Bonn
50°44′ N 7°06′ ECityPop. 323,587The Rhineland
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.
Photo Sir James · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery
Who should base here
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.
Take the train from Bonn
- Bonn to Colognefastest 20 min, published by Deutsche Bahn (checked Oct 10, 2026) · timetable
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.
Quick answers about Bonn
When is the Bonn Christmas market 2026?
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.
Is Bonn a good place to stay?
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.
