Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)
Heinzels Wintermärchen50°56′ N 6°58′ EColognefrom Nov 23Seasonal
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.
Photo Superbass · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town) runs November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027 · confirmed by the organizer (source)
Advent SundaysGaudete, 13 DecemberChristmas Eve
Dates and hours
- November 23, 2026 to January 10, 2027Confirmedsourcechecked Oct 10, 2026
Hours · Mon–Sun 11:00–22:00
- Dec 24, 2026 · closed (Christmas Eve)
- Dec 25, 2026 · closed (Christmas Day)
Access and crowds
- Busiest
- Weekend evenings and the days between Christmas and New Year, when it is one of the few Cologne markets still open.
The theme comes from the Heinzelmännchen, little helpers who did the craftsmen's work at night until a curious tailor's wife drove them off, in the poem August Kopisch published in 1836. The organizer lays the two old-town squares out as themed lanes and small plazas with more than 100 stalls between them. The Heumarkt carries the ice rink, which loops around the square's equestrian statue.
This is the Cologne market to plan around if your trip runs past Christmas. It reopens on 26 December and keeps the rink going until 10 January 2027, closing at 21:00 from New Year's Eve. The Alter Markt half shuts on 23 December, so the Heumarkt carries the whole show after that.
Worth knowing
- Book curling lanes ahead through the market's ticket site; walk-up lanes are rare on weekend evenings.
- Walk down to the Rhine from the Heumarkt and follow the river south to reach the harbour market at the Chocolate Museum.
Quick answers about Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)
Is Cologne's Heumarkt Christmas market open after Christmas?
Yes. Heinzels Wintermärchen on the Heumarkt reopens on 26 December 2026 and runs until 10 January 2027, from 11:00 to 21:00 from 31 December. It is closed on 24 and 25 December.
Is there ice skating at the Cologne Christmas markets?
Yes. Heinzels Wintermärchen runs an ice rink on the Heumarkt from 23 November 2026 into January 2027. The organizer sells rink and curling tickets through its own ticket site.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Heinzels Wintermarchen (Cologne Old Town)
Dates guide · 6 min read
Is the Cologne Christmas market cancelled in 2026?
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.
Guide · 12 min read
What's open in Europe on Christmas Eve?
Seventy-nine markets open on 24 December 2026, and most of them close by 18:30, so do your last shopping before dark.
Guide · 10 min read
When do Christmas markets open in Germany in 2026?
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.
Guide · 23 min read
When do Europe's Christmas markets open and close in 2026?
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.