🎄 Christmas markets 2026: Cologne opens 16 Nov, Munich 20 Nov, Nuremberg 27 Nov. See every date →

When Do Christmas Markets Open in Germany? 2026 Opening Dates by City

Updated 31 October 2026. All dates checked against the organizers’ 2026 announcements.

Short answer: In 2026 most German Christmas markets open between Monday 16 November and Friday 27 November. Cologne’s big markets go first on 16 November, Munich opens on 20 November, and Nuremberg waits until Friday 27 November. Many markets stay closed on Sunday 22 November (Totensonntag), and most close on 22 or 23 December, or at lunchtime on Christmas Eve.

Every town sets its own dates, which makes planning a trip a little tricky. 🎄 That’s why we keep a big Christmas market calendar and check every date with the organizers. You can also see every market on our Christmas markets map. Here’s the quick version for 2026.

Why don’t all German Christmas markets open on the same day?

There’s no national opening day. Each city or organizer decides, but most follow the church calendar:

  • First Sunday of Advent: 29 November 2026. Traditionally, Christmas markets belong to Advent, so some towns (Nuremberg is the famous one) open on the Friday just before it.
  • Totensonntag: Sunday 22 November 2026, a Protestant day of remembrance for the dead. In many German states it’s a protected “quiet day”, so lots of markets either start on Monday 23 November or close for that one Sunday.
  • Big-city markets start earlier every year, because visitors come from all over Europe. Cologne, Düsseldorf, Munich and Freiburg all open before Totensonntag and simply pause on 22 November.

2026 opening dates by city

Here’s when the best-known markets open, and when they close. Each name links to our page with hours, tips and how to get there.

OpensMarketLast day
Mon 16 NovCologne Cathedral, Markt der Engel (Cologne)23 Dec
Thu 19 NovFreiburg, Landshut, Chinese Tower (Munich)23 Dec
Thu 19 NovDüsseldorf30 Dec
Fri 20 NovMunich Marienplatz, Bad Reichenhall24 Dec
Fri 20 NovMedieval market, Munich, Rothenburg, Thurn und Taxis (Regensburg), Aachen23 Dec
Fri 20 NovTrier22 Dec
Fri 20 NovBerchtesgaden, Garmisch-Partenkirchen3 Jan / 5 Jan
Mon 23 NovAugsburg24 Dec
Mon 23 NovFrankfurt, Heidelberg22 Dec
Mon 23 NovHamburg, Bremen, Münster, Regensburg, Heinzels (Cologne)23 Dec
Mon 23 NovGendarmenmarkt (Berlin), Lübeck31 Dec / 30 Dec
Tue 24 NovBamberg, Leipzig, Tollwood (Munich)23 Dec
Tue 24 NovPassau, Erfurt, Esslingen, Ludwigsburg22 Dec
Wed 25 NovStuttgart23 Dec
Wed 25 NovDresden Striezelmarkt24 Dec
Fri 27 NovNuremberg, Rosenheim, Bad Tölz24 Dec
Fri 27 NovWürzburg, Wasserburg am Inn, Gengenbach23 Dec

Just over the border, the Salzburg Christkindlmarkt in Austria opens on Thursday 19 November and runs until 1 January 2027.

Are Christmas markets open on Totensonntag (22 November)?

Many aren’t, so this is the one Sunday to plan around. In 2026 these markets are already open that week but close on Sunday 22 November: Munich’s Marienplatz market and the medieval market on Wittelsbacherplatz, the Cologne Cathedral market and Markt der Engel, Düsseldorf, Freiburg, Landshut, Rothenburg, Trier and the Thurn und Taxis palace market in Regensburg.

A few do open. Aachen opens that evening only, from 18:00 to 21:00, and Berchtesgaden’s Advent market is open as usual. If you’re in Germany that weekend, Saturday 21 November is the better market day.

Are German Christmas markets open on Sundays?

Yes. Apart from Totensonntag, almost every market is open on Sundays, and the four Advent Sundays (29 November, 6, 13 and 20 December) are some of the most popular days of the season. Sunday hours are sometimes a little shorter. A few examples for 2026:

  • Munich Marienplatz: Sunday 10:00 to 20:00 (Monday to Saturday until 21:00).
  • Frankfurt: Sunday 11:00 to 21:00.
  • Freiburg: Sunday 11:30 to 19:30.
  • Bamberg: Sunday 11:00 to 20:00.

Shops in Germany are closed on Sundays, but the markets aren’t, so a Sunday market visit is a very German way to spend the day. My tip: go on Sunday morning or around lunchtime, when it’s calmer, and save the evening glow for a weekday.

Some markets are only open on weekends

Lots of the smaller, cozier markets only open on Advent weekends or for a few days. Mittenwald runs for just four days (10 to 13 December), Oberammergau for one Sunday (29 November), the island market on the Fraueninsel in the Chiemsee for two long weekends, and Lindau’s harbor market only from Thursday to Sunday. We put all of them in one list: weekend and short Christmas markets in Bavaria.

When do German Christmas markets close?

Most close on 22 or 23 December. The ones that run until Christmas Eve usually close at lunchtime that day: Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg and Dresden at 14:00, Rosenheim and Bad Reichenhall at 13:00. Berlin’s Gendarmenmarkt stays open on 24 December until 18:00.

Missed them? A good number stay open between Christmas and New Year, like Garmisch-Partenkirchen (to 5 January), Berchtesgaden (to 3 January), Düsseldorf (to 30 December) and the Gendarmenmarkt (to 31 December). Here’s our full list of Christmas markets still open after Christmas.

When is the best time to visit?

  • The first week (16 to 28 November) is calmer, and it’s a nice time to see the stalls before the December rush.
  • Weekday afternoons are the easiest time at the big-city markets. Fridays and Saturdays from late afternoon are the most popular.
  • Opening evenings are special: Nuremberg’s Christkind opens the market on Friday 27 November at 17:30, and Munich’s medieval market starts on Friday 20 November at 18:00.
  • Dark comes early. In December it’s dark by about half past four, so you get the full lights effect even on an early visit.

Planning a trip around the markets? Our German Christmas markets guide has our favorites, and the Munich Christmas markets and Nuremberg Christmas market guides go into detail. If you’re using the trains, the Deutschlandticket guide explains the cheapest way to hop between towns.

Frohe Weihnachten (merry Christmas)! Pfiat di, Brian

FAQ

When do Christmas markets start in Germany in 2026?

Most German Christmas markets open between Monday 16 November and Friday 27 November 2026. Cologne opens first on 16 November, Munich on 20 November, many big markets on Monday 23 November, and Nuremberg on Friday 27 November.

Are Christmas markets open on Totensonntag?

Many are closed on Totensonntag, which is Sunday 22 November 2026. Munich, Cologne, Düsseldorf, Freiburg, Rothenburg and Trier all close that day. Aachen opens only from 18:00 to 21:00, and Berchtesgaden is open as usual.

Are German Christmas markets open on Sundays?

Yes. Apart from Totensonntag, almost all markets are open on Sundays, sometimes with slightly shorter hours. The Advent Sundays are among the most popular days.

Are Christmas markets open on Christmas Eve?

Some are, but only until midday or early afternoon. Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg and Dresden close at 14:00 on 24 December. Most other markets close on 22 or 23 December.

When does the Nuremberg Christmas market open in 2026?

The Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt opens on Friday 27 November 2026, with the Christkind’s opening prologue at 17:30, and runs until 24 December.

Sources

Checked on 31 October 2026:

Top photo: Lothar Weber, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

🎄 Free Germany packing list from our family in BavariaGet it