Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt
Reiterlesmarkt49°23′ N 10°11′ ERothenburg ob der Tauberfrom Nov 20Seasonal
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.
Photo Rosty · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt runs November 20, 2026 to December 23, 2026 · confirmed by the organizer (source)
Advent SundaysGaudete, 13 DecemberChristmas Eve
The market spreads over the squares between the Rathaus and St. Jakob: the Marktplatz, the Grüner Markt, the Kirchplatz and the Rathaus courtyard. In 2025 there were 61 stalls, and local clubs ran many of them. Stalls sell tree decorations, Lebkuchen, craft and the town's Schneeballen pastries. Look for weißer Glühwein, a mulled white wine the tourism service calls typical of the area.
The Reiterle gives the market its name. In the old story it was a dark rider who crossed the winter sky with the souls of the dead, and over the centuries it turned into a friendly messenger of Christmas. The 2026 run starts on Friday 20 November, a week before Advent, and ends on 23 December. Rothenburg moved its start a week earlier in 2025. That year the mayor welcomed the crowd at 17:00 on the first Friday, and the Reiterle kept its own entrance for the Friday before Advent, riding onto the Marktplatz at 17:00 on 28 November. The tourism service hasn't posted the 2026 times.
Hours are the one muddle for 2026. The tourism service's calendar shows every day from 11:00 to 20:00. Its hours text still carries the 2025 pattern of 19:00 on Sunday to Thursday and 20:00 on Friday and Saturday. The market is closed on Totensonntag, 22 November 2026.
Worth knowing
- Count on the market closing at 19:00 from Sunday to Thursday until the tourism service confirms the longer 2026 hours.
- Skip Sunday 22 November 2026: the stalls are shut for Totensonntag.
Quick answers about Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt
When is the Rothenburg Christmas market in 2026?
The Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt runs from Friday 20 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, and it is closed on Totensonntag, 22 November. Rothenburg Tourismus Service publishes the dates.
Is the Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt open on Christmas Eve?
No. The Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt's last day in 2026 is 23 December.
What time does the Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt close?
The 2026 calendar from Rothenburg Tourismus Service shows the Reiterlesmarkt open 11:00 to 20:00 daily. The hours text on the same page still gives the 2025 times of 11:00 to 19:00 from Sunday to Thursday and 11:00 to 20:00 on Friday and Saturday, so plan on the earlier closing until the page agrees with itself.
In the journal and guides
Read more about Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt
Guide · 9 min read
Are German Christmas markets open on Sunday?
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.
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.