced) Hours: The parade starts at 17:00 on Sunday 29 November 2026, with the Stadtjugendmusik Zürich. Venue: Bahnhofstrasse Summary: Zurich's Samichlaus parade suits families with small children, and its trade-off is a packed Bahnhofstrasse on the first Sunday of Advent. In 2026 the Samichlaus, the Swiss St Nicholas, walks down Bahnhofstrasse at 17:00 on 29 November with the city's youth band, according to Zürich Tourism. Samichlaus is the Swiss German St Nicholas, and in Zurich he arrives in procession along Bahnhofstrasse with the Stadtjugendmusik Zürich playing. Find a spot under Lucy's lights before 17:00. Q: When is Samichlaus Parade on Bahnhofstrasse? A: Samichlaus Parade on Bahnhofstrasse takes place november. The next dates we have are November 29, 2026, announced. Q: What are the opening hours of Samichlaus Parade on Bahnhofstrasse? A: Samichlaus Parade on Bahnhofstrasse is open the parade starts at 17:00 on Sunday 29 November 2026, with the Stadtjugendmusik Zürich. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.zuerich.com/de/informieren-planen/jahreszeiten-und-klima/weihnachten-in-zuerich/veranstaltungen-im-advent ## Weather stations ### Amsterdam Schiphol URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/amsterdam-schiphol Type: Climate Local name: Schiphol (nl) Region: The Netherlands City: Amsterdam Coordinates: 52.31800, 4.79000 Source: the national weather service Station: KNMI 240 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Amsterdam Schiphol in November and December? A: In November and December, Amsterdam Schiphol averages daily highs of 6.9 to 10 °C and lows of 1.9 to 4.5 °C, with 82 to 85 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Amsterdam Schiphol? A: July is the warmest month in Amsterdam Schiphol, with an average daily high of 22.5 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Amsterdam Schiphol? A: August is the wettest month in Amsterdam Schiphol, with 98.6 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://cdn.knmi.nl/knmi/asc/normalen2021/klimaattabel/Normalen_240_H.csv https://cdn.knmi.nl/knmi/map/page/klimatologie/klimaatatlas/tabel/stationsdata/klimtab_9120_240.pdf https://www.knmi.nl/klimaat-viewer/grafieken-tabellen/meteorologische-stations/stations-maand/stations-maand_1991-2020 ### Basel Binningen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/basel-binningen Type: Climate Region: Switzerland City: Basel Coordinates: 47.54114, 7.58352 Source: the national weather service Station: MeteoSwiss BAS Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Basel Binningen in November and December? A: In November and December, Basel Binningen averages daily highs of 5.7 to 9.2 °C and lows of 0.4 to 3.2 °C, with 65 to 65 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Basel Binningen? A: July is the warmest month in Basel Binningen, with an average daily high of 25.8 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Basel Binningen? A: May is the wettest month in Basel Binningen, with 97.6 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://data.geo.admin.ch/ch.meteoschweiz.klima/normwerte/normwerte.zip https://opendata.swiss/en/dataset/klimanormwerte https://data.geo.admin.ch/ch.meteoschweiz.ogd-smn/ogd-smn_meta_stations.csv https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/climate/the-climate-of-switzerland/climate-normals/normal-values-per-measured-parameter.html ### Berlin Tempelhof URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/berlin-tempelhof Type: Climate Region: Berlin and Brandenburg City: Berlin Coordinates: 52.46745, 13.40212 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 433 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Berlin Tempelhof? A: July is the warmest month in Berlin Tempelhof, with an average daily high of 20.2 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Berlin Tempelhof? A: July is the wettest month in Berlin Tempelhof, with 71.7 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Brussels Uccle URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/brussels-uccle Type: Climate Local name: Uccle (fr) Region: Belgium City: Brussels Coordinates: 50.79700, 4.35800 Source: the national weather service Station: KMI 6447 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Brussels Uccle in November and December? A: In November and December, Brussels Uccle averages daily highs of 6.6 to 9.9 °C and lows of 2.1 to 4.6 °C, with 76 to 87 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Brussels Uccle? A: July is the warmest month in Brussels Uccle, with an average daily high of 23.2 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Brussels Uccle? A: December is the wettest month in Brussels Uccle, with 87.4 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/luchttemperatuur/gemiddelde-temperatuur https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/luchttemperatuur/gemiddelde-maximumtemperatuur https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/luchttemperatuur/gemiddelde-minimumtemperatuur https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/neerslag/neerslagtotaal https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/neerslag/neerslagdagen https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/neerslag/sneeuwdagen https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/zonnestraling/zonneschijnduur https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/vochtigheid/relatieve-vochtigheid https://www.meteo.be/nl/klimaat/klimaat-van-belgie/klimaatnormalen-te-ukkel/windsnelheid https://opendata.meteo.be/service/aws/ows?service=WFS&version=2.0.0&request=GetFeature&typenames=aws:aws_station&outputFormat=json ### Budapest Pestszentlorinc URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/budapest-pestszentlorinc Type: Climate Region: Hungary City: Budapest Coordinates: 47.42920, 19.18220 Source: the national weather service Station: HungaroMet 44527 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Budapest Pestszentlorinc in November and December? A: In November and December, Budapest Pestszentlorinc averages daily highs of 3.5 to 9.4 °C and lows of -1.4 to 3.1 °C, with 40 to 48 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Budapest Pestszentlorinc? A: July is the warmest month in Budapest Pestszentlorinc, with an average daily high of 28.1 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Budapest Pestszentlorinc? A: July is the wettest month in Budapest Pestszentlorinc, with 75 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.met.hu/eghajlat/magyarorszag_eghajlata/varosok_jellemzoi/Budapest/ https://odp.met.hu/climate/observations_hungary/monthly/station_meta_auto.csv ### Colmar INRAE URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/colmar-inrae Type: Climate Region: Alsace City: Colmar Coordinates: 48.06306, 7.33000 Source: the national weather service Station: Météo-France 68066001 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Colmar INRAE in November and December? A: In November and December, Colmar INRAE averages daily highs of 6.2 to 9.8 °C and lows of 0.3 to 2.5 °C, with 42 to 42 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Colmar INRAE? A: July is the warmest month in Colmar INRAE, with an average daily high of 26.6 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Colmar INRAE? A: May is the wettest month in Colmar INRAE, with 64.5 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://meteofrance.s3.sbg.io.cloud.ovh.net/data/synchro_ftp/REF_STATION/FICHECLIM_68066001.pdf https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/fiches-climatologiques https://meteofrance.s3.sbg.io.cloud.ovh.net/data/synchro_ftp/REF_STATION/liste_fiches_clim.geojson ### Cologne Stammheim URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/cologne-stammheim Type: Climate Local name: Köln-Stammheim (de) Region: The Rhineland City: Cologne Coordinates: 50.98943, 6.97769 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 2968 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Cologne Stammheim? A: July is the warmest month in Cologne Stammheim, with an average daily high of 20.1 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Cologne Stammheim? A: August is the wettest month in Cologne Stammheim, with 81.3 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Copenhagen Airport URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/copenhagen-airport Type: Climate Local name: Københavns Lufthavn (da) Region: Denmark City: Copenhagen Coordinates: 55.61400, 12.64540 Source: the national weather service Station: DMI 06180 Period: 1961-1990 Q: What is the weather like in Copenhagen Airport in November and December? A: In November and December, Copenhagen Airport averages daily highs of 3.7 to 7.1 °C and lows of -0.5 to 2.7 °C, with 47 to 52 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1961-1990 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Copenhagen Airport? A: July is the warmest month in Copenhagen Airport, with an average daily high of 20.4 °C, by the the national weather service's 1961-1990 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Copenhagen Airport? A: July is the wettest month in Copenhagen Airport, with 57 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1961-1990 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/1999/tr99-5.pdf https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/1997/tr97-8.pdf https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/Rapporter/2026/DMIRep26-04.pdf https://opendataapi.dmi.dk/v2/metObs/collections/station/items?stationId=06180 ### Dresden Klotzsche URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/dresden-klotzsche Type: Climate Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Dresden Coordinates: 51.12780, 13.75425 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 1048 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Dresden Klotzsche? A: July is the warmest month in Dresden Klotzsche, with an average daily high of 19.4 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Dresden Klotzsche? A: July is the wettest month in Dresden Klotzsche, with 84.5 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Frankfurt Westend URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/frankfurt-westend Type: Climate Local name: Frankfurt/Main-Westend (de) Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main City: Frankfurt Coordinates: 50.12688, 8.66940 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 1424 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Frankfurt Westend? A: July is the warmest month in Frankfurt Westend, with an average daily high of 20.9 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Frankfurt Westend? A: July is the wettest month in Frankfurt Westend, with 67.5 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Graz University URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/graz-university Type: Climate Local name: Graz Universität (de) Region: Graz and Styria City: Graz Coordinates: 47.07767, 15.44892 Source: the national weather service Station: GeoSphere 16412 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Graz University in November and December? A: In November and December, Graz University averages daily highs of 4 to 9.2 °C and lows of -1.8 to 2.7 °C, with 40 to 54 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Graz University? A: July is the warmest month in Graz University, with an average daily high of 25.9 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Graz University? A: August is the wettest month in Graz University, with 128.7 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittelwerte_1991_2020.html https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittel/klimanormalperiode_19912020.xlsx https://dataset.api.hub.geosphere.at/v1/station/historical/klima-v2-1m/metadata ### Innsbruck University URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/innsbruck-university Type: Climate Local name: Innsbruck Universität (de) Region: Tyrol City: Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.25986, 11.38425 Source: the national weather service Station: GeoSphere 11803 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Innsbruck University in November and December? A: In November and December, Innsbruck University averages daily highs of 4.5 to 9.7 °C and lows of -2.2 to 1.5 °C, with 53 to 59 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Innsbruck University? A: July is the warmest month in Innsbruck University, with an average daily high of 25.7 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Innsbruck University? A: August is the wettest month in Innsbruck University, with 138.8 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittelwerte_1991_2020.html https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittel/klimanormalperiode_19912020.xlsx https://dataset.api.hub.geosphere.at/v1/station/historical/klima-v2-1m/metadata ### Leipzig Holzhausen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/leipzig-holzhausen Type: Climate Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains City: Leipzig Coordinates: 51.31509, 12.44623 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 2928 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Leipzig Holzhausen? A: July is the warmest month in Leipzig Holzhausen, with an average daily high of 19.7 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Leipzig Holzhausen? A: July is the wettest month in Leipzig Holzhausen, with 84.5 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Maastricht URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/maastricht-beek Type: Climate Region: The Netherlands City: Maastricht Coordinates: 50.90600, 5.76200 Source: the national weather service Station: KNMI 380 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Maastricht in November and December? A: In November and December, Maastricht averages daily highs of 6.3 to 9.7 °C and lows of 1.4 to 3.8 °C, with 62 to 74 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Maastricht? A: July is the warmest month in Maastricht, with an average daily high of 23.8 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Maastricht? A: August is the wettest month in Maastricht, with 82.8 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://cdn.knmi.nl/knmi/asc/normalen2021/klimaattabel/Normalen_380_H.csv https://cdn.knmi.nl/knmi/map/page/klimatologie/klimaatatlas/tabel/stationsdata/klimtab_9120_380.pdf https://www.knmi.nl/klimaat-viewer/grafieken-tabellen/meteorologische-stations/stations-maand/stations-maand_1991-2020 ### Munich City URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/munich-stadt Type: Climate Local name: München-Stadt (de) Region: Bavaria City: Munich Coordinates: 48.16320, 11.54289 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 3379 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Munich City? A: July is the warmest month in Munich City, with an average daily high of 19.6 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Munich City? A: June is the wettest month in Munich City, with 120.9 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Nuremberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/nuremberg Type: Climate Local name: Nürnberg (de) Region: Franconia City: Nuremberg Coordinates: 49.50303, 11.05492 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 3668 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Nuremberg? A: July is the warmest month in Nuremberg, with an average daily high of 19.5 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Nuremberg? A: July is the wettest month in Nuremberg, with 76.7 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Salzburg Freisaal URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/salzburg-freisaal Type: Climate Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut City: Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79111, 13.05417 Source: the national weather service Station: GeoSphere 6305 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Salzburg Freisaal in November and December? A: In November and December, Salzburg Freisaal averages daily highs of 4.7 to 9.2 °C and lows of -2 to 1.3 °C, with 84 to 87 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Salzburg Freisaal? A: July is the warmest month in Salzburg Freisaal, with an average daily high of 25 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Salzburg Freisaal? A: August is the wettest month in Salzburg Freisaal, with 192.6 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittelwerte_1991_2020.html https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittel/klimanormalperiode_19912020.xlsx https://dataset.api.hub.geosphere.at/v1/station/historical/klima-v2-1m/metadata ### Strasbourg Entzheim URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/strasbourg-entzheim Type: Climate Region: Alsace City: Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.54944, 7.64028 Source: the national weather service Station: Météo-France 67124001 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Strasbourg Entzheim in November and December? A: In November and December, Strasbourg Entzheim averages daily highs of 5.9 to 9.4 °C and lows of 0.8 to 3.3 °C, with 45 to 48 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Strasbourg Entzheim? A: July is the warmest month in Strasbourg Entzheim, with an average daily high of 26.4 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Strasbourg Entzheim? A: May is the wettest month in Strasbourg Entzheim, with 77.2 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://meteofrance.s3.sbg.io.cloud.ovh.net/data/synchro_ftp/REF_STATION/FICHECLIM_67124001.pdf https://www.data.gouv.fr/datasets/fiches-climatologiques https://meteofrance.s3.sbg.io.cloud.ovh.net/data/synchro_ftp/REF_STATION/liste_fiches_clim.geojson ### Stuttgart Schnarrenberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/stuttgart-schnarrenberg Type: Climate Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar City: Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.82809, 9.20003 Source: the national weather service Station: DWD 4928 Period: 1991-2020 Q: Which month is warmest in Stuttgart Schnarrenberg? A: July is the warmest month in Stuttgart Schnarrenberg, with an average daily high of 20 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Stuttgart Schnarrenberg? A: July is the wettest month in Stuttgart Schnarrenberg, with 84 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Niederschlag_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Sonnenscheindauer_1991-2020.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Temperatur_1991-2020_Stationsliste.txt https://opendata.dwd.de/climate_environment/CDC/observations_germany/climate/multi_annual/mean_91-20/Beschreibung_Datenquelle.txt ### Vienna Innere Stadt URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/vienna-innere-stadt Type: Climate Local name: Wien Innere Stadt (de) Region: Vienna and Lower Austria City: Vienna Coordinates: 48.19833, 16.36694 Source: the national weather service Station: GeoSphere 5925 Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Vienna Innere Stadt in November and December? A: In November and December, Vienna Innere Stadt averages daily highs of 4.7 to 9.5 °C and lows of 0.7 to 5 °C, with 40 to 43 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Vienna Innere Stadt? A: July is the warmest month in Vienna Innere Stadt, with an average daily high of 26.9 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Vienna Innere Stadt? A: June is the wettest month in Vienna Innere Stadt, with 82 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittelwerte_1991_2020.html https://klimaportal.geosphere.at/klimamittel/klimanormalperiode_19912020.xlsx https://dataset.api.hub.geosphere.at/v1/station/historical/klima-v2-1m/metadata ### Zurich Fluntern URL: https://christmasineurope.com/climate/zurich-fluntern Type: Climate Region: Switzerland City: Zurich Coordinates: 47.38100, 8.56719 Source: the national weather service Station: MeteoSwiss SMA Period: 1991-2020 Q: What is the weather like in Zurich Fluntern in November and December? A: In November and December, Zurich Fluntern averages daily highs of 4 to 7.6 °C and lows of -0.5 to 2.5 °C, with 76 to 83 mm of rain a month, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is warmest in Zurich Fluntern? A: July is the warmest month in Zurich Fluntern, with an average daily high of 24.3 °C, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Q: Which month is wettest in Zurich Fluntern? A: May is the wettest month in Zurich Fluntern, with 128.2 mm of rain on average, by the the national weather service's 1991-2020 normals. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://data.geo.admin.ch/ch.meteoschweiz.klima/normwerte/normwerte.zip https://opendata.swiss/en/dataset/klimanormwerte https://data.geo.admin.ch/ch.meteoschweiz.ogd-smn/ogd-smn_meta_stations.csv https://www.meteoswiss.admin.ch/climate/the-climate-of-switzerland/climate-normals/normal-values-per-measured-parameter.html ## Christmas markets ## Aachen Christmas Market The Aachen Christmas Market runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026 (confirmed), daily from 11:00 to 21:00, and suits rail travellers on the Brussels to Cologne line who want a compact old-town market with real food interest. Saturdays get crowded with day-trippers from across the Dutch and Belgian borders. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://aachenweihnachtsmarkt.de/ ## Christmas Village Amsterdam Christmas Village Amsterdam on the Museumplein is the city's main open-air Christmas market, and it suits a couple or a family who want a glühwein between museum visits, though at about 50 stands it is small next to the German and Belgian markets. It runs from 3 to 27 December 2026, free to enter, from 12:00 to 21:00 most days. Dates: December 3, 2026 to December 27, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://icevillage.nl/ ## Annaberg Christmas Market Annaberg-Buchholz suits travellers who want an Erzgebirge market built for families and the region's biggest miners' parade, and getting there takes a regional train or a drive. The market runs on the Markt from 27 November to 23 December 2026. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://annabergerweihnachtsmarkt.de/ ## Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt The Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt on the Rathausplatz suits families and anyone who wants the Engelesspiel, the angel performance in the town hall windows, from 23 November to 24 December 2026; the show runs only on Advent weekends at 18:00, so plan your day around it. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: http://www.augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/ ## Bad Ischl Artisans' Christmas Market Bad Ischl's market suits anyone who wants handmade things and a roof overhead on a wet Salzkammergut day. It's small and closes at 18:00, so pair it with a café and a walk under the town's lights. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 20, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://www.salzkammergut.at/en/advent/oesterreich-veranstaltung/detail/430005295/christkindlmarkt-der-ischler-handwerker.html ## Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt The Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt suits travellers who want an elegant market that stays open past Christmas, running in the Kurgarten in front of the Kurhaus from 26 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. The trade-off is the station's distance from the centre, so plan on a bus ride in. Dates: November 26, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.baden-baden.com/en/events/baden-baden-christmas-market ## Bamberg Christmas Market Bamberg's Christmas market runs on the Maximiliansplatz and Grüner Markt from 24 November to 23 December 2026, according to Bamberg's tourism service, and it suits travellers who come as much for the nativity cribs and the smoked beer as for the stalls. The trade-off is scale: in 2024 the city counted 45 stalls. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 23, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.bamberg.info/veranstaltungen/bamberger_weihnachtsmarkt-431069/ ## Basel Christmas Market on Barfusserplatz The Barfüsserplatz half of the Basel Christmas market suits anyone who wants the city's biggest spread of stalls right by the tram stops, and its trade-off is the crowd that comes with it. In 2026 it runs from 26 November to 23 December, open daily from 11:00 to 20:30, with candle dipping for children and adults. Dates: November 26, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bs.ch/weihnachtsmarkt ## Basel Christmas Market on Munsterplatz The Münsterplatz half of the Basel Christmas market suits families and anyone who prefers a smaller, calmer square, and its trade-off is a short uphill walk from the trams. In 2026 it runs from 26 November to 23 December, 11:00 to 20:30, with a fairy-tale forest for children in front of Basel Minster. Dates: November 26, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bs.ch/weihnachtsmarkt ## Bath Christmas Market Bath Christmas Market spreads more than 180 chalets through the streets around Bath Abbey and suits anyone buying gifts from local makers in a Georgian city, though it runs only 18 days and closes on 13 December. In 2026 it runs from Thursday 26 November to Sunday 13 December, open 10:00–19:00 Monday to Wednesday, 10:00–20:00 Thursday to Saturday and 10:00–18:00 on Sunday, with dates confirmed by… Dates: November 26, 2026 to December 13, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bathchristmasmarket.co.uk/ ## Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt The Wenzelsmarkt suits travellers who want a mid-sized market in a towered old town east of Dresden, and with around 80 traders it's smaller than the Dresden markets. The 643rd market runs from 27 November to 22 December 2026, from the Hauptmarkt along the Reichenstraße to the Kornmarkt. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.wenzelsmarkt-bautzen.de/ ## Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church The Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church suits anyone staying in the City West or passing through Zoologischer Garten, and it carries on into the New Year; the trade-off is its spot at the busy top end of the Kurfürstendamm. visitBerlin and berlin.de list it from 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, free to enter. Dates: November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.visitberlin.de/de/weihnachtsmarkt-kaiser-wilhelm-ged%C3%A4chtnis-kirche-berlin ## Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace The Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace suits families and anyone who wants a baroque palace behind the stalls, and the trade-off is its spot out in Charlottenburg, away from the Mitte markets. The organizer confirms 23 November to 27 December 2026, closed on 24 December, from 13:00 on weekdays and 12:00 from Friday to Sunday. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 27, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.schloss-weihnachtsmarkt.de/ ## Domane Dahlem Advent Market The Domane Dahlem Advent Market suits families who like the idea of an Advent market on a working organic farm, and the trade-off is that it opens only on the four Advent weekends. In 2026 that means 28–29 November, 5–6 December, 12–13 December and 19–20 December, 11:00 to 19:00, at €4.50 for adults with the museum included. Dates: November 28, 2026 to November 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.domaene-dahlem.de/adventsmarkt/ ## WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt suits a couple who want Berlin's grandest square lit up for Advent, and the trade-off is a €2 entry charge outside the free weekday lunchtime window. visitBerlin lists the 2026 run as 23 November to 31 December, open to 22:00 most nights and 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 31, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.visitberlin.de/en/christmas-market-weihnachtszauber-gendarmenmarkt-berlin ## Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus suits families who want an ice rink and a big wheel right in Mitte, and the trade-off is the fairground noise that comes with them. Laubinger Event GmbH confirms 23 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on 24 and 31 December. Dates: November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.berlinerweihnachtszeit.de/oeffnungszeiten/ ## Spandau Christmas Market Spandau Christmas Market suits a family or a repeat visitor who wants a neighbourhood market spread through an old town's streets, and the trade-off is the trip out to Berlin's western edge. It runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026 and is free to enter. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://partner-fuer-spandau.de/veranstaltungen/spandauer-weihnachtsmarkt/271 ## Bern Minster Christmas Market The Berner Münster Weihnachtsmarkt suits buyers who want handmade gifts and a quiet square, and its trade-off is early closing at 18:30 on weekdays. It runs from 28 November to 24 December 2026 in front of Bern Minster, and every stall sells only one-off pieces made in the seller's own workshop. Dates: November 28, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: http://www.bernerweihnachtsmarkt.ch/ ## Bern Star Market by the Federal Palace The Berner Sternenmarkt suits an evening out with fondue and friends, and its trade-off is that it takes no cash. It runs from 19 November to 27 December 2026 beside the Federal Palace, with 80 wooden huts, a 200-seat fondue chalet and stalls open until 22:00 from Monday to Saturday. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 27, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bernersternenmarkt.ch/ ## Bern Christmas Market on Waisenhausplatz The Waisenhausplatz market suits anyone in Bern between Christmas and New Year, and its trade-off is a plainer setting than the cathedral square. The market runs from 27 November to 24 December 2026 with more than 50 huts and stalls, then the square holds an Old Year's market from 28 to 31 December and a New Year's market from 4 to 9 January 2027. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.bern.ch/themen/freizeit-und-sport/markte/maerkteinbern ## Bernkastel-Kues Christmas Market The Bernkastel-Kues Christmas Market runs from 20 November to 20 December 2026 (confirmed) in the half-timbered old town on the Moselle, and suits couples and wine lovers on a slow trip. It is small, with 38 stalls, and the town has no railway station. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bernkastel.de/weihnachtsmarkt ## Bolzano Christmas Market The Bolzano Christmas Market on Waltherplatz is the oldest Christmas market in Italy, held since 1991, and suits anyone who wants an Alpine market that keeps going past Christmas, though its 112 stalls draw about a million visitors a season. In 2026 it opens at 17:00 on 26 November and runs to 6 January 2027, with craft stalls open daily 10:00–19:00; the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 26, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.mercatinodinatalebz.it/de/oeffnungszeiten.htm ## Bonn Christmas Market The Bonn Christmas Market runs from 18 November to 23 December 2026 (confirmed), closed on 22 November, and suits travellers who want a big city-centre market a short ride from Cologne with fewer crowds than the cathedral square. It opens later in the day than most, at 12:00. Dates: November 18, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bonnerweihnachtsmarkt.de ## Brixen Christmas Market The Brixen Christmas Market on the cathedral square suits travellers who want a smaller, regional South Tyrol market with a light show next door, though its craft stalls close at 19:00. In 2026 it opens on 26 November and runs to 6 January 2027, open daily except Christmas Day, with dates confirmed by Brixen Tourismus. Dates: November 26, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.brixen.org/weihnachten/weihnachten/weihnachtsmarkt-suedtirol ## Brno Christmas Market on Freedom Square Brněnské Vánoce on Freedom Square suits travellers who want a Czech city market at local prices and a short walk from the station. The trade-off is a short season, because the city tourism office's markets run only from 27 November to 23 December 2026. Brno's tree lighting opens them on the first evening. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://brnenskevanoce.cz/ ## Brno Christmas Market on Zelny trh Zelný trh suits families and anyone in Brno outside the short city-office season, because the Brno-střed district runs it from 13 November to 31 December 2026. The trade-off is a spread-out layout, with the stalls on the old Cabbage Market and the ice rink and wheel several streets north on Moravské náměstí. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 31, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.vanocebrno.cz/ ## Bruges Christmas Market The Bruges Christmas Market runs on the Markt and the Simon Stevinplein from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (announced by Visit Bruges), and it suits a couple on a slow weekend who want a small market under medieval gables. Two squares make a short market, so pair it with the covered ice rink in the Koning Albert I-park and an evening in a beer café. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/christmas-markets ## Brussels Winter Wonders Brussels Winter Wonders (Plaisirs d'Hiver in French, Winterpret in Dutch) runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, open 12:00–22:00 daily, and it suits anyone who wants a big city market with an ice rink and a Ferris wheel within reach of a Eurostar. Its 238 chalets spread over eight squares of the lower town, so plan on a long walk between the Bourse and Place Sainte-Catherine. Dates: November 27, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://winterpret.be/infos-pratiques ## Advent Bazilika Advent Bazilika, the Christmas market on Szent István tér in front of St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest, runs from 13 November 2026 to 1 January 2027 and suits anyone who wants the city's best-known market with a light show on the church front every evening. It gets tight and busy, and seating is scarcer than on Vörösmarty tér. Dates: November 13, 2026 to January 1, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://adventbazilika.hu/nyitvatartas ## Advent in Obuda Advent in Óbuda fills Fő tér, the old main square of Óbuda in north Budapest, with a district-run Christmas market, a free ice rink and free weekend concerts, and it suits families and anyone who wants a neighbourhood market away from the tourist centre. It opens in late afternoon on weekdays, and the 2026 dates are still projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, projected from past years. ## Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park The City of Budapest's own Christmas market fills Városháza Park and Deák tér with craft stalls, food and an outdoor ice rink, and it suits families who want skating a few minutes' walk from Vörösmarty tér. Its 2026 dates are not out yet, so the run below is projected from 2025, the first season on this site. Dates: November 13, 2026 to January 9, 2027, projected from past years. ## Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market The Vörösmarty Square Christmas Market (Vörösmarty Classic Xmas) runs on Budapest's Vörösmarty tér from 13 November to 31 December 2026, and it suits a first visit with children: Hungarian food, wooden craft huts and a free little train all sit at the top of Váci utca. Most of the people around you will be tourists, and the menus are priced for them. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 31, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://vorosmartyclassicxmas.hu/nyitvatartas ## Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market Český Krumlov's market suits couples and families who want a small-town Advent under a castle, with a programme on every weekend. The trade-off is size and short hours. The stalls fill one square and close at 18:00 on weekdays, so it is a stop of an evening or two. The 2026 run goes from 21 November to 3 January 2027. Dates: November 21, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ ## Colmar Ancienne Douane Christmas Market The market on Place de l'Ancienne Douane suits visitors who want Colmar's grandest square at night. About 50 chalets stand around the Schwendi fountain, and contemporary pieces sit beside traditional decorations. It is a busy crossroads at the weekend. The 2026 run is 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical ## Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market Colmar's gourmet market on rue de la Montagne Verte suits food lovers who want a chef's plate, and it is the one Colmar market that runs into the new year, to 3 January 2027. It opens on 23 November 2026 with the other five (confirmed) and stays open every day from 11:00 to 22:00. Dates: November 23, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical ## Colmar Koifhus Indoor Craft Market The Koïfhus market is Colmar's indoor craft market, with about 20 Alsatian makers inside the old customs house, and it suits buyers who want handmade pieces and a break from the cold. Space inside is tight, so a weekend afternoon queue is likely. The 2026 run is 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical ## Colmar Petite Venise Children's Christmas Market The market in Petite Venise is Colmar's children's market, with a mechanical nativity, farm animals and Father Christmas's giant letterbox, and it suits families with young children. The canal-side lanes around it are narrow and get crowded by late afternoon. The 2026 run is 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical ## Colmar Place des Dominicains Christmas Market Place des Dominicains holds the biggest of Colmar's six Christmas markets, with around 60 chalets under the Dominican church, and it suits anyone hunting tree ornaments. It gets the full weekend crush, so come Monday to Thursday if you can. The 2026 run is 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical ## Colmar Place Jeanne d'Arc Christmas Market Place Jeanne d'Arc is Colmar's local-produce Christmas market, laid out like an Alsatian village, and it suits food lovers stocking up on foie gras, wine and bredala. It is a little away from the main squares, so it stays calmer. The 2026 run is 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/colmar-the-magic-of-christmas/practical ## Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market on Roncalliplatz runs from 16 November to 23 December 2026 (confirmed), closed on 22 November, and suits anyone arriving by train who wants the classic scene of stalls under the cathedral towers. The trade-off is the crowd, and in 2026 the open question of garage repairs under the square. Dates: November 16, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.koelnerweihnachtsmarkt.com ## Cologne Harbour Christmas Market The harbour Christmas market at Cologne's Chocolate Museum runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (announced), the longest season in the city, and suits couples and anyone who wants the river beside them. It sits south of the old town, a little away from the other three big markets. Dates: November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.schokoladenmuseum.de/news/hafenweihnachtsmarkt-am-schokoladenmuseum/ ## Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town) Heinzels Wintermärchen fills Cologne's Heumarkt from 23 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 and the Alter Markt until 23 December (both confirmed), and suits families and anyone visiting after Christmas, when the other big Cologne markets have shut. It closes on 24 and 25 December. Dates: November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.heinzels-wintermaerchen.de ## Markt der Engel (Cologne) The Markt der Engel on Cologne's Neumarkt runs from 16 November to 23 December 2026 (confirmed), closed on 22 November, and suits shoppers and families who want a prettier, white-lit market at the top of the main shopping streets. It gets busy on Saturdays, when the shopping crowd spills in. Dates: November 16, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.markt-der-engel.de ## Christiania Christmas Market Christiania's Christmas market fills Den Grå Hal every December, and it suits anyone who wants a warm indoor market away from the centre's squares. The 2026 dates weren't published when we checked on 10 October 2026. ## City Hall Square Christmas Market The City Hall Square Christmas market is announced for 11 to 20 December 2026 in front of Copenhagen City Hall, and it suits a short December trip that wants a free market a short walk from Tivoli. Its opening hours weren't confirmed on 10 October 2026, so check before you plan an evening around it. Dates: December 11, 2026 to December 20, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://visitorservice.kk.dk/en/events/christmas-market-at-the-city-hall-square ## Christmas at Hojbro Plads Jul på Højbro Plads runs from 14 November to 20 December 2026 on the square between Amagertorv and the Slotsholmen canal, and it suits families who want stories and music with their shopping. It's a new market under a new organizer in 2026, so nobody has a past season to judge it by. Dates: November 14, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://kbhjulemarked.dk/ ## Nyhavn Christmas Market Nyhavn's Christmas market had no published 2026 dates and no named organizer when we checked on 10 October 2026, so treat it as unconfirmed until someone announces it. Past seasons put stalls on the cobbled quay along the canal, which suits an evening photograph more than a long shop. ## Nytorv and Gammeltorv Christmas Market The Christmas market on Nytorv and Gammeltorv runs from 6 November to 21 December 2026 on two joined squares beside Strøget, and it suits families and anyone after a free market with a free ice rink a short walk from City Hall Square. Its one catch is the early close at 19:00 from Sunday to Wednesday. Dates: November 6, 2026 to December 21, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://julemarked.dk/planlaeg-dit-besoeg/ ## Christmas in Tivoli Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 in the Tivoli Gardens beside Copenhagen Central Station, and it suits families and first-timers who want the rides and the stalls behind one gate. The catch is the ticket, because entry starts at 180 DKK for anyone aged eight and up in 2026 and the rides need a pass on top. Tivoli is closed on Christmas Eve. Dates: November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons ## Dinkelsbuhl Christmas Market Dinkelsbühl's Christmas market in the courtyard of the old Heilig-Geist-Spital suits travellers who want a small courtyard market with a craft bazaar indoors, open from 23 November to 22 December 2026. The trade-off is access: Dinkelsbühl has no passenger railway station, so you arrive by bus or car. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.tourismus-dinkelsbuehl.de/events-erlebnis/weihnachtsmarkt ## Augustusmarkt, Dresden The Augustusmarkt suits travellers who want international Christmas food on the Neustadt side of the Elbe and a market that reopens between the holidays, though it lacks the old-town backdrop of the Altmarkt. It runs on the Hauptstraße from 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, with a break from 24 to 26 December. Dates: November 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.augustusmarkt.de/ ## Advent on the Neumarkt, Dresden Advent on the Neumarkt suits travellers who want a costumed crafts market under the dome of the Frauenkirche and a run that carries on past Christmas, and its trade-off is that 2026 daily hours are not out yet. Dresden's tourism board lists it from 25 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 with a pause over Christmas. Dates: November 25, 2026 to January 3, 2027, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.dresden.de/de/tourismus/sehen/weihnachtszeit/weitere-weihnachtsmaerkte.php ## Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden The Stallhof market suits anyone who wants torchlight, live music and medieval crafts inside the walls of Dresden's palace, and on weekends you pay 5 euros to get in. It opens daily from 11:00 to 21:30 from 25 November to 23 December 2026, with a Rauhnächte program that runs to 6 January 2027. Dates: November 25, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.mittelalter-weihnacht.de/oeffnungszeiten ## Dresden Striezelmarkt The Striezelmarkt suits anyone who wants Saxony's Christmas crafts and the Dresdner Christstollen on the square where the market began, and the price is a crowd of around two million visits over four weeks. The 592nd market runs on the Altmarkt from 25 November to 24 December 2026, open 10:00 to 21:00 daily. Dates: November 25, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://striezelmarkt.dresden.de/index_de.php ## Wachau Advent in Durnstein The WachauerADVENT turns the whole Danube town of Dürnstein into a ticketed Advent market on four long weekends between 20 November and 13 December 2026, and it suits couples and day-trippers from Vienna who want a river setting and a market spread through an abbey, a palace hotel and a steamer. Entry costs €12, and the steep, rough lanes make it hard work with a wheelchair or stroller. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 13, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://wachauer-advent.eu/besucher/ ## Dusseldorf Christmas Markets Düsseldorf's Christmas markets run from 19 November to 30 December 2026 (announced by the tourist board), closed on 22 November and 25 December, and suit visitors who like to shop and eat their way between several small themed markets. They close earlier than Cologne's, at 20:00 most nights. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 30, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.visitduesseldorf.de/weihnachtsmarkt ## Edinburgh's Christmas Market Edinburgh's Christmas Market fills East Princes Street Gardens below the castle and suits families and anyone visiting between Christmas and New Year, though the narrow garden paths crowd at peak times. In 2026 it runs from 14 November to 3 January 2027, open daily 10:00–22:00 except Christmas Day, with dates confirmed by the organizer, Unique Assembly. Dates: November 14, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://edwinterfest.com/edinburgh-christmas/whats-on/traditional-christmas-markets ## Eguisheim Christmas Market Eguisheim's Christmas market suits travellers based in Colmar who want a small village market of about 30 makers in medieval lanes. It closes from 24 to 26 December, so plan around those three days. The 2026 run is 27 November to 30 December (confirmed). Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 30, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/eguisheim/discover/the-authentic-christmas-market-in-eguisheim ## Einsiedeln Christmas Market The Einsiedeln Christmas market suits a day trip from Zurich for anyone who wants a big market in front of a Baroque abbey, and its trade-off is a season of only ten days. In 2026 it runs from 27 November to 6 December, with more than 140 stalls on the Klosterplatz and along the Hauptstrasse. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 6, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.einsiedler-weihnacht.ch/ ## Esslingen Medieval and Christmas Market Esslingen suits families and anyone who wants Christmas with jugglers, fire-eaters and half-timbered houses, a short S-Bahn ride out of Stuttgart. The trade-off is the weekend squeeze in narrow lanes, which the organizer itself tells wheelchair users and pram pushers to avoid. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.esslingen-info.com/veranstaltungen/mittelaltermarkt-weihnachtsmarkt ## Frankfurt Artists' Christmas Market Frankfurt's Artists' Christmas Market holds its 104th edition inside the Paulskirche from 24 November to 20 December 2026, with a second hall in the Römer from 4 to 21 December. Go if you want handmade work and a warm room next to the Römerberg, and keep in mind it shuts at 20:00, an hour before the outdoor market. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 20, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt ## Frankfurt Christmas Market The Frankfurt Christmas Market runs from 23 November to 22 December 2026 across six squares of the Altstadt, with more than 230 stalls and a 26-metre spruce on the Römerberg. It suits a first night in Germany off a long-haul flight into FRA, because the S-Bahn from the airport runs straight into the city, and its one catch is the early finish on 22 December, two days before Christmas Eve. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt ## Freiberg Christmarkt Freiberg's Christmarkt suits travellers who want an Erzgebirge mining town's market with a torchlight parade, and it's small enough to see in an evening, so plan a day trip from Dresden around it. The 35th market runs on the Obermarkt from 24 November to 22 December 2026. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.freiberger-christmarkt.de/ ## Freiburg Christmas Market The Freiburg Christmas Market suits travellers who want a big city market with a long season, running from 19 November to 23 December 2026 across the squares and streets of the Altstadt. The stalls spread over several sites, so plan on walking between them. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://weihnachtsmarkt.freiburg.de/ ## Gdansk Christmas Market Gdańsk's market suits families and food lovers who want a large market spread through the old centre, with a full stage programme and plenty to eat. It ends on 23 December, so it fits the first half of a December trip. The city has set the 2026 run for 20 November to 23 December. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.gdansk.pl/wiadomosci/Ponad-1-3-mln-osob-na-Jarmarku-Bozonarodzeniowym,a,302472 ## Gengenbach Adventsmarkt The Gengenbach Adventsmarkt suits travellers who want a small Black Forest market built around a nightly ceremony, with the trade-off that its single square packs tight when the Rathaus opens another Advent calendar window at 18:00. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, projected from past years. ## Ghent Winter Festival The Ghent Winter Festival (Gentse Winterfeesten) runs from Thursday 3 December 2026 to Sunday 3 January 2027 (confirmed by the organizer), and it suits travellers who want a lively city market with more than 150 chalets and skating on real ice. It opens later than Brussels or Bruges, so a trip that ends in November will miss it. Dates: December 3, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://gentsewinterfeesten.be/ ## Gorlitz Silesian Christkindel Market The Görlitz market suits families and travellers who like a market with a strong Christmas story and a border bridge to Poland, and it runs a short 17 days. The organizer confirms 4 to 20 December 2026 on the Untermarkt, with the Brückenadvent to Zgorzelec from 11 to 13 December. Dates: December 4, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.schlesischer-christkindelmarkt-goerlitz.de/ ## Grafenegg Advent Grafenegg Advent is a four-day market in the castle and park of Schloss Grafenegg, near Krems, from 5 to 8 December 2026, its 50th year, and it suits music lovers who want a Christmas concert with their market. Adult entry costs €10 (€9 online), and the short run means busy days. Dates: December 5, 2026 to December 8, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.grafenegg.com/de/advent ## Graz craft market on the Farberplatz This is the Graz market for buying something handmade to take home. It opens a week after the rest, on 27 November, and closes earlier on Sundays. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Altgrazer Christkindlmarkt in the Franziskanerviertel Pick this one if you want the Graz market that feels most rural, with tree ornaments and farm products from around Styria. It is small and the lanes are tight, so a busy evening means shuffling past the stalls in single file. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Graz Advent market on the Glockenspielplatz This small square suits anyone after Styrian crafts and a quieter drink close to the Hauptplatz. It has little room, so the huts fill quickly once the evening crowd arrives. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Graz Christkindlmarkt on the Hauptplatz Start here if it's your first night in Graz, because every other market in the old town sits a short walk from this square. The trade-off is the crowd: the Hauptplatz is where the Advent train leaves, the tree goes up and most of the city meets after work. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Graz Kinderadvent children's market Bring the children here, because the rides and the carousel are the point of it. Adults after crafts or a long Glühwein session will be happier on the squares further east. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Graz Advent market on the Mehlplatz Come here for a late drink, because the Mehlplatz is where Graz's punch stands try odd new recipes. Shoppers get less out of it: the craft stalls are few and shut at 19:00. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Aufsteirern Christmas market on the Schlossberg Ride up for this one if you want Styrian food and crafts with a view over the roofs of Graz. It opens only Friday to Sunday, and getting up the hill takes planning with a pram or a wheelchair. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.holding-graz.at/de/advent-in-graz/ ## Hall in Tirol Advent Market The Hall in Tirol Advent Market fills the Oberer Stadtplatz in Hall's old town east of Innsbruck and suits families and craft shoppers, though it opens only in the afternoon on weekdays. In 2026 it runs daily from 20 November to 24 December, Monday to Friday 15:00–20:00, Saturday 11:00–20:00 and Sunday 13:00–20:00, with Christmas Eve 10:00–13:00, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.advent-hall-tirol.at/ ## Hallstatt Christmas Market Come for a single morning on the lake if the Hallstatt picture is the reason you're in Austria. The market runs on one listed day, 8 December, and the village is crowded on any holiday, so sleep elsewhere and treat it as a day trip. Dates: December 8, 2026 to December 8, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.salzkammergut.at/en/advent/oesterreich-veranstaltung/detail/430003893/christmas-market-in-hallstatt.html ## Heidelberg Christmas Market Heidelberg suits a couple or a family who want a market strung along an old university town with the castle overhead, around 140 stalls on six squares. The trade-off is the walk between them on the busy Hauptstraße, which turns slow on Advent weekends. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en/events/heidelberg-christmas-market ## Innsbruck Old Town Christmas Market The Innsbruck Old Town Christmas Market fills Herzog-Friedrich-Straße under the Golden Roof with 65 stalls and suits anyone who wants the classic Alpine picture, though the lane is narrow and packs out after dark. In 2026 it runs from 13 November to 23 December, open daily 11:00–21:00 with shopping stalls closing at 20:00, and the dates are confirmed by the organizer. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/info/öffnungszeiten/121-0.html ## Kaiserweihnacht Bergisel Kaiserweihnacht Bergisel is a weekend-only Christmas market on the hill above southern Innsbruck that suits families and anyone after Tyrolean folk music and a wide view, though it opens only Friday to Sunday. In 2026 it runs on six weekends from 13 November to 20 December, Fridays 14:00–20:00 and Saturdays and Sundays 11:00–20:00, plus 7 and 8 December, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/kaiserweihnacht-bergisel/141-0.html ## Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market The Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market is a 10-stall market above the city at the top of the Hungerburgbahn funicular, best for a view of Innsbruck's lights, though it is small and closes by 19:00. In 2026 it runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, open weekdays 13:00–19:00 and weekends 12:00–19:00 with shorter hours after Christmas, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/hungerburg/38-0.html ## Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market The Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market lines the city's main shopping street with 30 stalls and modern light design and suits travellers who arrive after Christmas, since it stays open to Epiphany, though it has less old-town charm than the market by the Golden Roof. In 2026 it runs from 25 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, daily 11:00–21:00, with Christmas Eve 11:00–15:00 and New… Dates: November 25, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/maria-theresien-strasse/37-0.html ## Innsbruck Marktplatz Christmas Market The Innsbruck Marktplatz Christmas Market is the city's family market, with more than 68 stalls, a carousel and a 17.5-metre Swarovski crystal tree on the bank of the Inn, though it trades the Old Town's old facades for a modern square. In 2026 it runs from 13 November to 23 December, open daily 11:00–21:00 with the stalls trading until 20:30, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/info/öffnungszeiten/121-0.html ## St. Nikolaus Christmas Market The St. Nikolaus Christmas Market puts five wooden stalls on Hans-Brenner-Platz across the Inn from the Old Town and suits anyone who wants a calm half hour away from the crowds, though there is little to shop for. In 2026 it runs from 20 November to 23 December, daily 16:00–21:00, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/st-nikolaus/40-0.html ## Wilten Christmas Market The Wilten Christmas Market (Wiltener Weihnachtszauber) is a 10-stall neighbourhood market south of the centre that suits visitors who like handmade jewellery and a stage programme, though it only opens in the evening. In 2026 it runs from 20 November to 23 December, daily 16:00–20:00, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/märkte/wilten/39-0.html ## Kaysersberg Christmas Market Kaysersberg's Christmas market suits travellers in Colmar who want a juried craft market in a medieval imperial town, and it only opens Friday to Sunday on the four Advent weekends. The 2026 weekends run from 27 November to 20 December (confirmed), 10:00 to 20:00. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/kaysersberg/discover/christmas-markets ## Kitzbuhel Advent Kitzbuhel Advent fills the old-town Hinterstadt and the Stadtpark with stalls and suits families and couples who want a market in a mountain resort town, though it closes on Mondays and Tuesdays for most of the season. In 2026 it runs from 18 November to 27 December, Wednesday to Sunday 14:00–20:00, plus extra days on 8, 21 and 22 December and Christmas Eve 10:00–14:00, and Kitzbühel Tourismus has… Dates: November 18, 2026 to December 27, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.kitzbuehel.com/en/all-highlight-events/kitzbuehel-advent/ ## Koblenz Christmas Market The Koblenz Christmas Market spreads over seven old-town squares from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (confirmed), and suits Rhine and Moselle travellers and anyone on a river cruise stop. The craft stalls close after 22 December, and only food and drink carry on into January. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.koblenzer-weihnachtsmarkt.de ## Krakow Christmas Market Kraków's fair suits anyone who wants a big market on one of Europe's great squares, with Polish food and folk music on the stage. Prices are its weak point, since a small mulled wine cost 35 PLN in 2025. The 2026 fair opens on Friday 27 November and runs into January 2027. Dates: November 27, 2026 to January 6, 2027, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.kk.krakow.pl/Data/Files/storage_files/2026/4/24/22436ce2-2938-4a06-8e68-d06c1e56ec04/artim-oferta-ogolna-kk.pdf ## Leipzig Christmas Market Leipzig's Christmas market suits families and anyone who likes a big city market spread across a walkable old town, and with around 300 stalls it gets crowded on weekends. The city confirms it from 24 November to 23 December 2026, open to 21:00 Sunday to Thursday and to 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt ## Lindau Harbour Christmas Market The Lindau Harbour Christmas Market suits travellers who want a lakeside market on Lake Constance, Thursday to Sunday from 26 November to 20 December 2026; it is shut Monday to Wednesday, so build a Lindau stop around a long weekend. Dates: November 26, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.lindauer-hafenweihnacht.de/ ## Ljubljana Festive Fair Ljubljana's festive fair suits a couple on a slow weekend who want riverside stalls under lights that Visit Ljubljana counts among the most imaginative in this part of Europe. The wooden huts spread along the Ljubljanica in small groups, so the evening becomes a walk by the river with stops on the way. The fair runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and opens with the switch-on of the… Dates: November 27, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.visitljubljana.com/sl/turizem-ljubljana/razpisi ## Hyde Park Winter Wonderland The Christmas fair in Hyde Park mixes Christmas market stalls with an ice rink and fairground rides, and suits families and groups who want a big night out, though entry is by timed ticket. In 2026 it runs from 19 November to 3 January 2027, open every day except Christmas Day until 22:00, with dates confirmed by the organizer. Dates: November 19, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/getting-here/ ## Southbank Centre Winter Market The Southbank Centre Winter Market lines Queen's Walk on the Thames with chalets of street food, bars and craft stalls, and suits an evening stroll along the river more than serious gift shopping. Its 2026 dates were not published when we checked on 10 October 2026; in 2025 it ran from 3 November to 4 January 2026, closing on Christmas Day, New Year's Eve and New Year's Day. ## Lucerne Christmas Market on Franziskanerplatz Lucerne's Franziskanerplatz market suits a short, unhurried browse in the old town, and its trade-off is a season of under three weeks. The 18th market runs from 3 to 21 December 2026 with about 70 stalls around the fountain, under what its organizer calls the largest Advent wreath in central Switzerland. Dates: December 3, 2026 to December 21, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-luzern.com/ ## Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market Ludwigsburg suits couples and anyone who likes architecture with their Glühwein, because the stalls fill a baroque square framed by arcades and two churches under giant lit angels. The trade-off is size: around 150 stalls make a long evening, so most visitors pair it with Stuttgart. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://visit.ludwigsburg.de/start/events/ludwigsburger+barock-weihnachtsmarkt.html ## Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot) The Lyon Christmas market on Place Carnot suits a visitor who wants a central, free market of more than 100 chalets between 20 November and 24 December 2026, and its trade-off is size: it fills an hour or two, so pair it with the Fête des Lumières from 5 to 8 December or with a meal in the city. The City of Lyon sets the rules for it, and it sits right beside Perrache station in the 2nd… Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/action-sociale-et-solidarite/appel-manifestation-dinteret-marche-de-noel-2026 ## Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof is Maastricht's main Christmas market and winter fair, and it suits families and groups who want skating, a Ferris wheel and late drinks in one square, though the craft stalls close at 22:00 and Friday to Sunday get crowded. It runs from 27 November to 27 December 2026 on the Vrijthof, with free entry and food and drink paid by a top-up card. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 27, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.magischmaastrichtvrijthof.nl/plan-je-bezoek ## Mainz Christmas Market The Mainz Christmas Market fills the square in front of the thousand-year-old cathedral from 26 November to 23 December 2026, and it suits anyone who wants a big, old-town market with a red sandstone backdrop and an easy hop from Frankfurt Airport. The catch is the closing hour of 20:30 from Sunday to Thursday, earlier than most German city markets. Dates: November 26, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.mainz.de/en/angebote-entdecken/freizeit/feste-und-veranstaltungen/weihnachtsmarkt ## Manchester Christmas Markets Manchester Christmas Markets spread about 210 stalls across the city centre and suit a long, food-led evening out with an early start to the season, though the 2026 sites and hours were still unpublished in October. In 2026 they run from 6 November to 22 December, and Albert Square and Cathedral Gardens stay open to 3 January 2027; the dates come from Visit Manchester. Dates: November 6, 2026 to December 22, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.visitmanchester.com/ideas-and-inspiration/christmas/ ## Mariazell Advent market Go to Mariazell if you want a small-town Advent with church music every weekend, in front of Austria's best-known pilgrimage church. The catch is the calendar: the market opens Thursday to Sunday only, and getting there means a branch line or a bus from the main rail routes. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/ ## Merano Christmas Market The Merano Christmas Market lines the riverside Kurpromenade and suits couples and families who want a spa town with an ice rink across the river, though its hours are shorter than Bolzano's on most days. In 2026 it runs from 26 November to 6 January 2027, with craft stalls open 10:00–19:00 Monday to Thursday and Sunday and 10:00–20:00 on Friday and Saturday, dates confirmed by the Kurverwaltung… Dates: November 26, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.merano-suedtirol.it/de/meran/info-service/veranstaltungen/meraner-weihnacht.html ## Michelstadt Christmas Market The Michelstadt Christmas Market runs from 27 November to 20 December 2026 in the half-timbered old town of the Odenwald, and it suits travellers who want a small-town market around a 1484 town hall as a day trip from Frankfurt. Its catch is the weekly rest days: the stalls stay shut every Monday and Tuesday. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.michelstadt.de/weihnachtsmarkt/ ## Monschau Christmas Market The Monschau Christmas Market opens on four Advent weekends, 27 November to 20 December 2026 (confirmed), in a half-timbered Eifel town in a river gorge, and suits couples and day-trippers from Aachen, Belgium and the Netherlands. Space is tight, so you come by park-and-ride shuttle and share the lanes with a weekend crowd. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.monschau.de/tourismus/weihnachtsmarkt/ ## Montreux Noel Christmas Market Montreux Noël suits families and couples who want a long lakeside promenade of chalets with shows for children, and its trade-off is the weekend crush on a narrow quay. The 2026 market runs from 20 November to 24 December along Lake Geneva with 176 chalets, a big wheel, a flying Santa every evening and a cog-railway trip to Santa's house on the Rochers-de-Naye. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.montreuxnoel.com/ ## Mulhouse Christmas Market Mulhouse's Christmas market suits travellers arriving through EuroAirport or Basel who want a city market of about 90 chalets with its own idea, a Christmas fabric that changes every year. It fills one central square and the streets off it, so it takes an evening at most. The tourism office announces 20 November to 27 December 2026, closed on Christmas Day. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 27, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.tourisme-mulhouse.com/experiences/marche-de-noel-de-mulhouse/ ## Christmas Market at the Chinese Tower The market at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden suits a slower afternoon in the park with Bavarian curling beside the stalls; it runs from 19 November to 23 December 2026 and opens only Wednesday to Sunday until the last three days. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://weihnachtsmarkt-chinaturm.de/ ## Munich Christkindlmarkt The Munich Christkindlmarkt on Marienplatz suits anyone who wants the big civic market under the New Town Hall, and it runs from Friday 20 November to 24 December 2026; the trade-off is the crowd, which packs the square every Advent evening. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/ ## Munich Medieval Christmas Market Munich's Medieval Christmas Market on Wittelsbacherplatz suits travellers who want costumed craft stalls a few minutes north of Marienplatz, and it runs from 20 November to 23 December 2026; it closes on 23 December, so Christmas Eve shoppers need Marienplatz. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.mittelaltermarkt-muenchen.de/ ## Munich Residenz Christmas Village The Christmas village in the Residenz's Kaiserhof suits families who like a walled courtyard with fairy-tale puppet scenes, and it runs from 16 November to 22 December 2026, four days before Marienplatz opens; it shuts on Totensonntag, 22 November. Dates: November 16, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.dasweihnachtsdorf.de/ ## Tollwood Winter Festival Tollwood on the Theresienwiese suits food lovers and night owls who want an alternative festival market with organic stands open until 23:30, from 24 November to 23 December 2026; it sits out of the old town, a U-Bahn ride from Marienplatz. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 23, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/tollwood-winterfestival-2026 ## Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt fills the Hauptmarkt from 27 November to 24 December 2026, open 10:00 to 21:00 daily, and it suits anyone who wants Franconia's best-known market at full size and can take a crowd in return. The city's own notice confirms the 2026 dates, and Christmas Eve closes at 14:00. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/maerkte/dokumente/spezialmaerkte/bekanntmachung_ckm_2026.pdf ## Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht The Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht on the Hans-Sachs-Platz suits families with young children, and it runs from 27 November to 30 December 2026, a week past the main Christkindlesmarkt. The trade-off is size: it fills one square with carousels and workshop stalls just east of the Hauptmarkt. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 30, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/fuer-kinder/kinderweihnacht ## Nuremberg Sister Cities Market Nuremberg's Markt der Partnerstädte on the Rathausplatz suits anyone who has had enough Lebkuchen and wants a drink or a gift from somewhere else, and it runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026. It closes a day before the main Christkindlesmarkt and holds about two dozen huts. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/der-markt/markt-der-partnerstaedte ## CentrO Christmas Market (Oberhausen) The CentrO Christmas Market wraps around Oberhausen's giant shopping centre from 13 November to 23 December 2026, and suits families and shoppers on a day trip from the Ruhr, the Rhineland or the Netherlands. The setting is a modern mall in the Neue Mitte, far from any old town. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.centro-weihnachtsmarkt.de/ ## Obernai Christmas Market Obernai's Christmas market suits travellers who want a food-led village market a short train ride from Strasbourg. Its 45 chalets fill five squares, and the local winegrowers serve white-wine vin chaud. It is smaller than Strasbourg's and runs later, to 31 December 2026. The run of 27 November to 31 December is announced by the tourism office, whose home page gives 30 December instead. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 31, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.tourisme-obernai.fr/Fr/Voir-faire/Agenda-evenements/Revez-Noel-Obernai.html ## Passau Christmas Market at the Cathedral Passau's Christmas market on the Domplatz suits river-cruise passengers and day-trippers who want stalls in front of St. Stephen's Cathedral, from 24 November to 22 December 2026; it ends two days before Christmas Eve. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.passauer-christkindlmarkt.de/ ## Bohemian Christmas Market in Babelsberg The Bohemian Christmas Market in Babelsberg suits a slow weekend in Potsdam with time for trdelník and Czech beer, and the trade-off is that it opens on just two Advent weekends. Aktionsgemeinschaft Babelsberg confirms 27–29 November and 4–6 December 2026, free to enter. Dates: November 27, 2026 to November 29, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.babelsberg-potsdam.de/ ## Polish Christmas Market in Potsdam The Polish Christmas Market in Potsdam suits a visitor already in town on the second Advent weekend, and the trade-off is a short three-day run with few published details. berlin.de lists it for 4–6 December 2026 in the Kutschstallhof by the Brandenburg Museum. Dates: December 4, 2026 to December 6, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/7794483-3479097-polnischer-weihnachtsmarkt.html ## Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber suits a day trip from Berlin with children, since it strings an ice rink, a Ferris wheel and stages along Potsdam's old-town shopping street; the trade-off is a long, stretched-out site. berlin.de lists it from 23 November to 27 December 2026, free to enter. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 27, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.berlin.de/tourismus/brandenburg/veranstaltungen/7769364-3479097-weihanchtsmarkt-blauer-lichterglanz.html ## Prague Namesti Miru Christmas Market Náměstí Míru suits people who want a neighbourhood market with Czech crafts and lower prices than the Old Town. It opens Prague's season first, on 20 November 2026, and closes on Christmas Eve, so it is no help after 24 December. The stalls stand in front of the twin-spired Church of St Ludmila in Vinohrady. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.vanocnitrhy.cz/namesti-miru ## Prague Republic Square Christmas Market Republic Square suits a short browse on the edge of the Old Town, between the Powder Tower and the Palladium shopping centre. It is smaller than the Taiko markets and it closes on Christmas Eve. The 2026 run goes from 25 November to 24 December. Dates: November 25, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.vanocnitrhy.cz/namesti-republiky ## Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market Prague's Old Town Square market suits anyone who wants the postcard version of a Czech Christmas, with the Týn Church towers behind the tree and a stage show every afternoon. Its trade-off is the crowd and the price, because this is the busiest and dearest square in the city. The 2026 run starts on Saturday 28 November and goes on to 6 January 2027, so it is one of the few big markets in this… Dates: November 28, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://trhypraha.cz/en/dates-of-markets ## Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market Wenceslas Square suits a quick stop on the way between the main station and the Old Town, with the same dates and hours as Old Town Square and a little more room to move. It trades the Gothic backdrop for a long shopping boulevard. Stalls run down the lower half of the square from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Dates: November 28, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://trhypraha.cz/en/dates-of-markets ## Rattenberg Advent Rattenberg Advent turns Austria's smallest town into a candlelit weekend market and suits couples and anyone tired of loud markets, though it opens only on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays and has few stalls. In 2026 it runs from 20 November to 20 December on those three days each week plus 8 December, with entry free, and Alpbachtal Tourismus has confirmed the dates. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.alpbachtal.at/de/entdecke-das-alpbachtal/kultur-und-brauchtum/advent/rattenberger-advent ## Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market The Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market suits travellers who plan ahead and want a forest market under a railway viaduct, open Thursday to Sunday from 26 November to 20 December 2026. Every visit needs a timed ticket bought online, and the sale starts on 14 October 2026 at 10:00. Dates: November 26, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.hochschwarzwald.de/weihnachtsmarkt-ravennaschlucht ## Regensburg Christkindlmarkt The Regensburg Christkindlmarkt on Neupfarrplatz suits visitors who want the free city market in the middle of the old town, from Monday 23 November to 23 December 2026; it is the plainest of Regensburg's markets, so pair it with the Lucrezia crafts market two squares away. Dates: November 23, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.regensburg.de/fm/RBG_INTER1S_VM.a.253.de/r_upload/ausschreibung-regensburger-christkindlmarkt-2026.pdf ## Lucrezia Christmas Crafts Market The Lucrezia market on Haidplatz suits shoppers who want handmade crafts from the makers themselves, from 27 November to 23 December 2026; it starts a week after the palace market, so early-November visitors miss it. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.lucrezia-markt.de/ ## Regensburg Romantic Christmas Market at Thurn und Taxis Palace Regensburg's Romantic Christmas Market at Thurn und Taxis Palace suits couples and families who want a market inside a palace courtyard, from 20 November to 23 December 2026; you pay to get in, from €6.50 for an adult on Mondays to €13.50 on Saturdays. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.wm-tut.de/ ## Ribeauville Medieval Christmas Market Ribeauvillé's Medieval Christmas Market suits families and anyone who likes costume and street theatre with their market, and it opens on just two weekends. Expect every one of those four days to be crowded. The 2026 dates are 5–6 and 12–13 December (confirmed). Dates: December 5, 2026 to December 13, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ribeauville-riquewihr/discover/ribeauville-christmas-market ## Riga Christmas Market Riga's Dome Square market suits families with young children and anyone who wants to shop from Latvian makers. It runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 under the Riga Cathedral. The whole market sits on one square, which makes it an easy evening's wander between dinner and the hotel. Dates: November 27, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://vzt.lv/atverta-registracija-dalibai-ziemassvetku-tirdzina-2026-2027-gada-sezona/ ## Riquewihr Christmas Market Riquewihr's Christmas market suits travellers based in Colmar who want a walled wine village on the Alsace wine route under its Christmas lights. It ends early, on 20 December, and weekends need the park-and-ride. The 2026 run is 27 November to 20 December (confirmed), every day. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ribeauville-riquewihr/discover/riquewihr-christmas-market ## Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt Rothenburg's Reiterlesmarkt suits travellers who want a small market inside a walled medieval town, open from 20 November to 23 December 2026 and closed on 22 November. The trade-off is the early closing: stalls shut by 19:00 or 20:00, so plan a full day and leave the late evening for dinner. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.rothenburg-tourismus.de/reiterlesmarkt ## Salzburg Christkindlmarkt This is the market to build a Salzburg trip around if you want baroque squares, carols and brass at dusk, and it runs right through to New Year's Day. The trade-off is the weekend crush on the Domplatz, so plan your browsing for a weekday morning. Dates: November 19, 2026 to January 1, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine/ ## Hohensalzburg Fortress Advent Market Go up to the fortress market for local crafts and the view over the lit old town, best on a Friday afternoon. It opens only on Advent weekends, and the climb is steep unless you pay for the funicular. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.festung-hohensalzburg.at/ ## Hellbrunn Advent Market Hellbrunn suits families best of all the Salzburg markets, with room to run in the palace park and a programme built for small children. You pay to get in before 19:00, and it sits a bus ride south of the old town. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.hellbrunneradventzauber.at/oeffnungszeiten/ ## Mirabellplatz Christmas Market Pick the Mirabellplatz if you're staying near the station or want a mug of punch without the Domplatz crowds. It's small, and an hour covers it. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 31, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.salzburg.info/de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungskalender/weihnachtsmarkt-am-mirabellplatz_event_42164374 ## Schloss Hof Christmas Market The Schloss Hof Christmas market fills a Baroque palace estate in the Marchfeld east of Vienna on weekends from 14 November to 20 December 2026, plus 7 and 8 December, and it suits families with young children who like animals and space to run. Entry costs €12 for adults and €6 for children, and the trip out takes a car or the market shuttle. Dates: November 14, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.schlosshof.at/veranstaltungen/alle-veranstaltungen/event/weihnachtsmarkt ## Seiffen Christmas Market Seiffen suits anyone who wants to buy Erzgebirge woodcraft in the village that makes it, and the stalls close at 17:00 on weekdays, so evenings belong to Saturdays. The Seiffener Weihnacht runs from 27 November to 20 December 2026 with more than 40 stalls in the village centre. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://seiffen.de/weihnachten/ ## Selestat Christmas Market Sélestat's Christmas market suits travellers curious about where the Christmas tree comes from, and the reason to stop is the hanging trees in Saint-Georges church and the 1521 record in the Humanist Library. It sits halfway between Strasbourg and Colmar on the main line. The tourism office announces 20 November to 27 December 2026 for the chalets. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 27, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.selestat-haut-koenigsbourg.com/decouvrir-alsace/noel/selestat.htm ## St Gilgen Advent Market St Gilgen works well for a calm half day on the lake, and it's the Wolfgangsee village nearest to Salzburg. Like its neighbours it shuts on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Wednesday is only a small promenade market. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.wolfgangseer-advent.at/ ## St Wolfgang Advent Market St Wolfgang suits couples and slow travellers who like the idea of riding a boat from one village market to the next. It opens only Wednesday to Sunday, so a Monday or Tuesday visit finds the stalls shut. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 20, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.wolfgangseer-advent.at/ ## Strasbourg Carre d'Or Christmas Market The Carré d'Or market on Place du Temple Neuf is a small craft market in the smartest shopping streets of Strasbourg, and it suits people who want to window-shop between stalls. It has fewer chalets than the big squares. It opens with the rest of Strasbourg on Friday 27 November 2026 (confirmed), and the 24 December close is projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Strasbourg Cathedral Christmas Market The market around Strasbourg Cathedral suits anyone who wants the stalls and the Gothic west front in the same frame, and it is the tightest squeeze in the city on a December weekend. It opens with the rest of Strasbourg on Friday 27 November 2026 (confirmed), and the 24 December close is projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik The Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie is Strasbourg's historic Christmas market and the one first-timers come for. Its trade-off is the crowd, which packs the square on Friday evenings and weekends. The city confirms the 2026 opening for Friday 27 November at 14:00, and the run to 24 December is projected from past seasons. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Strasbourg Marche OFF The Marché OFF on Place Grimmeissen is Strasbourg's alternative market for ethical gifts, vintage finds and organic food, and it suits repeat visitors and anyone tired of the main squares. It is small and sits at the far edge of Petite France, so it takes a short detour. It opens with the rest of Strasbourg on Friday 27 November 2026 (confirmed), and the 24 December close is projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Strasbourg Petite France Christmas Market The Petite France market suits couples and photographers who want the half-timbered quarter by the Ill, and the trade-off is cobbled lanes and narrow bridges that bottleneck at dusk. It opens with the rest of Strasbourg on Friday 27 November 2026 (confirmed), and the 24 December close is projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Strasbourg Place Kleber and the Grand Sapin Place Kléber is where Strasbourg puts its Grand Sapin, and it suits families and anyone who wants the light show under the tree more than shopping. It is the busiest crossing point in the centre, so stop here early in the evening and move on. The 2026 season opens on Friday 27 November (confirmed), and the 24 December close for the chalets is projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Strasbourg Quai des Delices The Quai des Délices on the Palais Rohan terrace is Strasbourg's food and wine market, and it suits anyone who came for vin chaud and Bredle more than ornaments. It sits right behind the cathedral, so the evening crowd spills over from there. It opens with the rest of Strasbourg on Friday 27 November 2026 (confirmed), and the 24 December close is projected. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 24, 2026, projected from past years. Source: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ ## Stuttgart Christmas Market Stuttgart suits anyone who wants a big city market that still feels Swabian, with about 250 stalls under decorated roofs and concerts in a Renaissance courtyard. The trade-off is the crowd, because millions come through in four weeks and weekend evenings move at a shuffle. Dates: November 25, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de ## Tallinn Christmas Market Tallinn's market suits families and anyone who wants a compact market that runs straight through to Epiphany. The 2026 season is its 26th, and it fills Town Hall Square every day from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Every hut stands on one square, so the space around the tree gets tight during the weekend stage programme. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christmasmarket.ee/en/ ## Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach) The Mosel-Wein-Nachts-Markt in Traben-Trarbach puts its stalls in old wine cellars on weekends from 20 November 2026 to 2 January 2027 (confirmed), and suits wine lovers and anyone who wants a market out of the cold. It opens on weekends only, and the cellars mean stairs. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 2, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.mosel-wein-nachts-markt.de ## Trento Christmas Market The Trento Christmas Market fills Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra with 77 huts and suits food lovers and anyone travelling over Christmas, since it opens on Christmas Day, though it lies south of the South Tyrol markets on the Brenner line. In 2026 it runs from 20 November to 6 January 2027, open daily 10:00–20:00, with dates confirmed by the Azienda per il Turismo Trento. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://natale.visittrento.it/ ## Trier Christmas Market The Trier Christmas Market runs on the Hauptmarkt and in front of the cathedral from 20 November to 22 December 2026 (confirmed), closed on 22 November, and suits travellers pairing Roman sights and Moselle wine with a mid-sized market. It closes a day earlier than most German markets. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 22, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.trierer-weihnachtsmarkt.de ## chocolART Tubingen chocolART suits food lovers and families with a sweet tooth, with around 90 chocolate makers in Tübingen's old town for six days in early December. The trade-off is that it is a chocolate fair with Christmas around it, so come for the tastings and skip it if you want carols and crafts. Dates: December 1, 2026 to December 6, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.chocolart.de ## Tubingen Christmas Market Tübingen's market suits a weekend visitor who likes a town packed with locals for three nights, with more than 300 lit stalls run by traders, clubs and charities. The trade-off is the short window, so it only works if your dates hit the third Advent weekend. Dates: December 11, 2026 to December 13, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.tuebingen.de/weihnachtsmarkt ## Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market Turckheim's Elves' Christmas Market suits families and anyone staying in Colmar who wants a small market of about 20 makers on a walled-town square. Its big draw comes after the stalls shut, when the night watchman walks the lanes at 21:00. The 2026 run is 27 November to 30 December (confirmed), closed on Christmas Day. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 30, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.noel-colmar.com/agenda-de-noel/F235015768_le-marche-de-noel-des-lutins-turckheim ## Fluweelengrot Christmas Market The Fluweelengrot Christmas Market in Valkenburg is the smaller and cosier of the town's two cave markets, and it suits families who like a theme to follow, though you will need a timed ticket and a weekday if you want space. Its 27th edition runs from 13 November to 30 December 2026 under the castle ruin, with about 60 stalls and adult tickets from €9. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 30, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.kerstmarktfluweelengrot.nl/ ## Gemeentegrot Christmas Market The Gemeentegrot Christmas Market in Valkenburg suits anyone who wants a market under cover and away from the weather, as long as they book a timed ticket ahead for a weekend visit. It runs from 13 November to 30 December 2026 in a marl quarry under the Cauberg, with adult tickets at €9 Monday to Thursday and €11 Friday to Sunday when booked online. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 30, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.kerstmarktgemeentegrot.nl/nl/informatie/informatie-en-openingstijden-2026/ ## WinterGlow Valkenburg WinterGlow Valkenburg is the free open-air part of Kerststad Valkenburg on the Walramplein, and it suits families who want Santa, a carousel and a pavilion with shows between cave visits, though it is a first edition in 2026 with no track record yet. It runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 and stays open later than the caves, until 22:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Dates: November 13, 2026 to January 3, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/te-doen/winterglow/ ## Am Hof Christmas Market The Weihnachtsmarkt am Hof fills one of Vienna's oldest squares with more than 70 stalls from 13 November to 23 December 2026, and it suits shoppers after handmade gifts and antiques. The square is step-free with accessible toilets, and the market closes for the season on 23 December. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-hof.at/ ## Belvedere Christmas Village The Christmas village at the Belvedere is unconfirmed for 2026: it is due to move away from the palace front to the Teichhof area near the upper end of the pond, and no dates were published by 10 October 2026. If you want a palace backdrop for certain, go to Schönbrunn. ## Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung The Altwiener Christkindlmarkt on the Freyung is a traditional craft market in Vienna's old centre, open daily 10:00 to 21:00 from 14 November to 23 December 2026, and it suits visitors who want handmade goods and live folk music at a calmer pace than Rathausplatz. It closes for the season on 23 December. Dates: November 14, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.altwiener-markt.at/ ## Art Advent at Karlsplatz Art Advent on Karlsplatz is Vienna's juried craft market in front of the Karlskirche, and it suits buyers of ceramics, glass, textiles and wood who also want organic food. Vienna's tourist board lists it from 13 November to 23 December 2026, daily 12:00 to 20:00. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.wien.info/de/aktuell/veranstaltungen/art-advent-kunst-und-handwerk-am-karlsplatz-2024-1001418 ## Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Village The Christmas village on Maria-Theresien-Platz sits on the Ring between Vienna's art and natural history museums from 20 November to 26 December 2026, and it suits museum-goers and families who want a market on their way to the MuseumsQuartier. It opens a week later than the Rathausplatz market and closes at 16:00 from 24 to 26 December. Dates: November 20, 2026 to December 26, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-mtp/ ## Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz The Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz is Vienna's biggest Christmas market, open daily 10:00 to 22:00 from 13 November to 26 December 2026, and it suits first-timers and families who want the lit City Hall, skating and a mug of punch in one place. Weekend evenings get so crowded that a stroller barely moves. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 26, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/ ## Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market The Christmas market in front of Schönbrunn Palace runs from 6 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, the longest season among Vienna's big markets, and it suits families and anyone in Vienna between Christmas and Epiphany. The palace sits out in Hietzing, about 600 metres on foot from the nearest U4 stations, so plan it as its own outing. Dates: November 6, 2026 to January 6, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-schoenbrunn.at/ ## Schwarzenbergplatz Christmas Market Weihnachtszauber on Schwarzenbergplatz is Vienna's newest Christmas market, open from 13 November to 26 December 2026 around the lit Hochstrahlbrunnen fountain, and it suits evening visitors who come for light installations and live music. As a first-year market it has no track record yet. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 26, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-sbp/ ## Spittelberg Christmas Market The Spittelberg Christmas market threads craft stalls through the Baroque lanes of Vienna's 7th district from 13 November to 23 December 2026, and it suits gift hunters and couples who like a market woven into a neighbourhood. On weekdays the stalls only open at 14:00. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.spittelberg.at/ ## Stephansplatz Christmas Market The Christmas market on Stephansplatz stands beside St. Stephen's Cathedral from 6 November to 26 December 2026, and it suits visitors who want a quick mug of punch and Austrian crafts in the middle of a sightseeing day. It's small and sits in the busiest part of the old town. Dates: November 6, 2026 to December 26, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-stp/ ## University Campus Christmas Village The Christmas village on the University of Vienna campus at the Altes AKH runs from 13 November to 23 December 2026 and suits two crowds: families on weekend mornings and students and locals on late evenings, with stalls open to 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. On weekdays nothing opens before 14:00. Dates: November 13, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.weihnachtsmarkt.at/markt-akh/ ## Vilnius Christmas Town The Christmas town on Cathedral Square suits families and anyone who wants to see Vilnius's famous tree up close with a hot chocolate in hand. It runs for about a month. Go Vilnius has announced the 2026 market from 28 November to 27 December, and it opens on the night the tree lights up. Dates: November 28, 2026 to December 27, 2026, announced by a tourism board. Source: https://www.govilnius.lt/christmas-2026-starts-early-in-vilnius-festive-dates-announced ## Wiesbaden Sternschnuppenmarkt Wiesbaden's Sternschnuppenmarkt, the Shooting Star Market, runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026 on the Schlossplatz in front of the neo-Gothic Marktkirche, and it suits couples and families who like a tidy, well-lit market with a 45-metre Ferris wheel a street away. Its trade-off is a late Sunday start at 12:00. Dates: November 24, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://tourismus.wiesbaden.de/erleben/events/stadtevents/sternschnuppenmarkt ## Wroclaw Christmas Market Wrocław's fair suits families and anyone planning a trip between Christmas and Epiphany, because it runs from 20 November 2026 to 7 January 2027. It draws big crowds, and the organizer counted more than a million visits in the 2025 season. Dates: November 20, 2026 to January 7, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.jarmarkbozonarodzeniowy.com/jarmark ## Wurzburg Christmas Market The Würzburg Christmas market on the Marktplatz runs from 27 November to 23 December 2026 and suits travellers who want a city-centre market with a weekend artists' market tucked into the old Rathaus courtyard. The city confirms the dates, and the trade-off is a 20:30 close every night. Dates: November 27, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.wuerzburg.de/events-termine/wuerzburger-weihnacht ## York Christmas Market York Christmas Market lines Parliament Street and St Sampson's Square with chalets, most of them run by Yorkshire traders, and suits a weekend in a walkable medieval city, though it closes every Tuesday. In 2026 it runs from 12 November to 21 December, open 10:30–19:00 Wednesday to Monday, with dates confirmed by the organizer, Make It York. Dates: November 12, 2026 to December 21, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://visityork.org/christmas/york-christmas-market ## Advent Zagreb Advent Zagreb suits families and friends who want a different corner of the city each evening, with stalls, concerts and lights from 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027. It runs as a citywide programme, so expect to walk between sites spread over the Upper and Lower Towns. Dates: November 28, 2026 to January 7, 2027, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.adventzagreb.hr/en ## Bellevue Noel on Sechselautenplatz Bellevue Noël suits anyone who wants Zurich's lakeside market by the opera house, and its trade-off is that 2026 is its first season, so the hours and the stall list were still unpublished in October. It runs from 19 November to 23 December 2026 on Sechseläutenplatz, where the Wienachtsdorf stood from 2015 to 2025. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.bellevuenoel.ch/ ## Weihnachtsmarkt Dorfli in Zurich Old Town The Dörfli market suits walkers who like browsing shopfronts and huts along narrow lanes, and its trade-off is a market spread thin over several streets with no single square to settle in. The 2026 market runs from 19 November to 23 December through the Niederdorf on the right bank of the Limmat. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://weihnachtsmarkt-doerfli.ch/ ## Polarzauber Christmas Market at Zurich Main Station Polarzauber in Zurich's main station suits travellers changing trains and anyone caught by bad weather, and its trade-off is the noise and bustle of a working station. The 2026 market runs from 19 November to 24 December in the station hall, with more than 100 stalls under the Lindt Christmas tree and bars open to 23:30 at the end of the week. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 24, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.polarzauber.ch/ ## The Singing Christmas Tree in Zurich The Singing Christmas Tree suits families and anyone who wants carols with their mulled wine, and its trade-off is a small market that opens only at 16:00 on weekdays. From 19 November to 23 December 2026 more than 40 choirs give free half-hour concerts on Werdmühleplatz, near Zurich's main station. Dates: November 19, 2026 to December 23, 2026, confirmed by the organizer. Source: https://www.singingchristmastree.ch/ ## Christmas lights ## Amsterdam Light Festival The Amsterdam Light Festival puts about 20 light artworks along the city's canals each winter, and it suits anyone in Amsterdam between late November and mid-January, though the best view is from a paid cruise and the 2026 route is still to be announced. Edition 15 runs from 26 November 2026 to 17… ## Christmas Garden Augsburg Christmas Garden Augsburg suits families who want an evening light trail through Augsburg Zoo, from 26 November 2026 to 9 January 2027; entry is by timed online ticket from €15.90 for an adult, and the price climbs after 18 December. ## Basel Christmas Lights Basel's Christmas lights suit anyone walking between the market squares in the late afternoon, and their trade-off is that the best streets are steep and cobbled. In 2026 they go on officially on 26 November and shine daily from 15:00 to 22:30 until 3 January 2027, ten days after the market closes. ## Christmas at the Tierpark Berlin Christmas at the Tierpark Berlin suits families who want a light trail with an ice rink thrown in, and the trade-off is a trip out east to Friedrichsfelde on a timed ticket from €15.90. It runs from 20 November 2026 to 9 January 2027 along a route of about 2 kilometres. ## Christmas Garden Berlin Christmas Garden Berlin suits families and couples who want an evening walk through a lit-up botanic garden, and the trade-off is a timed ticket that costs from €16.90 online and €29.90 at the gate. It runs from 18 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 along a route of about 2 kilometres. ## Story of Lights Brno at Spilberk Castle The Špilberk light trail suits older children and adults who can manage steps, because it climbs through the castle grounds above Brno. The operator says plainly that the route does not suit wheelchairs or prams. It opens on 13 November 2026, and the closing date is not out yet. ## Bruges Winter Glow Bruges Winter Glow (Wintergloed) runs from 20 November 2026 to 14 February 2027 and suits visitors who want a slow winter city with a covered ice rink beside two Christmas market squares. The free light walk that gave Winter Glow its name ended with the 2025 edition, so the 2026 programme has no… ## Grand-Place Christmas Light Show The Grand-Place Christmas light show in Brussels plays on the square during Winter Wonders, from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and it suits anyone who can stand on the square for a short free show after dark. In 2025 the video mapping ran every 30 minutes from 17:00 to 22:00; the organizer has… ## St Stephen's Basilica Light Projection The light projection on the façade of St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest plays every evening from 17:30, repeating every half hour, for the whole run of the Advent Bazilika market from 13 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. It is free and suits anyone at the market after dark, though the square in front… ## Budapest Light Tram Budapest's Light Tram (Fényvillamos) and the rest of the BKV Light Fleet run as ordinary public transport covered in Christmas lights from late November to 6 January, and they suit anyone who wants a warm ride through the city on a December evening. Each vehicle works a different line on different… ## Cesky Krumlov Light Park The light park in the brewery garden suits families who want an evening plan once the market stalls shut at 18:00 on weekdays. Entry is by ticket. The 2026/27 season opens on 6 November and runs to 10 January 2027, with the castle tower in view over the garden. ## Colmar Illuminations Colmar's illuminations suit anyone who wants to walk the old town after the stalls close, with 1,150 computer-driven light sources picking out the facades every night of the Christmas season. The 2026 nightly run follows the markets from 23 November to 29 December (confirmed). ## Christmas Garden Dresden The Christmas Garden suits families and couples who want an evening walk through a lit palace park on the Elbe, and its timed tickets cost more than a market visit. It runs at Schloss & Park Pillnitz from 19 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. ## Winter Lights at the Palmengarten The Palmengarten's Winterlichter is an evening walk through Frankfurt's botanical garden lit with light objects and sound and video installations, running daily from 17:00 to 21:00 from late November into January, with timed tickets that sell out. The 2026/27 dates are not yet published, so treat… ## Lumagica Frohnleiten Families staying in Graz get a full evening out of this light trail on a golf course north of the city. You need a car, the Saturday coach or a local shuttle to reach it, and every ticket is tied to a time slot. ## Graz ice nativity in the Landhaushof Everyone who comes to Graz in Advent should see the ice nativity, and it costs nothing to walk in. Its trade-off is the weather: a warm spell softens the figures, and the organizer keeps spare sets ready in case. ## Graz Rathaus Advent calendar Stand on the Hauptplatz after 16:30 to see the town hall turned into an Advent calendar; it suits children counting down the days. It is one facade, so a short stop is enough. ## LUMAGICA Innsbruck LUMAGICA Innsbruck turns the Hofgarten park beside the Old Town into a light-art gallery and suits families and couples looking for an evening walk after the markets, though it costs €19.90 per adult online and the last entry is at 19:00. In 2026 it runs from 13 November 2026 to 31 January 2027,… ## Christmas Garden Koblenz The Christmas Garden lights up Koblenz's Ehrenbreitstein fortress from 19 November 2026 to 10 January 2027 (confirmed), and suits families and couples who want an evening light trail with a cable car ride over the Rhine. Entry is by timed ticket, from €15.95 for adults. ## Fete des Lumieres Lyon's Fête des Lumières suits anyone who can be in the city from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, when the City of Lyon lights the city with free installations (20 sites in 2025; the 2026 programme comes out in early November) from 19:00 to 23:00 (18:00 to 22:00 on the Sunday), and its… ## Magisch Maastricht light routes Magisch Maastricht's light routes string Christmas lights through five quarters of the old city, and they suit anyone staying in Maastricht who likes an evening walk, though the city publishes no fixed route length or switch-on time. They belong to Magisch Maastricht, which Visit Maastricht dates… ## Lichterzauber on the Mariazell Burgeralpe Ride the cable car up after the market closes and this lit trail fills the rest of your evening, which suits families staying the night in Mariazell. It costs extra, and the combined ticket with the cable car is more than double the trail price alone. ## Obernai Advent Windows Obernai's Les fenêtres de l'Avent is a new video-mapping show on the town hall facade, and it suits families at the Christmas market who can be on Place du Marché at 18:00 or 19:00. It plays twice a night from 1 to 24 December 2026 (announced). ## Story of Lights Prague: Charles IV Prague's Story of Lights suits families and anyone with small children, because the route is step-free and works with a pram or a wheelchair. Its trade-off is the location at Žluté lázně on the Vltava south of the centre, well away from the Old Town markets. The 2026/27 season runs from 16 October… ## St Wolfgang Floating Peace Light Lantern The floating lantern off St Wolfgang is the image the Wolfgangsee's Advent is built around, and it suits anyone who likes lights on water. The organizer gives no lighting hours, so plan your visit for dusk on a market day. ## Strasbourg Christmas Lights Strasbourg's Christmas lights suit anyone who wants a free evening walk, with a lit route that links the cathedral, Petite France and the Neustadt around the Grand Sapin on Place Kléber. The 2026 season opens on 27 November (confirmed), and the early January end is projected from 2025, when the tree… ## Christmas Garden Stuttgart The Christmas Garden suits families and couples who want a lit evening walk away from the market crowds, on a loop of about two kilometres through the Wilhelma zoo and botanical garden. The trade-off is the price, and the cheapest timed tickets sell online only. ## Vienna Christmas Lights Vienna's Christmas lights hang over 32 shopping streets from early November, with more than two million LEDs, and they suit anyone walking between the city's markets after dark. Seeing them is free; the 2026 switch-on date isn't published yet. ## Zurich Christmas Lights and Lucy Zurich's Christmas lights suit anyone walking from the station to the lake in the evening, and their trade-off is the crowd on Bahnhofstrasse at the switch-on. Lucy, the crystal lighting over Bahnhofstrasse, switches on at 18:00 on Thursday 19 November 2026 with the rest of the city's lights, which… ## Illuminarium at the Swiss National Museum The Illuminarium suits families and anyone near Zurich's main station on a cold evening, and its trade-off is a ticket price for the shows. It runs from 5 November to 30 December 2026 in the courtyard of the Swiss National Museum, with 25-minute light shows, free entry to the courtyard and closed on… ## Countries ### Austria URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/austria Type: Country Local name: Österreich (de) Also known as: Osterreich, Oesterreich, Republic of Austria Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: German Season: the markets open early, from 6 November 2026 at Schönbrunn and 13 November on Vienna's Rathausplatz and in Innsbruck's old town, and several run past Christmas, with Salzburg's open to 1 January and Schönbrunn's to 6 January 2027. December weather: December is cold all over Austria and frost is normal. Snow comes more reliably in the Alpine towns of Tyrol and the Salzkammergut than in Vienna or Graz, and lakeside paths in Hallstatt or St Wolfgang can be icy underfoot. Capital: Vienna Summary: Austria suits a traveller who wants a long season. Its markets open in early November and the big ones in Vienna and Salzburg keep going after Christmas, so you can be on a market square on 25 or 26 December. The trade-off is the crowd at Hallstatt and on Vienna's Rathausplatz on Advent weekends. Go to Hallstatt on a weekday morning, or base yourself in Graz or Innsbruck, where the old towns hold several smaller markets within a short walk of each other. Q: Are Austrian Christmas markets open on Christmas Day? A: Some are. Salzburg's Christkindlmarkt opens from 11:00 to 18:00 on 25 and 26 December 2026, and the market at Schönbrunn Palace opens from 10:00 to 19:00 from 25 December until 6 January 2027. Q: Is a Krampus run safe to watch with children? A: Plenty of families go, and the figures are meant to frighten. Runs have caused injuries, so watch from behind a barrier and keep small children at the back. In Salzburg the St Nicholas visit on the afternoon of 6 December, with its children's Krampus group, is the gentler choice. Q: What happens on 8 December in Austria? A: The Feast of the Immaculate Conception is a public holiday, and shops are allowed to open for Christmas shopping. Vienna's Rathausplatz market keeps its daily hours of 10:00 to 22:00, so expect a busy day. Q: Who brings the presents in Austria? A: In Austria, Christkind or St Nicholas brings the presents. The Christkind brings the presents on Christmas Eve. That evening the family lights the tree for the first time and sings carols around it. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Austria? A: In Austria, the markets open early, from 6 November 2026 at Schönbrunn and 13 November on Vienna's Rathausplatz and in Innsbruck's old town, and several run past Christmas, with Salzburg's open to 1 January and Schönbrunn's to 6 January 2027. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/ https://www.weihnachtsmarkt-schoenbrunn.at/ https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wichtige-termine/ https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/krampus-nikolo-perchten/ https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/info/öffnungszeiten/121-0.html https://www.salzburg.info/de/salzburg/advent-stille-nacht https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observance_of_Christmas_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Austria ### Belgium URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/belgium Type: Country Local name: België (nl) Also known as: Belgie, Belgique, Belgien, Kingdom of Belgium Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Dutch, French, German Season: the Brussels Winter Wonders market runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Bruges has announced its market for 20 November to 3 January, and Ghent's Winter Festival runs from 3 December to 3 January. December weather: December is mild, damp and grey, with rain far more likely than snow and a wind that finds its way through any coat. Bring a waterproof layer and shoes that grip on wet cobbles. Capital: Brussels Summary: Belgium suits a visitor who wants several markets close together without long transfers. Brussels' Winter Wonders runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and Ghent and Bruges sit on the same rail line west of the capital, each with a market of its own. Brussels has the most trains and the biggest market, so it makes the easiest base. Belgian children get their presents from Sinterklaas on 6 December, weeks before Christmas. Q: Is Zwarte Piet still part of Sinterklaas in Belgium? A: In most big cities the figure has changed. In 2016 Flemish children's broadcasters, toy shops and theatres signed a pact to stop using fully black-painted Piets from 2017, and big cities such as Antwerp and Ghent use roetveegpieten (Piets with soot smudges from the chimney). Some villages still keep the old figure, and the debate continues. Q: Are the Brussels markets open on Christmas Eve? A: Winter Wonders opens from 12:00 to 18:00 on 24 December 2026, with no light show on the Grand-Place that evening. It keeps the same early closing on New Year's Eve. Q: Who brings the presents in Belgium? A: In Belgium, Sinterklaas brings the presents. Sinterklaas brings the presents on the morning of 6 December, and French-speaking Belgians know him as Saint-Nicolas. Children set out a shoe the night before with hay or a carrot for his horse, and some Belgian homes add a beer for Piet and a coffee for the saint. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Belgium? A: In Belgium, the Brussels Winter Wonders market runs from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Bruges has announced its market for 20 November to 3 January, and Ghent's Winter Festival runs from 3 December to 3 January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://winterpret.be/infos-pratiques https://www.visitbruges.be/en/winter-glow/christmas-markets https://gentsewinterfeesten.be/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwartepietendiscussie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cougnou https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Belgium ### Croatia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/croatia Type: Country Local name: Hrvatska (hr) Also known as: Hrvatska, Republic of Croatia Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Croatian Season: the city's Advent in Zagreb festival runs from 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027, with markets in squares and parks across the city and up on the hilltop paths of the Upper Town. December weather: December in Zagreb is cold and often grey, with frosty nights and the chance of snow. Dress for standing still outdoors in the evening, when the markets are busiest. Capital: Zagreb Summary: Croatia suits a visitor who wants a capital that turns Advent into a citywide party. Advent in Zagreb runs from 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027, with markets in parks and squares, along the hilltop paths of the Upper Town and down to an ice rink on King Tomislav Square. European Best Destinations voters named it the best Christmas market in Europe three years running, from 2016 to 2018. Zagreb is the one base this site covers in Croatia, so plan the Christmas part of a trip around the capital. Q: Why is Advent in Zagreb so well known? A: European Best Destinations voters named it the best Christmas market in Europe each year from 2016 to 2018. The festival spreads across the city, with markets in parks and squares and up on the hilltop paths of the Upper Town. Q: Is Christmas Eve a holiday in Croatia? A: Christmas Eve is a working day, and many businesses close around midday. Christmas Day, St Stephen's Day on 26 December and Epiphany on 6 January are public holidays. Q: Who brings the presents in Croatia? A: In Croatia, Djed Božićnjak or St Nicholas or St Lucy brings the presents. Djed Božićnjak (Grandfather Christmas) leaves the presents under the tree for Christmas. Croatians keep him apart from St Nicholas, who has his own day earlier in December. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Croatia? A: In Croatia, the city's Advent in Zagreb festival runs from 28 November 2026 to 7 January 2027, with markets in squares and parks across the city and up on the hilltop paths of the Upper Town. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.adventzagreb.hr/en/ https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bo%C5%BEi%C4%87 https://hr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Djed_Bo%C5%BEi%C4%87njak https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_worldwide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Croatia ### Czechia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/czechia Type: Country Local name: Česko (cs) Also known as: Czech Republic, Česká republika, Cesko Currency: Czech koruna (CZK) Languages: Czech Season: the main Prague markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Brno opens earlier, with its Zelný trh market from 13 November to 31 December, and Český Krumlov's square holds its market from 21 November to 3 January. December weather: December is cold and mostly grey, with frost on clear nights and the light going early in the afternoon. Snow falls some years and skips others, and the hills of southern Bohemia around Český Krumlov feel colder than Prague. Warm boots matter more than a heavy coat when you stand on cobbles for an hour. Capital: Prague Summary: Czechia suits a visitor who wants big-city markets that keep going after Christmas, because Prague's Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square stay open from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. The catch comes on Christmas Eve, when large shops close at noon and families go home for fish soup and fried carp. Prague is the obvious base. Brno has two markets of its own from mid-November, and Český Krumlov puts a small market on its square below the castle from 21 November. Q: Are shops open in Czechia on Christmas Eve? A: Large shops close at noon on 24 December and stay shut on 25 and 26 December under a 2016 law. Shops under 200 m², pharmacies and shops at stations and airports can stay open, so you can still buy bread and a bottle of water. Q: Why do Czechs eat carp at Christmas? A: Fried carp is the centre of the Christmas Eve dinner, after a bowl of fish soup. The fried version came over from Austrian cooking, and Czech recipes for it go back at least to 1895. Families who skip fish eat vinná klobása, a wine sausage. Q: Who brings the presents in Czechia? A: In Czechia, Ježíšek or St Nicholas brings the presents. Ježíšek (the infant Jesus) leaves the presents under the tree on the evening of 24 December, and nobody agrees on what he looks like. Czech families have kept the custom for more than 400 years, and children still believe in him in one of the least religious countries in Europe. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Czechia? A: In Czechia, the main Prague markets on Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square run from 28 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. Brno opens earlier, with its Zelný trh market from 13 November to 31 December, and Český Krumlov's square holds its market from 21 November to 3 January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://trhypraha.cz/en/dates-of-markets https://www.vanocebrno.cz/ https://brnenskevanoce.cz/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://cs.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%A0t%C4%9Bdr%C3%BD_den https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Je%C5%BE%C3%AD%C5%A1ek https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_the_Czech_Republic ### Denmark URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/denmark Type: Country Local name: Danmark (da) Also known as: Danmark, Kingdom of Denmark Currency: Danish krone (DKK) Languages: Danish Season: the Copenhagen markets start early, with Nytorv and Gammeltorv open from 6 November to 21 December 2026 and Højbro Plads from 14 November to 20 December. Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. December weather: December is dark, damp and windy, with rain more likely than snow. The wind off the harbour cuts through a thin coat, so bring a hat, a scarf and something waterproof. Capital: Copenhagen Summary: Denmark suits a visitor who wants a cosy city Christmas, with Copenhagen as the one base. Tivoli's Christmas season runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, and the city's square markets on Nytorv, Gammeltorv and Højbro Plads open in November and close before Christmas. Come in late November or the first half of December to see the markets and Tivoli together, because by the 22nd most of the stalls have gone and the city is getting ready for juleaften. Q: What is risalamande? A: Risalamande is the cold rice pudding with cherry sauce that ends the Danish Christmas Eve dinner. One whole almond is hidden in the bowl, and whoever finds it wins a small present, traditionally a marzipan pig. Q: Are shops open in Denmark on Christmas Eve? A: Danish law closes most shops on 24 December, and 25 and 26 December are public holidays. Buy what you need by the 23rd and book any restaurant dinner well ahead. Q: Who brings the presents in Denmark? A: In Denmark, Julemanden brings the presents. Julemanden (the Christmas man) arrives with the presents on Christmas Eve by reindeer sleigh. His helpers the nisser live in attics and barns, and children may leave a bowl of rice pudding out for them on the afternoon of the 24th. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Denmark? A: In Denmark, the Copenhagen markets start early, with Nytorv and Gammeltorv open from 6 November to 21 December 2026 and Højbro Plads from 14 November to 20 December. Christmas in Tivoli runs from 13 November 2026 to 3 January 2027. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons/christmas-in-tivoli https://www.tivoli.dk/en/opening-hours-and-seasons https://julemarked.dk/planlaeg-dit-besoeg/ https://kbhjulemarked.dk/ https://visitcopenhagen.com/copenhagen/activities/christmas-copenhagen https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_Denmark https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Denmark ### Estonia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/estonia Type: Country Local name: Eesti (et) Also known as: Eesti, Republic of Estonia Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Estonian Season: the Christmas market on Tallinn's Town Hall Square runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. The stalls open daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and hot drinks are served until 22:00, or 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. December weather: December is cold, dark and the cloudiest month of the year, with snow on many days and the odd snowstorm. Tallinn on the coast stays a little milder than the east of the country. Wear proper boots for icy Old Town cobbles. Capital: Tallinn Summary: Estonia suits a visitor who wants a medieval old town and a market that stays up after Christmas. Tallinn's market fills Town Hall Square from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027, so a trip over New Year still finds the stalls open. The square's tree comes with one of the oldest Christmas tree records in Europe, from the Blackheads merchants' guild in the 1440s. Tallinn is the one base, and you should come ready for real cold and very short days. Q: Did Tallinn have the first Christmas tree? A: Tallinn holds one of the oldest records. The Brotherhood of Blackheads set up holiday trees in its guild houses in Tallinn and Riga in 1441, 1442, 1510 and 1514, and danced round them on the Town Hall Square on the last night. Tallinn and Riga both claim the first public tree. Q: What do Estonians eat at Christmas? A: The classic dinner is verivorst (blood sausage) and roast pork with baked potatoes and sauerkraut. Piparkoogid (gingerbread) follows, and breweries make dark beers for the season. Q: Who brings the presents in Estonia? A: In Estonia, Jouluvana brings the presents. The Christmas old man usually comes to the house in person, played by someone in costume, and asks each child for a Christmas verse or a song before he hands over a present. Some tellings give him a bundle of twigs in his belt for the children who would not listen. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Estonia? A: In Estonia, the Christmas market on Tallinn's Town Hall Square runs from 20 November 2026 to 6 January 2027. The stalls open daily from 10:00 to 20:00, and hot drinks are served until 22:00, or 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christmasmarket.ee/ https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B5uluvana https://et.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%B5ulud https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tallinn_Christmas_Market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_Estonia ### France URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/france Type: Country Also known as: French Republic Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: French Season: the Alsace markets open between 23 and 27 November 2026, and the longest-running ones close on 29 or 30 December in Colmar and the villages around it. Lyon's market on Place Carnot runs from 20 November to 24 December. December weather: December in Alsace is cold and often grey, with frost on clear nights and the odd snowfall on the vineyard villages below the Vosges. For dependable snow you have to go up into the Alps east of Lyon. Summary: France at Christmas suits a trip built on Alsace, where Strasbourg and Colmar hold their markets in half-timbered old towns a short regional train ride apart. The trade-off is the crowd. December weekends in both cities are packed, so sleep in Strasbourg or Colmar and spend weekdays in the smaller villages such as Eguisheim or Turckheim. Add Lyon if your dates cover the Fête des Lumières from 5 to 8 December 2026. Q: When does the Strasbourg Christmas market open in 2026? A: The city's official Christmas site says the market opens on Friday 27 November 2026. In 2025 it ran to 24 December, and the 2026 closing date has not been published yet. Q: Is 26 December a holiday in Alsace? A: Yes. Saint Stephen's Day on 26 December is a public holiday in Alsace and Moselle only, so plan for shops in Strasbourg and Colmar to stay shut that day. Q: Which Alsace markets are quieter than Strasbourg and Colmar? A: Try Eguisheim or Turckheim, which both run from 27 November to 30 December 2026 and sit a short hop from Colmar. Go on a weekday afternoon. Kaysersberg opens only from Friday to Sunday, so a Friday there is the calmest of its days. Q: Who brings the presents in France? A: In France, Père Noël or Christkind or Saint Nicolas brings the presents. Père Noël comes on the night of 24 December. Children leave their shoes by the fireplace, and many families open their presents on Christmas Eve. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in France? A: In France, the Alsace markets open between 23 and 27 November 2026, and the longest-running ones close on 29 or 30 December in Colmar and the villages around it. Lyon's market on Place Carnot runs from 20 November to 24 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://noel.strasbourg.eu/ https://www.noel-colmar.com/en/ https://www.lyon.fr/actualite/action-sociale-et-solidarite/appel-manifestation-dinteret-marche-de-noel-2026 https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/horaires-et-dates-fete-des-lumieres-2026 https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/histoire-de-la-fete https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P%C3%A8re_No%C3%ABl https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_France https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observance_of_Christmas_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_France ### Germany URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/germany Type: Country Local name: Deutschland (de) Also known as: Deutschland, Federal Republic of Germany Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: German Season: the big markets open between 16 and 27 November 2026 and most close on 22 or 23 December, with Nuremberg and Dresden open until 14:00 on Christmas Eve. December weather: December is cold and usually grey, with frost on clear nights and early dark. Snow comes more often in the Alpine foothills of Bavaria and up in the Ore Mountains than along the Rhine, and no town can promise it. Pack for cold feet on cobbles. Capital: Berlin Summary: Germany suits anyone who wants the Christmas market in the country that made it, with a market in nearly every town and fast trains between them. The trade-off is timing. Most big markets close on 22 or 23 December, and the whole country goes quiet for 25 and 26 December. Base yourself in Nuremberg, Dresden or Cologne and you can reach three or four more market towns by regional train in a week. Q: Are German Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? A: A few are. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt and Dresden's Striezelmarkt open from 10:00 to 14:00 on 24 December 2026. Frankfurt's market has already closed on the 22nd and Stuttgart's on the 23rd. Q: Is anything open in Germany on 25 and 26 December? A: Both days are public holidays, so shops and most markets are shut. Berlin's WeihnachtsZauber on the Gendarmenmarkt runs until 31 December 2026, and Cologne's Heinzels Wintermärchen reopens on 26 December and stays until 10 January 2027. Q: Why do some German markets close on a Sunday in November? A: Totensonntag falls on 22 November in 2026. Many states keep it as a quiet day for remembering the dead, so markets that have already opened, such as Cologne's and Munich's, close for that Sunday. Q: Who brings the presents in Germany? A: In Germany, Christkind or Weihnachtsmann or St Nicholas brings the presents. The Christkind brings the presents on the evening of 24 December across the more Catholic south of the country. In many homes a small bell rings to say it has been and gone. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Germany? A: In Germany, the big markets open between 16 and 27 November 2026 and most close on 22 or 23 December, with Nuremberg and Dresden open until 14:00 on Christmas Eve. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.nuernberg.de/imperia/md/maerkte/dokumente/spezialmaerkte/bekanntmachung_ckm_2026.pdf https://striezelmarkt.dresden.de/index_de.php https://www.koelnerweihnachtsmarkt.com https://www.muenchen.de/veranstaltungen/muenchner-christkindlmarkt-marienplatz https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/en/krampus-parade-munich-christmas-market-2026 https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de https://www.visitberlin.de/en/christmas-market-weihnachtszauber-gendarmenmarkt-berlin https://www.heinzels-wintermaerchen.de https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_Germany https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Weihnachtsmann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market ### Hungary URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/hungary Type: Country Local name: Magyarország (hu) Also known as: Magyarorszag Currency: Hungarian forint (HUF) Languages: Hungarian Season: the Budapest markets open early, on 13 November 2026. Vörösmarty Square runs until New Year's Eve, when it stays open until 03:00, and the Advent Bazilika market in front of St Stephen's Basilica closes on 1 January 2027. December weather: December is cold and often grey, with frost on clear nights and the chance of snow. The wind off the Danube bites on the bridges, so bring a hat and gloves for the walk between Pest and Buda. Capital: Budapest Summary: Hungary works for a visitor who wants one grand city and a long season, because Budapest's markets on Vörösmarty Square and in front of St Stephen's Basilica open on 13 November 2026 and run to the turn of the year. Christmas Eve is the tricky day. The markets cut their hours on the 24th and public transport stops at about 16:00, so book dinner near your hotel. Budapest is the base, and it holds enough markets to fill a long weekend. Q: Are Budapest's Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? A: Yes, for a few hours. Vörösmarty Square opens from 10:00 to 14:00 on 24 December 2026 and Advent Bazilika from 11:00 to 15:00. Both reopen on Christmas Day. Q: Does public transport run in Budapest on Christmas Eve? A: It stops at about 16:00 on 24 December, so plan to be at your hotel or your dinner table by then. Check the operator's holiday timetable before you travel. Q: Who brings the presents in Hungary? A: In Hungary, Jézuska or St Nicholas brings the presents. Jézuska (the infant Jesus) brings the presents at Christmas, and the children never get to see him. A parent or grandparent rings a small bell to say he has been, and the children come in to find the tree decorated with the gifts underneath. In Transylvania the angel brings them instead. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Hungary? A: In Hungary, the Budapest markets open early, on 13 November 2026. Vörösmarty Square runs until New Year's Eve, when it stays open until 03:00, and the Advent Bazilika market in front of St Stephen's Basilica closes on 1 January 2027. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://vorosmartyclassicxmas.hu/nyitvatartas https://adventbazilika.hu/nyitvatartas https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/J%C3%A9zuska https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mikul%C3%A1s https://hu.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kar%C3%A1csony_Magyarorsz%C3%A1gon https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Hungary ### Italy URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/italy Type: Country Local name: Italia (it) Also known as: Italian Republic Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Italian, German, Ladin Season: the market on Bolzano's Piazza Walther opens on 26 November 2026 and stays until 6 January 2027, and Italy keeps Christmas from 8 December through Epiphany on 6 January. December weather: South Tyrol and Trentino are Alpine valleys, cold in December with frost at night and snow on the mountains around them. The valley floors at Bolzano and Trento sit low, so snow in town comes and goes. Summary: Italy suits a market trip into the Alps that mixes German-speaking South Tyrol with Italian Trentino, and it runs late, with Bolzano's market open until Epiphany on 6 January 2027. The trade-off is distance. Italy's markets sit in the far north, a long train ride from Rome or Florence and closer to Innsbruck and Munich. Base yourself in Bolzano and the other South Tyrol markets are easy day trips. Q: Is the Bolzano Christmas market open after Christmas? A: Yes. Bolzano's tourism office says the 2026 market opens on 26 November and stays until 6 January 2027, so you can still visit between Christmas and Epiphany. Q: What is closed in Italy over Christmas? A: The 8th of December, Christmas Day, Santo Stefano on 26 December and Epiphany on 6 January are national public holidays. Expect most shops and offices to close on those days. Q: Who brings the presents in Italy? A: In Italy, Babbo Natale or La Befana or Santa Lucia or St Nicholas brings the presents. Babbo Natale leaves the presents under the tree, and families open them on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day depending on the region. In older family tradition the Baby Jesus brought them. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Italy? A: In Italy, the market on Bolzano's Piazza Walther opens on 26 November 2026 and stays until 6 January 2027, and Italy keeps Christmas from 8 December through Epiphany on 6 January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bolzano-bozen.it/en/winter-bolzano.htm https://www.bolzano-bozen.it/en/cosa-fare/vacation-package-enchanting-advent-magic-at-the-christmas-market-in-bolzano.html https://it.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mercatino_di_Natale_di_Bolzano https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_Italy https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Befana https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Lucy%27s_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krampus https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Italy ### Latvia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/latvia Type: Country Local name: Latvija (lv) Also known as: Latvija, Republic of Latvia Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Latvian Season: the main market in Riga runs on Dome Square beside the cathedral from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, dates the organizer has confirmed. December weather: December is cold, dark and mostly cloudy, with snow likely and slush between the cold spells. Bring boots with a good grip for the Old Town streets. Capital: Riga Summary: Latvia suits a visitor who wants a Baltic capital with old folk customs running under its Christmas. Riga's market fills the square beside the cathedral from late November to early January, and the Post Office's travel-money report keeps ranking it among the most affordable Christmas markets in Europe. The city's Blackheads guild left a record of a festive tree from 1510. Riga is the one base this site covers in Latvia. Q: What is the bluķis custom? A: At the winter solstice Latvians dragged a log along and then burned it, copying the path of the sun. The fire was meant to carry off the past year's bad luck and illness and make room for the new year. Q: Is Christmas Eve a holiday in Latvia? A: Yes. Christmas Eve and both days of Christmas are public holidays, and so is New Year's Eve. Presents are traditionally exchanged on the evening of the 24th. Q: Who brings the presents in Latvia? A: In Latvia, Ziemassvētku vecītis brings the presents. Ziemassvētku vecītis (the little Christmas old man) brings presents on Christmas Eve to the children who behaved well over the past year. Latvians also call him Santaklauss. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Latvia? A: In Latvia, the main market in Riga runs on Dome Square beside the cathedral from 27 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, dates the organizer has confirmed. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziemassv%C4%93tki https://lv.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ziemassv%C4%93tku_vec%C4%ABtis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_tree https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Latvia ### Lithuania URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/lithuania Type: Country Local name: Lietuva (lt) Also known as: Lietuva, Republic of Lithuania Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Lithuanian December weather: December is cold, grey and dark, with snow likely and icy pavements between thaws. Wear boots with a good grip for the Old Town of Vilnius. Capital: Vilnius Summary: Lithuania suits a visitor who wants to see Christmas Eve kept as a family feast, with the twelve-dish Kūčios supper at its heart. Vilnius puts the city's tallest tree and outdoor nativity scenes on Cathedral Square, and the capital is the one base this site covers. Christmas Eve and both days of Christmas are public holidays, so book a restaurant for the 24th early or plan a quiet night in. Q: What are the twelve dishes of Kūčios? A: The Christmas Eve supper has twelve dishes with no meat or dairy. Expect herring in several sauces, smoked eel, potatoes, sauerkraut, mushrooms, cranberry kisielius and kūčiukai (small biscuits) soaked in poppy-seed milk. Q: Is Christmas Eve a public holiday in Lithuania? A: Yes. Kūčios on 24 December is an official day off, and so are 25 and 26 December. Families spend the evening at home, so book any restaurant meal well ahead. Q: Who brings the presents in Lithuania? A: In Lithuania, Kalėdų Senelis brings the presents. Kalėdų Senelis (Grandfather Christmas) flies in by reindeer sleigh on the evening of Kūčios and hands out presents to good children. In the older custom people dressed as Kalėda walked from yard to yard on Christmas Day to wish for a good harvest, and in the Šilutė district a hare brings the gifts. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K%C5%AB%C4%8Dios https://lt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kal%C4%97d%C5%B3_Senelis https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cathedral_Square,_Vilnius https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Lithuania ### The Netherlands URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/netherlands Type: Country Local name: Nederland (nl) Also known as: Netherlands, Holland, Nederland Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Dutch Season: the cave markets in Valkenburg open first, on 13 November 2026, and run to 30 December, with WinterGlow in the town until 3 January 2027. Magisch Maastricht fills the Vrijthof from 27 November to 27 December, and Amsterdam's Christmas Village on Museumplein runs from 3 to 27 December. December weather: December is cool, damp and dark, with rain on most days and daylight of barely eight hours. Snow can fall any time from November to April, and December brings only a handful of snowy days. Valkenburg's cave markets stay dry whatever the sky is doing. Capital: Amsterdam Summary: The Netherlands suits a visitor who wants an unusual market and short hops between towns. In Valkenburg two Christmas markets sit inside caves under the town from 13 November 2026, and Maastricht's Vrijthof market is a short train ride away from 27 November. Amsterdam's Christmas Village on Museumplein runs from 3 to 27 December. Dutch children get their presents from Sinterklaas on 5 December, and several of the big markets shut on 27 December, so plan an early trip. Q: What happens on pakjesavond? A: On 5 December Dutch families hand out presents said to come from Sinterklaas and his helpers. Each gift usually comes disguised as a surprise with a teasing poem, and there are chocolate letters and pepernoten on the table. Q: Is Zwarte Piet still part of Sinterklaas? A: The national arrival and the NTR's Sinterklaasjournaal have used no Zwarte Pieten since 2019, and most cities and broadcasters now use roetveegpieten (Piets with soot smudges from the chimney). Some towns still keep the blackface figure, and the debate goes on. Q: Who brings the presents in The Netherlands? A: In The Netherlands, Sinterklaas or Kerstman brings the presents. Sinterklaas brings the presents on pakjesavond (present evening), 5 December. The gifts often come disguised as a surprise with a teasing poem attached, and the table fills with chocolate letters, pepernoten and speculaas. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in The Netherlands? A: In The Netherlands, the cave markets in Valkenburg open first, on 13 November 2026, and run to 30 December, with WinterGlow in the town until 3 January 2027. Magisch Maastricht fills the Vrijthof from 27 November to 27 December, and Amsterdam's Christmas Village on Museumplein runs from 3 to 27 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/ https://www.kerstmarktgemeentegrot.nl/nl/informatie/informatie-en-openingstijden-2026/ https://www.kerstmarktfluweelengrot.nl/ https://www.kerststadvalkenburg.nl/te-doen/winterglow/ https://www.magischmaastrichtvrijthof.nl/plan-je-bezoek https://icevillage.nl/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sinterklaas https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerstman https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwarte_Piet https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zwartepietendiscussie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_worldwide https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_of_the_Netherlands ### Poland URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/poland Type: Country Local name: Polska (pl) Also known as: Polska, Republic of Poland Currency: Polish złoty (PLN) Languages: Polish December weather: Winter in Poland is cold and cloudy, snowstorms come often and the days turn short. Pack boots that cope with snow underfoot, and expect most of your market time to fall after dark. Summary: Poland suits a visitor who cares about how Christmas is kept at home as much as the stalls, because the Wigilia supper on Christmas Eve is the centre of the whole season. Kraków is the base to choose. Its Main Market Square holds the city's market, and on the first Thursday of December the szopka makers bring their nativity scenes to the Mickiewicz monument for the city's annual contest. Wrocław puts its own market on its Market Square, and Gdańsk works as a base on the Baltic coast. Christmas Eve has been a public holiday since 2025, so expect the country to stay home that night. Q: What is the Kraków szopka contest? A: Kraków's makers build szopki (nativity scenes) and bring them to the Adam Mickiewicz monument on the Main Market Square on the first Thursday of December. The city has run the contest since 1937, and UNESCO inscribed the tradition in 2018. The best entries go on show at the city museum's Krzysztofory Palace. Q: Is anything open in Poland on Christmas Eve? A: Christmas Eve became a public holiday in 2025, and 25 and 26 December are holidays too. Families sit down to Wigilia when the first star appears, so book any restaurant meal well ahead and buy food before the 24th. Q: Who brings the presents in Poland? A: In Poland, Gwiazdor or St Nicholas brings the presents. Gwiazdor brings the presents on Christmas Eve in the Poznań region, Kuyavia, Kashubia and other parts of western and northern Poland. He grew out of the old carol singers who carried a star from house to house, and he used to wear a sheepskin and a fur hat and quiz the children on their prayers and carols before handing anything over. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_Poland https://pl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwiazdor https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Szopka https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Square,_Krak%C3%B3w https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Market_Square,_Wroc%C5%82aw https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Poland https://www.poland.travel/en/poland-weather-everything-you-need-to-know-about-polish-climate/ ### Slovenia URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/slovenia Type: Country Local name: Slovenija (sl) Also known as: Slovenija, Republic of Slovenia Currency: Euro (EUR) Languages: Slovene Season: the holiday lights go on in Ljubljana on 27 November 2026, the Friday before Advent, and the stalls and concerts of Festive December carry on in the Old Town into early January. December weather: December in Ljubljana is cold and damp, often foggy, with a chance of snow. Bring layers for long evenings outdoors. Capital: Ljubljana Summary: Slovenia suits a visitor who wants a small capital at an easy pace. Ljubljana switches on its holiday lights on 27 November 2026 and keeps green market stalls and outdoor concerts going in its Old Town into early January. Children here can count on three gift-bringers in one December, from Miklavž on the 6th to Dedek Mraz at New Year. Ljubljana is the one base this site covers in Slovenia. Q: Who are the three good men of a Slovenian December? A: Miklavž (St Nicholas) brings presents on 6 December and Božiček on Christmas Eve. Dedek Mraz (Grandpa Frost) comes at New Year and has carried no religious meaning since he arrived after the Second World War. Families choose between them by faith or politics. Q: Is Christmas a public holiday in Slovenia? A: Christmas Day is a work-free day, restored in 1991 after the state abolished it in 1953. Slovenia keeps 26 December as the state holiday for Independence and Unity Day, and 1 and 2 January are both holidays. Q: Who brings the presents in Slovenia? A: In Slovenia, Miklavž or Božiček or Dedek Mraz brings the presents. Miklavž (St Nicholas) brings presents on 6 December. An angel walks with him, and so does a parkelj (devil), who leaves a rod for any child who misbehaved. Families kept his feast going at home right through the communist years. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Slovenia? A: In Slovenia, the holiday lights go on in Ljubljana on 27 November 2026, the Friday before Advent, and the stalls and concerts of Festive December carry on in the Old Town into early January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/sights-and-activities/highlights/festive-december-in-ljubljana/ https://www.visitljubljana.com/en/visitors/traditional-events https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dedek_Mraz https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Slovenia ### Switzerland URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/switzerland Type: Country Local name: Schweiz (de) Also known as: Swiss Confederation, Confoederatio Helvetica Currency: Swiss franc (CHF) Languages: German, French, Italian, Romansh Season: most markets run from late November to 23 or 24 December 2026, starting with Montreux on 20 November, and Einsiedeln's short market ends early on 6 December. December weather: December is cold, and the lowland cities from Basel to Zurich can sit under grey fog for days at a time. Snow is likelier up at Einsiedeln and in the mountain resorts than down in the cities. Capital: Bern Summary: Switzerland suits a short, easy market trip by train, with compact old towns whose markets sit close to the main stations. The trade-off is cost. Food and rooms run dearer than across the border in Germany or Austria, so set a daily budget before you go. Pair Basel with Alsace or the Black Forest, or sleep in Zurich and take day trips to Lucerne and Einsiedeln. Q: Which Swiss Christmas markets are open on Christmas Eve? A: Montreux Noël opens from 11:00 to 17:00 on 24 December 2026, and Bern's Münsterplatz market from 10:00 to 16:00. Basel's markets have closed by then, on 23 December. Q: Is 26 December a holiday in Switzerland? A: In most cantons, yes. Each canton sets its own public holidays, and 21 of the 26 keep St Stephen's Day on 26 December, so check the canton you are staying in before you count on shops opening. Q: When does Samichlaus come in Switzerland? A: Around 6 December. Zurich's Samichlaus parade on Bahnhofstrasse is on Sunday 29 November 2026, and the Klausjagen procession in Küssnacht am Rigi is on the evening of 5 December. Q: Who brings the presents in Switzerland? A: In Switzerland, Christkind or Samichlaus brings the presents. In German-speaking Switzerland the Christchindli brings the presents on Christmas Eve. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in Switzerland? A: In Switzerland, most markets run from late November to 23 or 24 December 2026, starting with Montreux on 20 November, and Einsiedeln's short market ends early on 6 December. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bs.ch/weihnachtsmarkt https://www.montreuxnoel.com/ http://www.bernerweihnachtsmarkt.ch/ https://www.einsiedler-weihnacht.ch/ https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/agenda-kultur/veranstaltungen/weihnachten https://www.zuerich.com/de/informieren-planen/jahreszeiten-und-klima/weihnachten-in-zuerich/veranstaltungen-im-advent https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Nicholas_Day https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samichlaus_(Brauchtum) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christkind https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_in_Germany https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_Switzerland ### United Kingdom URL: https://christmasineurope.com/countries/united-kingdom Type: Country Also known as: UK, Britain, Great Britain, England, Scotland Currency: Pound sterling (GBP) Languages: English, Scottish Gaelic Season: the markets open from the third week of November and many close before Christmas: Bath's runs from 26 November to 13 December 2026, and the Christmas fair in London's Hyde Park stays open until 3 January 2027 except on Christmas Day. December weather: December in England is damp and grey, with short days and the odd frosty morning. Scotland is colder and darker, and Edinburgh's afternoons close in early. Capital: London Summary: The United Kingdom suits travellers who want Christmas markets alongside carol services and big-city shopping in London, Edinburgh or Manchester. The trade-off is Christmas Day itself, when public transport stops and almost everything closes. Book a bed for the 24th and 25th where you mean to spend them, and check trains for 26 December too, because some operators run limited services on Boxing Day or none at all. Q: Does public transport run on Christmas Day in the UK? A: Public transport shuts down on 25 December, and the last trains leave the big cities early on Christmas Eve. Operators publish their Christmas timetables from October, so check them before you book. Q: When is the Boxing Day bank holiday in 2026? A: 26 December 2026 is a Saturday, so the bank holiday moves to Monday 28 December in England, Wales and Scotland. Q: Are UK Christmas markets German-style? A: Many are. The Frankfurt Christmas Market has run in Birmingham, Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester since 1997. Lincoln's own market dates from 1982 and Bath's from 2000. Q: Who brings the presents in United Kingdom? A: In United Kingdom, Father Christmas brings the presents. Father Christmas fills the children's stockings overnight on Christmas Eve, and the presents come out on Christmas morning. Most British families treat him and Santa Claus as the same figure. Q: When do the Christmas markets run in United Kingdom? A: In United Kingdom, the markets open from the third week of November and many close before Christmas: Bath's runs from 26 November to 13 December 2026, and the Christmas fair in London's Hyde Park stays open until 3 January 2027 except on Christmas Day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gov.uk/bank-holidays https://bathchristmasmarket.co.uk/ https://hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Father_Christmas https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Observance_of_Christmas_by_country https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Advent_wreath https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_market https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_holidays_in_the_United_Kingdom ## Churches and concert venues ### Aachen Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/aachen-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Aachener Dom (de) Also known as: Aachener Dom, Kaiserdom Aachen, Dom van Aken Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt City: Aachen Coordinates: 50.77480, 6.08390 Website: https://www.aachenerdom.de/ Summary: Aachen Cathedral is free to enter and sits at the heart of the city's Christmas market, with paid guided tours to Charlemagne's throne. Visits pause during the daily Masses. Charlemagne's church at the core of the cathedral went up over about ten years from around 798, and it served as his burial place. The chapter counts 30 kings and 12 queens crowned here up to 1531, and in 1978 it became the first German cultural site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Tips: - Carry a €1 coin for the photo contribution. Q: Is Aachen Cathedral free to visit? A: Yes. Entry to Aachen Cathedral is free, and photography costs a €1 contribution. Guided tours to the choir hall and the royal throne cost €8.50 for adults from 1 September 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.aachenerdom.de/ort-der-besichtigung/faqs/ https://www.aachenerdom.de/oeffnungszeiten/ https://www.aachenerdom.de/ort-der-geschichte/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5908 ### Concertgebouw URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/amsterdam-concertgebouw Type: Venue Local name: Het Concertgebouw (nl) Also known as: Royal Concertgebouw, Concertgebouw Amsterdam Region: The Netherlands Area: Oud-Zuid City: Amsterdam Address: Concertgebouwplein, Amsterdam Coordinates: 52.35630, 4.87910 Website: https://www.concertgebouw.nl/en Summary: The Concertgebouw is Amsterdam's main concert hall and the home of the Concertgebouw Orchestra, and it suits anyone who wants a Christmas concert in the city, with the orchestra's Christmas Matinee on 25 December as the date to plan around. The hall sits at the end of the Museumplein, so it pairs easily with the Christmas Village market outside. The Concertgebouw Orchestra was founded in 1888 and played its first Christmas Matinee on Boxing Day that year. The concert now falls on Christmas Day, and Dutch television has broadcast it since 25 December 1975. The building stands on the southern edge of the Museumplein, a few minutes on foot from the Christmas Village stalls. For wheelchair users, lifts go up to the Recital Hall and the Main Hall balconies, and staff are on hand to help. Walkers and wheelchairs cannot be left in the aisles, so ask about a place where you can keep yours beside you. Tips: - Book Christmas Matinee seats as soon as the orchestra opens sales; the 2026 programme was not yet listed in October. Q: Is the Concertgebouw wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. The Concertgebouw has lifts to the Recital Hall and the Main Hall balconies, and both halls keep seats for wheelchair users and a companion. Q: When is the Concertgebouw Christmas Matinee? A: The Concertgebouw Orchestra's Christmas Matinee takes place on Christmas Day. The 2026 date of 25 December is projected from that tradition until the orchestra publishes its programme. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.concertgebouw.nl/en/accessibility https://www.concertgebouworkest.nl/en/stories/the-christmas-matinee-50-1-years-of-an-orchestra-tradition/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q849957 ### Bamberg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/bamberg-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Bamberger Dom (de) Also known as: Bamberger Dom St. Peter und St. Georg, Kaiserdom Bamberg Region: Franconia Area: Domberg City: Bamberg Address: Domplatz, 96049 Bamberg Coordinates: 49.89070, 10.88250 Website: https://www.bamberger-dom.de/ Summary: Bamberg Cathedral on the Domberg suits anyone spending a day in Bamberg's crib season who wants to see the cathedral on the Domberg, and it is step-free through the Kunigundenpforte. Services come first here, so visiting hours shrink around the liturgy. The cathedral stands on the Domplatz, uphill from the Christmas market on the Maxplatz. The staff close it to visitors while a service is on, sometimes for a whole morning. Plan your visit around the cathedral's calendar, which lists Advent concerts and Christmas services as they are fixed. Families with prams and visitors in wheelchairs have a proper way in. The Kunigundenpforte on the far side from the town is step-free, reached from Domstraße through the Mesnerhof, and there are accessible toilets there. The Diocesan Museum next door is step-free as well. Tips: - Enter by the Kunigundenpforte if you need a step-free route; it is signposted from Domstraße via the Mesnerhof. Q: Is Bamberg Cathedral wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. Bamberg Cathedral is step-free through the Kunigundenpforte, reached from Domstraße via the Mesnerhof, and accessible toilets are there. Q: Can you visit Bamberg Cathedral during a service? A: No. Bamberg Cathedral closes to sightseeing during services, so check its visiting times before you go. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bamberger-dom.de/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5924 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/122385636 ### Basel Minster URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/basel-minster Type: Venue Local name: Basler Münster (de) Also known as: Basel Cathedral, Münster Basel Region: Switzerland Area: Münsterplatz City: Basel Address: Münsterplatz, Basel Coordinates: 47.55640, 7.59250 Website: https://www.baslermuenster.ch/ Summary: Basel Minster suits anyone at the Münsterplatz market who wants a warm half hour inside a Romanesque and Gothic cathedral, and its trade-off is short winter hours. In Advent it opens on weekdays until 18:00, and it closes to visitors on 24 December. The red sandstone Minster forms the backdrop to the Münsterplatz half of the Basel Christmas market. In Advent it stays open on weekdays until 18:00, longer than in the rest of winter, and on Saturdays at 17:00 the Bach um 5 series plays music by and around Bach. The Minster is a Reformed parish church and holds its Sunday service at 10:00, so visitors come in after it ends. Q: Is Basel Minster open on Christmas Eve? A: No. Basel Minster closes to visitors on 24 December, and also on 1 January and Good Friday. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.baslermuenster.ch/infos-kontakt/oeffnungszeiten https://www.baslermuenster.ch/ ### Berlin Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/berlin-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Berliner Dom (de) Also known as: Berliner Dom, Berlin Dom Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Mitte City: Berlin Address: Am Lustgarten, 10178 Berlin Coordinates: 52.51920, 13.40110 Website: https://www.berlinerdom.de/ Summary: Berlin Cathedral suits anyone who wants Bach in December under a great dome on the Museum Island, and the trade-off is that Advent concerts and services reshape the sightseeing hours. Bach's Christmas Oratorio plays here from 18 December 2026 to 9 January 2027. The Berliner Dom stands on the Lustgarten at the edge of the Museum Island, across the Spree from the Rotes Rathaus market. In December the music carries the visit, with the Christmas Oratorio on the calendar from 18 December and the Saturday Stunde der Dommusik at 18:00. The U5 stops at Museumsinsel. Tips: - Book sightseeing tickets online, as the cathedral asks. - Look up the day in the cathedral's calendar before you go in Advent. Q: Is Berlin Cathedral step-free? A: Yes, for most of the building. A lift on the north side of Berlin Cathedral reaches the main portals, and a second lift inside links the crypt and the museum. The dome has no step-free access. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.berlinerdom.de/ https://www.berlinerdom.de/besuchen-wissen/service/barrierefreiheit/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q154563 ### Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/berlin-kaiser-wilhelm-memorial-church Type: Venue Local name: Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtnis-Kirche (de) Also known as: Gedächtniskirche, Gedachtniskirche, Kaiser Wilhelm Gedachtnis Kirche Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Charlottenburg (City West) City: Berlin Address: Breitscheidplatz, 10789 Berlin Coordinates: 52.50470, 13.33530 Website: https://www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de/ Summary: The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church suits a quiet half-hour away from the Breitscheidplatz market that rings it, and the trade-off is that the memorial hall exhibition in the old tower is closed for renovation from 29 August 2026. The new church opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 outside services. The ensemble pairs the ruined tower of the 1890s church with Egon Eiermann's new church, and the Christmas market fills the square around both. Step inside the new church for a few minutes of quiet between the stalls. On Sundays the 10:00 service brings organ music on the big Schuke organ and often a guest choir. Tips: - Use the east ramp near the Weltbrunnen for the easiest step-free way up. Q: Can you visit the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church during the Christmas market? A: Yes. The Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00 outside services and concerts, with free entry. The tower memorial hall exhibition is closed for renovation from 29 August 2026. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de/besuch/offene-kirche/oeffnungszeiten https://www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de/besuch/offene-kirche/barrierefreiheit https://www.gedaechtniskirche-berlin.de/programm/gottesdienste/gottesdienste https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q153951 ### St. Hedwig's Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/berlin-st-hedwigs-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Sankt Hedwigs-Kathedrale (de) Also known as: St Hedwigs Cathedral, St.-Hedwigs-Kathedrale, Hedwigskathedrale Region: Berlin and Brandenburg Area: Mitte City: Berlin Address: Bebelplatz, 10117 Berlin Coordinates: 52.51580, 13.39470 Website: https://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/ Summary: St. Hedwig's Cathedral suits a visitor near the Gendarmenmarkt who wants a Catholic Mass or a quiet look at a newly redesigned cathedral, and the trade-off is that it has no public toilets. It reopened on 24 November 2024 and is free to visit. Berlin's Catholic cathedral sits on the Bebelplatz, a few streets from the Gendarmenmarkt market. It reopened for services, tours, prayer and church music on 24 November 2024 after a long redesign. Silent adoration runs daily from 15:00 to 16:00 in the Room of Adoration, and on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays at 12:00 the Angelus brings 15 minutes of organ music with a short reflection. The cathedral owns a Neapolitan nativity whose oldest figures date from the second half of the 18th century. Restorers are working through it figure by figure, and the chapter plans to show it all year in a chapel of the crypt. Tips: - Plan a toilet stop before you arrive, as the cathedral has none. Q: Is St. Hedwig's Cathedral open to visitors? A: Yes. St. Hedwig's Cathedral in Berlin opens Monday to Thursday and Saturday from 11:00 to 18:00, Friday from 11:00 to 20:00 and Sunday from 13:00 to 18:00, with free entry. Holiday hours can differ. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/ https://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/besuchen/ https://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/gottesdienste-und-beichte/ https://www.hedwigs-kathedrale.de/kathedrale/die-neapolitanische-krippe/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170123 ### Bern Minster URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/bern-minster Type: Venue Local name: Berner Münster (de) Also known as: Bern Cathedral, Münster Bern Region: Switzerland Area: Münsterplatz City: Bern Address: Münsterplatz 1, 3000 Bern 8 Coordinates: 46.94720, 7.45140 Website: https://www.bernermuenster.ch/ Summary: Bern Minster suits visitors to the Münsterplatz market who want to climb the cathedral tower, and its trade-off is winter hours that open the church only at noon on weekdays. From 12 October 2026 the church opens Monday to Friday 12:00 to 16:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 11:30 to 16:00. The crafts market on Münsterplatz sets up right below the Minster's main portal. Climb the tower before the light goes; the last ascent is at 15:30 on weekdays in winter. The Saturday Vespers at 17:30 make a quiet end to a market afternoon. Q: What are Bern Minster's winter opening hours? A: From 12 October 2026 Bern Minster opens Monday to Friday 12:00 to 16:00, Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday 11:30 to 16:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bernermuenster.ch/besuchen/oeffnungszeiten https://www.bernermuenster.ch/ ### Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul, Brno URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/brno-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Katedrála svatého Petra a Pavla (cs) Also known as: Petrov, Brno cathedral, St Peter and Paul Brno Region: Czechia Area: Petrov City: Brno Address: Petrov, 602 00 Brno Coordinates: 49.19100, 16.60740 Website: https://www.katedrala-petrov.cz/ Summary: Petrov suits anyone at the Brno markets who wants to step into the city's cathedral, which stands on the hill just south of Zelný trh. The parish has not yet posted its Christmas service times, so you will need to check closer to the date. The cathedral's two spires rise over Petrov hill, and the walk up from the Zelný trh market is short. The parish's site says the main door is step-free, though the crypt and the towers need stairs. The Brno bishopric joins city leaders at the Freedom Square tree lighting on 27 November. Tips: - Check the Farnost page of katedrala-petrov.cz in December for Christmas Mass times. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.katedrala-petrov.cz/ https://brnenskevanoce.cz/rozsviceni-vanocniho-stromu/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q45033 ### St Salvator's Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/bruges-st-salvators-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Sint-Salvatorskathedraal (nl) Also known as: Saint Salvator Cathedral, Bruges Cathedral, Sint-Salvator Brugge Region: Belgium Area: Steenstraat City: Bruges Address: Steenstraat, 8000 Brugge Coordinates: 51.20550, 3.22159 Website: https://www.sintsalvatorskathedraal.be/ Summary: St Salvator's Cathedral (Sint-Salvatorskathedraal) is the free-to-enter Catholic cathedral of Bruges on the Steenstraat, and it suits visitors walking between the station and the Markt who want a quiet stop. It closes over lunch on most days, so time your visit for the morning or mid-afternoon. The cathedral stands on the Steenstraat between 't Zand and the Markt, which puts it on the walk from the station to the Christmas market. The lower part of the tower goes back to the 11th century, and the present church went up between about 1275 and 1527. The neo-Romanesque top of the tower came between 1844 and 1871. The cathedral's site lists an organ concert series, and no December dates were up when this page was checked. Weekday Mass is at 18:00, after visiting hours close, and Sunday Mass is at 10:00. Tips: - On Saturdays the cathedral closes to visitors at 15:30, ahead of the 16:00 Mass. - Sunday visiting starts at 14:00. Q: Is St Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges free? A: Yes. St Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges is free for everyone to enter. Q: What time is Sunday Mass at St Salvator's Cathedral in Bruges? A: Sunday Mass at St Salvator's Cathedral is at 10:00. Saturday evening Mass is at 16:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sintsalvatorskathedraal.be/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1378149 ### Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/brussels-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Cathédrale des Saints-Michel-et-Gudule (fr) Also known as: Brussels Cathedral, St Gudula's Cathedral, Sint-Goedelekathedraal, Cathédrale Sainte-Gudule Region: Belgium Area: Treurenberg City: Brussels Address: Rue du Bois Sauvage 15, 1000 Bruxelles Coordinates: 50.84778, 4.36028 Website: https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/ Summary: The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula (Saints-Michel-et-Gudule in French, Sint-Michiel en Sint-Goedele in Dutch) is the Catholic cathedral of Brussels, free to enter and step-free through a side door, and it suits visitors who want sung Mass or a quiet hour away from the Christmas market. Its Gothic church turns 800 in 2026, and the Gudula26 anniversary programme runs to 31 December. The cathedral sits on the Treurenberg hill above the lower town. Its two west towers rise 64 metres in Gobertange stone. Duke Henry II of Brabant ordered the Gothic church in 1226, and builders finished it shortly before 1519. It became a cathedral in 1962 and shares that role with St. Rumbold's in Mechelen. Michael and Gudula are the patron saints of Brussels, and Gudula's relics came here in 1047. The anniversary programme goes by the name Gudula26, and the cathedral publishes its calendar as a download. Visiting choirs from Cologne Cathedral and Lichfield sing there in mid-October 2026. Check the cathedral's events page in late November for Advent and Christmas. Free guided tours in French and English start at the entrance on Saturdays at 14:00. Sixteen QR codes around the nave carry a self-guided tour for €5 or €6, in four languages. Tips: - The cathedral shop opens 10:00–17:30, and from 13:00 on Sundays. It hands out a free activity booklet for children aged 6 to 12. - Food and drink stay outside, and the cathedral asks for silence inside. Q: Is the Brussels cathedral free to visit? A: Yes. The Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is free to enter. The treasury costs €3, the Romanesque remains €2 and the crypt €4 by appointment. Q: Is the Brussels cathedral wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. Step-free entry to the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is through the shop door on Place Sainte-Gudule, where you ring the bell to be let in. Q: What time is Mass at Brussels cathedral on Sunday? A: Sunday Mass at the Cathedral of St. Michael and St. Gudula is at 9:30 in French and 11:00 in French and Dutch with a choir. A Saturday evening Mass is said at 17:30 in French. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cathedralisbruxellensis.be/ https://cathedralisbruxellensis.be/visiter/ https://cathedralisbruxellensis.be/events/calendrier-des-activites-gudula26/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael_and_St._Gudula_Cathedral https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q269654 ### Hungarian State Opera House URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/budapest-hungarian-state-opera Type: Venue Local name: Magyar Állami Operaház (hu) Also known as: Budapest Opera House, Hungarian State Opera, Magyar Allami Operahaz, Ybl palace Region: Hungary Area: Terézváros (District VI) City: Budapest Address: Andrássy út 22, 1061 Budapest Coordinates: 47.50280, 19.05820 Website: https://www.opera.hu/en/ Booking: https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/buy-tickets/ Summary: The Hungarian State Opera House on Andrássy út is where Budapest goes to see The Nutcracker each December, with performances from 20 November 2026 to 10 January 2027. Book ahead for the holiday matinées, and note that the family discount does not cover this ballet. Miklós Ybl designed the neo-Renaissance house on Andrássy út, and it reopened on 12 March 2022 after almost five years of restoration and modernisation. Surtitles in Hungarian and English run above the stage, with seat-back screens in most of the stalls. The nearest stop is Opera on metro line M1, which also stops at Vörösmarty tér beside the Christmas market. Tips: - The Opera has two houses, so check that your ticket says the Opera House on Andrássy út and not the Eiffel Art Studios. - Boxes are sold whole, so a single seat in a box is not on offer. Q: Is there a dress code at the Budapest Opera House? A: No. The Hungarian State Opera has no official dress code, although many guests choose to dress elegantly. Q: Is the Hungarian State Opera House wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. A lift on the left side of the Hungarian State Opera House reaches the stalls, the accessible box and the accessible toilets, and lifts on both sides serve the third floor. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/informations/ https://www.opera.hu/en/tickets/prices-concessions/ https://www.opera.hu/en/about-us/building/ https://www.opera.hu/en/programme/2026-2027/the-nutcracker/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q36833 ### Matthias Church URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/budapest-matthias-church Type: Venue Local name: Budavári Nagyboldogasszony-templom (hu) Also known as: Matyas-templom, Mátyás-templom, Matthias Church Budapest, Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle Region: Hungary Area: Buda Castle (District I) City: Budapest Address: Szentháromság tér 2, 1014 Budapest Coordinates: 47.50190, 19.03420 Price from: 3,400 Ft per adult (2026) Website: https://matyas-templom.hu/en/ Summary: Matthias Church, the Church of Our Lady of Buda Castle, is the church on Buda's Castle Hill where you can hear a sung Christmas Mass, as on Christmas Day 2025 when the 10:00 high Mass used Beethoven's Mass in C major. Sightseeing needs a ticket and modest dress, and the visiting hours move around the services. The church has stood on Szentháromság tér for close to 800 years and carries a choral tradition its trusteeship traces back over 300 years. Visiting choirs and ensembles from Hungary and abroad give concerts here through the year, from Gregorian chant to 20th-century church music. The parish posts its services day by day on a calendar, and the big feast days fill in late, so check it in December for the 2026 Christmas Masses. Tips: - Bring a scarf or shawl in case your top leaves your shoulders bare; the church turns away visitors it judges underdressed. - An audio guide in Hungarian, English, Italian and Polish plays on your own phone over the church's free Wi-Fi, and the first three chapters cost nothing. Q: How much does it cost to enter Matthias Church in Budapest? A: An adult ticket to Matthias Church costs 3,400 HUF in 2026, and a student or pensioner ticket costs 2,700 HUF. Children under 6 go in free, and the tower is a separate ticket at 4,000 HUF for an adult. Q: Is there a dress code at Matthias Church? A: Yes. Matthias Church asks visitors to cover their shoulders and knees, and staff can refuse entry to anyone dressed otherwise. Q: Is there a Christmas Mass at Matthias Church? A: Yes. On Christmas Day 2025 Matthias Church held a solemn high Mass at 10:00 with Beethoven's Mass in C major, and the 2026 times will appear on the parish calendar. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://matyas-templom.hu/en/ https://matyas-templom.hu/en/visitor-rules/ https://matyas-templom.hu/en/buy-tickets/ https://matyas-templom.hu/en/concerts/ https://plebania.matyas-templom.hu/ https://plebania.matyas-templom.hu/Naptari_esemenyek-Nyitonaptar_nap_ajax.html?Napkozep=2025-12-25 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q493133 ### St Stephen's Basilica URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/budapest-st-stephens-basilica Type: Venue Local name: Szent István-bazilika (hu) Also known as: Szent Istvan Bazilika, Budapest Basilica, St Stephen's Basilica Budapest Region: Hungary Area: Lipótváros (District V) City: Budapest Address: Szent István tér 1, 1051 Budapest Coordinates: 47.50080, 19.05390 Website: https://www.bazilika.biz/ Summary: St Stephen's Basilica in Budapest is a parish church and co-cathedral that also serves as the backdrop to Advent Bazilika, the city's best-known Christmas market, which projects a light show on its façade every evening from 17:30. Come for a Mass or a visit inside, and expect the official website to open straight onto a ticket shop with little visitor information. Three architects worked on the neo-Renaissance basilica in turn before it was completed in 1905, and Pope Pius XI gave it the title of minor basilica in 1931. It turned 120 in 2025, and the market outside marked the date with a new projection film about the building. The dome holds a panorama lookout, and the church keeps a treasury that visitors can see. Tips: - People who need gluten-reduced communion can ask in the sacristy before Mass, the Mass-times directory notes. Q: Is St Stephen's Basilica wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. St Stephen's Basilica has step-free access through a lift outside the building, and there are no steps inside the church. Q: Can you attend Mass at St Stephen's Basilica? A: Yes. St Stephen's Basilica is a parish church, and the Mass-times directory lists weekday Masses at 07:00 and 18:00 and five on Sundays. Mass is worship first, so join it as a member of the congregation and save the sightseeing for afterwards. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bazilika.biz/ https://miserend.hu/templom/37 https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/20593057 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q338665 https://adventbazilika.hu/aktualitasok/sajtokozlemeny-advent-bazilika ### St Vitus Church, Cesky Krumlov URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/cesky-krumlov-st-vitus-church Type: Venue Local name: Kostel svatého Víta (cs) Also known as: St. Vitus Church Cesky Krumlov, Krumlov church Region: Czechia City: Cesky Krumlov Coordinates: 48.81000, 14.31610 Summary: St Vitus suits anyone in Český Krumlov at Christmas who wants to hear Ryba's Czech Christmas Mass in the town's own church. The trade-off is that dates for 2026 are not out yet. The angel procession on 11 December ends on its steps. The church stands just off náměstí Svornosti, and its steps are where the angel procession finishes on the Friday before the third Sunday of Advent. In the 2024 season the town held Jakub Jan Ryba's Czech Christmas Mass here on 26 December. The 2026 programme lists Ryba's Mass again, in Český Krumlov and at Zlatá Koruna, without dates so far. Tips: - Watch ckrumlov.info in December for the date of the Ryba Mass. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.ckrumlov.info/advent https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/akce-18115-advent-a-vanoce-2026-ramcovy-program/ https://www.ckrumlov.info/cz/advent-v-ceskem-krumlove-prinasi-tradicni-program-i-zarive-novinky/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q6837188 ### Cologne Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/cologne-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Kölner Dom (de) Also known as: Hohe Domkirche St. Petrus, Kölner Dom, Dom van Keulen Region: The Rhineland Area: Altstadt-Nord City: Cologne Coordinates: 50.94140, 6.95830 Price from: €12 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.koelner-dom.de Summary: Cologne Cathedral holds its Christmas Eve Mass at midnight on 24 December 2026 and a Pontifical Mass at 10:00 on Christmas Day, and every service is free to attend. Sightseeing outside services now costs €12 for adults. The cathedral stands beside Köln Hbf, with the Christmas market on Roncalliplatz at its south side. Sunday Masses run at 07:00, 08:30, 10:00, 12:00 and 18:30, and weekday Masses through the morning and at 18:30. Small bags and day packs up to 40 by 35 by 15 centimetres are allowed, and rolling suitcases and large rucksacks are not. Tips: - Leave luggage at the station; the cathedral turns away rolling suitcases and large backpacks. Q: What time is Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral? A: Cologne Cathedral holds its Christmette at midnight as 24 December 2026 turns into Christmas Day. On 25 December the Pontifical Mass with Cardinal Woelki begins at 10:00. Q: Is Cologne Cathedral free to enter? A: Only for worship. Since 1 July 2026 sightseeing visitors pay €12, or €6 reduced, and children up to 13 go free. Attending a service and praying in the north transept stay free. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.koelner-dom.de/glauben/gottesdienste-und-beichte https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/neue-besichtigungsgebuehr-ab-dem-1-juli-2026 https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/oeffnungszeiten https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/barrierefreiheit https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/fotografieren-und-filmen https://www.koelner-dom.de/besuchen/wichtige-hinweise https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q4176 ### Copenhagen Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/copenhagen-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Vor Frue Kirke (da) Also known as: Church of Our Lady Copenhagen, Vor Frue Kirke, Københavns Domkirke Region: Denmark Area: Indre By City: Copenhagen Address: Nørregade 8, 1165 København K Coordinates: 55.67930, 12.57250 Website: https://www.domkirken.dk/ Summary: Copenhagen Cathedral on Nørregade is the national cathedral of Denmark, and it suits anyone who wants a quiet half hour of organ music between the markets around Strøget. The catch for a December trip is timing, because the cathedral hadn't published its 2026 Advent and Christmas services on 10 October. Danes call the cathedral Vor Frue Kirke, and it stands just north of the Nytorv Christmas market. Through October 2026 its calendar listed a 30-minute organ matinée at 12:00 on Saturdays, and the Copenhagen Boys Choir sang the All Saints vesper there on 31 October. Sunday High Mass was at 10:00 with a second service at 17:00 in the same listing. Check the concerts page in November for the Advent programme. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.domkirken.dk/ https://www.domkirken.dk/kalender/gudstjenester https://www.domkirken.dk/kalender/koncerter https://www.domkirken.dk/information/handicaphjalp https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1451811 ### Frauenkirche, Dresden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/dresden-frauenkirche Type: Venue Also known as: Dresden Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady Dresden, Frauenkirche Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Dresden Address: An der Frauenkirche, 01067 Dresden Coordinates: 51.05190, 13.74170 Website: https://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/ Summary: The Frauenkirche suits anyone who wants to stand inside the rebuilt Baroque church on the Neumarkt during the Advent markets, and its concerts are ticketed and its open hours shift around them. Entry during open-church hours on weekdays is free. The Stiftung Frauenkirche Dresden runs the church on the Neumarkt as an open church, and on weekdays you can walk in for free between services and rehearsals. Advent fills the calendar with concerts and services, and the open hours shrink around them, so check the day's times in the foundation's calendar before you go. The church belongs to the international Community of the Cross of Nails, which links more than 200 places that work for peace and reconciliation. There are seven doors, each lettered. Door D leads into the main hall, and door A is the step-free entrance with a lift. Suitcases and large bags are not allowed inside, during open hours or at services, so leave your luggage at the hotel. Tips: - Leave large bags behind: the foundation turns away suitcases and big bags at every door. - Take tram 1, 2 or 4 to the Altmarkt stop, or walk over from the Striezelmarkt in a few minutes. Q: Is entry to the Dresden Frauenkirche free? A: Yes. Entry to the Frauenkirche during its open-church hours is free, and the foundation asks for a donation. Concerts and the dome climb are ticketed. Q: Is the Frauenkirche wheelchair accessible? A: Partly. The Frauenkirche has a lift and ramp at door A and a disabled toilet, and up to 12 wheelchair places at events in the main hall. The galleries and the dome are not step-free, and the lower church has no wheelchair places. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/besucherinformationen https://www.frauenkirche-dresden.de/gottesdienste https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q157229 ### Kreuzkirche, Dresden URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/dresden-kreuzkirche Type: Venue Also known as: Church of the Holy Cross Dresden, Dresden Kreuzkirche, Kreuzchor church Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Dresden Address: An der Kreuzkirche, 01067 Dresden Coordinates: 51.04870, 13.73920 Price from: €5 per person (2026) Website: https://kreuzkirche-dresden.de/ Summary: The Kreuzkirche suits anyone who wants to hear the Dresdner Kreuzchor in its own church, and its Saturday vespers cost a 5-euro programme and fill up early. The church stands on the corner of the Altmarkt, steps from the Striezelmarkt. The Kreuzkirche stands at the corner of the Altmarkt, and in Advent the Striezelmarkt fills the square beside it. It's home to the Dresdner Kreuzchor, and the choir sings at many of its vespers and services. The city's central mug-washing station for the Striezelmarkt sits beside the church. The church traces its Saturday vespers to a margrave's charter of 1 March 1371, and it says they have run without a break for 650 years. Each one sets music around a short sermon, from large cantata performances to unaccompanied choral works, and some weeks bring guest ensembles in place of the Kreuzchor. The Sunday morning service usually repeats much of the music for free. Tips: - Buy a four-programme voucher for 15 euros at the box office if you plan more than two Saturday vespers. - Come to the Sunday service at 09:30 to hear much of Saturday's music without the programme fee. Q: How much does it cost to hear the Kreuzchor at vespers? A: Vespers at the Dresden Kreuzkirche need an entry programme bought at the door for 5 euros a person. Children under 14 and people with a disability rating of 80 or more go free. Q: When are the vespers at the Kreuzkirche in Dresden? A: Vespers at the Kreuzkirche begin at 17:00 every Saturday, except during the Saxon summer school holidays. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://kreuzkirche-dresden.de/musik/vespern/ https://kreuzkirche-dresden.de/kirche/gottesdienst/ https://kreuzchor.de/termine-tickets/ https://www.dresden.de/de/rathaus/aktuelles/pressemitteilungen/12/pm_052.php https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q301607 ### Einsiedeln Abbey URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/einsiedeln-abbey Type: Venue Local name: Kloster Einsiedeln (de) Also known as: Einsiedeln Abbey church, Klosterkirche Einsiedeln Region: Switzerland Area: Klosterplatz City: Einsiedeln Address: Kloster Einsiedeln, 8840 Einsiedeln Coordinates: 47.12670, 8.75140 Website: https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/ Summary: Einsiedeln Abbey suits travellers who want to hear monks sing in a great Baroque church, and its trade-off is that the best of it happens in the late afternoon and at Christmas, when the market has already gone. Vespers at 16:30 and the Salve Regina at about 17:00 run every day, and the 2026 Christmas Midnight Mass begins at 23:00 on 24 December. The Black Madonna in the Chapel of Grace has drawn pilgrims for centuries, and the chapel stands inside the abbey church itself. The daily Salve Regina, sung after Vespers as the monks move to the chapel, is the moment to plan an Einsiedeln day around. In 2026 the abbey marks a pilgrimage year for the 500th anniversary of the monastery's revival. At Christmas the abbey runs a full round of services. On 24 December 2026 the Orchesterverein Einsiedeln gives a Christmas concert from 22:00 before the 23:00 Midnight Mass, and Christmas Day brings a Pontifical High Mass at 10:30 and Pontifical Vespers with the Salve Regina at 16:30. Q: What time is Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey in 2026? A: Midnight Mass at Einsiedeln Abbey begins at 23:00 on 24 December 2026, after a Christmas concert by the Orchesterverein Einsiedeln from 22:00. Q: When is the Salve Regina sung at Einsiedeln? A: The monks of Einsiedeln sing the Salve Regina at about 17:00 every day, after Vespers at 16:30, in procession to the Chapel of Grace. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/agenda-kultur/veranstaltungen/weihnachten https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/gottesdienst/gottesdienstordunung/salve-regina https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/information/allgemein/oeffnungszeiten https://www.kloster-einsiedeln.ch/ ### Old St Nicholas Church URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/frankfurt-alte-nikolaikirche Type: Venue Local name: Alte Nikolaikirche (de) Also known as: Alte Nikolaikirche Frankfurt, Old St. Nicholas Church Frankfurt Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Römerberg, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.11000, 8.68240 Summary: The Alte Nikolaikirche is the late-Gothic church on the south side of Frankfurt's Römerberg whose carillon opens the Christmas market and whose balcony holds the tower brass at 18:00 on set evenings. You hear it from the square more than you visit it. Founded in the mid-12th century as a court chapel and shaped as it stands now in the 15th, the church is named for St Nicholas, patron of fishermen, which suits a building this close to the Main. The Protestant Paulsgemeinde has worshipped here since 1949, and an Indonesian Protestant congregation has made it its home since 2006. Its bells join the Frankfurter Stadtgeläut on 28 November and Christmas Eve. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alte_Nikolaikirche https://www.visitfrankfurt.travel/erleben/feste-und-veranstaltungen/frankfurter-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q436054 ### Frankfurt Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/frankfurt-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Kaiserdom St. Bartholomäus (de) Also known as: Imperial Cathedral of St Bartholomew, Frankfurter Dom, Kaiserdom Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Frankfurt Address: Domplatz 1, 60311 Frankfurt am Main Coordinates: 50.11060, 8.68500 Website: https://www.dom-frankfurt.de/ Summary: Frankfurt Cathedral is the Gothic church at the east end of the Christmas market where German kings were elected from 1356 and emperors crowned from 1562, and it suits anyone who wants a quiet half hour off the Römerberg. It is a working parish church, so sightseeing gives way to worship during services. Frankfurt's Kaiserdom has never been a bishop's seat. It served as the collegiate church of St Bartholomew, whose skull relic arrived after 1200, and under the floor lies a Merovingian chapel from before 680. From 1356 the German kings were elected here, and from 1562 the emperors were crowned here too. In Advent it stands at the edge of the market, open daily from 9:00 to 20:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dom-frankfurt.de/dom/kaiserdom-frankfurt https://www.dom-frankfurt.de/dom https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q57341 ### Freiberg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/freiberg-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Freiberger Dom St. Marien (de) Also known as: Freiberger Dom, Dom St. Marien Freiberg, St. Mary's Cathedral Freiberg Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Altstadt City: Freiberg Coordinates: 50.92030, 13.34330 Website: https://www.freiberger-dom.de/ Summary: Freiberg Cathedral suits music lovers who want Bach in a late-Gothic hall church with two Silbermann organs, and in Advent its concerts sell tickets in tiers up to 27 euros. Bach's Christmas Oratorio plays twice on 5 December 2026, the day of Freiberg's torchlight miners' parade. Freiberg's cathedral grew from a Romanesque basilica of the late 12th century, which Pope Sixtus IV raised to cathedral rank in 1480. After the town fire of 1484 it was rebuilt as a late-Gothic hall church and consecrated in 1501. The Golden Portal of 1225 survives from the older church. Inside you'll find the miners' pulpit and the tulip pulpit, and the electors of Saxony lie in the burial chapel. Music draws most visitors in winter. The cathedral has two organs by Gottfried Silbermann, and the parish counts about 25 organ concerts a year and up to 400 short organ recitals during tours. In Advent 2026 the program runs from candlelit organ music to Bach's Christmas Oratorio on 5 December and Italian Christmas music with the Dresdner Barockorchester on 19 December. Tips: - Pick the 16:00 Christmas Oratorio on 5 December 2026 if you also want to see the 17:00 torchlight parade on the Obermarkt. - Winter hours are short: the cathedral closes at 16:00 from November to April. Q: When is the Christmas Oratorio in Freiberg Cathedral in 2026? A: Freiberg Cathedral performs parts I to III of Bach's Christmas Oratorio on Saturday 5 December 2026 at 16:00 and 19:30. Tickets cost from 13 to 27 euros. Q: What are Freiberg Cathedral's winter opening hours? A: From November to April Freiberg Cathedral opens Monday to Saturday from 11:00 to 16:00 and on Sundays and church holidays from 11:30 to 16:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.freiberger-dom.de/dombesuch.html https://www.freiberger-dom.de/ https://www.freiberger-dom.de/fileadmin/files/konzerte/freiberger-dom-konzertprogramm-2026-web.pdf https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q592392 ### Freiburg Minster URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/freiburg-minster Type: Venue Local name: Freiburger Münster Unserer Lieben Frau (de) Also known as: Freiburger Münster, Freiburg Cathedral, Münster Unserer Lieben Frau Region: The Black Forest Area: Altstadt City: Freiburg Address: Münsterplatz 1, 79098 Freiburg im Breisgau Coordinates: 47.99550, 7.85290 Website: https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/ Summary: Freiburg Minster is the Gothic cathedral at the centre of Freiburg's old town, and in Advent it suits visitors who want the tower view or a half-hour of organ music between market stops. Masses come first, and sightseeing pauses during every service. The Minster stands on the Münsterplatz a short walk from the Rathausplatz, where the Christmas market has its centre. It is one of the few large Gothic churches finished in the Middle Ages, and it came through the wars almost undamaged, according to the cathedral's own page. On the way up the tower you pass the bell frame that carpenters began in fir in 1290. It stands 18 metres tall and is still 80 per cent original. On Saturdays at 11:30 until Christmas the Minster's organists play a recital of about 25 minutes across its four organs. Tickets cost €5, and the day's sale opens at the main door at 11:00. Guided tours inside need booking through the c-punkt MÜNSTERFORUM, and an open tour leaves from there at 14:00 Monday to Saturday. Tips: - Check the Minster's service list before you go, since sightseeing stops during Mass. - The top tower gallery closes in winter, so in December the climb stops short of the 70-metre gallery. Q: Is Freiburg Minster open in December? A: Yes. Freiburg Minster opens daily from 06:30 Monday to Saturday and from 07:30 on Sundays, with sightseeing paused during services. Q: How much does it cost to climb Freiburg Minster's tower? A: Climbing Freiburg Minster's tower costs €5 for adults, €3 for ages 8 to 17 and €13 for a family in 2026. Children under 8 go free. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/besuchen/ https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/besuchen/information-for-tourists-english/ https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/erleben/turmbesteigung/ https://www.freiburgermuenster.info/detail/nachricht/id/239847-orgelmusik-zur-marktzeit-2026/ https://freiburger-dommusik.de/veranstaltungen-kalender/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q250212 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/110404213 ### St Bavo's Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/ghent-st-bavos-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Sint-Baafskathedraal (nl) Also known as: Saint Bavo Cathedral, Sint-Baafskathedraal Gent, Ghent Cathedral Region: Belgium Area: Sint-Baafsplein City: Ghent Coordinates: 51.05297, 3.72706 Price from: €12.50 per person (2026) Website: https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/ Booking: https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/buy-tickets/type-tour/ Summary: St Bavo's Cathedral (Sint-Baafskathedraal) in Ghent holds the Ghent Altarpiece and stands at the head of the Winter Festival on the Sint-Baafsplein, and it suits anyone who wants an hour of art and quiet between market squares. The cathedral opens daily except 1 January, and the altarpiece needs a ticket from €12.50. Most visitors come for the Ghent Altarpiece. It hangs in the central Chapel of the Sacrament, and Flemish speakers call it the Lam Gods (the Mystic Lamb). The third and last phase of its restoration began on 3 May 2023 and should finish in spring 2027. Until then seven panels in the cathedral are high-quality colour photographs, and you can watch the upper register being restored at the MSK Ghent museum. The AR tour takes an hour and includes the altarpiece, and the altarpiece-only ticket suits anyone short of time. Book a slot online for December, when the Winter Festival chalets fill the Sint-Baafsplein outside from 3 December 2026. Tips: - Last entry to the AR tour is at 16:00, so aim for a morning slot on a market day. - Sunday visiting starts at 13:00, after the 11:00 Mass. Q: How much does it cost to see the Ghent Altarpiece? A: The Ghent Altarpiece costs €12.50 for a 25-minute visit on its own, or €16 with the 60-minute AR tour at St Bavo's Cathedral. Children under 12 pay €8 for the AR tour. Q: Is St Bavo's Cathedral wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. St Bavo's has a ramp at the entrance, a lift to the crypt and upper choir, and an adapted toilet next to the crypt. Q: Is St Bavo's Cathedral open on New Year's Day? A: No. St Bavo's Cathedral opens every day of the year except 1 January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/ https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/practical/opening-hours/ https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/practical/accessibility/ https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/activities/eucharistic-celebrations/ https://www.sintbaafskathedraal.be/en/buy-tickets/type-tour/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q938154 ### Graz Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/graz-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Grazer Dom (de) Also known as: St Giles Cathedral Graz, Domkirche St. Ägidius, Ägydiusdom Region: Graz and Styria Area: Innere Stadt City: Graz Address: Bürgergasse 1, 8010 Graz Coordinates: 47.07190, 15.44220 Website: https://graz-dom.graz-seckau.at/ Summary: Come to the cathedral of the Graz-Seckau diocese for Christmas Eve, when the bishop says the midnight Mass and brass plays from the tower beforehand. It is a working parish church first, so visits stop while Mass is on. Emperor Frederick III built the church as his Gothic court chapel between 1438 and 1462, and the Jesuits added the Baroque fittings during their two centuries here. It is dedicated to St Giles, the patron saint of Graz. On the outside south wall, look for the Landplagenbild, a fresco painted around 1485 by Thomas von Villach that shows a Turkish raid and other disasters as divine punishments on Graz. The Mausoleum of Ferdinand II stands next door and is closed from November 2026 to the end of March 2027. On Christmas Eve 2025 the cathedral held a children's nativity service at 15:00 and a Mass at 17:00. Brass played from the tower at 22:00, the congregation sang shepherds' songs and carols at 22:30, and Bishop Wilhelm Krautwaschl said the midnight Mass at 23:00. The parish hasn't yet published its 2026 times. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://graz-dom.graz-seckau.at/ https://graz-dom.graz-seckau.at/pfarre/6112/glaubefeiern/gottesdienstzeiten https://www.meinbezirk.at/steiermark/c-freizeit/christmetten-und-krippenspiele-in-der-steiermark-am-24-dezember_a7892643 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Graz_Cathedral ### Heidelberg Church of the Holy Spirit URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/heidelberg-church-of-the-holy-spirit Type: Venue Local name: Heiliggeistkirche (de) Also known as: Heiliggeistkirche Heidelberg, Heiliggeistkirche, Holy Spirit Church Heidelberg Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Altstadt City: Heidelberg Address: Hauptstraße 189, 69117 Heidelberg Coordinates: 49.41210, 8.70980 Website: https://www.heiliggeist-heidelberg.de Summary: The Heiliggeistkirche suits market visitors who want music with their Glühwein, because the Christmas market's music stage stands beside it on the Marktplatz. Its services remain parish worship, and visitors join them as guests. The church fills one side of Heidelberg's Marktplatz, and during the Christmas market the stalls ring the Hercules fountain in front of it. Heidelberg Marketing puts the market's own music stage at the Heiliggeistkirche, which makes this corner of the square the place to stand for the concerts. Inside, Sunday service is at 11:00. The Saturday Stunde der Kirchenmusik ran on several autumn dates in 2026, and the Advent and Christmas programme appears on the parish site closer to the season. Tips: - Pair a Saturday market visit with the 18:15 church music hour if one is on the calendar. - Check the parish site in December for the Christmas Eve services before you plan the evening. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.heiliggeist-heidelberg.de https://www.heiliggeist-heidelberg.de/besuch https://www.heidelberg-marketing.de/en/events/heidelberg-christmas-market ### Moravian Church Hall, Herrnhut URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/herrnhut-kirchensaal Type: Venue Local name: Kirchensaal der Herrnhuter Brüdergemeine (de) Also known as: Kirchensaal Herrnhut, Herrnhut church hall, Moravian church Herrnhut, Herrnhut Gemeinsaal Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Upper Lusatia City: Herrnhut Address: 02747 Herrnhut Coordinates: 51.01610, 14.74520 Website: http://www.herrnhut.ebu.de/kirchensaal/ Summary: Herrnhut's Kirchensaal suits travellers who want the quiet, white meeting hall of the Moravian Church at the heart of a World Heritage settlement, and its 2026 Christmas service times are not out yet. It seats about 600 people. The Moravian Church laid the foundation of its great hall in 1756 and finished it the next year. On the night of 8 to 9 May 1945 the hall burned out completely in an arson fire that took much of the town centre with it. The congregation rebuilt it from 1951 and consecrated it again in 1953, and the roof turret went back on in 1956. Since 2018 the state has listed it as a monument of national importance, and a long restoration has brought back the gallery on the sisters' side and the organ. Since 2024 Herrnhut has formed the UNESCO World Heritage site Moravian Church Settlements together with Christiansfeld in Denmark, Gracehill in Northern Ireland and Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. The hall's cross-wise plan and its roof turret mark it out as the settlement's church. The restoration extended the organ in the manner of David Tannenberg, who left nearby Berthelsdorf for Pennsylvania in the 18th century and founded a Moravian organ-building tradition there. Tips: - Visit the sisters' side of the building for the exhibition on the Moravian Church and the World Heritage information point. - Ask the congregation's guest office about guided visits; it runs the welcome program for visitors to Herrnhut. Q: Is Herrnhut a UNESCO World Heritage site? A: Yes. Herrnhut was inscribed in 2024 with Bethlehem, Christiansfeld and Gracehill as the transnational World Heritage site Moravian Church Settlements. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: http://www.herrnhut.ebu.de/kirchensaal/ http://www.herrnhut.ebu.de/aktuell/ https://www.ebu.de/welterbe https://www.herrnhut-entdecken.de/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q49415944 ### Innsbruck Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/innsbruck-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Dom zu St. Jakob (de) Also known as: Dom St. Jakob, St James Cathedral Innsbruck, Innsbrucker Dom Region: Tyrol Area: Altstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Domplatz, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26940, 11.39420 Website: https://www.dibk.at/st.jakob Summary: Innsbruck Cathedral (Dom zu St. Jakob) is the Baroque mother church of the Diocese of Innsbruck a few steps from the Golden Roof, worth a visit for Lucas Cranach the Elder's Mariahilf painting, though sightseeing waits until after the morning Mass. In December it opens daily from 08:30 to 18:30, with sightseeing from 10:15 Monday to Saturday and from 12:30 on Sundays and holidays. Step off the Old Town market and into the cathedral for ten quiet minutes. It is an 18th-century Baroque church dedicated to St James, and above the high altar hangs Mariahilf, Mary of Succour, painted by Lucas Cranach the Elder. Its largest bell, the Mariahilfglocke, is the second-largest historic bell in Tyrol. Mass comes first here. On Sundays the 10:00 and 11:30 Masses fill the morning, which is why visitors are asked to wait until 12:30 to look around. A Mass is worship first, so sit toward the back if you have come to listen, and stay to the end if you come in at the start. Tips: - Visit on a weekday after 10:15, when the morning Mass has finished and the church is quiet. - Check the parish website in December for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day Mass times. Q: What time is Christmas Mass at Innsbruck Cathedral in 2026? A: The Dompfarre St. Jakob has not yet published its 2026 Christmas Mass times. Ordinary Sunday and holiday Masses are at 10:00 and 11:30, and the parish posts the Christmas schedule on dibk.at/st.jakob. Q: When can you visit Innsbruck Cathedral? A: Innsbruck Cathedral opens daily from 08:30, closing at 18:30 in winter. Sightseeing is possible from 10:15 Monday to Saturday and from 12:30 on Sundays and holidays, after the Masses. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dibk.at/st.jakob https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Innsbruck_Cathedral https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q258578 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/11550008 ### Congress Innsbruck URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/innsbruck-congress Type: Venue Also known as: Kongresshaus Innsbruck, Saal Tirol Region: Tyrol Area: Altstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Rennweg, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.27040, 11.39460 Summary: Congress Innsbruck is the city's convention and concert centre on the Rennweg at the edge of the Old Town, and its Saal Tirol hosts the Tiroler Adventsingen, an afternoon of Tyrolean folk music and a play that needs a ticket booked ahead. It stands next to the Hofgarten and the Hofburg. In December the Congress matters for one afternoon. The Tiroler Volksmusikverein stages its Tiroler Adventsingen in the Saal Tirol on an Advent Sunday, with Alpine folk music and singing around a short play, and in 2025 it gave two performances at 14:00 and 17:00. The building stands on the Rennweg beside the Hofgarten, so it pairs well with an evening at LUMAGICA in the park next door or a walk back to the Old Town markets. Tips: - Use the Congress stop on the tram and bus lines, which LUMAGICA also names as its nearest stop. Q: Where is the Tiroler Adventsingen held? A: The Tiroler Adventsingen is held in the Saal Tirol at Congress Innsbruck on the Rennweg. In 2025 it ran on 14 December with performances at 14:00 and 17:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.samerbergernachrichten.de/wp-content/uploads/2025/11/Tiroler-Adventsingen-2025_Flyer.pdf https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/veranstaltungen/185-0.html https://lumagica.com/de/standorte/innsbruck https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hofgarten,_Innsbruck https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/32063150 ### Spitalskirche Innsbruck URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/innsbruck-spitalskirche Type: Venue Local name: Spitalskirche (de) Also known as: Spitalskirche, Hospital Church Innsbruck Region: Tyrol Area: Innenstadt City: Innsbruck Address: Maria-Theresien-Straße, 6020 Innsbruck Coordinates: 47.26660, 11.39340 Summary: The Spitalskirche is a church on Innsbruck's Maria-Theresien-Strasse, right by that street's Christmas market, where ensembles of the city's music school play every day at 18:30 during Advent with no ticket listed. In 2026 it also hosts the Stecher-Advent on 8 December at 18:00 and the handing-on of the Bethlehem Peace Light on 23 December from 14:00. Duck in from the Maria-Theresien-Straße market at 18:30 on any Advent evening and you will catch a group from the Musikschule Innsbruck playing. The organizer lists no ticket, and it makes a short pause between markets. On 8 December the church holds the Stecher-Advent, an hour of thoughts from Bishop Reinhold Stecher and reflections from well-known people set to quiet Advent tunes by candlelight. On 23 December the Peace Light lit in Bethlehem is handed from person to person in front of the church between 14:00 and 16:00; bring a lantern if you want to carry the flame home. Tips: - Pair the 18:30 performance with the Maria-Theresien-Straße market, which is right outside. Q: Where can you hear free Advent music in Innsbruck? A: The Spitalskirche on Maria-Theresien-Straße hosts ensembles of the Musikschule Innsbruck every day at 18:30 during Advent, and the Bergweihnacht organizer lists no ticket for it. A second music-school group plays daily at 18:00 on the theatre wagon in Seilergasse. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/musik-im-advent/108-0.html https://www.christkindlmarkt.cc/de/highlights-zur-adventzeit/veranstaltungen/185-0.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q626388 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/56027038 ### St. Nicholas Church, Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/leipzig-nikolaikirche Type: Venue Local name: Nikolaikirche (de) Also known as: Nikolaikirche Leipzig, St Nicholas Church Leipzig, Leipzig Peaceful Revolution church Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Innenstadt City: Leipzig Address: Nikolaikirchhof, 04109 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.34030, 12.37860 Website: https://www.nikolaikirche.de/ Summary: The Nikolaikirche suits visitors who want to see where the prayers for peace of 1989 began and to hear the largest church organ in Saxony, and its visiting hours are short. The church stands on the Nikolaikirchhof, where the Christmas market sets up its own pyramid in Advent. The city of Leipzig calls the Nikolaikirche the starting point of the Peaceful Revolution, and an exhibition on the prayers for peace fills the church's south chapel. The parish celebrated 850 years of the church in 2015, dating it to 1165. Its Ladegast-Eule organ has 106 stops, and the parish calls it the largest church organ in Saxony. In Advent the Christmas market spreads onto the Nikolaikirchhof outside, with a pyramid and Feuerzangenbowle under it. The parish's choirs include the BachChor Leipzig, and the parish calendar lists the Advent and Christmas concerts as they're announced. Tips: - Check the parish calendar before you go; the church closes to sightseers during services and concerts. - Step from the market on the Nikolaikirchhof straight into the church on a Sunday between 11:30 and 14:30. Q: When is the Nikolaikirche in Leipzig open? A: The parish of St. Nikolai lists the church open on Sundays from 11:30 to 14:30, after the 10:00 service. Visits stop during services and concerts. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.nikolaikirche.de/ https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt/weihnachtsmarkt-in-der-leipziger-innenstadt-im-ueberblick https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q694286 ### St. Thomas Church, Leipzig URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/leipzig-thomaskirche Type: Venue Local name: Thomaskirche (de) Also known as: Thomaskirche Leipzig, St Thomas Church Leipzig, Bach church Leipzig, Thomanerchor church Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Innenstadt City: Leipzig Address: Thomaskirchhof, 04109 Leipzig Coordinates: 51.33930, 12.37260 Price from: €3 per person (2026) Website: https://www.thomaskirche.org/ Summary: The Thomaskirche suits anyone who wants to hear the Thomanerchor sing in the church where Bach worked, and the Friday and Saturday motets cost only a 3-euro programme. The Christmas Eve motet begins at 13:30, and doors open 45 minutes earlier. Johann Sebastian Bach served the Thomaskirche as cantor, and the Thomanerchor still sings most of its motets and many of its services. The Friday motet at 18:00 takes the form of a vesper and lasts about an hour. On Saturday at 15:00 the motet usually includes a Bach cantata and runs about 80 minutes. In the Saxon summer holidays the motets pause for an organ festival. The church stands at the edge of the Christmas market, and the lawn beside it carries the market's light installations in the evenings. On 24 December the Christmas Eve motet begins at 13:30, and a New Year's Eve motet follows at the same time on 31 December. Guest ensembles or organists take over when the Thomanerchor is away on tour. Tips: - Bring coins for the 3-euro motet programme at the door; children and school pupils go free. - Enter through the Burgstraße door if you use a wheelchair or push a pram. Q: When can you hear the Thomanerchor in Leipzig? A: The Thomanerchor usually sings the motets in the Thomaskirche on Fridays at 18:00 and Saturdays at 15:00, and often at the Sunday services. On 24 December a Christmas Eve motet begins at 13:30. Q: How much does a motet at the Thomaskirche cost? A: A motet at the Thomaskirche needs an entry programme for 3 euros a person, bought at the door. Children, school pupils and Leipzig-Pass holders go free. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.thomaskirche.org/entdecken/besucherinformationen https://www.thomaskirche.org/glauben/gottesdienste-motetten https://www.leipzig.de/kultur-und-freizeit/einkaufen-und-ausgehen/maerkte/leipziger-weihnachtsmarkt/weihnachtsmarkt-in-der-leipziger-innenstadt-im-ueberblick https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q170402 ### Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourviere URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/lyon-fourviere-basilica Type: Venue Local name: Basilique Notre-Dame de Fourvière (fr) Also known as: Fourvière basilica, Notre-Dame de Fourvière, Fourvière Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Lyon 5e (Fourvière hill) City: Lyon Address: Place de Fourvière, 69005 Lyon Coordinates: 45.76230, 4.82260 Website: https://www.fourviere.org/fr/ Summary: The Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière suits a visitor who wants Lyon's Marian shrine at the heart of the 8 December story, with free entry and step-free access by lift, and its trade-off is the hill: it stands above the old town, and on 8 December the evening procession and Masses fill it. In 2025 it held Christmas Eve Masses at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00. The gilded statue of the Virgin Mary inaugurated here on 8 December 1852 gave Lyon its candles-in-the-window night, and the Fête des Lumières grew from that. Each 8 December the diocese processes from Saint-Jean cathedral in the old town up to the basilica, and in 2025 the procession left at 18:30. In 2025 the façade carried Région des Lumières à Fourvière, a projection directed by Gilbert Coudène of Les Allumeurs de Rêves, during the first three festival nights and again from 26 to 31 December from 18:45 to 21:45. On 8 December itself the basilica took no projection. The museum showed a free nativity by the sculptor Goudji, and the crypt held a Lyonnais crèche from 4 December to 2 February. Tips: - Use the lift at the funicular exit if you come up from the old town by funicular and want to avoid steps. - Check fourviere.org in November for the 2026 programme of 8 December and the Christmas Mass times. Q: What time are Christmas Masses at Fourvière? A: In 2025 the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière held Christmas Eve Masses at 17:30, 19:30 and 23:00, and Christmas Day Masses at 07:30, 09:30, 11:00 and 17:30. The 2026 times are not published yet. Q: Is Fourvière basilica wheelchair accessible? A: Yes. Ramps and a lift from the esplanade reach the crypt and the basilica from 09:00 to 18:30, and a second lift stands at the funicular exit; the rooftop visit and the Jardins du Rosaire are not accessible. Q: Is entry to Fourvière basilica free? A: Yes. Entry to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière is free; guided visits are booked separately. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.fourviere.org/fr/horaires/ https://www.fourviere.org/fr/visiter-notre-dame-de-fourviere/accessibilite-pmr/ https://www.fourviere.org/fr/visiter-notre-dame-de-fourviere/visites-libres/ https://www.fourviere.org/fr/https-www-fourviere-org-fr-le-8-decembre-fete-de-limmaculee-conception-de-la-vierge-marie/ https://www.fourviere.org/fr/ https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/region-des-lumieres-fourviere https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/?p=472216 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1516 ### Lyon Cathedral (Saint-Jean) URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/lyon-saint-jean-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste (fr) Also known as: Saint-Jean cathedral, Primatiale Saint-Jean, Cathédrale Saint-Jean-Baptiste-et-Saint-Étienne, Lyon cathedral Region: Lyon and the Alps Area: Lyon 5e (Vieux Lyon) City: Lyon Address: Place Saint-Jean, 69005 Lyon Coordinates: 45.76080, 4.82720 Website: https://cathedrale-lyon.fr/ Summary: Lyon's Saint-Jean cathedral suits a visitor who wants the old town's Gothic primatial church, where the diocese's 8 December procession to Fourvière begins, and its trade-off is that the 2026 Christmas service times are not yet out. Mass is held at 09:00 Tuesday to Friday and at 08:30 and 10:00 on Sunday. Saint-Jean stands on its own square at the foot of Fourvière hill in Vieux Lyon. On the evening of 8 December the diocese's procession sets off from here and climbs to the basilica, leaving at 18:30 in both 2024 and 2025. During the Fête des Lumières the west front carries a projection: in 2025 it was Lumina by the Hungarian artist László Zsolt Bordos, with the great rose window at its centre. Inside, the cathedral keeps an astronomical clock that has its own ticketed visit. On festival nights in 2025 the organizer sent people leaving the cathedral square towards Bellecour for metro lines A and D. Tips: - Check cathedrale-lyon.fr in December for the Christmas Mass times. - On festival nights, head to Bellecour for metro lines A and D when you leave the cathedral square, as the organizer advised in 2025. Q: What are the opening hours of Lyon's Saint-Jean cathedral? A: Saint-Jean cathedral opens 14:00 to 19:00 on Monday, 08:30 to 19:00 Tuesday to Friday (19:30 on Wednesday), 08:30 to 19:30 on Saturday and 08:00 to 19:30 on Sunday, per the cathedral's own site. Q: Where does the 8 December procession in Lyon start? A: The 8 December procession starts at Saint-Jean cathedral in Vieux Lyon and climbs to the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière. It left at 18:30 in 2024 and 2025. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://cathedrale-lyon.fr/ https://cathedrale-lyon.fr/prier/messes-offices/ https://cathedrale-lyon.fr/visite/ https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/lumina https://cellar-c2.services.clever-cloud.com/org-fourviere-www/uploads/2024/10/Programme-du-5-au-8-decembre-2024.pdf https://www.lyoncapitale.fr/?p=472216 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1521 ### Basilica of Saint Servatius URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/maastricht-basilica-of-saint-servatius Type: Venue Local name: Sint-Servaasbasiliek (nl) Also known as: Sint Servaas, Saint Servatius Basilica Maastricht, Servaasbasiliek Region: The Netherlands Area: Binnenstad City: Maastricht Address: Vrijthof, Maastricht Coordinates: 50.84880, 5.68720 Price from: €7.50 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.sintservaas.nl/ Summary: The Basilica of Saint Servatius on Maastricht's Vrijthof is the church the Christmas market gathers around, and it suits visitors who want a quiet hour in the church and its treasury between rounds of the market, though its Christmas 2026 Mass times were not yet published in October. Visiting costs €7.50 for adults and nothing for under-18s with an adult. The basilica stands over the Vrijthof, and during Magisch Maastricht a tunnel of lights on the square leads towards its doors. Inside, the treasury holds the reliquaries of Saint Servatius, after whom the church is named. Entry covers both the church and the treasury, and the parish uses the money to keep the building open. On Sundays the High Mass is at 10:00, and the parish also runs an English-language Mass at 18:00 in the Matthiaskerk. Christmas brings a different timetable. Check the parish site in December for the Christmas Eve and Christmas Day services, and treat them as worship first if you go. Tips: - Under-18s go free with an adult, which makes the treasury an easy family stop when the market gets loud. - The treasury closes on Christmas Day, though the basilica itself stays open. Q: What are the Basilica of Saint Servatius opening hours? A: The Basilica of Saint Servatius in Maastricht opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 17:00 and on Sunday from 11:30 to 17:00. Last entry is half an hour before closing. Q: How much does it cost to visit Saint Servatius in Maastricht? A: Adults pay €7.50 for the basilica and treasury, and students pay €4. Children and teenagers up to 17 go free with an adult. Q: Is there an English Mass in Maastricht? A: Yes. The Saint Servatius parish holds an English-language Mass on Sundays at 18:00 in the Matthiaskerk, outside the feast-day changes. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.sintservaas.nl/index.php/tekstpagina/Openingstijden-en-prijzen https://www.sintservaas.nl/index.php/Basiliek-en-parochie/Vieringen/Missen https://www.sintservaas.nl/ https://www.magischmaastrichtvrijthof.nl/over-magisch-maastricht-vrijthof https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q253935 ### Mainz Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/mainz-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Mainzer Dom St. Martin (de) Also known as: St Martin's Cathedral Mainz, Mainzer Dom, Hoher Dom zu Mainz Region: Frankfurt and the Rhine-Main Area: Altstadt City: Mainz Address: Markt, 55116 Mainz Coordinates: 49.99890, 8.27390 Website: https://bistummainz.de/mainzer-dom/ Summary: Mainz Cathedral is the thousand-year-old red sandstone seat of the Bishop of Mainz, and the Christmas market fills the square at its door. It suits anyone who wants Sunday Mass or a warm pause from the stalls, and it closes to sightseeing during services. The cathedral holds Mass at 7:00, 8:00, 10:00 and 11:30 on Sundays and holidays, with the 10:00 service sung as the Stiftsamt. Outside those times it is usually open on weekdays from 9:00 to 17:00 and on Sundays and holidays from 13:00 to 17:00. The Gotthard Chapel, whose nativity figures face the market in Advent, opens daily for private prayer from the Markt side. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://bistummainz.de/mainzer-dom/besuchen/oeffnungszeiten/ https://bistummainz.de/mainzer-dom/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q666960 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mainz_Cathedral ### Mariazell Basilica URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/mariazell-basilica Type: Venue Local name: Basilika Mariazell (de) Also known as: Basilica of the Birth of the Virgin Mary, Wallfahrtskirche Mariazell, Magna Mater Austriae Region: Graz and Styria Area: Hauptplatz City: Mariazell Address: Benedictusplatz 1, 8630 Mariazell Coordinates: 47.77280, 15.31860 Website: https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/ Summary: This is Austria's great pilgrimage church, and in Advent it doubles as the concert hall for the Mariazell market. Expect to share it with pilgrims and the dawn Rorate Masses as well as concert crowds. Tradition dates Mariazell to 1157, when a monk named Magnus from St. Lambrecht built a wooden cell here for a small statue of the Virgin. That linden-wood statue, about 48 centimetres tall, still stands at the heart of the church and is known as Magna Mater Austriae. Domenico Sciassia rebuilt and enlarged the church in the Baroque style from 1644, and Johann Bernhard Fischer von Erlach designed the high altar. Pope Pius X made it a minor basilica in 1907. In Advent the basilica opens about 07:30 to 19:00. Rorate Masses start at 06:00 on weekdays and Sundays, celebrated by candlelight before dawn, and Mass follows at 11:15. During the Mariazell Advent market most weekend evenings bring a concert to the nave, starting with the Vienna Boys' Choir on 19 and 20 November 2026. On Christmas Eve 2025 the basilica held a children's nativity service at 15:00 and Midnight Mass at 22:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/ https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/site/de/info/gottesdienste https://www.basilika-mariazell.at/site/de/info/oeffnungszeiten https://www.mariazeller-advent.at/konzertprogramm-onlinebuchung/ https://www.meinbezirk.at/steiermark/c-freizeit/christmetten-und-krippenspiele-in-der-steiermark-am-24-dezember_a7892643 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mariazell_Basilica ### St. Michael's Church, Munich URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/munich-st-michael Type: Venue Local name: St. Michael (de) Also known as: Michaelskirche München, St. Michael Munich Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Munich Address: Neuhauser Straße 6, 80331 München Coordinates: 48.13880, 11.57040 Summary: St. Michael's on the Neuhauser Straße suits visitors who want a free carol sing on the square outside on Wednesdays at 16:30 in Advent 2026; the sing happens outdoors, so dress for the cold. The Jesuits built St. Michael's on Munich's main shopping street between 1583 and 1597, and people often call it the largest Renaissance church north of the Alps. Its crypt holds Wittelsbach tombs, including that of King Ludwig II. In Advent the Christkindlmarkt's weekly carol sing gathers on the square in front of it. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://christkindlmarkt-muenchen.de/node/23158 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Michael%27s_Church,_Munich https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q265745 ### Frauenkirche, Nuremberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/nuremberg-frauenkirche Type: Venue Local name: Frauenkirche (de) Also known as: Church of Our Lady Nuremberg, Nürnberger Frauenkirche Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Hauptmarkt 14, 90403 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45400, 11.07820 Website: http://frauenkirche-nuernberg.de/ Summary: Nuremberg's Frauenkirche is the Gothic Catholic church on the east side of the Hauptmarkt, and it suits anyone at the Christkindlesmarkt who wants the noon clock show or the Christkind's opening speech from its gallery. Inside, it is a working parish church, so Mass takes priority over sightseeing. The Frauenkirche closes the east side of the Hauptmarkt, behind the stalls of the Christkindlesmarkt. The city archive records that the church, like the Hauptmarkt itself, went up on the ground of the Jewish quarter after the pogrom of 1349. On the Friday before Advent the Christkind steps onto its gallery at 17:30 to read the Prolog that opens the Christkindlesmarkt. Look up at noon. The Männleinlaufen, a clock from 1509 on the church front, shows small figures of the seven electors paying homage to Emperor Charles IV once a day. The city's building office, which keeps it running, says the figures start at about 12:01 after the bells and move for about four minutes. Stand back on the square so the market roofs don't block your view. Tips: - Find a spot on the square a few minutes before noon for the Männleinlaufen; the market crowds gather for it too. Q: What time is the Männleinlaufen in Nuremberg? A: The Männleinlaufen on Nuremberg's Frauenkirche runs every day at noon. The city's building office says the figures begin at about 12:01, after the bells, and move for about four minutes. Q: Where does the Nuremberg Christkind give the Prolog? A: The Nuremberg Christkind reads the Prolog from the gallery of the Frauenkirche, facing the Hauptmarkt, at 17:30 on the Friday before Advent. In 2026 that is 27 November. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: http://frauenkirche-nuernberg.de/ https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/hochbauamt/maennleinlaufen.html https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtarchiv/stadtgeschichte_daten.html https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtportal/heiligabend.html https://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/das-christkind https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q695069 ### St. Lorenz, Nuremberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/nuremberg-st-lorenz Type: Venue Local name: St. Lorenz (de) Also known as: St. Lawrence Church Nuremberg, Lorenzkirche Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Lorenzer Platz 1, 90402 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45100, 11.07870 Website: https://www.lorenzkirche.de/ Summary: St. Lorenz is the Lutheran church at the south end of Nuremberg's old town, and it suits travellers who want a late Christmas Eve service: the 2025 Christmette began at 23:00. It stays cold inside all winter, so dress for it. St. Lorenz anchors the southern half of the old town, a short walk up Königstraße from the station and down from the Hauptmarkt. A few of the Christkindlesmarkt's stalls stand beside it on the Lorenzer Platz. Visiting runs from 09:00 to 17:30 on weekdays and Saturdays and in a short window on Sunday afternoon. On Christmas Eve the parish keeps a full evening. In 2025 there was a service at 15:00, the Christvesper at 17:00 and a Christmette at 23:00, and the city's Christmas Eve page lists the 2026 times once the churches send them. The parish's own nickname for the church is the Kühlschrank Gottes, God's fridge, so bring a scarf. Veit Stoß's carved Annunciation, the Engelsgruß, was lowered for cleaning from 29 September to 12 October 2026. Tips: - Check the city's Christmas Eve page in December for the 2026 service times at St. Lorenz. - On Christmas Eve 2025 Nuremberg's buses and trains ran on a Saturday timetable, and the Nightliner left the Hauptbahnhof hourly from 01:00 to 04:00. Q: What time is the Christmette at St. Lorenz in Nuremberg? A: In 2025 the Christmette at St. Lorenz in Nuremberg began at 23:00 on Christmas Eve. The 2026 times are not published yet; the city's Christmas Eve page lists them when the churches release them. Q: When can you visit St. Lorenz in Nuremberg? A: St. Lorenz in Nuremberg is open to visitors from 09:00 to 17:30 on Monday to Saturday and from 13:00 to 15:30 on Sunday. On public holidays visiting ends at 15:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.lorenzkirche.de/ https://www.nuernberg.de/internet/stadtportal/heiligabend.html https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q707357 ### Silent Night Chapel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/oberndorf-silent-night-chapel Type: Venue Local name: Stille-Nacht-Kapelle (de) Also known as: Stille Nacht Kapelle Oberndorf, Silent Night Memorial Chapel, Oberndorf Silent Night Chapel Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Oberndorf bei Salzburg City: Salzburg Address: Stille-Nacht-Platz 1, 5110 Oberndorf bei Salzburg Coordinates: 47.94550, 12.93640 Website: https://www.salzburgerland.com/de/oberndorf-stille-nacht/ Summary: Make the trip to Oberndorf if Silent Night is the reason you came at Christmas, ideally for the 17:00 commemoration on 24 December. Oberndorf sits about 20 kilometres north of Salzburg, so plan it as a half-day trip. On the evening of 24 December 1818 the assistant priest Joseph Mohr and the teacher and organist Franz Xaver Gruber sang Silent Night for the first time in the church of St Nikola, with Mohr playing guitar. Floods from the Salzach damaged the church and it was demolished. The octagonal memorial chapel on its site was finished in 1937. Every 24 December at 17:00 a commemoration takes place in front of the chapel, without a break since 1953, and the carol is sung in many languages. The Silent Night Museum in the old parish house next door tells the song's story over two floors. In Advent a special post office in Oberndorf stamps Christmas mail with its own postmark. Tips: - Combine the chapel with the Silent Night Museum next door, which covers the song's history over two floors. - On Advent weekends the Stille-Nacht-Historienspiele start with a scene in front of the chapel and carry on across the river in Laufen in Bavaria. Q: When is the Silent Night commemoration in Oberndorf? A: Every year on 24 December at 17:00, in front of the Silent Night Chapel. It has run every year since 1953. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburgerland.com/de/oberndorf-stille-nacht/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silent_Night_Chapel https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1384682 ### St. Stephen's Cathedral, Passau URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/passau-st-stephens-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Dom St. Stephan (de) Also known as: Passau Cathedral, Passauer Dom, Stephansdom Passau Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Passau Address: Domplatz, 94032 Passau Coordinates: 48.57420, 13.46550 Website: https://www.bistum-passau.de/ Summary: St. Stephen's Cathedral in Passau suits visitors who want to hear its great organ during Advent, with midday concerts at 12:00 from Wednesday to Saturday between 28 November and 19 December 2026; a restoration due to end in 2028 means not every part of the organ plays. Carlo Lurago drew up the baroque rebuild of Passau's cathedral, which began in 1668 after a fire in 1662. Its organ has 17,774 pipes spread over several divisions, and the diocese is restoring it in stages through 2028. During the Christmas market on the Domplatz, the cathedral runs midday organ concerts at 12:00 from Wednesday to Saturday, with tickets sold on the day from 10:00. On Sunday 13 December 2026 the cathedral music holds its Bavarian Christmas concert at 17:00, with tickets at €20 or €15 through okticket.de. Q: How much is the Passau cathedral organ concert in December? A: The midday organ concert in St. Stephen's Cathedral, Passau, costs €6, or €3 reduced, in 2026. Tickets go on sale at 10:00 on the day at the Kassenhaus in the cathedral courtyard. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.bistum-passau.de/files/downloads/Bistum-Passau/Dommusik_Jahresprogramm_2026_web.pdf https://tourism.passau.de/leisure-sports/events/event-highlights/christmas-market-at-the-cathedral/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Stephen%27s_Cathedral,_Passau https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q267182 ### St Nicholas Church, Mala Strana URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/prague-st-nicholas-church Type: Venue Local name: Kostel svatého Mikuláše na Malé Straně (cs) Also known as: St. Nicholas Church Prague, St Nicholas Lesser Town, Mala Strana St Nicholas Region: Czechia Area: Malá Strana City: Prague Address: Malostranské náměstí, 118 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08780, 14.40360 Price from: CZK 150 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.stnicholas.cz/en/ Summary: St Nicholas suits anyone crossing Charles Bridge toward the castle who wants an evening concert inside a church. The trade-off is that the concerts are ticketed and pitched at visitors. In October 2026 the church ran an 18:00 concert most evenings, and Christmas programmes have not been posted yet. The church stands on Malostranské náměstí at the foot of the castle hill, on the route most people walk between Charles Bridge and Prague Castle. Its October 2026 programme included Mozart's Requiem, organ recitals and an Ave Maria evening, each running for an hour from 18:00. The December concert calendar has not been posted yet. Tips: - Tickets are non-refundable. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stnicholas.cz/en/ https://www.stnicholas.cz/en/tours/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2420392 ### St Vitus Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/prague-st-vitus-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Katedrála svatého Víta, Václava a Vojtěcha (cs) Also known as: St. Vitus Cathedral, Prague Castle cathedral, Svatovitska katedrala Region: Czechia Area: Hradčany City: Prague Address: III. nádvoří Pražského hradu, 119 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.09080, 14.40060 Price from: CZK 450 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.katedralasvatehovita.cz/ Summary: St Vitus suits anyone in Prague for Christmas who wants to hear a Mass in Prague's cathedral, and services are free. The trade-off is the climb up to the castle. The Sunday 10:00 Mass is streamed on katedrala.tv if you cannot get up the hill. The cathedral stands in the third courtyard of Prague Castle, and the castle grounds stay open from 6:00 to 22:00 every day. Visitor hours are shorter, from 9:00 on weekdays and from noon on Sundays, and Masses fill the early mornings. The cathedral has not yet published its 2026 Christmas timetable, so check the bohoslužby page in December before planning around midnight Mass. Tips: - Sunday Mass at 10:00 is broadcast live on katedrala.tv. - The cathedral notes that celebrants and service times can change, so recheck the schedule the week you go. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.katedralasvatehovita.cz/ https://www.katedralasvatehovita.cz/bohosluzby/ https://www.katedralasvatehovita.cz/pro-navstevniky/ https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/domaci-zivot-v-cesku-pulnocni-mse-vanoce-242201 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q5949 ### Church of Our Lady before Tyn URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/prague-tyn-church Type: Venue Local name: Chrám Matky Boží před Týnem (cs) Also known as: Tyn Church, Týn Church, Tynsky chram Region: Czechia Area: Staré Město City: Prague Address: Staroměstské náměstí 604, 110 00 Praha 1 Coordinates: 50.08760, 14.42260 Website: https://www.tyn.cz/ Summary: The Týn Church suits anyone at the Old Town Square market who wants ten quiet minutes inside, since its towers stand right behind the stalls and entry is free. The trade-off is short, split opening hours. On Sundays there is a late Mass at 21:00. The two Gothic towers of the Týn Church rise right behind the Old Town Square market. The present church dates from the mid-14th century, and Prague City Tourism notes that its 1673 organ is the oldest in Prague. Tycho Brahe worked as astronomer at Rudolf II's court from 1601, and his tombstone is inside. You reach the door through a passage from the house at Staroměstské náměstí 14. Tips: - Guided commentary is allowed only outside the church. - Check the parish site, tyn.cz, for Christmas Mass times, which are not on the city listing. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://prague.eu/en/object/places/192/church-of-our-lady-before-tyn https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1453427 ### Regensburg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/regensburg-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Dom St. Peter (de) Also known as: Regensburger Dom, St. Peter's Cathedral Regensburg Region: Bavaria Area: Altstadt City: Regensburg Address: Domplatz 1, 93047 Regensburg Coordinates: 49.01950, 12.09830 Website: https://domspatzen.de/ Summary: Regensburg Cathedral suits anyone who wants to hear the Regensburger Domspatzen sing a Christmas service, with the Christmette at 22:00 on 24 December 2026 and the Pontifical Mass at 10:00 on 25 December; the services are worship, so the choir is heard from the pews. Work on Regensburg's Gothic cathedral began after a fire in 1273, and its spires went up between 1859 and 1869. Its medieval stained glass dates mostly from 1220 to 1370. The Domspatzen boys' choir sings here on high feasts, and in 2026 it leads the Christmette at 22:00 on Christmas Eve under Domkapellmeister Christian Heiß. Q: When do the Regensburger Domspatzen sing at Christmas 2026? A: The Regensburger Domspatzen sing the Christmette in Regensburg Cathedral at 22:00 on 24 December 2026 and the Pontifical Mass at 10:00 on 25 December 2026. Both are church services. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/ https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/christmette-5/ https://domspatzen.de/veranstaltungen/pontifikalmesse-geburt-des-herrn-5/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regensburg_Cathedral https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q280268 ### St. Jakob, Rothenburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/rothenburg-st-jakob Type: Venue Local name: St.-Jakobs-Kirche (de) Also known as: St. James' Church Rothenburg, Jakobskirche Rothenburg Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Kirchplatz, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37790, 10.17770 Website: https://www.rothenburg.de/entdecken/top-10/jakobskirche Summary: St. Jakob is Rothenburg's Lutheran town church beside the Reiterlesmarkt, and it suits anyone who wants to see Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar between market rounds. In December it opens 10:00 to 17:00, and November hours are short. The church stands on the Kirchplatz, where part of the Reiterlesmarkt sets up its stalls. It took from 1311 to 1484 to finish, and the tourism service counts it among the town's top sights for Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar, carved around 1500. The Rieger organ from 1968 is one of the largest in southern Germany. December is the easiest month to visit, with the church open from 10:00 to 17:00. In November the window shrinks to 11:00 to 14:00, which can catch out early-season market visitors who arrive after lunch. In 2025 the church held organ concerts at 18:00 on the Advent Saturdays, a good way to close a day at the market. Tips: - Visit before 14:00 if you're in Rothenburg in November. Q: When is St. Jakob in Rothenburg open in December? A: St. Jakob in Rothenburg ob der Tauber opens from 10:00 to 17:00 in December, according to the town's tourism service. In November it opens only from 11:00 to 14:00. Q: Where is the Riemenschneider altar in Rothenburg? A: Tilman Riemenschneider's Holy Blood altar, carved around 1500, is inside St. Jakob on the Kirchplatz in Rothenburg ob der Tauber. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.rothenburg.de/entdecken/top-10/jakobskirche https://stadt.rothenburg.de/nachrichten/artikel/rothenburger-reiterlesmarkt-2025 https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q880354 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/1313873376 ### Salzburg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/salzburg-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Dom zu Salzburg (de) Also known as: Salzburger Dom, Salzburg Dom, Cathedral of Saints Rupert and Vergilius Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Altstadt City: Salzburg Address: Domplatz 1a, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79780, 13.04690 Price from: €7 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.salzburger-dom.at/ Summary: Salzburg's baroque cathedral is the place for a Christmas Eve service with Mozart, and it stands right over the Christkindlmarkt. Sightseeing costs €7 and stops for services. Archbishop Paris Lodron consecrated the present cathedral in 1628, and its front looks straight onto the Domplatz, where the Christkindlmarkt stalls stand in Advent. The bronze font from 1311 inside is where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was baptised. So was Joseph Mohr, who later wrote the words of Silent Night. On Christmas Eve 2026 the cathedral holds pontifical Vespers at 15:00. The youth choir sings carols from 23:00, and the Christmas Mass follows at 23:30 with Mozart's Organ Solo Mass, K. 259, sung by soloists, the youth choir and the cathedral orchestra. Tips: - Hear the choirs on the cathedral steps at 17:00 on any Advent weekday for free, then step inside before the 18:00 closing in December. Q: What time is Christmas Mass at Salzburg Cathedral in 2026? A: Salzburg's tourist board lists carols from 23:00 on 24 December and the Christmas Mass at 23:30 with Mozart's Organ Solo Mass. Pontifical Vespers is at 15:00 the same day. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburger-dom.at/ https://salzburg.info/de/sehenswertes/kirchen-friedhoefe/salzburger-dom https://www.salzburg.info/de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungskalender/heiliger-abend-im-dom-zu-salzburg_event_42149210 https://christkindlmarkt.co.at/wc-standorte/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q258908 ### Grosses Festspielhaus URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/salzburg-grosses-festspielhaus Type: Venue Also known as: Great Festival Hall Salzburg, Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg, Salzburg Festival Hall Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Altstadt City: Salzburg Address: Hofstallgasse 1, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79860, 13.04110 Website: https://www.salzburgeradventsingen.at/ Summary: The Grosses Festspielhaus is the Salzburg Festival's main hall, and in Advent it hosts the Salzburger Adventsingen. Book that ahead, because it plays only three weekends. The hall is the Salzburg Festival's main house and seats 2,179 people. It stands on the Hofstallgasse, a few minutes' walk from the cathedral squares. Each Advent it stages the Salzburger Adventsingen, a staged programme of Alpine Advent music that has run for more than 75 years. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.salzburgeradventsingen.at/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q669768 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grosses_Festspielhaus ### Strasbourg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/strasbourg-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Strasbourg (fr) Also known as: Notre-Dame de Strasbourg, Straßburger Münster, Strasbourg Minster Region: Alsace Area: Grande Île City: Strasbourg Address: Place de la Cathédrale, 67000 Strasbourg Coordinates: 48.58190, 7.75100 Website: https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/ Summary: Strasbourg Cathedral is the Gothic centrepiece of the city's Christmas, and it suits visitors who want a free look inside between market squares or a place at Mass. During the market it opens continuously from 08:30 to 17:45, Monday to Saturday, and the astronomical clock show is suspended for the whole market. The cathedral says 2.5 million people visited in 2019, more than any other cathedral in France. Entry is free and needs no booking, there is a security check at the door, and a ramp serves wheelchair users at the entrance and the exit. The dress rules are strict for a working church, so cover your shoulders. Christmas services are free and open to all. In 2025 the cathedral closed to visitors on the afternoon of 24 December, held a family Mass at 17:00 and a vigil of music and organ at 23:30, then Midnight Mass with the Chœur de Notre-Dame. A Mass is worship first, so come to take part and keep phones away. Tips: - Plan the astronomical clock for a visit outside the market season; the show at 12:30 doesn't run while the market is on. - Climb to the viewing platform, 332 steps up and 66 metres high, for the view over the market roofs. Q: Is Strasbourg Cathedral open during the Christmas market? A: Yes. During the Christmas market Strasbourg Cathedral opens continuously from 08:30 to 17:45, Monday to Saturday, and from 14:00 to 17:15 on Sundays and holidays. Entry is free, through the south portal on the Place du Château side. Q: Can you see the Strasbourg astronomical clock during the Christmas market? A: No. The cathedral suspends the astronomical clock show for the whole Christmas market. The rest of the year it runs daily, and adult tickets cost €4 on the day. Q: Do you need tickets for Christmas Mass at Strasbourg Cathedral? A: No. The cathedral says its Christmas Masses are free and need no reservation. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/ https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/horaires_acces https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/tenues-vestimentaires https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/horaires-messes https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/horloge-astronomique https://www.cathedrale-strasbourg.fr/noel https://noel.strasbourg.eu/w/marche-cathedrale ### Stuttgart Stiftskirche URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/stuttgart-stiftskirche Type: Venue Local name: Stiftskirche Stuttgart (de) Also known as: Stiftskirche, Stuttgart Collegiate Church, Evangelische Stiftskirche Stuttgart Region: Stuttgart and the Neckar Area: Stuttgart-Mitte City: Stuttgart Address: Stiftstraße 12, 70173 Stuttgart Coordinates: 48.77670, 9.17810 Website: https://www.stiftskirche.de Summary: The Stiftskirche suits anyone at the Stuttgart market who wants half an hour of quiet, because its organists play Advent music at lunchtime and brass choirs play from its tower on weekend evenings. Its services are worship, and visitors join them as guests of the parish. The Stiftskirche stands on Schillerplatz with the Christmas market right up against its walls. From 30 November to 22 December 2026 the Stiftsmusik organists and guests give a half-hour of Advent organ music at 13:15, Monday to Saturday in the Stiftskirche and on Sundays in the Schlosskirche across the square in the Altes Schloss. The organ is a Mühleisen instrument. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings during the market, trombone choirs from Stuttgart and the region climb the 232 steps of the west tower and play Advent music from about 60 metres up. Brass players have played from that tower since 1618. Tips: - Time a market lunch around the 13:15 organ half-hour. - Stand on Schillerplatz on a weekend evening to hear the tower brass over the stalls. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stiftskirche.de https://www.stiftskirche.de/gottesdienste https://www.stuttgart.de/veranstaltungskalender/veranstaltungen/orgelmusik-zum-weihnachtsmarkt-2026-535390 https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/konzerte/stiftskirche-konzerte/ https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/konzerte/stiftskirche-turmblaeser/ https://www.stuttgarter-weihnachtsmarkt.de/de/service/infos-fuer-menschen-mit-behinderung/ ### Vienna City Hall URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/vienna-city-hall Type: Venue Local name: Wiener Rathaus (de) Also known as: Rathaus Wien, Vienna Rathaus, Festsaal Wiener Rathaus Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Lichtenfelsgasse 2, 1010 Wien Coordinates: 48.21080, 16.35740 Website: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/adventsingen/ Summary: Vienna City Hall (Wiener Rathaus) stands behind the Rathausplatz Christmas market, and on Advent weekends its Festsaal hosts free choir concerts from 15:30 to 19:00. It suits market visitors who want to sit somewhere warm with music. The neo-Gothic City Hall closes off the Rathausplatz, and its tower stands behind the market's big Christmas tree. On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays in Advent the Festsaal opens for the International Advent Singing, with a café inside. Tips: - Use the side entrance at Lichtenfelsgasse 2 for the Advent singing. Q: Can you go inside Vienna City Hall during the Christmas market? A: Yes. On Advent weekends, Friday to Sunday from 15:30 to 19:00, the Festsaal of Vienna City Hall opens for free choir concerts, entered from Lichtenfelsgasse 2. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/adventsingen/ https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/wp-content/uploads/2026/02/Internationale-Adventsingen-2025.pdf https://www.geschichtewiki.wien.gv.at/Christkindlmarkt ### Hofburg Chapel URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/vienna-hofburgkapelle Type: Venue Local name: Hofburgkapelle (de) Also known as: Burgkapelle, Imperial Chapel Vienna, Vienna Court Chapel, Vienna Boys Choir Sunday Mass Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Hofburg, Schweizerhof, 1010 Wien Coordinates: 48.20660, 16.36590 Price from: €14 per person (2026) Website: https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/ Booking: https://www.culturall.com/ticket/hmk/ Summary: The Hofburg Chapel (Hofburgkapelle) is where the Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday and feast-day Mass at 09:15, including Christmas Day, and it suits music lovers who want to hear the choir at a service. Mass is worship first; seats cost €14 to €52, and many have little or no view. The chapel sits above the Imperial Treasury in the Schweizerhof of the Hofburg. Seats spread over the nave and three gallery levels. Category 1 and 2 seats face the high altar or the orchestra, and category 4 seats have no view or only a screen. In Advent 2026 the Vienna Boys Choir sings Mass here on 13 and 20 December, then on Christmas Day and again on 27 December. Tips: - Reach the Schweizerhof through the Hofburg's inner courtyard from Michaelerplatz, or from Josefsplatz through the Kapellenhof. - Leave rucksacks, big bags, prams and umbrellas at your hotel, since they aren't allowed inside. Q: Where can I hear the Vienna Boys Choir at Mass? A: The Vienna Boys Choir sings Sunday and feast-day Mass at 09:15 in the Hofburg Chapel (Hofburgkapelle), including on Christmas Day 2026. Q: Is the Hofburg Chapel wheelchair accessible? A: Yes, the nave is reached by lift from the Treasury entrance in the Schweizerhof. Book accessible places at least a week ahead. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/ https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/programm/messen https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/service/kartenverkauf https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/service/barrierefreiheit-anreise https://www.hofmusikkapelle.gv.at/service/hausordnung ### MuTh Concert Hall URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/vienna-muth Type: Venue Local name: MuTh Konzertsaal der Wiener Sängerknaben (de) Also known as: MuTh, Vienna Boys Choir concert hall, MuTh Augarten Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Leopoldstadt City: Vienna Address: Am Augartenspitz 1, 1020 Wien Coordinates: 48.22010, 16.37990 Website: https://muth.at/ Summary: MuTh is the Vienna Boys Choir's own concert hall at the Augartenspitz in the 2nd district, and in December 2026 it hosts the choir's Christmas concert GUTE HIRTEN. It suits families, with concerts pitched at children from age 4. MuTh sits at the southern tip of the Augarten in Leopoldstadt. Its December 2026 programme includes the Vienna Boys Choir's Christmas concert on five dates and a carol concert by pupils of the choir's primary school on 10 and 11 December at 15:00. Tips: - Under-26s pay Junges MuTh prices, from €14 for the Christmas concert. Q: Where does the Vienna Boys Choir give concerts in Vienna? A: The Vienna Boys Choir performs at MuTh, its own concert hall at Am Augartenspitz 1 in Vienna's 2nd district. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://muth.at/ https://muth.at/programm/gute-hirten-2026-12-04/ https://muth.at/programm/wenn-die-weihnachtskerzen-brennen-2026-12-10/ ### St. Stephen's Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/vienna-st-stephens-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Domkirche St. Stephan (de) Also known as: Stephansdom, St Stephen's Cathedral Vienna, Steffl, Vienna Cathedral Region: Vienna and Lower Austria Area: Innere Stadt City: Vienna Address: Stephansplatz 3, 1010 Wien Coordinates: 48.20840, 16.37330 Website: https://www.stephanskirche.at/ Summary: St. Stephen's Cathedral (Stephansdom) is Vienna's Catholic cathedral and the place for Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, and it suits anyone who wants Christmas worship at the heart of the city. Entry is free, with paid towers and tours, and sightseeing stops during services. The Gothic cathedral on Stephansplatz stands at the centre of the old town, and more than 6 million people visit each year. The South Tower, which the Viennese call the Steffl, rises 136.4 metres. A lift climbs the North Tower to the Pummerin bell. At Christmas 2025 the cathedral held Vespers on the afternoon of 24 December, Midnight Mass at midnight and a high Mass at 10:15 on Christmas Day. The Christmas market on Stephansplatz stands right outside. Tips: - Confession is heard daily from 07:00 to 21:45 at the back of the church. - The English Mass on Saturdays at 19:00 is the easiest way for English speakers to join a service. Q: Is St. Stephen's Cathedral free to enter? A: Yes. Entry to St. Stephen's Cathedral is free, though some areas inside, the towers and the tours charge a fee. Q: Is St. Stephen's Cathedral wheelchair accessible? A: Yes, the main entrance through the Riesentor is step-free. The catacombs and the South Tower are not accessible. Q: Is there an English Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral? A: Yes. St. Stephen's Cathedral holds a Mass in English on Saturdays at 19:00. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.stephanskirche.at/ https://www.stephanskirche.at/faq.php https://www.dompfarre.info/Gottesdienste/Regelmaessige_Gottesdienste/ https://www.katholisch.at/aktuelles/156347/orf-uebertraegt-erste-christmette-mit-papst-leo-xiv.-live-aus-rom ### Wurzburg Cathedral URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/wurzburg-cathedral Type: Venue Local name: Würzburger Dom St. Kilian (de) Also known as: Würzburg Cathedral, Kiliansdom, Dom St. Kilian Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Wurzburg Address: Domstraße 40, 97070 Würzburg Coordinates: 49.79340, 9.93240 Website: https://www.dom-wuerzburg.de/ Summary: Würzburg's Kiliansdom stands on Domstraße, near the Christmas market on the Marktplatz, and it suits travellers who want a cathedral visit with a midday organ piece. It opens daily from 08:00 to 18:00, and services take priority over sightseeing. The cathedral sits on Domstraße, close to the Rathaus courtyard where the artists' Christmas market sets up. It opens every day at 08:00 and stays open to 18:00, and to 19:30 on Sundays after the evening Mass. Rehearsals and service preparations can close it early, so check the weekly notice on the cathedral's website. Time a visit for 12:05 from Monday to Saturday. The cathedral holds a short organ meditation then, and a public guided tour of about an hour usually follows at 12:30. The Dominfo office on the Domplatz handles tour questions and is open from 09:30 on weekdays and Saturdays. Tips: - Go at 12:05 on a weekday or Saturday for the short organ meditation. Q: What are the opening hours of Würzburg Cathedral? A: Würzburg Cathedral opens daily from 08:00 to 18:00, and on Sundays it stays open until 19:30 after the evening Mass. It can close early for rehearsals or service preparations. Q: Is there an organ performance at Würzburg Cathedral? A: Yes. Würzburg Cathedral holds a short organ meditation at 12:05 from Monday to Saturday, usually followed by a public tour at 12:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.dom-wuerzburg.de/ https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q252166 https://www.openstreetmap.org/way/26150815 ### Grossmunster URL: https://christmasineurope.com/music/zurich-grossmunster Type: Venue Also known as: Grossmünster Zürich, Great Minster Zurich Region: Switzerland Area: Old town, right bank City: Zurich Address: Zwingliplatz 7, 8001 Zürich Coordinates: 47.37000, 8.54420 Website: https://reformiert-zuerich.ch/kirchgemeinde/kirchen/grossmuenster/ Summary: The Grossmünster suits anyone walking the Niederdorf market who wants the twin towers above the old town, and its trade-off is a 187-step tower climb with no lift. In winter the church opens to visitors Monday and Wednesday to Saturday 10:00 to 17:00 and Sunday from 12:00, and it closes to visitors on Tuesdays. The Grossmünster's twin towers mark the start of the Dörfli market, which runs north from Grossmünsterplatz and Zwingliplatz through the Niederdorf. Inside, the Reformed church keeps a plain interior lit by Sigmar Polke's windows. The Karlsturm tower costs CHF 5 for adults, and the last ascent is an hour before closing. Q: Is the Grossmünster in Zurich free to visit? A: Yes. Entry to the Grossmünster church is free; the Karlsturm tower costs CHF 5 for adults and CHF 2 for ages 6 to 16 and students. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://reformiert-zuerich.ch/kirchgemeinde/kirchen/grossmuenster/besuch/ https://reformiert-zuerich.ch/kirchgemeinde/kirchen/grossmuenster/ ## Year-round Christmas shops and workshops ### Erzgebirge Toy Museum, Seiffen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/erzgebirge-toy-museum-seiffen Type: Shop Local name: Erzgebirgisches Spielzeugmuseum (de) Also known as: Spielzeugmuseum Seiffen, Seiffen Toy Museum, Erzgebirgisches Spielzeugmuseum Seiffen Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Kurort Seiffen City: Seiffen Address: Hauptstraße 73, 09548 Kurort Seiffen Coordinates: 50.64820, 13.44840 Price from: €10.70 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/ Summary: The Toy Museum suits anyone who wants to understand Seiffen's woodwork before buying it, and it opens every day of the year from 10:00 to 17:00. The one trade-off is the adult price of €10.70. Children who come with a paying parent or grandparent go in free. The museum stands on Seiffen's Hauptstraße in the same building as the tourist information, and its entrance opens straight onto the car park. Its floors follow the Erzgebirge's Christmas of light from the turned candle-carrying miners and angels of the 19th century to present-day wooden design. The cash desk and shop are on the first floor, and a lift serves the building. Ground-floor lockers take a €1 coin as a deposit. Hours hardly change through the year. The doors open 10:00 to 17:00 daily, with 10:00 to 13:00 on 24 and 31 December and 13:00 to 17:00 on New Year's Day. A combined ticket with the Open-Air Museum at Hauptstraße 203 costs €16 for an adult. Guided tours need booking ahead on +49 37362 17019 and cost €85 for a group of up to 30. Tips: - Take the €16 combined ticket if you'll see the hoop-turning at the Open-Air Museum the same day. - Students up to the age of 35 and apprentices pay the reduced €7 with proof. Q: Is the Seiffen Toy Museum open at Christmas? A: Yes. It opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00, closes at 13:00 on 24 and 31 December and opens from 13:00 to 17:00 on 1 January. Q: How much is the Erzgebirge Toy Museum in Seiffen? A: An adult pays €10.70 for one museum or €16 for the Toy Museum and the Open-Air Museum together. Children with a paying parent or grandparent go free. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/oeffnungszeiten_spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/preise_spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/kontakt.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/weihnacht_im_museum.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/museumsladen_spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Erzgebirgisches%20Spielzeugmuseum%20Seiffen ### German Christmas Museum, Rothenburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/german-christmas-museum-rothenburg Type: Shop Local name: Deutsches Weihnachtsmuseum (de) Also known as: Christmas Museum Rothenburg, Weihnachtsmuseum Rothenburg, Käthe Wohlfahrt museum Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Herrngasse 1, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37680, 10.17840 Price from: €5 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.weihnachtsmuseum.info/ Summary: The German Christmas Museum suits a family or a collector who wants the history behind the ornaments sold downstairs, for €5 an adult. The museum says it is not barrier-free, and the way in is a stair inside the shop. Käthe Wohlfahrt runs the museum on the upper floor at Herrngasse 1, and a stair inside the Weihnachtsdorf takes you up. Several rooms hold decorations from the 19th and early 20th centuries. Look for the rare tragacanth, glass, cotton-wool and tin ornaments and the fine spun work in Leonese wire. Panels explain how St Nicholas, the Christkind and the Weihnachtsmann differ. Entry runs from 10:00 to 17:00 every day. In Advent 2026 the museum stays open later, to 17:30 from Monday to Thursday and to 18:00 on Friday and Saturday. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 13:00, and Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year's Day run to 16:30. After 6 January 2027 the hours shrink, so ring +49 9861 409365 for the day's times in January. Tips: - Buy the €11 family ticket if you're two adults with children up to 14. - Children aged 6 to 11 pay €2. Q: How much does the German Christmas Museum in Rothenburg cost? A: Adult entry is €5 and reduced entry €4, and children aged 6 to 11 pay €2. A family ticket for two adults and children up to 14 costs €11, and groups of 20 or more pay €3.50 each. Q: When is the Rothenburg Christmas Museum open in December 2026? A: In Advent it opens 10:00 to 17:30 from Monday to Thursday, 10:00 to 18:00 on Friday and Saturday and 10:00 to 17:00 on Sunday. On 24 and 31 December it opens 10:00 to 13:00, and on 25 and 26 December 10:00 to 16:30. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.weihnachtsmuseum.info/ https://www.weihnachtsmuseum.info/oeffnungszeiten https://www.weihnachtsmuseum.info/eintrittspreise https://www.kaethe-wohlfahrt.com/fachgeschaefte https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Deutsches%20Weihnachtsmuseum%20Rothenburg ### Herrnhut Star Manufactory URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/herrnhut-star-manufactory Type: Shop Local name: Herrnhuter Sterne Manufaktur (de) Also known as: Herrnhuter Sterne, Herrnhut stars, Moravian star factory, Herrnhuter Sterne Schauwerkstatt Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Herrnhut City: Herrnhut Address: Oderwitzer Straße 8, 02747 Herrnhut Coordinates: 51.01660, 14.73780 Website: https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Besucherinfo.html Summary: The manufactory suits anyone who wants to watch Herrnhut stars being made and then build one, with free entry to the show workshop and a step-free site. Every Sunday and public holiday it stays shut, and that includes Advent. In the show workshop staff fold and glue the paper points and assemble the small plastic stars while you watch, and entry costs nothing. A children's discovery area opened beside it in March 2018, with an indoor play area of 150 m² over two floors. The restaurant Bei Sterns serves regional dishes and coffee with cake. Parking is free for cars and coaches, and the whole site is step-free. At the craft benches a 13 cm plastic star costs €17.50 and a paper star of 40 or 60 cm starts at €50, without the electrics. Small groups can sit down at the plastic-star bench without booking, and on busy days you should expect a wait. A paper star you decorate has to dry and be pressed, so you collect it a few days later or pay to have it posted home. From January to August the site opens 9:00 to 17:00, Monday to Saturday, and from September to December it stays open to 18:00. On 24 and 31 December it opens 8:00 to 12:00. The firm's first shop is the Stammhaus at Löbauer Straße 21 in the town, and it opens all day on the Advent Saturdays. Tips: - Book ahead for a paper star, since those benches take reservations only. - Saturday is the one weekend day to come, because the manufactory shuts on Sundays. Q: Can you visit the Herrnhut star factory? A: Yes. The show workshop at Oderwitzer Straße 8 in Herrnhut is free to enter and opens Monday to Saturday, 9:00 to 17:00 from January to August and 9:00 to 18:00 from September to December. It is closed on Sundays and public holidays. Q: Can you make your own Herrnhut star? A: Yes. Assembling a 13 cm plastic star costs €17.50, and a decorated paper star of 40 or 60 cm starts at €50. Paper stars need a reservation, and you collect them a few days later or have them posted. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Besucherinfo.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Schauwerkstatt-2.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Entdeckerwelt.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Buchung-Bastelplatz.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Manufaktur.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Unternehmensgeschichte.html https://www.herrnhuter-sterne.de/de/Entstehungsgeschichte.html https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Herrnhuter%20Sterne%20Oderwitzer%20Stra%C3%9Fe ### Kathe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village, Rothenburg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/kathe-wohlfahrt-rothenburg Type: Shop Local name: Käthe Wohlfahrt Weihnachtsdorf (de) Also known as: Käthe Wohlfahrt Rothenburg, Kathe Wohlfahrt, Christmas Village Rothenburg, Weihnachtsdorf Rothenburg Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Rothenburg ob der Tauber Address: Herrngasse 1, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber Coordinates: 49.37680, 10.17830 Website: https://www.kaethe-wohlfahrt.com/fachgeschaefte Summary: The Weihnachtsdorf suits anyone who wants to shop for Christmas in July, and the company calls its range on Herrngasse the largest year-round selection in Germany. The museum upstairs charges its own entry and has no step-free access. Käthe Wohlfahrt has been in Rothenburg since 1977, and its main shop at Herrngasse 1 dresses more than 1,000 m² as a snowy half-timbered village. A white tree six metres tall stands in the middle of it, hung with ornaments from the range. The company lists over 25,000 decorations and gifts here, from Erzgebirge classics to pieces its in-house studio designs. It opens every day from 10:00 to 18:00, and that includes Sundays. Across the lane at Herrngasse 2 is the Christkindlmarkt shop, which was the company's first year-round shop and now concentrates on Erzgebirge folk art such as candle arches and turned pyramids. It keeps shorter hours and opens at 11:00 on Sundays. A stair inside the Weihnachtsdorf leads up to the German Christmas Museum, which has its own page on this site. Tips: - Cross to the Christkindlmarkt shop at Herrngasse 2 if you're after Erzgebirge woodwork and want advice at the counter. - The company's small shop by the Plönlein at Untere Schmiedgasse 19 shuts on Sundays. Q: Is Käthe Wohlfahrt in Rothenburg open all year? A: Yes. The Weihnachtsdorf at Herrngasse 1 opens every day from 10:00 to 18:00, according to the company's store page. That page lists no separate hours for 24 to 26 December, so ring +49 9861 409150 before a visit that week. Q: Where is the German Christmas Museum in Rothenburg? A: The museum is upstairs in the same building at Herrngasse 1, and you reach it by a stair inside the Käthe Wohlfahrt shop. It charges separate entry. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.kaethe-wohlfahrt.com/fachgeschaefte https://www.kaethe-wohlfahrt.com/rothenburg-odt https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Herrngasse%201%20Rothenburg ### Lebkuchen-Schmidt, Nuremberg old town URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/lebkuchen-schmidt-nuremberg Type: Shop Local name: Lebkuchen-Schmidt Filiale Plobenhofstraße (de) Also known as: Lebkuchen Schmidt, Lebkuchen-Schmidt Nürnberg, Schmidt gingerbread Nuremberg Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Plobenhofstraße 6, 90403 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45360, 11.07800 Website: https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/filialen/ Summary: The Plobenhofstraße shop suits anyone who wants Nuremberg Lebkuchen from one of the city's big makers in any month of the year, in the old town by the Hauptmarkt. It closes on Sundays and public holidays, and the Advent Sundays are no different. Lebkuchen-Schmidt runs several shops in Nuremberg, and the one at Plobenhofstraße 6 trades all year. From January to August it opens Monday to Saturday from 10:00 to 18:00. Hours run to 19:00 from September to 26 November and stretch to 20:00 from 27 November through December. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 14:00. The company's factory shop stands beside its works at Zollhausstraße 30 in Langwasser on the south-east side of the city, and it also opens all year. For most of the year it trades from 9:00 to 18:00 on weekdays and 9:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays, and it keeps longer hours in November and December. A seasonal branch at Königstraße 38 opens on 13 October 2026 for the run-up to Christmas. Tips: - Shop on Saturday if you want Lebkuchen for an Advent Sunday, because both year-round shops close on Sundays. - The Zollhausstraße factory shop opens at 8:30 on weekdays in November and December. Q: Is Lebkuchen-Schmidt in Nuremberg open all year? A: Yes. The shop at Plobenhofstraße 6 in the old town opens Monday to Saturday all year, from 10:00 to 18:00 between January and August and later in the autumn and in December. The factory shop at Zollhausstraße 30 also trades all year. Q: Is Lebkuchen-Schmidt open on Sundays in Advent? A: No. The company lists its Nuremberg shops as closed on Sundays and public holidays unless it says otherwise. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/filialen/ https://www.lebkuchen-schmidt.com/de/nuernberger-lebkuchen/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Plobenhofstra%C3%9Fe%206%20N%C3%BCrnberg ### Manufaktur der Traume, Annaberg-Buchholz URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/manufaktur-der-traume-annaberg Type: Shop Local name: Manufaktur der Träume (de) Also known as: Manufactory of Dreams, Ströhersche Sammlung, Ströher collection Annaberg Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Annaberg City: Annaberg-Buchholz Address: Buchholzer Straße 2, 09456 Annaberg-Buchholz Status: temporarily-closed. The permanent exhibition closed for rebuilding on 7 January 2026 and is due to reopen around the end of November 2026. Until then groups can see the special exhibition on a booked tour. Coordinates: 50.57950, 13.00210 Website: https://www.manufaktur-der-traeume.de/ Summary: The Manufaktur der Träume suits anyone basing a Christmas trip in Annaberg-Buchholz who wants the Erzgebirge's folk art in depth. Its permanent exhibition is shut for rebuilding until about the end of November 2026, so check it has reopened before you plan a day around it. The city's museum service runs the Manufaktur der Träume at Buchholzer Straße 2, and Annaberg-Buchholz's tourist information shares the address. Its core is the Ströher collection of Erzgebirge folk art. The permanent exhibition has been closed since 7 January 2026 and is due back around the end of November. While the builders are in, the special exhibition of treasures from the Pohl-Ströher collection opens to groups with a booked tour. Individual visitors got two open days in 2026, on 3 and 31 October. Bookings go through +49 3733 19433. Tips: - Ring +49 3733 19433 in late November to confirm the reopening date before you travel. Q: Is the Manufaktur der Träume in Annaberg-Buchholz open? A: Its permanent exhibition is closed for rebuilding from 7 January 2026 until about the end of November 2026. Groups can book a tour of the special exhibition in the meantime. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.manufaktur-der-traeume.de/ https://www.manufaktur-der-traeume.de/oeffnungszeiten.php https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Manufaktur%20der%20Tr%C3%A4ume%20Annaberg ### Salzburg Christmas Museum URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/salzburg-christmas-museum Type: Shop Local name: Salzburger Weihnachtsmuseum (de) Also known as: Weihnachtsmuseum Salzburg, Christmas Museum Mozartplatz Region: Salzburg and the Salzkammergut Area: Altstadt City: Salzburg Address: Mozartplatz 2, 5020 Salzburg Coordinates: 47.79880, 13.04710 Price from: €9 per adult (2025) Summary: The Christmas Museum suits an older traveller or a collector who wants a quiet hour among antique decorations above the Café Glockenspiel on Mozartplatz. Outside Advent and the Salzburg Festival it opens only from Wednesday to Sunday, and it closes from February to mid-March. The museum sits above the Café Glockenspiel on Mozartplatz in the old town. A private lift makes it step-free, and the cash desk staff will take you up if you ask. Adult entry cost €9 in 2025, children paid €5 and reduced tickets were €8. The Salzburg Card covers one free visit. Normal hours are 10:00 to 18:00 from Wednesday to Sunday. In Advent and during the Salzburg Festival it opens every day in the same hours, and on 24 and 31 December it closes at 13:00. Tips: - Use your Salzburg Card here for one free entry. - Groups of 15 or more book ahead and pay €8 each, and a guided group tour adds €65. Q: When is the Salzburg Christmas Museum open in Advent? A: In Advent the museum on Mozartplatz opens daily from 10:00 to 18:00, and on 24 and 31 December from 10:00 to 13:00, according to Salzburg's tourism board. Q: Is the Salzburg Christmas Museum accessible? A: Yes. A private lift gives step-free access, and the cash desk staff arrange it. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://salzburg.info/de/sehenswertes/museen/weihnachtsmuseum https://old.salzburg.info/en/sights/museums/salzburg-christmas-museum https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Salzburger%20Weihnachtsmuseum ### Seiffen Open-Air Museum URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/seiffen-open-air-museum Type: Shop Local name: Freilichtmuseum Seiffen (de) Also known as: Erzgebirgisches Freilichtmuseum Seiffen, Reifendrehwerk Seiffen, Seiffen hoop-turning mill Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Heidelberg, Seiffen City: Seiffen Address: Hauptstraße 203, 09548 Seiffen Coordinates: 50.63950, 13.47760 Price from: €10.70 per adult (2026) Website: https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/freilichtmuseum_seiffen.cfm Summary: The Open-Air Museum suits families and anyone who wants to watch a Seiffen craft at work, with hoop-turning shown every day in a water-powered mill from 1760. From November to March it opens only when the weather allows, and it shuts on 24, 25 and 31 December and 1 January. The museum opened in 1973 as a branch of the Toy Museum and covers 3 hectares at Hauptstraße 203. Fifteen groups of buildings stand among old paths, walls and gardens, two of them powered by water. Its heart is the hoop-turning mill that Johann Heinrich Frohs built between 1758 and 1760. It is the only original water-powered turning works left in Seiffen. A wooden wheel 5.2 metres across still drives the lathe, and hoop-turning has gone on in the building for more than 120 years. Doors open daily from 10:00 to 17:00. The mill stops between 12:00 and 13:00, so come in the morning or after lunch to see the lathe turn. Most of the visit is outdoors between buildings, and in winter the museum may close when the weather turns. The cash desk sells the museum's books and souvenirs from 10:00 to 16:00, and the turner sells pieces at the lathe. Tips: - Arrive before 12:00 or after 13:00 to watch the lathe running. - The car park takes coaches and trailers, and you'll find picnic tables on the grounds. Q: Can you watch hoop-turning in Seiffen? A: Yes. The Open-Air Museum at Hauptstraße 203 shows and explains Reifendrehen every day in its water-powered mill of 1760. The mill pauses from 12:00 to 13:00. Q: Is the Seiffen Open-Air Museum open in December? A: It opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00 when the weather allows, and it closes on 24, 25 and 31 December and on 1 January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/oeffnungszeiten_spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/freilichtmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/drehwerk.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/preise_spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/kontakt.cfm https://www.spielzeugmuseum-seiffen.de/museumsladen_spielzeugmuseum_seiffen.cfm https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Erzgebirgisches%20Freilichtmuseum%20Seiffen ### Seiffener Volkskunst Show Workshop URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/seiffener-volkskunst-schauwerkstatt Type: Shop Local name: Schauwerkstatt Seiffener Volkskunst eG (de) Also known as: Schauwerkstatt Seiffen, Seiffener Volkskunst, Seiffen show workshop Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Kurort Seiffen City: Seiffen Address: Bahnhofstraße 12, 09548 Kurort Seiffen Coordinates: 50.65090, 13.44980 Website: https://www.schauwerkstatt.de/ Summary: The show workshop suits a visitor who wants to see Erzgebirge figures made and then paint one, with 30 seats in its craft room and around 200 kits to choose from. Plan it for a weekday, because the benches stand idle on Saturday and Sunday. Seiffen craftspeople founded the cooperative in 1958 and started production the next year. After a fire, a new workshop building went up on the site in 1997, and it runs as an open workshop where you follow a figure from raw wood to the last brushstroke. Guided tours take about 20 minutes on weekdays between 10:00 and 15:00. A group pays €30, €60 or €90 depending on its size, up to 30 people. In the craft room you can make your own smoking man or a lit Seiffen candle arch, and children from about 3 join in with a parent's help. You pay for the kit you choose, and reserving a seat costs €5, which comes off the kit price. Reservations open only up to two days ahead, and walk-ins take whatever seats are free. Allow an hour to an hour and a half. The craft room is indoors, so it works on a wet day. Tips: - Reserve a craft seat online up to two days ahead in Advent, when walk-in seats can run out. Q: Can you make your own nutcracker in Seiffen? A: Yes. The craft room at the Seiffener Volkskunst show workshop on Bahnhofstraße offers around 200 kits, including smoking men, nutcrackers and lit candle arches. You pay for the kit, and a reserved seat costs €5 that comes off the price. Q: When can you watch the woodworkers at the Seiffen Schauwerkstatt? A: Craftspeople work from Monday to Friday between 10:00 and 16:00. At weekends you can still walk through the workshop, but the machines are at rest. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.schauwerkstatt.de/ https://www.schauwerkstatt.de/erlebniswelt https://www.schauwerkstatt.de/seiffener-volkskunst-e-g https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Schauwerkstatt%20Seiffener%20Volkskunst ### Wendt & Kuhn Figurenwelt, Seiffen URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/wendt-kuhn-figurenwelt-seiffen Type: Shop Local name: Wendt & Kühn-Figurenwelt (de) Also known as: Wendt und Kühn Seiffen, Wendt & Kühn Seiffen, Wendt and Kuhn Region: Saxony and the Ore Mountains Area: Kurort Seiffen City: Seiffen Address: Hauptstraße 97, 09548 Seiffen Coordinates: 50.64840, 13.45310 Website: https://www.wendt-kuehn.de/erleben/wendt-kuehn-figurenwelt/ Summary: The Figurenwelt suits a buyer who wants the whole Wendt & Kühn range on Seiffen's main street, open every day and until 18:00 from October to Christmas. The figures themselves are made at the company's works in Grünhainichen. The Figurenwelt at Hauptstraße 97 has two large music boxes that make a backdrop for photos, plus an exhibition and a film on the company's past and present. Sofas and quiet corners give tired feet a break from Seiffen's pavements. In the Kreativ-Galerie you can make something of your own. The shop keeps several of each piece in stock and wraps gifts if you ask. It opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00, and from October until Christmas it stays open to 18:00. On 24 and 31 December it closes at 13:00, and it shuts on Christmas Day and New Year's Day. Both Wendt & Kühn sites close for the day on 30 October 2026. Use the car parks in the village. Tips: - Come on a late Advent afternoon, when the Figurenwelt stays open until 18:00. - In Grünhainichen the company's works at Chemnitzer Straße 40 house the Wendt & Kühn-Welt, which opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and runs tours where you try the craft. Q: When is Wendt & Kühn in Seiffen open? A: The Figurenwelt at Hauptstraße 97 opens daily from 10:00 to 17:00 and until 18:00 from October to Christmas. It closes at 13:00 on 24 and 31 December and shuts on 25 December and 1 January. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://www.wendt-kuehn.de/erleben/wendt-kuehn-figurenwelt/ https://www.wendt-kuehn.de/service/oeffnungszeiten-und-haendlerverzeichnis/ https://www.wendt-kuehn.de/kontakt/ https://www.wendt-kuehn.de/ https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Hauptstra%C3%9Fe%2097%20Seiffen https://www.wendt-kuehn.de/erleben/wendt-kuehn-welt-in-gruenhainichen/ ### Wicklein Lebkuchnerei, Nuremberg URL: https://christmasineurope.com/year-round/wicklein-lebkuchnerei-nuremberg Type: Shop Local name: Wicklein Lebküchnerei (de) Also known as: Wicklein Nürnberg, Wicklein Lebkuchen Hauptmarkt, Wicklein gingerbread Region: Franconia Area: Altstadt City: Nuremberg Address: Hauptmarkt 7, 90403 Nürnberg Coordinates: 49.45370, 11.07660 Website: https://wicklein.de/genusswelt Summary: The Lebküchnerei suits a visitor who wants Lebkuchen warm from the oven and a café seat facing the Frauenkirche on the Hauptmarkt. The café and the baking workshops stop for the Christkindlesmarkt, so in Advent you come here to buy. Wicklein opened the Lebküchnerei at Hauptmarkt 7 in 2017. It faces the Frauenkirche across the square, and Wicklein calls it the largest Lebkuchen shop in the world. Lebkuchen are baked fresh each day in the bakehouse at the back. From January to October the café serves coffee and hot drinks, and at noon the clock figures of the Männleinlaufen parade on the church front right outside. The baking workshop runs Monday to Thursday from 16:30 to 18:00 and costs €29.90 a person. You shape, bake and decorate your own Nuremberg Lebkuchen and carry them home. Groups need 6 to 15 people and book by request. The Christkindlesmarkt brings such crowds that Wicklein stops the workshops from November. Tips: - Book the baking workshop for October or earlier, because none run from November. - Be on the Hauptmarkt at 12:00 to see the Männleinlaufen from the shop door. Q: Can you bake Lebkuchen yourself in Nuremberg? A: Yes. Wicklein's Lebküchnerei at Hauptmarkt 7 runs a 90-minute workshop from Monday to Thursday at 16:30 for €29.90 a person, for groups of 6 to 15 by request. It pauses from November for the Christkindlesmarkt. Checked: 2026-10-10 Sources: https://wicklein.de/genusswelt https://wicklein.de/wir https://wicklein.de/kontakt https://www.openstreetmap.org/search?query=Wicklein%20Hauptmarkt%207%20N%C3%BCrnberg ## Practical guides ### Are German Christmas markets open on Sunday? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/are-german-christmas-markets-open-on-sunday Updated: 2026-10-10 Every Advent Sunday is a market day in Germany. The two Sundays before Advent are different, and on 22 November 2026 most markets that have already opened stay shut. Yes, German Christmas markets open on Sundays, and every German market in our files that is running on an Advent Sunday in 2026 opens that day, on 29 November and on 6, 13 and 20 December. In Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia the state's law keeps markets closed on Sunday mornings, and none of the markets we cover in either state opens before 11:00. The exceptions are the two Sundays before Advent. Volkstrauertag falls on 15 November and Totensonntag on 22 November in 2026, and on Totensonntag eleven of the eighteen German markets already open close for the whole day. We built this from each market's 2026 hours, read from the organizer or the tourism board on 10 October 2026, and from our file of state holiday laws, which names the statute behind every rule. The open-or-closed answers come from the season engine that runs the [what's open on a date](/open) page. | Market | State | Advent Sunday hours | Totensonntag, 22 Nov | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Aachen Christmas Market](/markets/aachen-christmas-market) | North Rhine-Westphalia | 11:00–21:00 | Open 18:00–21:00 only | | [Bonn Christmas Market](/markets/bonn-christmas-market) | North Rhine-Westphalia | 12:00–21:00 | Closed all day | | [Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market) | North Rhine-Westphalia | 11:00–21:00 | Closed all day | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | North Rhine-Westphalia | 11:00–21:00 | Open 18:00–21:00 only | | [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market) | North Rhine-Westphalia | 11:00–20:00 | Closed all day | | [Freiburg Christmas Market](/markets/freiburg-christmas-market) | Baden-Württemberg | 11:30–19:30 | Closed all day | | [Heidelberg Christmas Market](/markets/heidelberg-christmas-market) | Baden-Württemberg | 11:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 23 Nov) | | [Stuttgart Christmas Market](/markets/stuttgart-christmas-market) | Baden-Württemberg | 11:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 25 Nov) | | [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt) | Bavaria | 10:00–20:00 | Closed all day | | [Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/nuremberg-christkindlesmarkt) | Bavaria | 10:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 27 Nov) | | [Wurzburg Christmas Market](/markets/wurzburg-weihnachtsmarkt) | Bavaria | 11:00–20:30 | Not open yet (opens 27 Nov) | | [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt) | Saxony | 10:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 25 Nov) | | [Leipzig Christmas Market](/markets/leipzig-christmas-market) | Saxony | 11:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 24 Nov) | | [Frankfurt Christmas Market](/markets/frankfurt-weihnachtsmarkt) | Hesse | 11:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 23 Nov) | | [Wiesbaden Sternschnuppenmarkt](/markets/wiesbaden-sternschnuppenmarkt) | Hesse | 12:00–21:00 | Not open yet (opens 24 Nov) | | [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) | Berlin | 12:00–22:00 | Not open yet (opens 23 Nov) | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | 12:00–22:00 | Not open yet (opens 23 Nov) | | [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) | Rhineland-Palatinate | 11:00–20:00 | No closure listed in its file | | [Mainz Christmas Market](/markets/mainz-weihnachtsmarkt) | Rhineland-Palatinate | 11:00–20:30 | Not open yet (opens 26 Nov) | | [Trier Christmas Market](/markets/trier-christmas-market) | Rhineland-Palatinate | 11:00–20:00 | Closed all day | #### Are German Christmas markets open on Advent Sundays? They are. None of the 65 German markets in our files lists a closure on an Advent Sunday inside its run. Some open on only a few days a week, so Sunday becomes one of their main days. The [Monschau Christmas Market](/markets/monschau-christmas-market) trades from 11:00 to 20:00 on its Sundays, and the [Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market](/markets/ravenna-gorge-christmas-market) opens from 14:00 to 21:00 with timed tickets. The start time depends on the state. Baden-Württemberg's FTG § 7 keeps trade fairs and markets (Messen und Märkte) closed until 11:00 on a Sunday, and the [Freiburg Christmas Market](/markets/freiburg-christmas-market) waits until 11:30. North Rhine-Westphalia lets markets open only after the main church service, and our file of laws puts that service between 06:00 and 11:00. Saarland's law also sets 11:00, though we have no Saarland market in our files. In Bavaria and Saxony our files show several big markets opening at 10:00 on Sundays: the [Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/nuremberg-christkindlesmarkt), the [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt), the [Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/augsburg-christkindlesmarkt) and the [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt). Some markets close earlier on a Sunday than on a Saturday. Munich's stalls shut at 20:00 on Sundays and 21:00 the rest of the week, and Freiburg closes at 19:30. Shops keep their own rules. Bautzen opens its old-town shops on two Advent Sundays, and Freiberg's old-town shops open on 29 November and 13 December. #### What happens on Totensonntag, 22 November 2026? Totensonntag means Sunday of the dead, and every German state protects it with a ban on public events that break the day's quiet. Eighteen German markets in our files have opened by then. Eleven close all day: the [Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market), the [Markt der Engel (Cologne)](/markets/cologne-markt-der-engel), the [Bonn Christmas Market](/markets/bonn-christmas-market), the [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market), the [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt), the [Munich Medieval Christmas Market](/markets/munich-medieval-market), the [Freiburg Christmas Market](/markets/freiburg-christmas-market), the [Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt](/markets/rothenburg-reiterlesmarkt), the [Regensburg Romantic Christmas Market at Thurn und Taxis Palace](/markets/regensburg-thurn-und-taxis), the [Trier Christmas Market](/markets/trier-christmas-market) and the [Bernkastel-Kues Christmas Market](/markets/bernkastel-kues-christmas-market). Two open in the evening. North Rhine-Westphalia's ban on markets runs from 05:00 to 18:00 that day, and both the [Aachen Christmas Market](/markets/aachen-christmas-market) and the [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) trade from 18:00 to 21:00. Five files list no closure that day, so our [what's open](/open) answer shows them open, and you should check the organizer's own page in the week before. The [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) lists only its usual Sunday hours, 11:00 to 20:00. The [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) opens on weekends and hasn't posted hours. The other three are projected runs: the [CentrO Christmas Market (Oberhausen)](/markets/oberhausen-centro-christmas-market), the [Christmas Market at the Chinese Tower](/markets/munich-chinese-tower) and the [Munich Residenz Christmas Village](/markets/munich-residenz-christmas-village). The Residenz file's own note says that market closed on Totensonntag in 2025. #### What happens on Volkstrauertag, 15 November? Volkstrauertag means national day of mourning, and it falls two Sundays before Advent, on 15 November in 2026. Only two German markets in our files have opened by then. The [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) opens from 13:00 to 21:00 that day, because North Rhine-Westphalia bans markets from 05:00 to 13:00 and keeps entertainment and dancing banned until 18:00. The [CentrO Christmas Market (Oberhausen)](/markets/oberhausen-centro-christmas-market) has a projected run and no published hours, and sits under the same state law. Across the border, the [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) and the other Viennese markets that have opened by then trade as usual that Sunday. #### What does each state's law say? Each state writes its own holiday law, so the hours of the ban change at the border. The table gives the ban on public events on each of the two Sundays, whether the statute names markets in that ban, and how we read the text. Times are local. | State | Volkstrauertag, 15 Nov | Totensonntag, 22 Nov | Markets named in the ban | Statute | How we read it | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | North Rhine-Westphalia | 05:00–13:00 | 05:00–18:00 | Yes | [Feiertagsgesetz NW §§ 5–7, 10](https://recht.nrw.de/lrgv/gesetz/01012000-bekanntmachung-der-neufassung-des-gesetzes-ueber-die-sonn-und-feiertage/) | Official statute | | Bavaria | 02:00–24:00 | 02:00–24:00 | No | [FTG Art. 3, 5](https://www.gesetze-bayern.de/Content/Document/BayFTG-3) | Official statute | | Baden-Württemberg | No entry | 05:00–24:00 | No | [FTG §§ 7, 8, 10](https://www.landtag-bw.de/resource/blob/231248/70ef2c9a1fb3e8027c8e0220992e1557/15_7486_D.pdf) | Secondary source | | Berlin | 04:00–21:00 | 04:00–21:00 | No | [Feiertagsschutz-Verordnung § 4](https://www.berlin.de/sen/inneres/buerger-und-staat/verfassungs-und-verwaltungsrecht/artikel.1435639.php) | Secondary source | | Brandenburg | 04:00–24:00 | 04:00–24:00 | No | [FTG §§ 5, 6, 8](https://bravors.brandenburg.de/gesetze/ftg_2015) | Official statute | | Bremen | 06:00–17:00 | 06:00–17:00 | No | [Sonn-, Gedenk- und Feiertagsgesetz § 6](https://www.umwelt-online.de/recht/arbeitss/arbeitsrecht/laender/hb/feiertg.htm) | Secondary source | | Hamburg | 06:00–15:00 | 06:00–17:00 | No | [Feiertagsschutzverordnung § 4; Verordnung über den Volkstrauertag](https://umwelt-online.de/recht/arbeitss/arbeitsrecht/laender/hh/feiertschv.htm) | Secondary source | | Hesse | 04:00–24:00 | 04:00–24:00 | No | [HFeiertagsG §§ 8, 10; HLöG § 6](https://umwelt-online.de/recht/arbeitss/arbeitsrecht/laender/he/feiertg.htm) | Secondary source | | Mecklenburg-Vorpommern | 04:00–24:00 | 04:00–24:00 | No | [FTG M-V §§ 5, 6](https://www.umwelt-online.de/recht/arbeitss/arbeitsrecht/laender/mv/feiertg.htm) | Secondary source | | Lower Saxony | All day | All day | No | [NFeiertagsG §§ 6, 9, 14](https://www.ms.niedersachsen.de/download/144054/Schriftlicher_Bericht.pdf) | Copy of the statute | | Rhineland-Palatinate | 04:00–24:00 | 04:00–24:00 | No | [LFtG §§ 6–8, 10](https://www.umwelt-online.de/recht/arbeitss/arbeitsrecht/laender/rp/feiertg.htm) | Secondary source | | Saarland | 04:00–24:00 | 04:00–24:00 | No | [SFG §§ 7–10, 12](https://sadaba.de/GSLT_SFG.html) | Secondary source; the text seen has a 2020 sunset clause | | Saxony | 03:00–24:00 | 03:00–24:00 | No | [SächsSFG §§ 5–7](https://www.revosax.sachsen.de/vorschrift/3997-SaechsSFG) | Official statute | | Saxony-Anhalt | 05:00–16:00 | 05:00–24:00 | No | [FeiertG LSA § 5 (amended 4 May 2026)](https://www.kirchenrecht-ekm.de/pdf/9628.pdf) | Copy of the statute | | Schleswig-Holstein | 06:00–20:00 | 06:00–20:00 | No | [SFTG § 6](https://umwelt-online.de/recht/arbeitss/arbeitsrecht/laender/sh/feiertg.htm) | Secondary source | | Thuringia | 03:00–24:00 | 03:00–24:00 | No | [ThürFGtG § 6](https://www.kirchenrecht-ekm.de/pdf/9627.pdf) | Copy of the statute | North Rhine-Westphalia's statute names markets, so the markets themselves are banned for those hours. The other states leave markets out of the wording. That puts them under the general ban on public events that break the day's solemn character, and in practice the organizer's own hours decide. In Bavaria, where the FTG doesn't name markets, the Munich Christkindlmarkt and the Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt close all day on Totensonntag. Bavaria and Saarland also protect Buß- und Bettag on Wednesday 18 November, and Saxony keeps it as a public holiday with a ban from 03:00. No Saxon market in our files has opened by then. Our file has no Volkstrauertag ban for Baden-Württemberg, and its source there is secondary, so treat that blank as unchecked. Several states let an authority grant exemptions. In North Rhine-Westphalia the Bezirksregierung decides under § 10, and a market with no entertainment character counts as no serious impairment of the day. Bavarian municipalities can grant one under Art. 5. In Berlin the request goes to the district Ordnungsamt (FSchVO § 5), and Lower Saxony's § 14 lets a municipality allow up to four Spezialmärkte a year. #### How sure is each reading? We mark each statute by the kind of text we read, and the label tells you how much weight to put on it. | Label | What we read | How far to trust it | | --- | --- | --- | | Official statute | The law on the state's own legal portal | The current text as the state publishes it | | Copy of the statute | The statute's wording in a copy held elsewhere, such as a church law archive or a ministry report | The wording is the law's, and a later amendment could be missing | | Secondary source | A page that quotes or summarizes the law | Good for the shape of the rule, and worth checking against the statute before you plan a trip around it | The official text backs four German states: North Rhine-Westphalia, Bavaria, Brandenburg and Saxony. Copies cover Lower Saxony and Thuringia, plus Saxony-Anhalt, whose law was amended on 4 May 2026, and Austria's opening-hours law. Baden-Württemberg, Berlin and seven more states rest on secondary sources. Saarland is the weakest case, because the text we saw carries a sunset clause for 2020 and we couldn't confirm the current version. #### Do Austria and Switzerland close markets on these Sundays? Austria has no matching ban in our file. Its Öffnungszeitengesetz 2003 exempts Marktverkehr, which means market trading, so each town's market rules decide, and Austrian markets such as the [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) trade on 22 November. In Basel-Stadt, shops may open from 13:00 to 18:00 on 13 and 20 December 2026, two of the Advent Sundays. #### Quick answers ##### Are German Christmas markets open on Sunday? Yes. German Christmas markets open on all four Advent Sundays in 2026, 29 November and 6, 13 and 20 December. In Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia they open at 11:00 or later on Sundays because state law keeps them shut in the morning. ##### Are German Christmas markets open on Totensonntag 2026? Most German Christmas markets that have opened by Totensonntag, 22 November 2026, close for the day. Eleven of the eighteen in our files close all day, and the Aachen Christmas Market and the Cologne Harbour Christmas Market open only from 18:00 to 21:00. ##### Are the Cologne Christmas markets open on Sunday 22 November 2026? The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market and the Markt der Engel are closed all day on Sunday 22 November 2026, which is Totensonntag. The Cologne Harbour Christmas Market opens from 18:00 to 21:00, and Heinzels Wintermarchen hasn't opened yet. ##### What time do German Christmas markets open on Sundays? German Christmas markets in our files open between 10:00 and 12:00 on Sundays, and a few start at 14:00. Nuremberg, Augsburg, Munich's Christkindlmarkt and Dresden's Striezelmarkt start at 10:00, and in Baden-Württemberg and North Rhine-Westphalia no market we cover opens before 11:00. ##### Are German Christmas markets open on Volkstrauertag? Only two German Christmas markets in our files have opened by Volkstrauertag, 15 November 2026. The Cologne Harbour Christmas Market opens that day from 13:00, after North Rhine-Westphalia's market ban from 05:00 to 13:00, and the CentrO Christmas Market in Oberhausen has a projected run with no hours published. ### Is the Cologne Christmas market cancelled in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/cologne-christmas-market-2026-cancelled Updated: 2026-10-10 The cathedral market has confirmed 16 November to 23 December 2026, and three more Cologne markets sit within walking distance if the square loses space. The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market is going ahead in 2026, and its organizer has confirmed a run from Monday 16 November to Wednesday 23 December on [koelnerweihnachtsmarkt.com](https://www.koelnerweihnachtsmarkt.com). The market stays shut all day on Totensonntag (22 November). The open question this year sits underneath Roncalliplatz, where the city is repairing the car park below the square (the Tiefgarage am Dom), and that work could still change how much space the stalls get. We built this guide from the organizers' own pages and the City of Cologne's press releases, read on 10 October 2026, and we link the local reporting where we use it. Each date carries its status: confirmed when the organizer's own page states it, announced when a host venue or tourism page does, and projected when nobody has published it. Every Cologne date below is confirmed or announced, and none is projected. | Market | 2026 dates | Status | Hours | Totensonntag (22 Nov) | Catch | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Cathedral market, Roncalliplatz](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market) | 16 Nov–23 Dec | Confirmed | Sun–Wed 11:00–21:00, Thu–Fri 11:00–22:00, Sat 10:00–22:00 | Closed | It draws the city's biggest crowds, and the garage beneath it is under repair | | [Markt der Engel, Neumarkt](/markets/cologne-markt-der-engel) | 16 Nov–23 Dec | Confirmed | Sun–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00 | Closed | Saturday shoppers from Schildergasse fill it in the afternoon | | [Heinzels Wintermärchen, Heumarkt and Alter Markt](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) | 23 Nov–10 Jan 2027 (Alter Markt to 23 Dec) | Confirmed | Daily 11:00–22:00, 11:00–21:00 from 31 Dec | Opens the next day | It closes on 24 and 25 December | | [Harbour market, Chocolate Museum](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | 13 Nov–3 Jan 2027 | Announced | Sun–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00 | 18:00–21:00 | It lies south of the old town, away from the other three | Entry is free at all four. The harbour market's dates come from the Chocolate Museum, which hosts it, and the museum's page lists no hours for 24 to 26 December or New Year's Eve. #### Why did people think the cathedral market would be cancelled? The worry started with the concrete under the square. The Tiefgarage am Dom has been failing for years, and late in 2025 [Antenne NRW reported warnings](https://antenne.nrw/nrw/weihnachtsmarkt-am-koelner-dom-vor-unsicherer-zukunft/) that the market could drop out from 2026. When the city put the Roncalliplatz contract out to tender, its terms allowed for a year without a market. Since then the city has moved the other way. On 3 March 2026 it awarded KW Kölner Weihnachtsgesellschaft the Roncalliplatz contract for 2026 to 2030. A city release of 7 April 2026 said the emergency repairs in the garage should run until autumn 2026, and the next day [t-online reported](https://koeln.t-online.de/region/koeln/id_101203320/tiefgarage-am-koelner-dom-parkplaetze-gesperrt-millionenkosten-drohen.html) that the short-term work alone costs €4.1 million, and a wider renovation is still to be costed. We found nothing published after April 2026 that changes the market's dates. The dates stand as confirmed, and nobody has published the final layout yet. The footprint could still shrink, or the plan change late, while the repairs finish, so keep your Cologne plans flexible and know where the other markets are. #### Has the Cologne Christmas market been cancelled before? The cathedral market has been cancelled once. That was in 2020 during the pandemic, and [The Local reported](https://www.thelocal.de/20200827/colognes-famous-christmas-market-cancelled-amid-coronavirus-concerns) the decision that August. When it came back in 2021, the city's 2G rule let in only visitors who could show proof of vaccination or recovery. #### Where can you go if the cathedral square loses space? Cologne has three more big markets inside a short walk or tram ride, and together they cover the whole season. The [Markt der Engel](/markets/cologne-markt-der-engel) on Neumarkt keeps the same dates as the cathedral market and runs from 16 November to 23 December 2026 (confirmed). Costumed angels walk between its white-lit huts with gold glitter for the children, and its three Glühwein stands keep pouring for an hour after the stalls close. That means 22:00 Sunday to Thursday and 23:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. [Heinzels Wintermärchen](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) fills the Heumarkt and the Alter Markt from Monday 23 November 2026, which is the day after Totensonntag, and its organizer has confirmed the run. The theme comes from the Heinzelmännchen, who are the house elves in a poem August Kopisch published in 1836, and more than 100 stalls spread through themed lanes across the two squares. The [Heumarkt ice rink](/events/cologne-heumarkt-ice-rink) loops around the equestrian statue with straights of more than 100 metres. Book a curling lane before you travel, because they sell out early on weekend evenings. The [harbour market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) at the Chocolate Museum opens first on Friday 13 November 2026 and keeps going to Sunday 3 January 2027 (announced). Its stalls line the Rhine where the Rheinauhafen meets the river. It is also the only big Cologne market that opens on Totensonntag, from 18:00 to 21:00 that evening. From the Heumarkt you can walk south along the Rhine promenade to reach it. #### Which Cologne markets are open after Christmas? Heinzels Wintermärchen and the harbour market both carry on into January. The Heumarkt half of Heinzels reopens on 26 December after closing on 24 and 25 December, and it runs to 10 January 2027. From New Year's Eve it closes at 21:00. The Alter Markt half shuts for good on 23 December. The harbour market runs to 3 January 2027, though its host has published no hours for 24 to 26 December or 31 December, so check before you go on those days. The cathedral market and the Markt der Engel both end on 23 December, and neither opens on Christmas Eve. #### How do you plan a Cologne trip around the garage repairs? Book a room you can cancel, and check the cathedral market's page again in November. Köln Hbf opens straight onto the cathedral steps. Come on a weekday at 11:00 and you get the square at its emptiest, before the office crowd and the tour coaches arrive. [Cologne Cathedral](/music/cologne-cathedral) has charged sightseers €12 since 1 July 2026, with €6 reduced tickets and free entry for children up to 13. Services stay free. The [Christmette](/events/cologne-cathedral-christmas-midnight-mass) begins at 24:00 on Thursday 24 December 2026, and Cardinal Woelki celebrates the [Pontifical Mass on Christmas Day](/events/cologne-cathedral-christmas-day-mass) at 10:00. The cathedral has confirmed both. Each is a Mass and worship first, and anyone who comes to take part is welcome. The cathedral's house rules ask you to cover your shoulders and upper body, and during Mass you take pictures only from your seat and never of individual worshippers without their consent. Large bags and rolling cases stay outside. #### Quick answers ##### Is the Cologne Christmas market cancelled in 2026? No. The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market has confirmed its 2026 run from 16 November to 23 December, and nothing published after April 2026 changes it. Garage repairs under Roncalliplatz could still affect the layout. ##### When does the Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market open in 2026? The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market opens on Monday 16 November 2026 and closes on Wednesday 23 December. It stays shut on Totensonntag (22 November). ##### Was the Cologne Christmas market cancelled in 2020 and 2021? The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market was cancelled in 2020 during the pandemic. In 2021 it reopened under the city's 2G rule, which admitted only visitors with proof of vaccination or recovery. ##### Which Cologne Christmas market is open on Totensonntag? The harbour market at the Chocolate Museum is the only big Cologne market open on Totensonntag (22 November 2026), from 18:00 to 21:00. The cathedral market and the Markt der Engel stay closed all day. ##### Which Cologne Christmas market is open after Christmas? Heinzels Wintermärchen on the Heumarkt reopens on 26 December 2026 and runs to 10 January 2027. The harbour market at the Chocolate Museum runs to 3 January 2027. ### What's open in Europe on Christmas Eve? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/christmas-eve-in-europe-whats-open Updated: 2026-10-10 Seventy-nine markets open on 24 December 2026, and most of them close by 18:30, so do your last shopping before dark. Seventy-nine of the 182 Christmas markets on this site open on Christmas Eve, Thursday 24 December 2026, and 56 of the 62 with hours on file close by 18:30. We ran every market file through the date engine behind our [Christmas Eve page](/open/christmas-eve) and checked each organizer's notes on holiday hours. The table runs from the earliest close to the latest. A date marked confirmed comes from the organizer's own page. Announced means a tourism board published it, and projected means nobody has yet, so the date comes from past seasons and could still move. | Market | City | Country | Christmas Eve hours | 2026 dates | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Hall in Tirol Advent Market](/markets/hall-in-tirol-adventmarkt) | Hall in Tirol | Austria | 10:00–13:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/augsburg-christkindlesmarkt) | Augsburg | Germany | 10:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt) | Dresden | Germany | 10:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt) | Munich | Germany | 10:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/nuremberg-christkindlesmarkt) | Nuremberg | Germany | 10:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht](/markets/nuremberg-kinderweihnacht) | Nuremberg | Germany | 10:00–14:00 (2025 hours) | Confirmed | | [Altgrazer Christkindlmarkt in the Franziskanerviertel](/markets/graz-franziskanerviertel) | Graz | Austria | 10:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Graz Advent market on the Glockenspielplatz](/markets/graz-glockenspielplatz) | Graz | Austria | 11:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Graz Christkindlmarkt on the Hauptplatz](/markets/graz-hauptplatz) | Graz | Austria | 11:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Graz Advent market on the Mehlplatz](/markets/graz-mehlplatz) | Graz | Austria | 11:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Hellbrunn Advent Market](/markets/salzburg-hellbrunn) | Salzburg | Austria | 10:00–14:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Kitzbuhel Advent](/markets/kitzbuhel-advent) | Kitzbuhel | Austria | 10:00–14:00 | Confirmed | | [Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market](/markets/budapest-vorosmarty-square) | Budapest | Hungary | 10:00–14:00 | Confirmed | | [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) | Baden-Baden | Germany | 11:00–15:00 (2025 hours) | Confirmed | | [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market) | Dusseldorf | Germany | 11:00–15:00 | Announced | | [Advent Bazilika](/markets/budapest-advent-bazilika) | Budapest | Hungary | 11:00–15:00 | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) | Innsbruck | Austria | 12:00–15:00 | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-maria-theresien-strasse) | Innsbruck | Austria | 11:00–15:00 | Confirmed | | [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) | Salzburg | Austria | 09:00–15:00 | Confirmed | | [Mirabellplatz Christmas Market](/markets/salzburg-mirabellplatz) | Salzburg | Austria | 10:00–15:00 | Announced | | [Merano Christmas Market](/markets/merano-christmas-market) | Merano | Italy | 10:00–15:30, food stalls to 17:00 | Confirmed | | [Bolzano Christmas Market](/markets/bolzano-christkindlmarkt) | Bolzano | Italy | 10:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Brixen Christmas Market](/markets/brixen-christmas-market) | Brixen | Italy | 10:00–16:00, food stalls to 17:30 | Confirmed | | [Bern Minster Christmas Market](/markets/bern-munsterplatz) | Bern | Switzerland | 10:00–16:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Bern Star Market by the Federal Palace](/markets/bern-sternenmarkt) | Bern | Switzerland | 11:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) | Obernai | France | 10:00–16:00 | Announced | | [Polarzauber Christmas Market at Zurich Main Station](/markets/zurich-polarzauber) | Zurich | Switzerland | 11:00–16:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Village](/markets/vienna-maria-theresien-platz) | Vienna | Austria | 11:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) | Vienna | Austria | 10:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Schwarzenbergplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schwarzenbergplatz) | Vienna | Austria | 11:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Stephansplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) | Vienna | Austria | 11:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Graz Kinderadvent children's market](/markets/graz-kinderadvent) | Graz | Austria | 11:00–16:30, last day | Confirmed | | [Bruges Christmas Market](/markets/bruges-christmas-market) | Bruges | Belgium | 11:00–17:00, some stalls to 23:00 | Announced | | [Colmar Ancienne Douane Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-ancienne-douane) | Colmar | France | 11:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Koifhus Indoor Craft Market](/markets/colmar-koifhus) | Colmar | France | 11:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Petite Venise Children's Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-petite-venise) | Colmar | France | 11:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place des Dominicains Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-des-dominicains) | Colmar | France | 11:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place Jeanne d'Arc Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-jeanne-d-arc) | Colmar | France | 11:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | [Montreux Noel Christmas Market](/markets/montreux-noel) | Montreux | Switzerland | 11:00–17:00, last day | Confirmed | | [Fluweelengrot Christmas Market](/markets/valkenburg-fluweelengrot) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | 11:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | Germany | 12:00–18:00 | Announced | | [Brussels Winter Wonders](/markets/brussels-winter-wonders) | Brussels | Belgium | 12:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof](/markets/maastricht-vrijthof) | Maastricht | Netherlands | 10:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Mulhouse Christmas Market](/markets/mulhouse-christmas-market) | Mulhouse | France | 11:00–18:00 | Announced | | [Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik](/markets/strasbourg-christkindelsmarik) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Strasbourg Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-cathedral-market) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Strasbourg Place Kleber and the Grand Sapin](/markets/strasbourg-place-kleber) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Strasbourg Carre d'Or Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-carre-d-or) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Strasbourg Petite France Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-petite-france) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Strasbourg Quai des Delices](/markets/strasbourg-quai-des-delices) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Strasbourg Marche OFF](/markets/strasbourg-marche-off) | Strasbourg | France | 11:30–18:00, last day | Projected | | [Trento Christmas Market](/markets/trento-christmas-market) | Trento | Italy | 10:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market](/markets/turckheim-elves-market) | Turckheim | France | 10:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Gemeentegrot Christmas Market](/markets/valkenburg-gemeentegrot) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | 11:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [WinterGlow Valkenburg](/markets/valkenburg-winterglow) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | 12:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) | Vienna | Austria | 10:00–18:30 | Confirmed | | [Edinburgh's Christmas Market](/markets/edinburgh-christmas) | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) | Riga | Latvia | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) | Tallinn | Estonia | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Village Amsterdam](/markets/amsterdam-museumplein) | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 12:00–21:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) | Colmar | France | 11:00–22:00 | Confirmed | | [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) | London | United Kingdom | 10:00–22:00, timed tickets | Confirmed | | [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) | Prague | Czechia | Not out yet (2025: 10:00–14:00) | Confirmed | | [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) | Prague | Czechia | Not out yet (2025: 10:00–14:00) | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church](/markets/berlin-breitscheidplatz) | Berlin | Germany | Not out yet (2025: closed at 14:00) | Announced | | [Bern Christmas Market on Waisenhausplatz](/markets/bern-waisenhausplatz) | Bern | Switzerland | Not out yet (2025: 10:00–17:00), last day | Announced | | [Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot)](/markets/lyon-place-carnot) | Lyon | France | From 11:00; closing time not published, last day | Confirmed | | [Prague Namesti Miru Christmas Market](/markets/prague-namesti-miru) | Prague | Czechia | Not published for 24 December, last day | Confirmed | | [Prague Republic Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-namesti-republiky) | Prague | Czechia | Not published, last day | Confirmed | | [Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market](/markets/cesky-krumlov-namesti-svornosti) | Cesky Krumlov | Czechia | No separate stall hours published | Confirmed | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | Cologne | Germany | Not published for 24 December | Announced | | [Brno Christmas Market on Zelny trh](/markets/brno-zelny-trh) | Brno | Czechia | Not published | Confirmed | | [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) | Ghent | Belgium | Not published | Confirmed | | [Selestat Christmas Market](/markets/selestat-christmas-market) | Selestat | France | Not published | Announced | | [Advent Zagreb](/markets/zagreb-advent) | Zagreb | Croatia | Not published | Confirmed | | [Krakow Christmas Market](/markets/krakow-main-square) | Krakow | Poland | Not published | Announced | | [Ljubljana Festive Fair](/markets/ljubljana-festive-december) | Ljubljana | Slovenia | Not published | Projected | | [Vilnius Christmas Town](/markets/vilnius-cathedral-square) | Vilnius | Lithuania | Not published | Projected | | [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) | Budapest | Hungary | Not published | Projected | #### Which markets stay open into the evening on Christmas Eve? London, Colmar and Amsterdam keep a market going until 21:00 or later, and Edinburgh, Riga and Tallinn run to 20:00. The [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) keeps its 10:00 to 22:00 on 24 December and closes only on Christmas Day. It suits families and groups who want rides and an ice rink with the stalls, and the catch is the timed ticket, since you can only get in during your slot. Colmar's Christmas site gives the [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) on rue de la Montagne Verte 11:00 to 22:00 every day and names New Year's Eve as its one early close. Colmar's other five markets shut at 17:00 that day, and the organizer warns that they close on the minute. The [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) on Dome Square closes at 20:00 on Christmas Eve by its organizer's English page and LiveRiga, though its Latvian page still says 21:00. [Christmas Village Amsterdam](/markets/amsterdam-museumplein) keeps its usual 12:00 to 21:00 in front of the Rijksmuseum. It suits a couple who want a mug in hand on Christmas Eve evening, and the drawback is size, since one square holds its 50-odd stands. [Edinburgh's Christmas Market](/markets/edinburgh-christmas) in East Princes Street Gardens closes at 20:00 that night, and the [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) keeps its daily 10:00 to 20:00 on Town Hall Square. [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) runs latest of the big Central European squares, from 10:00 to 18:30, and it opens again on Christmas Day. Brussels Winter Wonders, Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof, WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt and the Trento Christmas Market go on to 18:00. In Bruges the stated hours end at 17:00, and Visit Bruges says some stalls carry on to 23:00. In South Tyrol, Bolzano and Brixen close their craft stalls at 16:00, and Merano closes at 15:30. Strasbourg needs a note of its own. The city has confirmed that its seven markets open on Friday 27 November 2026 and hasn't printed the last day yet. We list 24 December as projected from past seasons, and the city's FAQ gives an 18:00 close for the chalets that evening, so check [the Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik page](/markets/strasbourg-christkindelsmarik) before you build a Christmas Eve around it. #### Why do the German and Austrian markets close at lunchtime? Christmas Eve is the family evening in both countries. In Germany shops and most businesses close by the afternoon of 24 December, and families often go to a church service before the Bescherung, when the presents come out ([Germany](/countries/germany)). Austrian families light the tree for the first time that evening ([Austria](/countries/austria)). So the big German markets give you a morning. The [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt) runs 10:00 to 14:00, and the Grünwalder Turmbläser play from the town hall at noon to close it. Nuremberg's Hauptmarkt and Dresden's Striezelmarkt also stop at 14:00, so go early if you're hunting a last present and want a Bratwurst before lunch. Graz closes four markets at 14:00 and keeps its Kinderadvent going until 16:30. Hall in Tirol closes earliest of all, at 13:00. Salzburg gives you an extra hour. The [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) on the Domplatz opens at 09:00 and closes at 15:00, and Innsbruck's two markets that run on past Christmas also close at 15:00. #### Which big markets have already closed by Christmas Eve? Most of Germany's famous names are gone by the 24th. The [Frankfurt Christmas Market](/markets/frankfurt-weihnachtsmarkt) and the [Heidelberg Christmas Market](/markets/heidelberg-christmas-market) end on 22 December 2026. The [Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market), the [Stuttgart Christmas Market](/markets/stuttgart-christmas-market) and the [Leipzig Christmas Market](/markets/leipzig-christmas-market) close on the 23rd, all with confirmed dates, and so do both markets in Basel and Vienna's [Spittelberg Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-spittelberg). Across the site, 40 markets end on 23 December and 12 on the 22nd. If your trip runs right up to Christmas, base yourself in Nuremberg or Dresden for the 23rd and 24th. You get a full evening on the 23rd and the closing morning on the 24th in the same city. #### Which markets skip Christmas Eve and reopen afterwards? A few markets close for the 24th and come back. [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) has no opening on Christmas Eve and returns on Christmas Day from 11:00 to 23:00, with fireworks at 20:45. Berlin's [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) and the [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) both close on the 24th and open again on the 25th. Cologne's [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) shuts for the 24th and 25th and reopens on the Heumarkt on 26 December. Dresden takes a longer pause: the [Augustusmarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-augustusmarkt) and the [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) close from 24 to 26 December and come back on the 27th. The [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) shuts for 24 and 25 December and reopens at 13:00 on the 26th. Our guide to [markets open after Christmas](/guides/which-christmas-markets-are-open-after-christmas) has the rest. #### What else shuts early on Christmas Eve? Shops and transport wind down too, so sort dinner before you head out. In Czechia, shops of 200 m² or more close at noon on the 24th under a 2016 law, and small grocers, pharmacies and station shops can keep trading ([Czechia](/countries/czechia)). Budapest's public transport stops at about 16:00 on Christmas Eve, so book a restaurant near your hotel ([Hungary](/countries/hungary)). Danish law closes most shops on 24 December ([Denmark](/countries/denmark)). In Switzerland many shops and businesses open only until the afternoon ([Switzerland](/countries/switzerland)). #### Where can you go to church on Christmas Eve? Cathedrals fill on the 24th, and a Mass is worship first, so come to take part quietly and keep your phone away during the service. Salzburg's tourist board lists carols at 23:00 and the Christmas Mass at 23:30 for [Christmas Eve at Salzburg Cathedral](/events/salzburg-cathedral-christmas-eve). [Midnight Mass at Cologne Cathedral](/events/cologne-cathedral-christmas-midnight-mass) begins at midnight as the 24th turns into Christmas Day, and the cathedral has confirmed it. Vienna's [Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral](/events/vienna-st-stephens-midnight-mass) falls on the same night every year, and the parish publishes its 2026 times in December. #### How firm are these Christmas Eve hours? The hours in the table come from the organizers' 2026 pages unless the table says 2025. Baden-Baden and the Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht hadn't set their 2026 holiday hours by 10 October 2026, so we show last year's. Prague's organizer Taiko publishes 10:00 to 22:00 daily for 2026 and no holiday hours yet; in 2025 both of its squares closed at 14:00 on Christmas Eve. The host of the Cologne harbour market lists no hours at all for 24 to 26 December. Our [Christmas Eve page](/open/christmas-eve) reads the same market files and changes as soon as a file does. The [Christmas Day guide](/guides/christmas-markets-open-on-christmas-day) picks up the next morning. #### Quick answers ##### Are Christmas markets in Europe open on Christmas Eve? Yes. Seventy-nine of the 182 markets on this site open on Thursday 24 December 2026, and 56 of the 62 with hours on file close by 18:30. ##### Is the Nuremberg Christmas market open on Christmas Eve? Yes. The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt opens from 10:00 to 14:00 on 24 December 2026, its last day, and the city's market notice confirms it. ##### Is the Vienna Christmas market open on Christmas Eve? Yes. The Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz opens from 10:00 to 18:30 on 24 December 2026, and the organizer has confirmed the run to 26 December. ##### Which Christmas market stays open latest on Christmas Eve? The Christmas fair in Hyde Park and the Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market stay open latest, both until 22:00 on 24 December 2026. Christmas Village Amsterdam comes next and closes at 21:00, and Edinburgh, Riga and Tallinn close at 20:00. ##### Are Strasbourg's Christmas markets open on 24 December 2026? Strasbourg's markets are projected to run until 24 December 2026, with the chalets closing at 18:00. The city has confirmed the 27 November opening and hasn't published the last day yet. ##### Are German Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? Some are, until lunchtime. The Munich Christkindlmarkt, the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, the Dresden Striezelmarkt and the Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt open from 10:00 to 14:00 on 24 December 2026. ### When are the Krampus runs in Austria in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/krampus-runs-2026-dates Updated: 2026-10-10 The first runs start on 21 November 2026 and the last Perchten come out on 21 December, and most of them gather around St Nicholas's Eve on 5 December. Austria's Krampus and Perchten runs in 2026 start on Saturday 21 November in Mariazell and end with the Perchten on the Salzburg Domplatz on Monday 21 December, and most of the dates in between bunch up around St Nicholas's Eve on 5 December. Innsbruck holds four runs between 29 November and 7 December, and Salzburg has three Krampus runs plus its Perchten night. We list every run in our events files, which cover Salzburg, Innsbruck and Mariazell in Austria and two runs just over the border in Munich and Český Krumlov. We read each organizer's page on 10 October 2026. A confirmed date comes from the organizer's own page, and an announced date comes from a tourism board. The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt marks its two evening start times as provisional, and the table says so. | Date (2026) | Run | Where | Start | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Sat 21 Nov | [Mariazell Krampus run](/events/mariazell-krampuslauf) | Hauptplatz, Mariazell | 19:00 | Confirmed; the organizer says the programme can change | | Sun 29 Nov | [Stefani-Perchten Krampus parade](/events/salzburg-fortress-krampus-parade) | Burghof, Hohensalzburg Fortress, Salzburg | 15:00 | Announced by the Salzburg tourist board | | Sun 29 Nov | [Igls Krampus run](/events/innsbruck-krampus-perchten-runs) | Igls village centre, Innsbruck | St Nicholas 17:00, Krampus 17:45 | Confirmed | | Thu 3 Dec | [Old Town Krampus run](/events/innsbruck-krampus-perchten-runs) | Altstadt, Innsbruck | 18:30 | Confirmed | | Fri 4 Dec | [Hellbrunn Krampus run](/events/salzburg-hellbrunn-krampus-run) | Courtyard of Schloss Hellbrunn, Salzburg | 18:00 | Confirmed | | Fri 4 Dec | [Krampuslauf at Port 1560](/events/cesky-krumlov-krampuslauf) | Port 1560 courtyard, Český Krumlov (Czechia) | 18:00–22:00 | Confirmed by the town programme | | Sat 5 Dec | [Salzburg Krampus run](/events/salzburg-krampus-run) | Big stage on the Domplatz, Salzburg | About 19:00 | Date confirmed; the organizer calls the time provisional | | Sun 6 Dec | [Hungerburg Krampus run](/events/innsbruck-krampus-perchten-runs) | Hungerburg market, Innsbruck | From 17:00, with St Nicholas | Confirmed | | Mon 7 Dec | [Perchten run](/events/innsbruck-krampus-perchten-runs) | Maria-Theresien-Straße market, Innsbruck | 18:00 | Confirmed | | Sun 13 Dec | [Munich Krampus run](/events/munich-krampuslauf) | Augustinerstraße to the Old Town Hall, Munich | 15:00–17:00 | Confirmed | | Sun 13 Dec | [Tag der Krampusse](/events/salzburg-hellbrunn-krampus-run) | Schloss Hellbrunn, Salzburg | Not published | Date confirmed; no time yet | | Mon 21 Dec | [Perchtenlauf](/events/salzburg-perchtenlauf) | Big stage on the Domplatz, Salzburg | About 19:00 | Date confirmed; the organizer calls the time provisional | Hellbrunn is the only run in the table with a published charge. Its Advent market costs €8 to enter until 19:00, with one hot drink included (2026 price, published by the market), and the other organizers list no fee. #### What happens at a Krampus run? Krampus is the horned, fur-clad figure who walks with St Nicholas in Alpine custom, and on a run his groups move through a square or down a street in full mask and costume. In Mariazell the groups wear cowbells with their hand-carved masks, and in Český Krumlov the runners may swat with switches. The Munich organizers say a mask can weigh up to about 10 kg. Innsbruck's organizer says the figures are meant to frighten, and they rattle loudly and pull faces at the crowd as they pass. Perchten belong to a separate winter custom. The Salzburg market's organizer ties them to the Rauhnächte, which are the long nights between the solstice and Epiphany, and Innsbruck's organizer traces them back to pre-Christian times. Salzburg's organizer counts 21 December as the first of those nights and holds its Perchtenlauf then, on the same stage as the Krampus run. Local and regional groups walk in these runs. In Salzburg you will see the Stefani-Perchten at the fortress and the Grossgmain group at Hellbrunn. Munich's own Sparifankerl-Pass group has organized its run with the city since the first one on 12 December 2004. That run usually brings about 25 groups with more than 300 figures from Salzburg, Styria, Tyrol, South Tyrol, the Allgäu and Carinthia. #### How do you watch a Krampus run without being touched? Stand behind the front row. Runners come right up to the crowd, and some will touch or crowd the people nearest the route. Nobody in the crowd has to accept that, and stepping back behind the first row is how you say no; the runners move on. Tell children beforehand what they are going to see, and leave as soon as anyone in your group gets frightened. Keep your hands off the masks and costumes. In Munich the organizers ask you to check with a figure before you touch a costume or take a close photograph, and they describe the figures snatching a hat and handing it back. Runs draw tight crowds after dark, so keep phones and bags close. The Old Town run in Innsbruck on 3 December goes through the narrow lanes around the Golden Roof, where there is little room to step aside. The City of Munich says children are welcome at the front of its run. Up to 50,000 people line that route, so keep small or nervous children further back. In Český Krumlov the town's own listing describes a procession of devilish figures, and runners there can be rough, so leave very young children at home. #### Which Salzburg Krampus run suits which visitor? Families with small children should start at the fortress on Sunday 29 November. The Stefani-Perchten bring their Krampus figures into the Burghof of Hohensalzburg at 15:00 on the first Sunday of the [fortress Advent market](/markets/salzburg-fortress-advent), and the tourist board bills it as a run for families. Brass bands play in the courtyard from 15:30. You walk up the Festungsgasse for free or pay for the Festungsbahn funicular. The run at Schloss Hellbrunn on Friday 4 December starts at 18:00, which is an hour before the city run. The Grossgmain Krampus group performs a pole dance in the palace courtyard, and the [Hellbrunn market](/markets/salzburg-hellbrunn) suggests standing in front of the stairs for the view. Nervous children do better at the Tag der Krampusse on 13 December, when members of the Anif group come out without their masks. They explain how a Krampus differs from a Percht and let visitors try a mask on. The big night is Saturday 5 December on the Domplatz stage at the [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt), from about 19:00. It is loud and crowded. On the afternoon of 6 December St Nicholas visits the same market with a gentler children's Krampus group at 15:30, and younger children cope with that better. The Christkind follows at 16:00. The Perchten take the same stage on Monday 21 December at about 19:00, and the organizer marks both evening times as provisional, so check christkindlmarkt.co.at on the day. #### When are Innsbruck's Krampus and Perchten runs? Innsbruck's Bergweihnacht organizer lists four runs for 2026, and all four are confirmed. Igls is the gentlest place to start on Sunday 29 November, because St Nicholas arrives at 17:00 and the Krampus run follows at 17:45. Krampus groups from East Tyrol take over the Old Town at 18:30 on Thursday 3 December. St Nicholas comes to the Hungerburg market from 17:00 on Sunday 6 December with a Krampus run alongside him, so children who scare easily should see him at Wilten or St. Nikolaus that evening instead. The Perchten close the series at the Maria-Theresien-Straße market at 18:00 on Monday 7 December. For small children the [St Nicholas procession](/events/innsbruck-st-nicholas-procession) leaves the parish church of St. Nikolaus at 17:00 on Friday 4 December with angels and a band of musicians. #### Where else can you see a Krampus run in 2026? [Mariazell](/towns/mariazell) holds Austria's earliest run in our listing. Regional Krampus groups cross the Hauptplatz at 19:00 on Saturday 21 November 2026, which falls on the opening weekend of the [Mariazell Advent](/markets/mariazell-advent), and the organizer singles out their hand-carved masks. Check the programme nearer the day, because the organizer warns that it can change. Munich's run takes place on Sunday 13 December 2026 from 15:00 to about 17:00, and it ends at the Old Town Hall by the [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt). Find a spot on Sendlinger Straße or Rindermarkt before 15:00, since the organizer says the route changed slightly for 2026. In Český Krumlov the Krampuslauf fills the Port 1560 courtyard from 18:00 to 22:00 on Friday 4 December. The next day at 17:00 [Mikuláš visits náměstí Svornosti](/events/cesky-krumlov-mikulas) with an angel and a devil, and children say a verse or sing for a small treat. Hallstatt's regional tourist board lists a children's Krampus run on the Marktplatz without a date, so we can't put it in the table. #### Quick answers ##### When is the Salzburg Krampus run in 2026? The Salzburg Krampus run takes place on Saturday 5 December 2026 at about 19:00 on the Domplatz stage. The Christkindlmarkt organizer has confirmed the date and marks the time as provisional. ##### When are the Krampus runs in Innsbruck in 2026? Innsbruck has four confirmed runs in 2026: Igls on 29 November from 17:45, the Old Town on 3 December at 18:30, Hungerburg on 6 December from 17:00 and Maria-Theresien-Straße on 7 December at 18:00. ##### Is there a family-friendly Krampus run in Austria? Yes. The Stefani-Perchten parade at Hohensalzburg Fortress starts at 15:00 on Sunday 29 November 2026, and the Salzburg tourist board bills it as family-friendly. ##### When is the Salzburg Perchtenlauf in 2026? The Salzburg Perchtenlauf takes place on Monday 21 December 2026 at about 19:00 on the Domplatz. The date is confirmed and the time is provisional. ##### Do you have to let a Krampus touch you? No. Nobody watching a Krampus run has to accept being touched. Stand behind the front row, and the runners move on. ##### When is the Munich Krampus run in 2026? The Munich Krampus run takes place on Sunday 13 December 2026 from 15:00 to about 17:00 and runs from Augustinerstraße to the Old Town Hall. The organizer has confirmed the date. ### When are Vienna's Christmas markets open in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/vienna-christmas-market-2026-dates Updated: 2026-10-10 Rathausplatz opens on 13 November 2026, and the market at Schönbrunn Palace keeps its huts lit until 6 January 2027. The Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz runs from Friday 13 November to Saturday 26 December 2026, and its organizer has confirmed those dates on [christkindlmarkt.at](https://www.christkindlmarkt.at/). Eight more Vienna markets have confirmed their 2026 runs as well. Art Advent on Karlsplatz has published nothing yet, and the Christmas village at the Belvedere has neither dates nor an operator. We read every organizer's page on 10 October 2026. Beside each date we print its status: confirmed means the organizer's own page states it, announced means a tourism board or news page does, and projected means nobody has published it, so we worked it out from the pattern the market follows year to year. A projected date is a planning guess until the organizer posts the real one. Entry to every market below is free, and the deposit column shows what you leave on a mug of punch. | Market | 2026 dates | Status | 24 December | Mug deposit | Catch | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) | 13 Nov–26 Dec | Confirmed | 10:00–18:30 | €5 (2024 price check) | Weekend evenings get so packed that a stroller barely moves | | [Schönbrunn Palace](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) | 6 Nov–6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | 10:00–16:00 | €5 (2024 price check) | It sits out in Hietzing, about 600 metres from the nearest U4 stops | | [Stephansplatz](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) | 6 Nov–26 Dec | Confirmed | 11:00–16:00 | €5 (2026, MAGMAG) | It is small and stands in the city's busiest pedestrian crossroads | | [Spittelberg](/markets/vienna-spittelberg) | 13 Nov–23 Dec | Confirmed | Closed for the season | €3 (2024 price check) | Weekday stalls open only at 14:00, and the lanes are tight for wheelchairs | | [Am Hof](/markets/vienna-am-hof) | 13 Nov–23 Dec | Confirmed | Closed for the season | €5 (2024 price check) | The season ends on 23 December | | [Freyung](/markets/vienna-freyung) | 14 Nov–23 Dec | Confirmed | Closed for the season | Not published | The organizer publishes no access details | | [University Campus (Altes AKH)](/markets/vienna-uni-campus) | 13 Nov–23 Dec | Confirmed | Closed for the season | €5 (2026, MAGMAG) | Nothing opens before 14:00 on weekdays | | [Maria-Theresien-Platz](/markets/vienna-maria-theresien-platz) | 20 Nov–26 Dec | Confirmed | 11:00–16:00 | €5 (2026, MAGMAG) | It opens a week after Rathausplatz | | [Schwarzenbergplatz](/markets/vienna-schwarzenbergplatz) | 13 Nov–26 Dec | Confirmed | 11:00–16:00 | €5 (2026, MAGMAG) | 2026 is its first year, so nobody has a track record to go on | | [Art Advent, Karlsplatz](/markets/vienna-karlsplatz) | 20 Nov–23 Dec | Projected | Closed for the season (projected) | €4 (2024 price check) | divina art had posted no 2026 dates by 10 October | | [Belvedere](/markets/vienna-belvedere) | No dates | Unconfirmed | Not published | Not published | The village is moving to the Teichhof, and no operator has signed | The 2024 deposits come from vienna.at's price check of 6 December 2024. MAGMAG Events publishes its own 2026 deposit of €5 on every punch and hot drink. Its red boot mug is made of glass for the first time this year. #### Which Vienna Christmas markets open first in 2026? Schönbrunn and Stephansplatz open first on Friday 6 November 2026. Five more open a week later on Friday 13 November: Rathausplatz, Spittelberg, Am Hof, the University Campus village and the new Weihnachtszauber on Schwarzenbergplatz. Spittelberg's stalls open at 14:00 on that Friday. The [Old Viennese market on the Freyung](/markets/vienna-freyung) waits until Saturday 14 November, when an opening ceremony at 17:00 raises money for the Stiftung Kindertraum. Maria-Theresien-Platz follows on Friday 20 November and comes back after skipping 2025, because the Burghauptmannschaft now lets the square between the two big museums one winter at a time. Art Advent on Karlsplatz opened on the Friday before Totensonntag in both 2021 and 2025, which projects 20 November 2026. Check divinaart.at in November before you build a day around it. Skating starts with the Rathausplatz market. [Eistraum am Christkindlmarkt](/events/vienna-rathausplatz-ice-skating) opens on 13 November 2026 and runs to 6 January 2027, daily from 10:00 to 22:00, and its organizer has confirmed the run. The rink shuts all day on 31 December. Vienna's [Christmas lights](/lights/vienna-christmas-lights) go up over 32 shopping streets from early November, and Vienna Tourist Board has not given a 2026 switch-on date. #### Which Vienna markets are open on Christmas Eve? Five markets open on 24 December 2026, and Rathausplatz stays open longest because it closes at 18:30. Schönbrunn closes at 16:00 that day. MAGMAG's three markets at Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz all open from 11:00 to 16:00. Plan your shopping before the 24th if you want the craft markets. Spittelberg, Am Hof, the Freyung and the University Campus village all close for the season on 23 December, and the campus village shuts early that day at 20:00. The Freyung runs a free gift-wrapping service from 13:00 to 16:00 on 21, 22 and 23 December, which suits anyone carrying presents home on a plane. #### Which markets stay open after Christmas? Schönbrunn is the one to plan around between Christmas and Epiphany. Its stalls open from 10:00 to 19:00 every day from 25 December 2026 to 6 January 2027, with skating and curling lanes in the palace courtyard. Book a curling lane online before you go, since the operator says bookings can't be cancelled. On 25 and 26 December you still have four markets in the centre. Rathausplatz keeps its usual 10:00 to 22:00, because its organizer names no exception for those days. Stephansplatz opens 11:00 to 19:00, and Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz open 11:00 to 16:00. All four end their season on 26 December. The rink on Rathausplatz carries on until 6 January after the stalls go, and the bigger Wiener Eistraum takes the square over from 22 January to 7 March 2027. #### What is happening at the Belvedere and Karlsplatz this year? The Belvedere Christmas village has no 2026 dates, and we list it as unconfirmed. In June 2026 the Burghauptmannschaft said the market would leave the space in front of the palace for the Teichhof area at the upper end of the big pond, [as 5min.at reported](https://www.5min.at/wien/5202606041321/wieder-auf-dem-maria-theresien-platz-der-weihnachtsmarkt-kehrt-zurueck/). Contracts were still being negotiated then. MAGMAG ran the village in 2025 and leaves it off its list of 2026 markets. If you want a palace behind your mulled wine, Schönbrunn has confirmed its dates. Art Advent on Karlsplatz has a projected run of 20 November to 23 December 2026. divina art runs the market and picks its makers through a jury, and in 2025 every food stall there was certified organic. The projection comes from the market's own pattern, and divina art had posted nothing for 2026 when we checked on 10 October. #### When are Midnight Mass and the Christmas services at St. Stephen's Cathedral? [Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral](/events/vienna-st-stephens-midnight-mass) begins at midnight on the night of 24 December, as it does every year. The cathedral parish had not published its 2026 Christmas timetable on 10 October 2026, so we mark the 2026 times as projected from the feast and from the 2025 timetable. In 2025 Vespers came first at 16:30 with Mozart's Vesperae solennes de Confessore. Cathedral parish priest Toni Faber celebrated the Mass at midnight, and a high Mass (Hochamt) followed at 10:15 on Christmas Day. Midnight Mass is a Catholic Mass and worship first. Anyone can come and take part quietly, and the service is in German. The cathedral chapter asks every visitor to dress in keeping with the dignity of the church and asks men to take off their hats. Put the phone away for the whole Mass. You need to be inside well before midnight to find a seat. The main west door facing the U-Bahn exit (the Riesentor) is step-free, and after services a ramp leads out through the Primtor. The Stephansplatz market outside closes at 16:00 on 24 December, so eat somewhere else before you come. The [cathedral](/music/vienna-st-stephens-cathedral) itself costs nothing to enter, and a Mass in English is said every Saturday at 19:00. We found no published Advent concert programme for the cathedral in 2026. #### Where can you hear Christmas concerts in Vienna in 2026? The Vienna Boys Choir gives its Christmas concert GUTE HIRTEN five times at [MuTh](/music/vienna-muth), which is the choir's own hall at the Augartenspitz, and MuTh has confirmed every date. [The concerts](/events/vienna-boys-choir-christmas-concert) play on Friday 4 December at 19:00, Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December at 16:00, and Monday 21 and Tuesday 22 December at 19:00. Seats cost €61 to €74 and VIP seats €82 (2026 prices, published by MuTh), and anyone under 26 pays €14 to €25. MuTh recommends the concert for children from age 4, and the weekend matinees suit them best. To hear the choir at a service, go to the [Hofburg Chapel](/music/vienna-hofburgkapelle) on Christmas Day. At [the 09:15 Mass on 25 December 2026](/events/vienna-hofburgkapelle-christmas-mass) the boys sing Haydn's Missa Sancti Nicolai with members of the Vienna State Opera orchestra and men's chorus, and the Hofmusikkapelle has confirmed it. This is worship first as well. Seats cost €14 to €52 (2026, published) and many have little or no view. Free standing places at the back go to whoever turns up from 08:30. Photography, recording and phones are all banned during Mass. The choir sings Sunday Mass there on 13 and 20 December too, and on 27 December the setting is Mozart's Coronation Mass. The free choice is the [International Advent Singing](/events/vienna-international-advent-singing) in the Festsaal of [Vienna City Hall](/music/vienna-city-hall). Choirs sing from 15:30 to 19:00 every Friday, Saturday and Sunday of Advent, with doors at 15:00 and no tickets. The organizer confirms the 44th edition on the four Advent weekends, and the Advent calendar projects those weekends to 27 November to 20 December 2026. Use the step-free entrance at Lichtenfelsgasse 2 on the far side of the building from the market. #### Quick answers ##### When does the Vienna Christmas market at Rathausplatz open in 2026? The Wiener Christkindlmarkt on Rathausplatz opens on Friday 13 November 2026 and runs to Saturday 26 December, daily from 10:00 to 22:00. stadt wien marketing organizes the market and has confirmed these dates. ##### Which Vienna Christmas market opens first in 2026? Schönbrunn Palace and Stephansplatz open first in Vienna on Friday 6 November 2026. Both organizers have confirmed the date. ##### Is any Vienna Christmas market open on Christmas Eve 2026? Yes. Five Vienna markets open on 24 December 2026, and Rathausplatz closes latest at 18:30. Schönbrunn, Stephansplatz, Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz close at 16:00 that day. ##### Which Vienna Christmas market is open in January 2027? The Schönbrunn Palace Christmas market stays open until 6 January 2027, daily from 10:00 to 19:00 after Christmas. Its organizer has confirmed the run. ##### Is there a Christmas market at the Belvedere in 2026? The Belvedere Christmas village is unconfirmed for 2026. It is due to move to the Teichhof area by the pond, and no operator had published dates by 10 October 2026. ##### What time is Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral in 2026? Midnight Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral starts at midnight on 24 December. The parish had not published its 2026 timetable by 10 October 2026; in 2025 Vespers came first at 16:30. ### When do Christmas markets open in Germany in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/when-do-christmas-markets-open-in-germany Updated: 2026-10-10 Totensonntag falls on 22 November in 2026. Most German markets open in the week after it, and the date of a city's market comes from a rule you can read ahead. Most German Christmas markets open in the week after Totensonntag, which falls on Sunday 22 November in 2026, and 43 of the 65 German markets in our files open between Monday 23 and Saturday 28 November. A smaller group opens earlier in November, with Cologne's harbour market first on 13 November, and most of the early starters close again for Totensonntag itself. We read each market's 2026 dates from the organizer or the tourism board on 10 October 2026, and the counts below are computed from those files with the season engine behind the [what's open on a date](/open) page. | Rule the market follows | Day in 2026 | German markets on this rule | Examples | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Friday before Advent 1 | Fri 27 Nov | 12 | Nuremberg, Würzburg, Seiffen, Bautzen | | Monday after Totensonntag | Mon 23 Nov | 11 | Frankfurt, Heidelberg, Augsburg, Berlin's Gendarmenmarkt | | Friday before Totensonntag | Fri 20 Nov | 8 | Munich, Aachen, Rothenburg, Trier | | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Tue 24 Nov | 7 | Leipzig, Bamberg, Passau, Wiesbaden | | Thursday before Advent 1 | Thu 26 Nov | 4 | Mainz, Baden-Baden | | Wednesday before Advent 1 | Wed 25 Nov | 3 | Dresden (all three of its markets in our files) | | Monday before Totensonntag | Mon 16 Nov | 3 | Cologne Cathedral, Markt der Engel | | Thursday before Totensonntag | Thu 19 Nov | 3 | Düsseldorf, Freiburg | | Another rule | 13 Nov to 11 Dec | 10 | Stuttgart, Bonn, Görlitz, Tübingen | | No fixed rule | Varies | 4 | Berlin's Rotes Rathaus, Dresden's Neumarkt | #### Why does Totensonntag decide the opening day? Totensonntag decides it because the German states protect that Sunday as a quiet day. The name means Sunday of the dead, and it is the last Sunday before Advent, so in 2026 it lands on 22 November, a week before the first Advent Sunday on 29 November. Each state's holiday law limits public events that day, and North Rhine-Westphalia names markets outright and bans them from 05:00 to 18:00. Many cities wait and open on the Monday or Tuesday after. The rest of the calendar hangs off Christmas Eve. Advent starts on the fourth Sunday before Christmas, with Totensonntag one week earlier, so every rule in the table shifts with the weekday 24 December falls on. That is why Nuremberg opened on 28 November in 2025 and opens on 27 November in 2026. The [Sunday guide](/guides/are-german-christmas-markets-open-on-sunday) goes through each state's law, with its statute and how sure our reading is. #### When does each city's market open in 2026? The table gives the main market in each city we cover, plus Cologne's and Berlin's other big ones, in order of opening. A base town is the town page a market belongs to, so the Ravenna Gorge sits under Freiburg and Monschau under Aachen. The [full European table](/guides/christmas-markets-europe-dates-2026) lists all 65 German markets. | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Rule | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | Cologne | Fri 13 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Second Friday before Totensonntag | Announced | | [CentrO Christmas Market (Oberhausen)](/markets/oberhausen-centro-christmas-market) | Oberhausen | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Second Friday before Totensonntag | Projected | | [Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market) | Cologne | Mon 16 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Monday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Bonn Christmas Market](/markets/bonn-christmas-market) | Bonn | Wed 18 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Wednesday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market) | Dusseldorf | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Thursday before Totensonntag | Announced | | [Freiburg Christmas Market](/markets/freiburg-christmas-market) | Freiburg | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Thursday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Aachen Christmas Market](/markets/aachen-christmas-market) | Aachen | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Friday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Bernkastel-Kues Christmas Market](/markets/bernkastel-kues-christmas-market) | Bernkastel-Kues | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Friday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) | Koblenz | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Friday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt) | Munich | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Friday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt](/markets/rothenburg-reiterlesmarkt) | Rothenburg ob der Tauber | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Friday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Trier Christmas Market](/markets/trier-christmas-market) | Trier | Fri 20 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Friday before Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/augsburg-christkindlesmarkt) | Augsburg | Mon 23 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Thu 31 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Announced | | [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | No fixed rule | Confirmed | | [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) | Cologne | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 10 Jan 2027 | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Dinkelsbuhl Christmas Market](/markets/dinkelsbuhl-weihnachtsmarkt) | Dinkelsbuhl | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Frankfurt Christmas Market](/markets/frankfurt-weihnachtsmarkt) | Frankfurt | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Heidelberg Christmas Market](/markets/heidelberg-christmas-market) | Heidelberg | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber](/markets/potsdam-weihnachtszauber) | Potsdam | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Announced | | [Regensburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/regensburg-christkindlmarkt) | Regensburg | Mon 23 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Monday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Bamberg Christmas Market](/markets/bamberg-weihnachtsmarkt) | Bamberg | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Announced | | [Esslingen Medieval and Christmas Market](/markets/esslingen-medieval-market) | Esslingen | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Freiberg Christmarkt](/markets/freiberg-christmarkt) | Freiberg | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Tuesday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Leipzig Christmas Market](/markets/leipzig-christmas-market) | Leipzig | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market](/markets/ludwigsburg-baroque-christmas-market) | Ludwigsburg | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Passau Christmas Market at the Cathedral](/markets/passau-christkindlmarkt) | Passau | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Wiesbaden Sternschnuppenmarkt](/markets/wiesbaden-sternschnuppenmarkt) | Wiesbaden | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Tuesday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt) | Dresden | Wed 25 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Wednesday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Stuttgart Christmas Market](/markets/stuttgart-christmas-market) | Stuttgart | Wed 25 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Wednesday after Totensonntag | Confirmed | | [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) | Baden-Baden | Thu 26 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Thursday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market](/markets/ravenna-gorge-christmas-market) | Freiburg | Thu 26 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Thursday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Lindau Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/lindau-hafenweihnacht) | Lindau | Thu 26 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Thursday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Mainz Christmas Market](/markets/mainz-weihnachtsmarkt) | Mainz | Thu 26 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Thursday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Monschau Christmas Market](/markets/monschau-christmas-market) | Aachen | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Annaberg Christmas Market](/markets/annaberg-buchholz-christmas-market) | Annaberg-Buchholz | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt](/markets/bautzen-wenzelsmarkt) | Bautzen | Fri 27 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Gengenbach Adventsmarkt](/markets/gengenbach-adventsmarkt) | Gengenbach | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Announced | | [Michelstadt Christmas Market](/markets/michelstadt-weihnachtsmarkt) | Michelstadt | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/nuremberg-christkindlesmarkt) | Nuremberg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Seiffen Christmas Market](/markets/seiffen-christmas-market) | Seiffen | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Wurzburg Christmas Market](/markets/wurzburg-weihnachtsmarkt) | Wurzburg | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Friday before Advent 1 | Confirmed | | [Gorlitz Silesian Christkindel Market](/markets/gorlitz-christkindelmarkt) | Gorlitz | Fri 4 Dec | Sun 20 Dec | Friday before Advent 2 | Confirmed | | [Tubingen Christmas Market](/markets/tubingen-christmas-market) | Tubingen | Fri 11 Dec | Sun 13 Dec | Friday before Advent 3 | Confirmed | One run in this table is projected. The [CentrO Christmas Market (Oberhausen)](/markets/oberhausen-centro-christmas-market) follows its rule, because a listings portal calls the 13 November opening provisional and the CentrO had published nothing by 10 October. Munich has two more projected markets outside the table, the [Christmas Market at the Chinese Tower](/markets/munich-chinese-tower) and the [Munich Residenz Christmas Village](/markets/munich-residenz-christmas-village), and both follow their 2025 pattern. #### Which markets open before Totensonntag, and what happens that Sunday? Eighteen German markets in our files open before 22 November, most of them in the Rhineland or in Munich. On Totensonntag itself, eleven of the eighteen close for the whole day, among them the [Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market), the [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt), the [Freiburg Christmas Market](/markets/freiburg-christmas-market) and the [Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt](/markets/rothenburg-reiterlesmarkt). Two of them come back in the evening. The [Aachen Christmas Market](/markets/aachen-christmas-market) and the [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) both open from 18:00 to 21:00 that day, once the state's ban ends. The other five list no closure for that Sunday in their files, and three of those runs are projected, so read the organizer's page that week before you count on them. If you land in Germany on 22 November, plan the day around a museum or a church and save the stalls for Monday. #### Has anything changed for 2026? Munich has moved its opening. The city now starts the Munich Christkindlmarkt on the Friday before Totensonntag, which is 20 November in 2026. Until 2025 it opened on the Monday before the first Sunday of Advent. The council paper behind the change keeps the market shut on 22 November and open again on the Monday. The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market has confirmed 16 November to 23 December, and the work under its square still hangs over the season. The city's April 2026 release put emergency repairs in the garage under the square through to autumn 2026, and the city's tender allowed for a year without a market. We found nothing published after April that changes the dates. Book a refundable room for Cologne and look at the [market page](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market) again in November. In Dresden the city's market site and its stall tender disagree by half an hour on the opening on 25 November. The [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt) page gives 16:00 from the market site and notes the tender's 16:30. #### When do German Christmas markets close? Most German markets close on 22 or 23 December, 33 of the 65 in our files. Four keep going into Christmas Eve until 14:00: the [Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/nuremberg-christkindlesmarkt), the [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt), the [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt) and the [Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/augsburg-christkindlesmarkt). Frankfurt finishes earlier than most, on 22 December. Fifteen German markets run past Christmas. [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) stays on the Heumarkt until 10 January 2027 after a break on 24 and 25 December, and the [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) in Berlin carries on to New Year's Eve (announced). The [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) runs to 6 January 2027. The [Christmas Eve page](/open/christmas-eve) lists every market we cover that trades on 24 December, with its hours. #### Quick answers ##### When do Christmas markets open in Germany in 2026? Most Christmas markets in Germany open between Monday 23 and Friday 27 November 2026, in the week after Totensonntag on 22 November. Cologne, Munich, Aachen and a few other cities open earlier, between 13 and 20 November. ##### When does the Nuremberg Christmas market open in 2026? The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt opens on Friday 27 November 2026 and runs to 24 December, closing at 14:00 that day. The city's market notice confirms the dates. ##### When does the Munich Christmas market open in 2026? The Munich Christkindlmarkt opens on Friday 20 November 2026 and runs to 24 December (confirmed). It closes on Totensonntag, 22 November, and reopens on Monday 23 November. ##### When does the Cologne Christmas market open in 2026? The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market opens on Monday 16 November 2026 and runs to 23 December (confirmed). It closes for Totensonntag on 22 November. Cologne's harbour market opens first, on 13 November (announced). ##### What is Totensonntag? Totensonntag means Sunday of the dead, and it is the last Sunday before Advent, which puts it on 22 November in 2026. German state holiday laws protect it as a quiet day, so many Christmas markets wait until after it to open or close for that day. ##### Are German Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve? A few German Christmas markets open on the morning of 24 December 2026. The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, the Dresden Striezelmarkt, the Munich Christkindlmarkt and the Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt close at 14:00 that day, and most others have already ended on 22 or 23 December. ### When do Europe's Christmas markets open and close in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/christmas-markets-europe-dates-2026 Updated: 2026-10-10 Vienna and Copenhagen open first, on 6 November 2026, and Cologne's Heumarkt keeps its stalls up until 10 January 2027. Every row below names who published the date. Most of the 161 Christmas markets with 2026 dates in our files open between 13 and 28 November and close between 20 and 24 December, and the season as a whole runs from 6 November in Vienna and Copenhagen to 10 January 2027 in Cologne. The tables below hold all 164 markets this site follows in nine countries. Every row comes from that market's fact sheet, which we checked against the organizer's or the tourism board's page on 10 October 2026, and the status beside each date tells you who stands behind it. We computed the counts in this guide from those files with the season engine that also runs the [what's open on a date](/open) page. | Country | Markets | First opening | Last closing | Confirmed | Announced | Projected | No dates yet | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Germany | 65 | Fri 13 Nov (confirmed) | Sun 10 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 55 | 9 | 1 | 0 | | Austria | 40 | Fri 6 Nov (confirmed) | Wed 6 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 35 | 3 | 1 | 1 | | France | 22 | Fri 20 Nov (confirmed) | Sun 3 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 12 | 3 | 7 | 0 | | Switzerland | 12 | Thu 19 Nov (confirmed) | Sun 27 Dec (confirmed) | 11 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Czechia | 7 | Fri 13 Nov (confirmed) | Wed 6 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Hungary | 4 | Fri 13 Nov (confirmed) | Sat 9 Jan 2027 (projected) | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | | Belgium | 3 | Fri 20 Nov (announced) | Sun 3 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | | Netherlands | 5 | Fri 13 Nov (confirmed) | Sun 3 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | | Denmark | 6 | Fri 6 Nov (confirmed) | Sun 3 Jan 2027 (confirmed) | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | France's seven projected runs are Strasbourg's markets. The city has confirmed their opening day and left the closing day open, and a run counts as projected until both ends are published. #### How does this site label each date? Every date carries the status of the page it came from, and the label sits right beside the date on each market page. The site uses five labels, and two of them have no 2026 runs at all so far. | Label | What it means | Markets with this label for 2026 | | --- | --- | --- | | Confirmed | The organizer's own page or notice states the 2026 dates. | 126 | | Announced | A tourism board or another reliable page states the dates before the organizer does. | 21 | | Projected | Nothing is published yet, so we work the dates out from the pattern the market has kept in past years. | 14 | | Cancelled | The organizer has called the season off, with a source. | 0 | | Moved | The dates changed after publication, and the market page keeps the old ones beside the new. | 0 | A projection starts from a rule. Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt opens on the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent, for example, and the Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz opens two Fridays before Totensonntag. The engine turns a rule like that into calendar days for any year, which is how the [what's open on a date](/open) page answers for a market whose organizer is still silent. It labels those answers as projected every time. One run carries one status for both its ends, so a run with a confirmed opening and an unpublished close still reads as projected. Strasbourg's markets sit in that spot this year, with Friday 27 November confirmed by the city and 24 December taken from past seasons. Each Strasbourg page says which half is firm, and so does the [Strasbourg dates guide](/guides/strasbourg-christmas-market-2026-dates). The Bad Ischl Artisans' Christmas Market works the same way, because the Salzkammergut tourist board lists its opening and nobody has posted its last day. #### What are the 2026 dates in each country? The tables sort each country by base town and then by opening day. A base town is the town whose page the market belongs to, so Monschau sits under Aachen and Traben-Trarbach under Bernkastel-Kues. Click a market for its hours, its closures and the source behind its dates. ##### Germany | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Aachen Christmas Market](/markets/aachen-christmas-market) | Aachen | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Monschau Christmas Market](/markets/monschau-christmas-market) | Aachen | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Annaberg Christmas Market](/markets/annaberg-buchholz-christmas-market) | Annaberg-Buchholz | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/augsburg-christkindlesmarkt) | Augsburg | Mon 23 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) | Baden-Baden | Thu 26 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Bamberg Christmas Market](/markets/bamberg-weihnachtsmarkt) | Bamberg | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Announced | | [Bautzen Wenzelsmarkt](/markets/bautzen-wenzelsmarkt) | Bautzen | Fri 27 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church](/markets/berlin-breitscheidplatz) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Spandau Christmas Market](/markets/berlin-spandau) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | Mon 23 Nov | Thu 31 Dec | Announced | | [Domane Dahlem Advent Market](/markets/berlin-domane-dahlem) | Berlin | Sat 28 Nov | Sun 29 Nov | Confirmed | | [Bernkastel-Kues Christmas Market](/markets/bernkastel-kues-christmas-market) | Bernkastel-Kues | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) | Bernkastel-Kues | Fri 20 Nov | Sat 2 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Bonn Christmas Market](/markets/bonn-christmas-market) | Bonn | Wed 18 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | Cologne | Fri 13 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-cathedral-market) | Cologne | Mon 16 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Markt der Engel (Cologne)](/markets/cologne-markt-der-engel) | Cologne | Mon 16 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) | Cologne | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 10 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Dinkelsbuhl Christmas Market](/markets/dinkelsbuhl-weihnachtsmarkt) | Dinkelsbuhl | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Advent on the Neumarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-neumarkt-advent) | Dresden | Wed 25 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Augustusmarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-augustusmarkt) | Dresden | Wed 25 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Dresden Striezelmarkt](/markets/dresden-striezelmarkt) | Dresden | Wed 25 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) | Dresden | Wed 25 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market) | Dusseldorf | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Announced | | [Esslingen Medieval and Christmas Market](/markets/esslingen-medieval-market) | Esslingen | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Frankfurt Christmas Market](/markets/frankfurt-weihnachtsmarkt) | Frankfurt | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Frankfurt Artists' Christmas Market](/markets/frankfurt-kunstlerweihnachtsmarkt) | Frankfurt | Tue 24 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Announced | | [Freiberg Christmarkt](/markets/freiberg-christmarkt) | Freiberg | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Freiburg Christmas Market](/markets/freiburg-christmas-market) | Freiburg | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market](/markets/ravenna-gorge-christmas-market) | Freiburg | Thu 26 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Gengenbach Adventsmarkt](/markets/gengenbach-adventsmarkt) | Gengenbach | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Projected | | [Gorlitz Silesian Christkindel Market](/markets/gorlitz-christkindelmarkt) | Gorlitz | Fri 4 Dec | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Heidelberg Christmas Market](/markets/heidelberg-christmas-market) | Heidelberg | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) | Koblenz | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Leipzig Christmas Market](/markets/leipzig-christmas-market) | Leipzig | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Lindau Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/lindau-hafenweihnacht) | Lindau | Thu 26 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market](/markets/ludwigsburg-baroque-christmas-market) | Ludwigsburg | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Mainz Christmas Market](/markets/mainz-weihnachtsmarkt) | Mainz | Thu 26 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Michelstadt Christmas Market](/markets/michelstadt-weihnachtsmarkt) | Michelstadt | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Munich Residenz Christmas Village](/markets/munich-residenz-christmas-village) | Munich | Mon 16 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at the Chinese Tower](/markets/munich-chinese-tower) | Munich | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Munich Christkindlmarkt](/markets/munich-christkindlmarkt) | Munich | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Munich Medieval Christmas Market](/markets/munich-medieval-market) | Munich | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Tollwood Winter Festival](/markets/munich-tollwood) | Munich | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Announced | | [Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt](/markets/nuremberg-christkindlesmarkt) | Nuremberg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht](/markets/nuremberg-kinderweihnacht) | Nuremberg | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Confirmed | | [Nuremberg Sister Cities Market](/markets/nuremberg-markt-der-partnerstadte) | Nuremberg | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [CentrO Christmas Market (Oberhausen)](/markets/oberhausen-centro-christmas-market) | Oberhausen | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Passau Christmas Market at the Cathedral](/markets/passau-christkindlmarkt) | Passau | Tue 24 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber](/markets/potsdam-weihnachtszauber) | Potsdam | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Announced | | [Bohemian Christmas Market in Babelsberg](/markets/potsdam-bohemian-christmas-market) | Potsdam | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 29 Nov | Confirmed | | [Polish Christmas Market in Potsdam](/markets/potsdam-polish-christmas-market) | Potsdam | Fri 4 Dec | Sun 6 Dec | Announced | | [Regensburg Romantic Christmas Market at Thurn und Taxis Palace](/markets/regensburg-thurn-und-taxis) | Regensburg | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Regensburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/regensburg-christkindlmarkt) | Regensburg | Mon 23 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Lucrezia Christmas Crafts Market](/markets/regensburg-lucrezia) | Regensburg | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt](/markets/rothenburg-reiterlesmarkt) | Rothenburg ob der Tauber | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Seiffen Christmas Market](/markets/seiffen-christmas-market) | Seiffen | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Stuttgart Christmas Market](/markets/stuttgart-christmas-market) | Stuttgart | Wed 25 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Trier Christmas Market](/markets/trier-christmas-market) | Trier | Fri 20 Nov | Tue 22 Dec | Confirmed | | [chocolART Tubingen](/markets/tubingen-chocolart) | Tubingen | Tue 1 Dec | Sun 6 Dec | Confirmed | | [Tubingen Christmas Market](/markets/tubingen-christmas-market) | Tubingen | Fri 11 Dec | Sun 13 Dec | Confirmed | | [Wiesbaden Sternschnuppenmarkt](/markets/wiesbaden-sternschnuppenmarkt) | Wiesbaden | Tue 24 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Wurzburg Christmas Market](/markets/wurzburg-weihnachtsmarkt) | Wurzburg | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | German markets mostly wait for Totensonntag (the Sunday of the dead), which falls on 22 November in 2026, and several of the early openers close for that day. The [German opening guide](/guides/when-do-christmas-markets-open-in-germany) explains the pattern and the [Sunday guide](/guides/are-german-christmas-markets-open-on-sunday) goes through the closures state by state. A few markets here keep set days. The [Monschau Christmas Market](/markets/monschau-christmas-market) opens Friday to Sunday on four Advent weekends, and the [Lindau Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/lindau-hafenweihnacht) runs Thursday to Sunday. The [Ravenna Gorge Christmas Market](/markets/ravenna-gorge-christmas-market) also keeps Thursday to Sunday, with timed tickets. [Michelstadt Christmas Market](/markets/michelstadt-weihnachtsmarkt) shuts every Monday and Tuesday, and the [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) trades on weekends only. ##### Austria | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bad Ischl Artisans' Christmas Market](/markets/bad-ischl-advent) | Bad Ischl | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Opening announced, close projected | | [Wachau Advent in Durnstein](/markets/durnstein-wachauer-advent) | Durnstein | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 13 Dec | Confirmed | | [Schloss Hof Christmas Market](/markets/schloss-hof-christmas-market) | Engelhartstetten | Sat 14 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Grafenegg Advent](/markets/grafenegg-advent) | Grafenegg | Sat 5 Dec | Tue 8 Dec | Confirmed | | [Altgrazer Christkindlmarkt in the Franziskanerviertel](/markets/graz-franziskanerviertel) | Graz | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Aufsteirern Christmas market on the Schlossberg](/markets/graz-schlossberg) | Graz | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Graz Advent market on the Glockenspielplatz](/markets/graz-glockenspielplatz) | Graz | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Graz Advent market on the Mehlplatz](/markets/graz-mehlplatz) | Graz | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Graz Christkindlmarkt on the Hauptplatz](/markets/graz-hauptplatz) | Graz | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Graz Kinderadvent children's market](/markets/graz-kinderadvent) | Graz | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Graz craft market on the Farberplatz](/markets/graz-farberplatz) | Graz | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Hall in Tirol Advent Market](/markets/hall-in-tirol-adventmarkt) | Hall in Tirol | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Hallstatt Christmas Market](/markets/hallstatt-christkindlmarkt) | Hallstatt | Tue 8 Dec | Tue 8 Dec | Announced | | [Innsbruck Marktplatz Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-marktplatz) | Innsbruck | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Old Town Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-altstadt) | Innsbruck | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Kaiserweihnacht Bergisel](/markets/innsbruck-bergisel) | Innsbruck | Fri 13 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) | Innsbruck | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [St. Nikolaus Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-st-nikolaus) | Innsbruck | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Wilten Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-wilten) | Innsbruck | Fri 20 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-maria-theresien-strasse) | Innsbruck | Wed 25 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Kitzbuhel Advent](/markets/kitzbuhel-advent) | Kitzbuhel | Wed 18 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Confirmed | | [Mariazell Advent market](/markets/mariazell-advent) | Mariazell | Thu 19 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Rattenberg Advent](/markets/rattenberg-advent) | Rattenberg | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Hellbrunn Advent Market](/markets/salzburg-hellbrunn) | Salzburg | Thu 19 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Mirabellplatz Christmas Market](/markets/salzburg-mirabellplatz) | Salzburg | Thu 19 Nov | Thu 31 Dec | Announced | | [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) | Salzburg | Thu 19 Nov | Fri 1 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Hohensalzburg Fortress Advent Market](/markets/salzburg-fortress-advent) | Salzburg | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [St Gilgen Advent Market](/markets/st-gilgen-advent) | St Gilgen | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [St Wolfgang Advent Market](/markets/st-wolfgang-advent) | St Wolfgang | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) | Vienna | Fri 6 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Stephansplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) | Vienna | Fri 6 Nov | Sat 26 Dec | Confirmed | | [Am Hof Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-am-hof) | Vienna | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Schwarzenbergplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schwarzenbergplatz) | Vienna | Fri 13 Nov | Sat 26 Dec | Confirmed | | [Spittelberg Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-spittelberg) | Vienna | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [University Campus Christmas Village](/markets/vienna-uni-campus) | Vienna | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) | Vienna | Fri 13 Nov | Sat 26 Dec | Confirmed | | [Old Viennese Christmas Market on the Freyung](/markets/vienna-freyung) | Vienna | Sat 14 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Art Advent at Karlsplatz](/markets/vienna-karlsplatz) | Vienna | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Announced | | [Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Village](/markets/vienna-maria-theresien-platz) | Vienna | Fri 20 Nov | Sat 26 Dec | Confirmed | | [Belvedere Christmas Village](/markets/vienna-belvedere) | Vienna | Not published | Not published | No 2026 dates yet | Austria starts the season. The [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) and the [Stephansplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) open on 6 November, and most of Vienna's other squares join on 13 November along with Innsbruck's old town. Plenty of the smaller Austrian markets open on chosen days only. The [Wachau Advent in Durnstein](/markets/durnstein-wachauer-advent) runs on four long weekends and the [Schloss Hof Christmas Market](/markets/schloss-hof-christmas-market) on 14 days. The [Hallstatt Christmas Market](/markets/hallstatt-christkindlmarkt) opens on 8 December only. The Salzkammergut tourist board lists that day, and the town hall had not confirmed it when we checked. The [Belvedere Christmas Village](/markets/vienna-belvedere) is due to move to the Teichhof area by the pond, and no operator had published dates for it by 10 October. ##### France | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Colmar Ancienne Douane Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-ancienne-douane) | Colmar | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 29 Dec | Confirmed | | [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) | Colmar | Mon 23 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Koifhus Indoor Craft Market](/markets/colmar-koifhus) | Colmar | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 29 Dec | Confirmed | | [Colmar Petite Venise Children's Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-petite-venise) | Colmar | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 29 Dec | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place des Dominicains Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-des-dominicains) | Colmar | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 29 Dec | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place Jeanne d'Arc Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-jeanne-d-arc) | Colmar | Mon 23 Nov | Tue 29 Dec | Confirmed | | [Eguisheim Christmas Market](/markets/eguisheim-christmas-market) | Eguisheim | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Confirmed | | [Kaysersberg Christmas Market](/markets/kaysersberg-christmas-market) | Kaysersberg | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Lyon Christmas Market (Place Carnot)](/markets/lyon-place-carnot) | Lyon | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Mulhouse Christmas Market](/markets/mulhouse-christmas-market) | Mulhouse | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Announced | | [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) | Obernai | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 31 Dec | Announced | | [Ribeauville Medieval Christmas Market](/markets/ribeauville-medieval-christmas-market) | Ribeauville | Sat 5 Dec | Sun 13 Dec | Confirmed | | [Riquewihr Christmas Market](/markets/riquewihr-christmas-market) | Riquewihr | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [Selestat Christmas Market](/markets/selestat-christmas-market) | Selestat | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Announced | | [Strasbourg Carre d'Or Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-carre-d-or) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Strasbourg Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-cathedral-market) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik](/markets/strasbourg-christkindelsmarik) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Strasbourg Marche OFF](/markets/strasbourg-marche-off) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Strasbourg Petite France Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-petite-france) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Strasbourg Place Kleber and the Grand Sapin](/markets/strasbourg-place-kleber) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Strasbourg Quai des Delices](/markets/strasbourg-quai-des-delices) | Strasbourg | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Opening confirmed, close projected | | [Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market](/markets/turckheim-elves-market) | Turckheim | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Confirmed | All of France's markets in our files except Lyon's sit in Alsace. Colmar's six markets open together on Monday 23 November, four days before Strasbourg. The [Kaysersberg Christmas Market](/markets/kaysersberg-christmas-market) opens Friday to Sunday on the four Advent weekends, and the [Ribeauville Medieval Christmas Market](/markets/ribeauville-medieval-christmas-market) runs on two weekends, 5–6 and 12–13 December. Obernai's tourism office gives 31 December on its Christmas page and 30 December on its home page card, and the table follows the Christmas page. ##### Switzerland | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Basel Christmas Market on Barfusserplatz](/markets/basel-barfusserplatz) | Basel | Thu 26 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Basel Christmas Market on Munsterplatz](/markets/basel-munsterplatz) | Basel | Thu 26 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Bern Star Market by the Federal Palace](/markets/bern-sternenmarkt) | Bern | Thu 19 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Confirmed | | [Bern Christmas Market on Waisenhausplatz](/markets/bern-waisenhausplatz) | Bern | Fri 27 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Announced | | [Bern Minster Christmas Market](/markets/bern-munsterplatz) | Bern | Sat 28 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Einsiedeln Christmas Market](/markets/einsiedeln-christmas-market) | Einsiedeln | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 6 Dec | Confirmed | | [Lucerne Christmas Market on Franziskanerplatz](/markets/lucerne-franziskanerplatz) | Lucerne | Thu 3 Dec | Mon 21 Dec | Confirmed | | [Montreux Noel Christmas Market](/markets/montreux-noel) | Montreux | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Bellevue Noel on Sechselautenplatz](/markets/zurich-bellevue-noel) | Zurich | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Polarzauber Christmas Market at Zurich Main Station](/markets/zurich-polarzauber) | Zurich | Thu 19 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [The Singing Christmas Tree in Zurich](/markets/zurich-singing-christmas-tree) | Zurich | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Weihnachtsmarkt Dorfli in Zurich Old Town](/markets/zurich-dorfli) | Zurich | Thu 19 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | Zurich's four markets all open on Thursday 19 November. Lucerne holds back until 3 December. The [Einsiedeln Christmas Market](/markets/einsiedeln-christmas-market) keeps a short run, from 27 November to the second Sunday of Advent on 6 December. The [Bern Star Market by the Federal Palace](/markets/bern-sternenmarkt) runs the longest of the Swiss markets, to 27 December, with Christmas Day off. ##### Czechia | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Brno Christmas Market on Zelny trh](/markets/brno-zelny-trh) | Brno | Fri 13 Nov | Thu 31 Dec | Confirmed | | [Brno Christmas Market on Freedom Square](/markets/brno-namesti-svobody) | Brno | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Confirmed | | [Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market](/markets/cesky-krumlov-namesti-svornosti) | Cesky Krumlov | Sat 21 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Prague Namesti Miru Christmas Market](/markets/prague-namesti-miru) | Prague | Fri 20 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Prague Republic Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-namesti-republiky) | Prague | Wed 25 Nov | Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed | | [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) | Prague | Sat 28 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) | Prague | Sat 28 Nov | Wed 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | Prague's two big squares open on Saturday 28 November and stay until 6 January 2027. Brno starts early on the Zelný trh, on 13 November. The Český Krumlov programme page calls itself a preliminary outline, and one listing on the same tourism site shows 20 November as the start, so look again in late October. ##### Hungary | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Advent Bazilika](/markets/budapest-advent-bazilika) | Budapest | Fri 13 Nov | Fri 1 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) | Budapest | Fri 13 Nov | Sat 9 Jan 2027 | Projected | | [Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market](/markets/budapest-vorosmarty-square) | Budapest | Fri 13 Nov | Thu 31 Dec | Confirmed | | [Advent in Obuda](/markets/budapest-obuda-advent) | Budapest | Fri 27 Nov | Wed 23 Dec | Projected | Two of Budapest's four markets have confirmed dates. The [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) and [Advent in Obuda](/markets/budapest-obuda-advent) are projected from 2025, because neither organizer had posted 2026 dates on 10 October. ##### Belgium | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Bruges Christmas Market](/markets/bruges-christmas-market) | Bruges | Fri 20 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Brussels Winter Wonders](/markets/brussels-winter-wonders) | Brussels | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) | Ghent | Thu 3 Dec | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | Visit Bruges publishes the Bruges dates because the market operator has no page of its own, so that row reads announced. The [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) runs into January for the first time in 2026. ##### Netherlands | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Christmas Village Amsterdam](/markets/amsterdam-museumplein) | Amsterdam | Thu 3 Dec | Sun 27 Dec | Confirmed | | [Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof](/markets/maastricht-vrijthof) | Maastricht | Fri 27 Nov | Sun 27 Dec | Confirmed | | [Fluweelengrot Christmas Market](/markets/valkenburg-fluweelengrot) | Valkenburg | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Confirmed | | [Gemeentegrot Christmas Market](/markets/valkenburg-gemeentegrot) | Valkenburg | Fri 13 Nov | Wed 30 Dec | Confirmed | | [WinterGlow Valkenburg](/markets/valkenburg-winterglow) | Valkenburg | Fri 13 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | Valkenburg's two cave markets and the new open-air WinterGlow on the Walramplein all open on 13 November. Amsterdam's Christmas Village waits for 3 December. ##### Denmark | Market | Base town | Opens | Closes | Status | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Nytorv and Gammeltorv Christmas Market](/markets/copenhagen-nytorv-gammeltorv) | Copenhagen | Fri 6 Nov | Mon 21 Dec | Confirmed | | [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) | Copenhagen | Fri 13 Nov | Sun 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Christmas at Hojbro Plads](/markets/copenhagen-hojbro-plads) | Copenhagen | Sat 14 Nov | Sun 20 Dec | Confirmed | | [City Hall Square Christmas Market](/markets/copenhagen-city-hall-square) | Copenhagen | Fri 11 Dec | Sun 20 Dec | Announced | | [Christiania Christmas Market](/markets/copenhagen-christiania) | Copenhagen | Not published | Not published | No 2026 dates yet | | [Nyhavn Christmas Market](/markets/copenhagen-nyhavn) | Copenhagen | Not published | Not published | No 2026 dates yet | Copenhagen's [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) shuts for Christmas Eve and reopens on Christmas Day. The [Christiania Christmas Market](/markets/copenhagen-christiania) runs every December according to Den Grå Hal, and its 2026 dates weren't out on 10 October. Nobody had named an organizer or a date for the [Nyhavn Christmas Market](/markets/copenhagen-nyhavn) by then. #### Which days do the most markets open? Two Fridays account for 63 of the 161 openings. On 20 November 31 markets open, and on 27 November another 32 do. The first is the Friday before Totensonntag, when Munich, Aachen and Graz start along with the Wolfgangsee markets at St Gilgen and St Wolfgang. The second is the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent. Nuremberg, Würzburg, Annaberg-Buchholz and Seiffen open that day, and Strasbourg joins them this year. Friday 13 November comes next with 19 openings, led by Vienna, Innsbruck, Budapest and Valkenburg. Monday 23 November has 18. Twelve of them are German markets waiting for the first weekday after Totensonntag, and the other six are Colmar's. #### Which markets stay open after Christmas? Of the 161 markets with dates, 53 keep going past Christmas Day. Prague's Old Town and Wenceslas Square markets run to 6 January 2027, and so do the [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn), the [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt), the Stallhof market in Dresden and two of Innsbruck's markets. Tivoli and Brussels Winter Wonders finish on 3 January. Several of them pause around the holidays, so check the day itself. [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) closes on 24 and 25 December, and the [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) takes 24 to 26 December off and again 31 December and 1 January. The [Christmas Eve page](/open/christmas-eve) and the [27 to 30 December page](/open/between-christmas-and-new-year) list what trades on those days, with hours. #### Which 2026 dates are still projected? Eleven markets have projected runs on 10 October 2026, and three more have no dates at all. Strasbourg accounts for seven of the eleven, and the city has confirmed the opening day of each. Budapest has two of them, the Városháza Park and Óbuda markets. The other two are the [Gengenbach Adventsmarkt](/markets/gengenbach-adventsmarkt), whose published dates carry no year, and the [Bad Ischl Artisans' Christmas Market](/markets/bad-ischl-advent), which has announced its opening day and nothing after it. Munich's Residenz village and Chinese Tower market, CentrO in Oberhausen and Art Advent at Karlsplatz in Vienna all published their 2026 dates this month. Book anything that hangs on a projected date with free cancellation. A market page changes its status the day we read the organizer's new notice. #### Quick answers ##### When do Christmas markets in Europe open in 2026? Most Christmas markets in Europe open between 13 and 28 November 2026. The busiest opening days are Friday 27 November with 32 markets in our files and Friday 20 November with 31, and the earliest open on 6 November in Vienna and Copenhagen. ##### When do Christmas markets in Europe close in 2026? Most of Europe's Christmas markets close between 20 and 24 December 2026, and 23 December is the most common last day, with 39 markets. In our files, 53 markets stay open past Christmas Day, some of them until 6 January 2027 or later. ##### Which Christmas market opens first in 2026? The Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market and the Stephansplatz Christmas Market in Vienna open first, on Friday 6 November 2026, together with the Nytorv and Gammeltorv Christmas Market in Copenhagen. Their organizers have confirmed all three dates. ##### Which Christmas market stays open the latest? Heinzels Wintermarchen in Cologne stays open the latest, until Sunday 10 January 2027 on the Heumarkt (confirmed). Budapest's Városháza Park market has a projected close of 9 January 2027, based on its 2025 run. ##### Are the 2026 Strasbourg Christmas market dates confirmed? The opening is confirmed: Strasbourg's markets open on Friday 27 November 2026. The city has not published the last day, so the 24 December close is projected from past seasons. ##### What does "projected" mean on Christmas in Europe? A projected date on Christmas in Europe is one we computed from the rule a market has followed in past years, because the organizer hasn't published the 2026 dates yet. It changes to confirmed or announced once someone publishes. ### When is Lyon's Festival of Lights in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/lyon-festival-of-lights-2026-dates Updated: 2026-10-10 The Fête des Lumières lights Lyon from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, and on the last night many Lyonnais set candles in their windows. Lyon's Fête des Lumières runs for four nights from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, and the City of Lyon has confirmed both the dates and the nightly hours on [the festival's own site](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/page/horaires-et-dates-fete-des-lumieres-2026). The installations light up from 19:00 to 23:00, except on Sunday 6 December, when they run from 18:00 to 22:00. Entry is free and needs no ticket. We compiled this guide from the City of Lyon's festival and market pages and the Fourvière sanctuary's own pages, read on 10 October 2026. Each date says whether the organizer has confirmed it, a tourism or news page has announced it, or we projected it from the feast day because nothing is published yet. The 2026 programme of works and sites comes out in early November, so the artists named below are from the 2025 edition. | What | 2026 date | Status | Hours | Catch | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Fête des Lumières](/lights/lyon-fete-des-lumieres) | Sat 5–Tue 8 Dec | Confirmed by the City of Lyon | 19:00–23:00; Sun 6 Dec 18:00–22:00 | About 2 million visitors over the four nights | | [Lumignons in the windows](/events/lyon-lumignons-8-december) | Tue 8 Dec | Confirmed as the festival's last night | From dusk | A private custom in people's homes, with no route or programme | | [Procession to Fourvière](/events/lyon-8-december-procession) | Tue 8 Dec | Projected; the 2026 times are unpublished | Left Saint-Jean at 18:30 in 2024 and 2025 | The old town is packed on the festival's last night | | [Christmas market, Place Carnot](/markets/lyon-place-carnot) | Fri 20 Nov–Thu 24 Dec | Confirmed by the City of Lyon | Mon–Thu 11:00–20:00, Fri 11:00–22:00, Sat 10:30–22:00, Sun 10:30–20:00 | Closes early on the four festival nights | #### What are the hours of the Fête des Lumières in 2026? The festival opens at 19:00 and closes at 23:00 on Saturday 5, Monday 7 and Tuesday 8 December 2026. Sunday 6 December starts and ends an hour earlier, from 18:00 to 22:00, which suits families with young children. A single work's own page can set different times, and the city publishes the full programme with every site and its hours on fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr in early November. Paper copies reach the festival information points in late November. Every edition from 2023 to 2026 takes in 8 December, and the weekdays move from year to year. The 2025 edition ran Friday 5 to Monday 8 December, and 2024 ran Thursday 5 to Sunday 8 December. The City of Lyon pays for the festival with public and private partners. The 2025 edition held 23 works across 20 sites and included the festival's first drone show. #### Why does Lyon light candles on 8 December? The custom dates to 8 December 1852, when Lyon inaugurated a gilded statue of the Virgin Mary on Fourvière hill. A flood on the Saône had already pushed the ceremony back from 8 September. Bad weather threatened again that evening, and when the sky cleared, the people of Lyon put candles in their windows and lit up the city. The date already mattered in Lyon, because in 1643, with plague threatening, the city's aldermen had vowed to honour the Virgin every year if Lyon was spared. 8 December is the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception, and it is a working day in France. Many Lyonnais still set [lumignons](/events/lyon-lumignons-8-december) (small candles in glass) on their windowsills every 8 December. Look up at the apartment windows as you walk between sites on Tuesday 8 December 2026. The city began lighting its monuments under its Plan Lumière in 1989, ran its first four-night festival around the 8th in 1999 and took the name Fête des Lumières in 2000. The [Basilica of Notre-Dame de Fourvière](/music/lyon-fourviere-basilica) keeps the religious side of the night. The [8 December procession](/events/lyon-8-december-procession) is an act of worship led by the Catholic diocese of Lyon, and it climbs from [Saint-Jean cathedral](/music/lyon-saint-jean-cathedral) in Vieux Lyon up to the basilica. It left Saint-Jean at 18:30 in both 2024 and 2025, and in 2025 Archbishop Olivier de Germay presided at the youth Mass at 20:00. The sanctuary had not published its 2026 times on 10 October, so check fourviere.org in November. If you are watching and not walking, stand at the side and keep the route clear. In 2025 visitors could also set a lumignon on the basilica's esplanade to light a large dove of peace, and the donations went to a Catholic charity for migrants. #### Who made the installations? Every installation is an artwork by a named artist or studio, and the festival credits each one on its own page. These were the main 2025 works. The 2026 line-up is due in early November. | Site (2025) | Work | Artist | | --- | --- | --- | | Place des Terreaux | Le lundi c'est raviolis ! | [Tigrelab](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/le-lundi-cest-raviolis) | | Cathédrale Saint-Jean | Lumina | [László Zsolt Bordos](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/lumina) | | Gare Saint-Paul | Nouvelle Vague | [Svitlana Reinish, Panagiotis Tomaras and Vali Chincișan](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/nouvelle-vague-2025) | | Quai des Célestins (view of Fourvière) | Les Malles Persanes | [Thierry Pierras](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/les-malles-persanes) | | Basilique de Fourvière | Région des Lumières à Fourvière | [Les Allumeurs de Rêves (director Gilbert Coudène) with Étienne Guiol](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/region-des-lumieres-fourviere) | | Place Antonin-Poncet | Le jardin de lumière | [Orel and Olivier Davy](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/le-jardin-de-lumiere) | | Place de la République | Astralys | [Philippe Morvan](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/astralys) | | Place de la Bourse | Insight | [Johan Corrèze](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/insight) | | Place d'Albon | Onion Skin | [Thomas Vaquié and Olivier Ratsi](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/onion-skin) | | Parc de la Tête d'Or | Post Idols and Journey of a Lamp Post | [Pitaya](https://www.fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr/fr/oeuvre/post-idols-0) | Place des Terreaux hosts a work every year. It is the busiest site and takes around a million visitors across the four nights. Le jardin de lumière on Place Antonin-Poncet was made for children and families. The Fourvière projection ran again from 26 to 31 December 2025, which gave anyone who missed the festival a second chance to see it. #### When is the Lyon Christmas market open in 2026? The Lyon Christmas market on Place Carnot runs from Friday 20 November to Thursday 24 December 2026. The City of Lyon published those dates and the hours in its call for charity stallholders on 30 September 2026, and Visiter Lyon still listed them as provisional on 10 October. More than 100 chalets sell decorations, toys and jewellery beside regional jams, honey, chestnuts, pain d'épice, foie gras and wine, and the city lends some of its own chalets to charities and to makers with its Fabriqué à Lyon label. The market closes early on all four festival nights, at a time the city or the prefecture sets later. In 2025 that was 18:00 on most festival nights and 17:00 on the Sunday. Shop before the chalets close, then walk north up the Presqu'île to the light installations. Place Carnot sits right outside Perrache station and its metro line A stop. #### How do you get around the Fête des Lumières crowds? Stay on the Presqu'île (the strip of central Lyon between the Rhône and the Saône) and walk. Most festival sites lie within walking distance of a hotel there, and you can go back in to warm up between shows. Book that room early, because the organizer counts about 2 million visitors over the four nights. Leave bags at the hotel. In 2025 bags slowed the security checks at the Parc de la Tête d'Or, where luggage was banned. That year the park opened its gates an hour before the shows and took its last entries an hour before the end. It closes in bad weather. Takeaway alcohol and glass are banned inside the whole festival perimeter. Holders of the French Carte Mobilité Inclusion get priority queues, dedicated entrances, reduced-mobility parking and adapted routes. About 3,000 disabled visitors used them in 2025, and the 2026 details go up on the festival's Handi-accueil page from 4 November. For a proper meal before the crowds build, cross the Rhône to the Halles de Lyon Paul Bocuse at 102 cours Lafayette. The market hall sits five minutes on foot from Part-Dieu station, and its oyster counters serve until 22:00 from Monday to Saturday. #### Quick answers ##### When is the Fête des Lumières in 2026? The Fête des Lumières runs from Saturday 5 to Tuesday 8 December 2026, and the City of Lyon has confirmed the dates. The installations run 19:00 to 23:00, and 18:00 to 22:00 on Sunday 6 December. ##### Do you need a ticket for Lyon's Festival of Lights? No. The Fête des Lumières is free and needs no ticket. The City of Lyon funds it with public and private partners. ##### Why is the Fête des Lumières on 8 December? The Fête des Lumières grew from 8 December 1852, when Lyon inaugurated the statue of the Virgin Mary on Fourvière hill and residents lit candles in their windows. 8 December is the Catholic feast of the Immaculate Conception. ##### Is the Lyon Christmas market open during the Fête des Lumières? Yes. The Place Carnot Christmas market opens on the festival days from 5 to 8 December 2026 and closes early, at a time the city or prefecture sets. In 2025 it closed at 18:00, and at 17:00 on the festival Sunday. ##### When is the 2026 Fête des Lumières programme published? The City of Lyon publishes the 2026 Fête des Lumières programme in early November on fetedeslumieres.lyon.fr. Paper copies reach the information points in late November. ### When is the Strasbourg Christmas market in 2026? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/strasbourg-christmas-market-2026-dates Updated: 2026-10-10 The city has confirmed Friday 27 November for the opening. The last day is still unpublished, and past seasons ended on Christmas Eve. The Strasbourg Christmas market opens on Friday 27 November 2026 at 14:00, which the city has confirmed, and its last day is projected for Thursday 24 December because the city hasn't printed the end of the 2026 run yet. The 24 December date comes from past seasons and from the city's FAQ, which closes the chalets at 18:00 that day. This guide covers the Christkindelsmärik on Place Broglie and the six other Strasbourg markets with pages on this site, plus the villages nearby that make quieter days. It draws on market files we checked against the city's Christmas site and the Alsace tourism offices on 10 October 2026. | Market | Square | Who it suits | The drawback | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Strasbourg Christkindelsmarik](/markets/strasbourg-christkindelsmarik) | Place Broglie | First-timers who want the historic market | Friday evenings and weekends pack the square | | [Strasbourg Cathedral Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-cathedral-market) | Place de la Cathédrale and Place du Château | Anyone after stalls and the Gothic west front in one frame | The tightest squeeze in the city on a December weekend | | [Strasbourg Place Kleber and the Grand Sapin](/markets/strasbourg-place-kleber) | Place Kléber | Families who come for the big tree and its light show | The busiest crossing point in the centre | | [Strasbourg Quai des Delices](/markets/strasbourg-quai-des-delices) | Terrasse Rohan and Place du Marché-aux-Poissons | People who came for vin chaud and Bredle more than ornaments | The evening crowd spills over from the cathedral | | [Strasbourg Carre d'Or Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-carre-d-or) | Place du Temple Neuf | Window-shoppers who like pastry and chocolate shops between stalls | Fewer chalets than the big squares | | [Strasbourg Petite France Christmas Market](/markets/strasbourg-petite-france) | Place Benjamin Zix and Place Saint-Thomas | Couples and photographers | Cobbled lanes and narrow bridges bottleneck at dusk | | [Strasbourg Marche OFF](/markets/strasbourg-marche-off) | Place Grimmeissen | Repeat visitors after ethical gifts and vintage finds | A small market and a short detour past Petite France | All seven keep the same dates and the same hours, which the next section gives. #### When does the Strasbourg Christmas market open and close in 2026? The markets open on Friday 27 November 2026 at 14:00 (confirmed by the city), and from the next day the chalets trade from 11:30 to 21:00 every day. The city hasn't published the last day. In 2025 the season ran from 26 November to 24 December, and the FAQ for the coming season shuts the chalets at 18:00 on Christmas Eve, so this site projects Thursday 24 December as the close. Treat the 24 December date as a plan you confirm later. When the city posts the full run, each market page switches to confirmed on the day we read it. If your trip hangs on the last few days, book a refundable room. The city's home page was still showing the 2025 run when we checked. #### Where are the markets, and which should you see first? Start at Place Broglie. The city dates the Christkindelsmärik to 1570, and its history page says the market moved to Place Broglie in 1870, though its market page gives 1871. The chalets run down the long square towards the Opéra national du Rhin, and the entrance arch is the photo the city itself suggests you take. From there it is a short walk to Place du Temple Neuf and the Carré d'Or market, and rue des Orfèvres leads on to the cathedral. The city decorates that street as one of its showpieces, so walk it after dark. The cathedral market wraps around the west front and runs into Place du Château. Behind it, the Palais Rohan terrace holds the Quai des Délices, where the Tribu des Gourmets pours vin chaud made with Alsace white wine and the Bas-Rhin bakers' federation sells Bredle (small Alsatian Christmas biscuits) from a pop-up bakehouse. In Petite France the chalets stand on Place Benjamin Zix and Place Saint-Thomas among half-timbered houses over the Ill, and the Marché OFF is a little further on at Place Grimmeissen, in shipping containers and geodesic domes. Come back through Place Kléber in the evening for the Grand Sapin. In 2025 the tree's light and music show ran every hour from 16:00 to 21:00, and the 2026 schedule isn't out yet. #### When is the Strasbourg Christmas market quietest? Mondays and Tuesdays are the calmest days, by the city's own account, and so is any morning soon after the 11:30 opening. Friday evenings and weekends are the densest, and the city adds Wednesday afternoons to that list. A weekday morning at Place Broglie and the cathedral square gives you room to stop at a stall. Petite France looks its best once the lights come on and the houses show in the water, and a weekday evening keeps its narrow bridges clearer. #### Which villages near Strasbourg have quieter Christmas markets? The village markets below all have 2026 dates in our files. Obernai and Sélestat have their own stations, and from Colmar the Christmas shuttles run on to the wine villages at weekends. | Village market | 2026 dates | Who it suits | The drawback | | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) | 27 Nov to 31 Dec (announced) | Food lovers who want a village market a short train ride from Strasbourg | Weekend evenings and the video-mapping shows fill Place du Marché | | [Selestat Christmas Market](/markets/selestat-christmas-market) | 20 Nov to 27 Dec (announced) | Anyone curious about the history of the Christmas tree | A small chalet market with 2026 hours still unpublished | | [Colmar Place des Dominicains Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-des-dominicains) | 23 Nov to 29 Dec (confirmed) | Ornament hunters who want Colmar's biggest square | Weekend day-trippers and coach groups | | [Eguisheim Christmas Market](/markets/eguisheim-christmas-market) | 27 Nov to 30 Dec (confirmed) | People based in Colmar who want about 30 makers in medieval lanes | Closed from 24 to 26 December | | [Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market](/markets/turckheim-elves-market) | 27 Nov to 30 Dec (confirmed) | Families, and anyone who stays for the night watchman at 21:00 | About 20 makers on one square | | [Kaysersberg Christmas Market](/markets/kaysersberg-christmas-market) | Advent weekends, 27 Nov to 20 Dec (confirmed) | Craft buyers who want juried makers in a medieval imperial town | Open Friday to Sunday only | | [Riquewihr Christmas Market](/markets/riquewihr-christmas-market) | 27 Nov to 20 Dec (confirmed) | Colmar-based travellers who want a walled wine village under its lights | Weekends need the park-and-ride | | [Ribeauville Medieval Christmas Market](/markets/ribeauville-medieval-christmas-market) | 5–6 and 12–13 Dec (confirmed) | Families who like costume and street theatre | Four days only, and every one of them is crowded | Obernai makes the easiest half day. The local winegrowers pour white-wine vin chaud across 45 chalets on five squares, and weekday mornings stay calm. The tourism office's Christmas page gives 31 December as the last day, and its home page card says 30 December. Sélestat sits on the main line halfway to Colmar, so you can break the train ride there for an afternoon. From 21 November to 31 December 2026 the Humanist Library shows a town account book from 1521 that mentions forest guards watching over the trees cut for the feast. In Saint-Georges church ten trees hang from the nave arches until 3 January 2027, and each one is dressed the way trees were in its own century. For the wine villages, Monday to Thursday is the time to go. Colmar's tourism office posts a day-by-day attendance forecast on noel-colmar.com. Riquewihr is quieter on weekdays. At weekends its Perles de Noël park-and-ride sends shuttle buses in every 30 minutes. Eguisheim calms down on weekday afternoons in early December. At Kaysersberg the Friday is the quieter day of each market weekend. #### What should you know before you go? The cup deposit is €1 per drink, published in the city's FAQ for the 2026 season. Hand the cup back at any drinks chalet for your euro, or drop it in a charity bin and the euro goes to a Strasbourg charity. During market hours the Grande Île is closed to motor traffic, and there are access checks on the bridges onto the island, so carry a small bag and expect someone to look inside it. The checks followed the attack of 11 December 2018 near Place Kléber, in which a gunman killed five people and wounded eleven. Park and Ride on the edge of town cost €4.20 a day when we checked, and that covers a return tram ticket for everyone in the car. Trams A, C, D and F all stop close to the market squares. The info chalet on Place Kléber lends wheelchairs and walkers free of charge against an ID document, and in 2025 it lent them between 11:30 and 18:30. Free public toilets sit across the Grande Île, and several are accessible. The free Ici Toilettes app maps them. The Marché OFF runs a Safe Zone that lends noise-cancelling headphones and blankets to visitors with disabilities who need a quiet moment. #### Quick answers ##### When does the Strasbourg Christmas market open in 2026? The Strasbourg Christmas market opens on Friday 27 November 2026 at 14:00, and the city has confirmed that date. From 28 November the chalets open from 11:30 to 21:00 every day. ##### When does the Strasbourg Christmas market end in 2026? The Strasbourg Christmas market's 2026 end date is projected for Thursday 24 December, with the chalets closing at 18:00. The city hasn't published the last day yet, and the 2025 season ended on 24 December. ##### What are the Strasbourg Christmas market opening hours? The Strasbourg Christmas market chalets open from 11:30 to 21:00 every day. On opening day, 27 November 2026, they start at 14:00, and on 24 December they close at 18:00. ##### What is the quietest day to visit the Strasbourg Christmas market? Monday and Tuesday are the quietest days at the Strasbourg Christmas market, according to the city, especially in the morning soon after the 11:30 opening. The busiest times are Friday evenings and weekends, and the city adds Wednesday afternoons. ##### How much is the cup deposit at the Strasbourg Christmas market? The cup deposit at the Strasbourg Christmas market is €1 per drink for the 2026 season. You get it back at any drinks chalet, or you can leave the cup in a charity bin and the euro goes to a Strasbourg charity. ##### Which villages near Strasbourg have Christmas markets in 2026? Obernai (27 November to 31 December, announced) and Sélestat (20 November to 27 December, announced) both have Christmas markets on train lines from Strasbourg. Colmar's markets run from 23 November to 29 December 2026 (confirmed), and the wine villages of Eguisheim, Turckheim, Kaysersberg and Riquewihr sit close to Colmar. ### Which Christmas markets are open after Christmas? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/which-christmas-markets-are-open-after-christmas Updated: 2026-10-10 Prague, Salzburg, Dresden and Cologne keep their markets going through the week after Christmas, and Colmar runs to 29 December. Sixty-two of the 182 Christmas markets on this site open on at least one day between Sunday 27 and Wednesday 30 December 2026, and 37 of them carry on into January 2027. Prague, Vienna's Schönbrunn, Salzburg, Dresden, Cologne, Berlin and Budapest give you the most to do that week, and Colmar keeps all six markets going until 29 December. Further afield, London, Edinburgh, Riga, Tallinn and the South Tyrol towns trade right through the week. We ran every market file through the date engine behind our [27 to 30 December page](/open/between-christmas-and-new-year) and checked each organizer's notes on post-Christmas hours. The table runs in order of each market's last day. A date marked confirmed comes from the organizer's own page. Announced means a tourism board published it, and projected means nobody has yet, so the date comes from past seasons. | Market | City | Country | Hours, 27–30 December | Last day | 2026 dates | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Christmas Village Amsterdam](/markets/amsterdam-museumplein) | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 27 Dec: 12:00–18:00 | 27 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) | Berlin | Germany | 27 Dec: 12:00–22:00 | 27 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Bern Star Market by the Federal Palace](/markets/bern-sternenmarkt) | Bern | Switzerland | 27 Dec: 11:00–20:00 | 27 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Kitzbuhel Advent](/markets/kitzbuhel-advent) | Kitzbuhel | Austria | 27 Dec: 14:00–20:00 | 27 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof](/markets/maastricht-vrijthof) | Maastricht | Netherlands | 27 Dec: 10:00–00:00 | 27 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Mulhouse Christmas Market](/markets/mulhouse-christmas-market) | Mulhouse | France | 27 Dec: 10:00–18:00 | 27 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber](/markets/potsdam-weihnachtszauber) | Potsdam | Germany | 27 Dec: 11:00–21:00 (2025 hours) | 27 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Selestat Christmas Market](/markets/selestat-christmas-market) | Selestat | France | 27 Dec: not published | 27 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Vilnius Christmas Town](/markets/vilnius-cathedral-square) | Vilnius | Lithuania | Not published | 28 Dec 2026 | Projected | | [Colmar Ancienne Douane Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-ancienne-douane) | Colmar | France | Sun 10:00–20:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00 | 29 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Koifhus Indoor Craft Market](/markets/colmar-koifhus) | Colmar | France | Sun 10:00–20:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00 | 29 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Petite Venise Children's Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-petite-venise) | Colmar | France | Sun 10:00–20:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00 | 29 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place des Dominicains Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-des-dominicains) | Colmar | France | Sun 10:00–20:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00 | 29 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place Jeanne d'Arc Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-jeanne-d-arc) | Colmar | France | Sun 10:00–20:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00 | 29 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market) | Dusseldorf | Germany | 11:00–20:00 | 30 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Eguisheim Christmas Market](/markets/eguisheim-christmas-market) | Eguisheim | France | 10:00–19:00 | 30 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht](/markets/nuremberg-kinderweihnacht) | Nuremberg | Germany | 10:00–21:00 (2025 hours) | 30 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market](/markets/turckheim-elves-market) | Turckheim | France | 10:00–19:00; 30 Dec to 18:00 | 30 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Fluweelengrot Christmas Market](/markets/valkenburg-fluweelengrot) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | Sun 10:00–19:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00; 30 Dec 11:00–18:00 | 30 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Gemeentegrot Christmas Market](/markets/valkenburg-gemeentegrot) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | Sun 10:00–19:00; Mon–Tue 11:00–19:00; 30 Dec 11:00–18:00 | 30 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | Germany | 12:00–22:00 | 31 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Brno Christmas Market on Zelny trh](/markets/brno-zelny-trh) | Brno | Czechia | Not published | 31 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market](/markets/budapest-vorosmarty-square) | Budapest | Hungary | 11:00–21:00; food and drink only from 29 Dec | 31 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) | Obernai | France | 10:00–20:00 | 31 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Mirabellplatz Christmas Market](/markets/salzburg-mirabellplatz) | Salzburg | Austria | 10:00–19:00 | 31 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Advent Bazilika](/markets/budapest-advent-bazilika) | Budapest | Hungary | 11:00–22:00 | 1 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) | Salzburg | Austria | Sun 09:00–20:30; Mon–Wed 10:00–20:30 | 1 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) | Traben-Trarbach | Germany | Weekends only, so 27 Dec; hours not published | 2 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church](/markets/berlin-breitscheidplatz) | Berlin | Germany | Not out yet | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) | Berlin | Germany | Sun 11:00–22:00; Mon–Wed 12:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Bruges Christmas Market](/markets/bruges-christmas-market) | Bruges | Belgium | 11:00–20:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Brussels Winter Wonders](/markets/brussels-winter-wonders) | Brussels | Belgium | 12:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market](/markets/cesky-krumlov-namesti-svornosti) | Cesky Krumlov | Czechia | Sun 10:00–19:00; Mon–Wed 11:00–18:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) | Colmar | France | 11:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | Cologne | Germany | 11:00–21:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) | Copenhagen | Denmark | 11:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Augustusmarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-augustusmarkt) | Dresden | Germany | Sun 10:00–21:00; Mon–Wed 11:00–21:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Advent on the Neumarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-neumarkt-advent) | Dresden | Germany | Open; hours not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) | Ghent | Belgium | Not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) | Koblenz | Germany | 11:00–21:00, food and drink only | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [WinterGlow Valkenburg](/markets/valkenburg-winterglow) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | Sun 11:00–21:00; Mon–Wed 12:00–21:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Edinburgh's Christmas Market](/markets/edinburgh-christmas) | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 10:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) | London | United Kingdom | Sun 10:00–22:00; Mon–Wed 11:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) | Riga | Latvia | Sun 10:00–21:00; Mon–Wed 11:00–21:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Ljubljana Festive Fair](/markets/ljubljana-festive-december) | Ljubljana | Slovenia | Not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Projected | | [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) | Baden-Baden | Germany | 11:00–21:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) | Dresden | Germany | 11:00–21:30 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) | Innsbruck | Austria | Sun 12:00–18:00; Mon–Wed 13:00–18:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-maria-theresien-strasse) | Innsbruck | Austria | 11:00–21:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) | Prague | Czechia | 10:00–22:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) | Prague | Czechia | 10:00–22:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) | Vienna | Austria | 10:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Bolzano Christmas Market](/markets/bolzano-christkindlmarkt) | Bolzano | Italy | 10:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Brixen Christmas Market](/markets/brixen-christmas-market) | Brixen | Italy | Sun 10:00–19:00; Mon–Wed 11:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Merano Christmas Market](/markets/merano-christmas-market) | Merano | Italy | 10:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Trento Christmas Market](/markets/trento-christmas-market) | Trento | Italy | 10:00–20:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) | Tallinn | Estonia | 10:00–20:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Krakow Christmas Market](/markets/krakow-main-square) | Krakow | Poland | Not published | 6 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) | Wroclaw | Poland | 10:00–21:00 | 7 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Advent Zagreb](/markets/zagreb-advent) | Zagreb | Croatia | Not published | 7 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) | Budapest | Hungary | Not published | 9 Jan 2027 | Projected | | [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) | Cologne | Germany | 11:00–22:00 | 10 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | #### Which markets open on Boxing Day? Sixty-one markets on this site open on Saturday 26 December 2026, and it's the last day for Vienna's four central markets. The [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) closes its season with a full day from 10:00 to 22:00, and the [Stephansplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) runs 11:00 to 19:00. Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz shut at 16:00 that afternoon. After the 26th, Schönbrunn carries Vienna alone until 6 January. The 26th also brings back markets that took Christmas Day off. [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) reopens on the Heumarkt after closing on the 24th and 25th. Düsseldorf's markets open from 14:00 to 21:00. Edinburgh's market and the South Tyrol markets reopen too, and Wrocław's opens at 13:00. [Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof](/markets/maastricht-vrijthof) has the latest night, trading from 11:00 to 01:00 on Tweede Kerstdag, and its craft stalls close at 22:00 every day. Our [Boxing Day page](/open/boxing-day) has the full list. #### Which cities still have a proper market between Christmas and New Year? Prague is the easy answer. The [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) and the [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) keep their 10:00 to 22:00 hours right through to 6 January 2027. Old Town Square suits anyone who wants the Týn Church towers behind the tree and the stage show every afternoon. It's also the busiest and dearest square in the city, and it packs out from the 16:00 show onward, so browse on a weekday morning. Salzburg gets calmer after Christmas. Go to the [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) on the Domplatz between 27 and 30 December if you want the stalls with the pressure gone. The market returns to its normal weekly hours on those days, from 10:00 to 20:30 on weekdays. It closes for the season on New Year's Day. The Striezelmarkt ends on Christmas Eve, and Dresden has three other markets back by the 27th. The [Augustusmarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-augustusmarkt) on the Hauptstraße suits anyone after international Christmas food on the Neustadt side of the Elbe. The [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) switches to its Rauhnächte programme. The Rauhnächte are the twelve nights after Christmas, and fortune tellers and card readers join the stalls for them. The organizer publishes an adult entry price of 5 euros for the Stallhof from 27 to 30 December 2026. Advent on the Neumarkt reopens on the 27th too, and its 2026 hours aren't out yet. Cologne keeps two markets. Families should head for [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen), where the ice rink on the Heumarkt runs to 10 January 2027. The [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) by the Chocolate Museum stays to 3 January. The cathedral market and the Markt der Engel close on the 23rd. Berlin keeps three markets going that week, and Budapest has Advent Bazilika and Vörösmarty Square until New Year. Brussels Winter Wonders and the Bruges Christmas Market both run to 3 January, so Belgium works for a trip between Christmas and New Year. #### Which markets beyond Germany and Austria keep going after Christmas? South Tyrol is the strongest region for that week. The [Bolzano Christmas Market](/markets/bolzano-christkindlmarkt) on Waltherplatz has run since 1991 and is the oldest Christmas market in Italy. Its 112 stalls open 10:00 to 19:00 every day to Epiphany, and it suits anyone who wants an Alpine market after Christmas. The trade-off is a crowd of about a million visitors a season. The [Merano Christmas Market](/markets/merano-christmas-market) on the riverside Kurpromenade works for couples and families, and there's an ice rink across the river. Brixen and Trento also run to 6 January. Britain has two big ones. The [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) mixes market stalls with an ice rink and fairground rides until 3 January 2027, and you need a timed ticket to get in. [Edinburgh's Christmas Market](/markets/edinburgh-christmas) in East Princes Street Gardens runs 10:00 to 22:00 through the week, and its narrow garden paths crowd at peak times. Further east, the [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) runs to 7 January 2027 and counted more than a million visits in 2025, so expect company. The [Krakow Christmas Market](/markets/krakow-main-square) on the Main Square runs into January too. Prices are its weak point, since a small mulled wine cost 35 PLN there in 2025. [Advent Zagreb](/markets/zagreb-advent) spreads across the Upper and Lower Towns until 7 January, and the [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) keeps 10:00 to 20:00 every day to Epiphany. #### What changes at the markets after Christmas? Hours get shorter, and some markets keep only their food stands. The [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) has had food and drink stands only since 23 December. On Vörösmarty Square in Budapest the craft stalls and the children's train finish on 28 December, and from the 29th the square sells food and drink only. The [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) closes at 19:00 from 25 December, two hours earlier than in Advent. The [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) at the top of the funicular closes at 18:00 from the same day. A few organizers lean into the gap between the holidays. The Stallhof's Rauhnächte are the clearest example, and Tivoli in Copenhagen keeps its rides and its ice rink going to 3 January. #### Is anything open in Alsace after Christmas? Yes, and you'll want Colmar or the villages around it. Strasbourg's seven markets are projected to close on 24 December 2026. The city confirmed the 27 November opening and hasn't printed the last day yet. Colmar's six markets run to 29 December (confirmed), and the [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) stays to 3 January 2027. Colmar is quieter from Monday to Thursday, and 28 and 29 December fall on a Monday and a Tuesday. The tourism office publishes a day-by-day crowd forecast on noel-colmar.com. The villages give you a quieter day out. The [Eguisheim Christmas Market](/markets/eguisheim-christmas-market) closes from 24 to 26 December and reopens from 27 to 30 December. The [Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market](/markets/turckheim-elves-market) also runs to the 30th. The tourism office's Christmas page gives the [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) to 31 December, and its home page card says the 30th, so check before you go on the last day. #### Which markets close on 27 December? Sunday 27 December 2026 is the last day for eight markets. They are Christmas Village Amsterdam, the Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin, the Bern Star Market, Kitzbuhel Advent, Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof, the Mulhouse and Selestat markets in Alsace and Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber. Amsterdam closes at 18:00 that day, and Maastricht stays open until midnight. #### How firm are these dates and hours? Most rows rest on the organizer's own 2026 page. Potsdam's hours and the Nuremberg Kinderweihnacht's are from 2025, because neither has posted 2026 hours yet. Rows marked announced take their dates from a tourism board or a host page, such as visitBerlin for the Gendarmenmarkt and Visit Bruges for Bruges. The Budapest market at Városháza Park has nothing published for 2026, so its run to 9 January is our projection from 2025, its first season. Ljubljana's and Vilnius's end dates are projected as well. Kraków's organizer Artim lists the market to 6 January, and its call for traders gives 3 or 6 January, so the last day there could still change. Our [27 to 30 December page](/open/between-christmas-and-new-year) reads the same files and changes when they do. For the days that follow, see [markets open until New Year and Epiphany](/guides/christmas-markets-open-until-new-year). #### Quick answers ##### Are Christmas markets open after Christmas in Europe? Yes. Sixty-two of the 182 markets on this site open on at least one day between 27 and 30 December 2026, and 37 of them run into January 2027. ##### Which Christmas markets are open between Christmas and New Year? Prague's Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square markets, the Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market in Vienna, the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt and Cologne's Heinzels Wintermarchen all open every day from 27 to 30 December 2026. The six Colmar markets run until 29 December. ##### Is the Vienna Christmas market open after Christmas? The Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz closes on 26 December 2026. The Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market stays open from 10:00 to 19:00 until 6 January 2027. ##### Are the Strasbourg Christmas markets open after Christmas? Strasbourg's markets are projected to close on 24 December 2026, and the city hasn't confirmed the last day. Colmar's six markets run until 29 December 2026, confirmed by the town's Christmas site. ##### Are the Dresden Christmas markets open after Christmas? Yes, from 27 December 2026. The Augustusmarkt, the Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof and Advent on the Neumarkt reopen after a break from 24 to 26 December, and the Dresden Striezelmarkt has closed on Christmas Eve. ##### Is the Salzburg Christmas market open after Christmas? Yes. The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt stays open until 1 January 2027, with its normal weekly hours from 27 to 30 December 2026. ### Which Christmas markets in Europe are open on Christmas Day? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/christmas-markets-open-on-christmas-day Updated: 2026-10-10 Vienna and Colmar give you the most choice on 25 December 2026, and Tivoli reopens for the day with fireworks at 20:45. Forty-four of the 182 Christmas markets on this site open on Christmas Day, Friday 25 December 2026. Colmar has six of them and Vienna five, and Riga and Tallinn keep their full daily hours. We ran every market file through the date engine behind our [Christmas Day page](/open/christmas-day) and then read each organizer's notes on holiday hours, because several markets keep their run going over Christmas without saying what time they open on the 25th. A date marked confirmed comes from the organizer's own page. Announced means a tourism board published it, and projected means nobody has yet, so the date comes from past seasons. | Market | City | Country | Christmas Day hours | 2026 dates | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) | Vienna | Austria | 10:00–22:00 | Confirmed | | [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) | Vienna | Austria | 10:00–19:00 | Confirmed | | [Stephansplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) | Vienna | Austria | 11:00–19:00 | Confirmed | | [Maria-Theresien-Platz Christmas Village](/markets/vienna-maria-theresien-platz) | Vienna | Austria | 11:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Schwarzenbergplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schwarzenbergplatz) | Vienna | Austria | 11:00–16:00 | Confirmed | | [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) | Salzburg | Austria | 11:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Mirabellplatz Christmas Market](/markets/salzburg-mirabellplatz) | Salzburg | Austria | 11:00–18:00 | Announced | | [Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-maria-theresien-strasse) | Innsbruck | Austria | 11:00–21:00 (no holiday closure listed) | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) | Innsbruck | Austria | 12:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Kitzbuhel Advent](/markets/kitzbuhel-advent) | Kitzbuhel | Austria | 14:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Ancienne Douane Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-ancienne-douane) | Colmar | France | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Koifhus Indoor Craft Market](/markets/colmar-koifhus) | Colmar | France | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Petite Venise Children's Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-petite-venise) | Colmar | France | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place des Dominicains Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-des-dominicains) | Colmar | France | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Place Jeanne d'Arc Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-place-jeanne-d-arc) | Colmar | France | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) | Colmar | France | 11:00–22:00 | Confirmed | | [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) | Berlin | Germany | 12:00–22:00 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) | Berlin | Germany | 12:00–22:00 | Confirmed | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | Germany | 12:00–23:00 (Friday hours) | Announced | | [Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church](/markets/berlin-breitscheidplatz) | Berlin | Germany | Not out yet (2025: 13:00–21:00) | Announced | | [Potsdamer Weihnachtszauber](/markets/potsdam-weihnachtszauber) | Potsdam | Germany | 11:00–18:00 (2025 hours) | Announced | | [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) | Baden-Baden | Germany | Daily 11:00–21:00; no Christmas Day hours published | Confirmed | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | Cologne | Germany | Not published for 25 December | Announced | | [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) | Copenhagen | Denmark | 11:00–23:00, fireworks at 20:45 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Village Amsterdam](/markets/amsterdam-museumplein) | Amsterdam | Netherlands | 12:00–19:00 | Confirmed | | [Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof](/markets/maastricht-vrijthof) | Maastricht | Netherlands | 11:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Advent Bazilika](/markets/budapest-advent-bazilika) | Budapest | Hungary | 11:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market](/markets/budapest-vorosmarty-square) | Budapest | Hungary | 12:00–18:00 | Confirmed | | [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) | Budapest | Hungary | Not published | Projected | | [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) | Prague | Czechia | Not out yet (2025: 12:00–22:00) | Confirmed | | [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) | Prague | Czechia | Not out yet (2025: 12:00–22:00) | Confirmed | | [Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market](/markets/cesky-krumlov-namesti-svornosti) | Cesky Krumlov | Czechia | 10:00–19:00 (Friday hours) | Confirmed | | [Brno Christmas Market on Zelny trh](/markets/brno-zelny-trh) | Brno | Czechia | Not published | Confirmed | | [Brussels Winter Wonders](/markets/brussels-winter-wonders) | Brussels | Belgium | Daily 12:00–22:00; nothing published for 25 December | Confirmed | | [Bruges Christmas Market](/markets/bruges-christmas-market) | Bruges | Belgium | Fewer stalls, shorter hours; times not published | Announced | | [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) | Ghent | Belgium | Not published | Confirmed | | [Selestat Christmas Market](/markets/selestat-christmas-market) | Selestat | France | Not published | Announced | | [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) | Riga | Latvia | 10:00–21:00 | Confirmed | | [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) | Tallinn | Estonia | 10:00–20:00 | Confirmed | | [Trento Christmas Market](/markets/trento-christmas-market) | Trento | Italy | 16:00–20:00 (the FAQ says from 15:00) | Confirmed | | [Advent Zagreb](/markets/zagreb-advent) | Zagreb | Croatia | Not published | Confirmed | | [Krakow Christmas Market](/markets/krakow-main-square) | Krakow | Poland | Not published | Announced | | [Ljubljana Festive Fair](/markets/ljubljana-festive-december) | Ljubljana | Slovenia | Not published | Projected | | [Vilnius Christmas Town](/markets/vilnius-cathedral-square) | Vilnius | Lithuania | Not published | Projected | #### Where do you get the most choice on Christmas Day? Colmar has six markets open and Vienna has five. In Vienna the [Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz](/markets/vienna-rathausplatz) keeps its full 10:00 to 22:00, because the organizer names Christmas Eve as the only short day of its run to 26 December. It suits a first visit to Vienna and anyone who wants to stay out into the evening. The drawback is the crowd, since the organizer counts close to three million visitors a year, so come after the 10:00 opening if you want room to move. The [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) opens 10:00 to 19:00 from Christmas Day to 6 January, and the [Stephansplatz Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-stephansplatz) by the cathedral goes to 19:00. Maria-Theresien-Platz and Schwarzenbergplatz both close at 16:00. Colmar's tourism site confirms all six of its markets for Christmas Day. Five open from 10:00 to 20:00, and the gourmet market runs on to 22:00. If you want Alsace on the 25th, this is the town to stay in, since the Strasbourg markets are projected to close on the 24th. The organizer says the stalls close on the minute, so finish your shopping a few minutes early. Berlin has three markets with Christmas Day hours on record. Families do best at the [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus), where an ice rink and a big wheel stand beside the stalls from 12:00 to 22:00 and the fairground noise comes with them. The [Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace](/markets/berlin-charlottenburg-palace) keeps the same hours in front of the baroque palace. [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) has its Friday hours of 12:00 to 23:00 on the visitBerlin listing, and the €2 entry charge applies on 25 December 2026 because the free lunchtime window is suspended that day. #### Where else in Europe can you find a market on Christmas Day? The Baltic capitals keep going. The [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) on Dome Square opens from 10:00 to 21:00 on 25 December, and its organizer has confirmed the run to 3 January 2027. It suits families with young children and anyone shopping for Latvian makers, and the whole market sits on one square, so you can walk it between dinner and the hotel. The [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) keeps its daily 10:00 to 20:00 on Town Hall Square right through Christmas. The square gets tight around the tree during the weekend stage programme. In northern Italy the [Trento Christmas Market](/markets/trento-christmas-market) opens for the evening. Its home page gives 16:00 to 20:00 on Christmas Day and its FAQ says 15:00, so aim for 16:00. It suits food lovers, with 77 huts on Piazza Fiera and Piazza Mostra. Kraków and Zagreb have Christmas Day inside their 2026 runs, and Ljubljana and Vilnius do on our projections. None of them has published hours for the day yet. #### Which markets close on Christmas Day and open again on the 26th? Several markets that open on Christmas Eve take the 25th off. [Dusseldorf Christmas Markets](/markets/dusseldorf-christmas-market) close on 25 December and reopen on the 26th from 14:00 to 21:00, according to Düsseldorf Tourismus. The [Bern Star Market by the Federal Palace](/markets/bern-sternenmarkt) closes on Christmas Day and comes back on the 26th until 22:00. In Alsace the [Mulhouse Christmas Market](/markets/mulhouse-christmas-market) and the [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) close on the 25th and reopen on the 26th. The [Turckheim Elves' Christmas Market](/markets/turckheim-elves-market) does the same and trades from 10:00 to 20:00 on the Saturday. Valkenburg's two cave markets and WinterGlow also close on Christmas Day. The [Bolzano Christmas Market](/markets/bolzano-christkindlmarkt) and the [Merano Christmas Market](/markets/merano-christmas-market) close on Christmas Day and reopen on the 26th, and the [Brixen Christmas Market](/markets/brixen-christmas-market) does the same. The [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) closes on the 25th alone, and [Edinburgh's Christmas Market](/markets/edinburgh-christmas) returns from 12:00 to 20:00 on Boxing Day. The [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) closes on both 24 and 25 December and reopens at 13:00 on the 26th. [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) closes on the 24th and 25th and reopens on the Heumarkt on 26 December for a run to 10 January 2027. Our [Boxing Day page](/open/boxing-day) lists everything open on the 26th, and the guide to [markets open after Christmas](/guides/which-christmas-markets-are-open-after-christmas) follows the week through. #### What happens at Tivoli on Christmas Day? [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) reopens on Christmas Day from 11:00 to 23:00 after closing on the 24th, and Christmas fireworks go up at 20:45 on 25 and 26 December 2026. It suits families who want rides and stalls behind one gate on a day when Copenhagen goes quiet. The catch is the ticket: Tivoli's published entry starts at 180 DKK for anyone aged eight and up in 2026, and the rides need a separate pass. Copenhagen's square markets have closed by then, and Nytorv and Gammeltorv end on 21 December ([Denmark](/countries/denmark)). #### Is anything else open in these countries on Christmas Day? Plan on shops being shut. Christmas Day and 26 December are public holidays in every German state ([Germany](/countries/germany)) and in Austria, Hungary, Czechia and the Netherlands. Christmas Day is a public holiday across France, and Alsace and Moselle keep 26 December as a holiday too ([France](/countries/france)). In Belgium Christmas Day is the only official public holiday of the season ([Belgium](/countries/belgium)). Eat at the markets or book a restaurant table before you travel. #### How firm are the Christmas Day hours? The Vienna organizers and Colmar's tourism site print the 25th separately, so their hours are the firmest. Some entries need a caveat. Prague's organizer Taiko publishes 10:00 to 22:00 daily for 2026 and no holiday hours yet; in 2025 Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square opened at 12:00 on 25 December. Baden-Baden's organizer lists special-day hours as to be confirmed, and nobody published Christmas Day hours there in 2025 either. The Brussels organizer gives 12:00 to 22:00 daily and says nothing about the 25th. Visit Bruges says the market opens with fewer stalls and shorter hours without giving the times. Two markets have Christmas inside their run and still stay shut on the 25th. [Advent on the Neumarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-neumarkt-advent) pauses from 24 to 26 December, according to Dresden's tourism pages, and the [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) opens on weekends only, so it stays shut on Friday the 25th. Check our [Christmas Day page](/open/christmas-day) in December, when more organizers will have posted their hours. #### Quick answers ##### Are any Christmas markets open on Christmas Day in Europe? Yes. Forty-four of the 182 markets on this site open on Friday 25 December 2026, led by six in Colmar and five in Vienna. ##### Is the Vienna Christmas market open on Christmas Day? Yes. The Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz opens from 10:00 to 22:00 on 25 December 2026, and the organizer has confirmed it. ##### Are German Christmas markets open on Christmas Day? A handful are, mostly in Berlin. The Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus and the Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace open from 12:00 to 22:00 on 25 December 2026. The big markets in Nuremberg and Munich close on the 24th. ##### Is Tivoli open on Christmas Day? Yes. Christmas in Tivoli opens from 11:00 to 23:00 on 25 December 2026, with fireworks at 20:45, after closing on Christmas Eve. ##### Are the Colmar Christmas markets open on 25 December? Yes. All six Colmar markets open on 25 December 2026, five from 10:00 to 20:00 and the Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market from 11:00 to 22:00. ##### Is the Prague Christmas market open on Christmas Day? Yes. The Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market runs through Christmas to 6 January 2027, and its 2026 Christmas Day hours aren't out yet; in 2025 it opened from 12:00 to 22:00 on 25 December. ### Which Christmas markets stay open until New Year and Epiphany? URL: https://christmasineurope.com/guides/christmas-markets-open-until-new-year Updated: 2026-10-10 Budapest stays up until 03:00 on New Year's Eve, and 15 markets with confirmed dates are still open on Epiphany, 6 January 2027. Thirty-seven of the 182 Christmas markets on this site run into January 2027, and 15 with confirmed dates are still open on Epiphany, Wednesday 6 January 2027. Prague's two big squares, Vienna's Schönbrunn and the South Tyrol towns are among them. Wrocław and Zagreb carry on to the 7th, and Cologne's Heinzels Wintermarchen runs to 10 January. We ran every market file through the date engine behind our [New Year's Eve](/open/new-years-eve), [New Year's Day](/open/new-years-day) and [Epiphany](/open/epiphany) pages and checked each organizer's notes on holiday hours. A date marked confirmed comes from the organizer's own page. Announced means a tourism board published it, and projected means nobody has yet, so the date comes from past seasons. | Market | City | Country | New Year's Eve | New Year's Day | Last day | 2026 dates | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) | Berlin | Germany | 12:00–24:00, DJ and fireworks | Closed | 31 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Brno Christmas Market on Zelny trh](/markets/brno-zelny-trh) | Brno | Czechia | Not published | Closed | 31 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market](/markets/budapest-vorosmarty-square) | Budapest | Hungary | 11:00–03:00, food and drink | Closed | 31 Dec 2026 | Confirmed | | [Obernai Christmas Market](/markets/obernai-christmas-market) | Obernai | France | 10:00–16:00 | Closed | 31 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Mirabellplatz Christmas Market](/markets/salzburg-mirabellplatz) | Salzburg | Austria | 10:00–19:00, food stands later | Closed | 31 Dec 2026 | Announced | | [Advent Bazilika](/markets/budapest-advent-bazilika) | Budapest | Hungary | 11:00–03:00 | 11:00–18:00 | 1 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) | Salzburg | Austria | 10:00–01:00, craft stalls to at least 18:00 | 11:00–18:00 | 1 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) | Traben-Trarbach | Germany | Weekends only | Weekends only | 2 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church](/markets/berlin-breitscheidplatz) | Berlin | Germany | Not out yet (2025: 11:00–20:00) | Not out yet (2025: 13:00–21:00) | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) | Berlin | Germany | Closed | 12:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Bruges Christmas Market](/markets/bruges-christmas-market) | Bruges | Belgium | 11:00–20:00, some stalls to 03:00 | Fewer stalls; times not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Brussels Winter Wonders](/markets/brussels-winter-wonders) | Brussels | Belgium | 12:00–18:00 | Not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market](/markets/cesky-krumlov-namesti-svornosti) | Cesky Krumlov | Czechia | DJ party on the square 20:00–01:30 | 10:00–19:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Colmar Gourmet Christmas Market](/markets/colmar-gourmet-market) | Colmar | France | 11:00–17:00 | 11:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Cologne Harbour Christmas Market](/markets/cologne-harbour-market) | Cologne | Germany | Not published | 11:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) | Copenhagen | Denmark | 11:00–00:00, fireworks at midnight | 11:00–23:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Augustusmarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-augustusmarkt) | Dresden | Germany | Until 02:00 | Closed | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Advent on the Neumarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-neumarkt-advent) | Dresden | Germany | 13:00–00:30 | Closed | 3 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) | Ghent | Belgium | Not published | Not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Koblenz Christmas Market](/markets/koblenz-christmas-market) | Koblenz | Germany | 11:00–16:00, food and drink only | Closed | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [WinterGlow Valkenburg](/markets/valkenburg-winterglow) | Valkenburg | Netherlands | 12:00–18:00 | 12:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Edinburgh's Christmas Market](/markets/edinburgh-christmas) | Edinburgh | United Kingdom | 10:00–17:00 | 12:00–20:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) | London | United Kingdom | 11:00–22:00 | 11:00–22:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) | Riga | Latvia | 10:00–02:00 | 12:00–20:00 | 3 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Ljubljana Festive Fair](/markets/ljubljana-festive-december) | Ljubljana | Slovenia | Not published | Not published | 3 Jan 2027 | Projected | | [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) | Baden-Baden | Germany | 11:00–15:00 (2025 hours) | 13:00–21:00 (last season's hours) | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) | Dresden | Germany | Closed | Closed | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) | Innsbruck | Austria | 12:00–17:00 | 12:00–18:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-maria-theresien-strasse) | Innsbruck | Austria | 11:00–19:00 | 11:00–21:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) | Prague | Czechia | Not out yet (2025: 10:00–15:00) | Not out yet (2025: 12:00–22:00) | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) | Prague | Czechia | Not out yet (2025: 10:00–15:00) | Not out yet (2025: 12:00–22:00) | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) | Vienna | Austria | 10:00–19:00 | 10:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Bolzano Christmas Market](/markets/bolzano-christkindlmarkt) | Bolzano | Italy | 10:00–18:00 | 11:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Brixen Christmas Market](/markets/brixen-christmas-market) | Brixen | Italy | 10:00–16:00; food stalls again 21:00–02:00 | 12:00–19:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Merano Christmas Market](/markets/merano-christmas-market) | Merano | Italy | 10:00–15:30, food stalls to 17:00 | 10:00–20:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Trento Christmas Market](/markets/trento-christmas-market) | Trento | Italy | 10:00–18:00 | 10:00–20:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) | Tallinn | Estonia | Celebration on the square; hours not published | 10:00–20:00 | 6 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Krakow Christmas Market](/markets/krakow-main-square) | Krakow | Poland | Not published | Not published | 6 Jan 2027 | Announced | | [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) | Wroclaw | Poland | 10:00–02:00, craft huts to 17:00 | Closed | 7 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Advent Zagreb](/markets/zagreb-advent) | Zagreb | Croatia | Not published | Not published | 7 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | | [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) | Budapest | Hungary | Not published | Not published | 9 Jan 2027 | Projected | | [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) | Cologne | Germany | 11:00–21:00 | 11:00–21:00 | 10 Jan 2027 | Confirmed | #### Where can you see in the New Year at a Christmas market? Budapest stays up latest. [Advent Bazilika](/markets/budapest-advent-bazilika) in front of St Stephen's Basilica and the [Vorosmarty Square Christmas Market](/markets/budapest-vorosmarty-square) both open from 11:00 on 31 December 2026 until 03:00 on 1 January 2027, and both organizers confirm it. Advent Bazilika suits anyone who wants the light show on the church front every half hour from 17:30, and seating there is scarcer than on Vörösmarty tér. Vörösmarty Square sells food and drink only by then, because its craft stalls finished on 28 December. Salzburg throws a party in the old town. The [Salzburg Christkindlmarkt](/markets/salzburg-christkindlmarkt) keeps its craft stalls open until at least 18:00 on New Year's Eve, and selected food and drink stands carry on until 01:00 for the celebration on the Kapitelplatz. [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) stays open until midnight and ends the year with fireworks, and the entry ticket (from 180 DKK for ages eight and up in 2026) still applies. In Berlin, [WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt](/markets/berlin-gendarmenmarkt) closes its season with a DJ and fireworks and runs to midnight, according to visitBerlin. The [Riga Christmas Market](/markets/riga-dome-square) stays open until 02:00 on 1 January. The food and drink huts at the [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) keep going to 02:00 as well, and its craft huts close at 17:00. In Brixen the food stalls reopen from 21:00 to 02:00 after the craft stalls shut at 16:00. Tallinn plans a celebration on Town Hall Square and hasn't published its hours yet. Dresden has two late markets that night. The [Augustusmarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-augustusmarkt) stays open until 02:00, according to Dresden's tourism pages, and [Advent on the Neumarkt, Dresden](/markets/dresden-neumarkt-advent) runs from 13:00 to 00:30. The Stallhof market closes for 31 December and 1 January. Plenty of others close early on the 31st. Brussels Winter Wonders shuts at 18:00 and holds no Grand-Place show that evening, and the Colmar gourmet market and its Ferris wheel close at 17:00. Edinburgh's market closes at 17:00 for Hogmanay, and Merano's craft stalls stop at 15:30. Koblenz keeps its food and drink stands going until 16:00. Berlin's Rotes Rathaus market closes for the day. #### Which markets open on New Year's Day? All 37 of the markets that run into January have 1 January 2027 inside their run, and several of them still close for the day. The Augustusmarkt and Advent on the Neumarkt in Dresden, the Stallhof market and the Koblenz Christmas Market all shut on New Year's Day and reopen on 2 January. The Wroclaw Christmas Market closes for the day as well. Bruges opens with fewer stalls and shorter hours, Visit Bruges says, without giving the times. The safest bets publish hours that cover the day. [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) opens from 11:00 to 21:00, [Christmas in Tivoli](/markets/copenhagen-tivoli) from 11:00 to 23:00 and the [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) from 10:00 to 19:00. Innsbruck's Hungerburg market opens with public holiday hours from 12:00 to 18:00, and Maria-Theresien-Strasse keeps its usual 11:00 to 21:00. The [Christmas fair in Hyde Park](/markets/london-hyde-park) opens 11:00 to 22:00, and Merano's craft stalls run on holiday hours from 10:00 to 20:00. It's also the final day for the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt, which closes at 18:00, and for Advent Bazilika, where the organizer closed the 2025 season with a lentil day (Lencsenap) on 1 January. #### Which markets are still open on the first weekend of January? Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 January 2027 make a good last weekend, and 3 January is the final day for 17 markets. [Brussels Winter Wonders](/markets/brussels-winter-wonders) closes at 18:00 that Sunday, and the [Bruges Christmas Market](/markets/bruges-christmas-market) runs to the same day. The [Ghent Winter Festival](/markets/ghent-winter-festival) is running into January for the first time, because the City of Ghent extended it to the last Sunday of the Christmas holidays. In Berlin, the [Berliner Weihnachtszeit at the Rotes Rathaus](/markets/berlin-rotes-rathaus) closes at 20:00 on the 3rd. Dresden's Augustusmarkt and Advent on the Neumarkt both reopen for 2 and 3 January. The [Cesky Krumlov Christmas Market](/markets/cesky-krumlov-namesti-svornosti) runs until the 3rd as well and suits a couple who want a small square under a castle. The trade-off is size, since one square holds every stall. The [Mosel Wine Christmas Market (Traben-Trarbach)](/markets/traben-trarbach-mosel-wine-christmas-market) puts its stalls in old wine cellars and opens on weekends only, and Saturday 2 January is its last day. #### Which Christmas markets stay open until Epiphany? Fifteen markets with confirmed dates open on Wednesday 6 January 2027. These eight are the ones in Prague, Vienna, Germany and Innsbruck, and each suits a different trip. - [Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-old-town-square) suits anyone who wants the postcard version of a Czech Christmas, with the Týn Church towers behind the tree. It's the busiest and dearest square in Prague, so go on a weekday morning after the 10:00 opening. - [Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market](/markets/prague-wenceslas-square) keeps the same dates and hours as Old Town Square and gives you more room to move. It sits on a long shopping boulevard, so you trade the Gothic backdrop for space. - [Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market](/markets/vienna-schonbrunn) has the longest season of Vienna's big markets and works for families, with skates for hire and an ice rink in the palace courtyard. The palace is out in Hietzing, about 600 metres on foot from the nearest U4 stations, so plan it as its own outing. Stalls close at 19:00 from 25 December. - [Baden-Baden Christkindelsmarkt](/markets/baden-baden-christkindelsmarkt) suits travellers who want an elegant market in the Kurgarten in front of the Kurhaus. The station is a bus ride from the centre. On 6 January 2026 it closed at 18:00, and the 2027 hours are still to be set. - [Innsbruck Maria-Theresien-Strasse Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-maria-theresien-strasse) lines the main shopping street with 30 stalls and opens 11:00 to 21:00 through Epiphany. The market by the Golden Roof has more old-town charm and closes on 23 December. - [Innsbruck Hungerburg Christmas Market](/markets/innsbruck-hungerburg) sits at the top of the Hungerburgbahn funicular and gives you the view over Innsbruck's lights. It has 10 stalls and closes at 18:00 after Christmas, so ride up in the afternoon. - [Medieval Christmas Market in the Stallhof, Dresden](/markets/dresden-stallhof-medieval-market) runs its Rauhnächte programme from 2 to 6 January, closing at 20:00 and at 18:00 on the 6th. It suits anyone who wants torchlight and live music inside the palace walls, and adults pay 5 euros at weekends (published for 2026). - [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) outlasts all of them and stays on the Heumarkt until 10 January 2027. Families come for the ice rink, and the curling lanes book out early, so reserve one before you travel. Epiphany is a public holiday in Austria, and the Hungerburg market opens with holiday hours from 12:00 to 18:00 on its last day. The rest of the confirmed list sits further south and east. The [Bolzano Christmas Market](/markets/bolzano-christkindlmarkt) has run since 1991 and is the oldest in Italy. Its 112 stalls open 10:00 to 19:00 on the 6th. The trade-off is a crowd of about a million visitors a season. Merano and Brixen close at 18:00 that day, and Trento's market does too. The [Tallinn Christmas Market](/markets/tallinn-town-hall-square) keeps 10:00 to 20:00 to the end and suits families who want everything on one square. The [Wroclaw Christmas Market](/markets/wroclaw-market-square) and [Advent Zagreb](/markets/zagreb-advent) both run a day past Epiphany, to 7 January. Kraków's market is announced to 6 January, and the organizer's call for traders gives 3 or 6 January, so check the last day before you plan around it. #### Do any markets run past Epiphany? Four do on our files, and one of them is a projection. [Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)](/markets/cologne-heinzels-wintermarchen) has a confirmed run to Sunday 10 January 2027. The Wroclaw Christmas Market and Advent Zagreb both have confirmed runs to Thursday 7 January 2027, and Zagreb hasn't published its 2026 hours yet. In 2025, its first season, the [Budapest Christmas Market at Varoshaza Park](/markets/budapest-varoshaza-park) ran until Saturday 10 January 2026. Nothing for 2026 is out yet, so we project 9 January 2027 and you should treat that date as unconfirmed until the city publishes. Bern's city listings also show a New Year's market on the Waisenhausplatz from 4 to 9 January 2027. That's a separate market from the [Bern Christmas Market on Waisenhausplatz](/markets/bern-waisenhausplatz), which ends on Christmas Eve. #### How firm are these dates and hours? Every last day in the table comes from the organizer except the rows marked announced or projected. The holiday hours are less settled. Prague's organizer Taiko publishes 10:00 to 22:00 daily for 2026 and no holiday hours yet; in 2025 both squares ran 10:00 to 15:00 on New Year's Eve and 12:00 to 22:00 on New Year's Day. Baden-Baden's organizer lists its special-day hours as to be confirmed, so we show the last season's. The Cologne harbour market's host lists no hours for New Year's Eve. Our [New Year's Eve page](/open/new-years-eve) and [Epiphany page](/open/epiphany) read the same market files and change when the files do. For the week before, see [markets open after Christmas](/guides/which-christmas-markets-are-open-after-christmas). #### Quick answers ##### Which Christmas markets are open until New Year? Thirty-seven of the 182 markets on this site run into January 2027. Christmas in Tivoli, Heinzels Wintermarchen in Cologne, the Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market and both big Prague squares open on 1 January 2027. ##### Are any Christmas markets open on New Year's Eve? Yes. Advent Bazilika and Vorosmarty Square in Budapest open until 03:00 on 1 January 2027, and the Riga Christmas Market stays open until 02:00. ##### Which Christmas markets are open until Epiphany? Fifteen markets with confirmed dates open on 6 January 2027. Among them are Prague's Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square markets, the Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market in Vienna, the Bolzano Christmas Market and the Tallinn Christmas Market, and Cologne's Heinzels Wintermarchen runs on to 10 January 2027. ##### Is the Prague Christmas market open in January? Yes. The Prague Old Town Square Christmas Market and the Prague Wenceslas Square Christmas Market run until 6 January 2027, open 10:00 to 22:00 daily, and the organizer has confirmed the dates. ##### Which Christmas market stays open the longest into January? Heinzels Wintermarchen in Cologne stays open longest among confirmed dates, until 10 January 2027 on the Heumarkt. The Budapest market at Városháza Park is projected to run to 9 January 2027. ##### Is the Vienna Christmas market open in January? The Schonbrunn Palace Christmas Market is open until 6 January 2027, from 10:00 to 19:00 after Christmas. The Vienna Christmas Market at Rathausplatz closes on 26 December 2026.