Updated October 2026. All dates below are for the 2026 season.
The first big German Christmas market opens on Monday 16 November, so it’s about time to start planning. Here are the 2026 opening dates for some of the best-known markets, plus a few from our corner of Bavaria. I checked every date against the organizer’s own website.
2026 opening dates at a glance
| Market | 2026 dates |
|---|---|
| Christmas Market at Cologne Cathedral | Mon 16 Nov to Wed 23 Dec |
| Munich Christkindlmarkt (Marienplatz) | Fri 20 Nov to Thu 24 Dec |
| Dresden Striezelmarkt | Wed 25 Nov to Thu 24 Dec |
| Fraueninsel Christkindlmarkt (island market on the Chiemsee) | Two long weekends only: Thu 26 to Sun 29 Nov, and Thu 3 to Sun 6 Dec |
| Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt | Fri 27 Nov to Thu 24 Dec |
| Rosenheim Christkindlmarkt | Fri 27 Nov to Thu 24 Dec |
| Kieferer Dorfadvent (our village market in Kiefersfelden) | Fri 27 Nov, 15:00 to 21:00 |
A few things worth knowing
- Munich opens earlier this year. For the first time, the Marienplatz market starts on the Friday before Totensonntag, so you get an extra weekend.
- Sunday 22 November is Totensonntag, a quiet day of remembrance. Munich’s Marienplatz market and the Cologne Cathedral market are closed that day, even though they’re already open. Plan your first weekend around it.
- Nuremberg’s opening night is worth catching. The Christkind opens the market with a prologue from the church balcony at 17:30 on Friday 27 November, and the market stays open until 22:00 that night.
- Dresden opens in the late afternoon. On day one (25 November) the Striezelmarkt runs 16:00 to 21:00, then 10:00 to 21:00 daily.
- Fraueninsel is easy to miss. It’s only open those two long weekends, and you get there by boat from Prien. If you buy your boat ticket on board, bring cash.
- Our village market is one evening at the Blaahaus industrial museum, with music and St. Nicholas in the afternoon.
Hours vary from market to market, so check before you go. All the dates and hours for 55 markets are in one place:
See the 2026 Christmas market calendar
One tip for families: Rosenheim on a Wednesday
Wednesdays are family days at the Rosenheim Christkindlmarkt: 2, 9, 16 and 23 December. There are Kasperl puppet shows (classic German puppet theater for kids) at 14:00 and 15:00, free horse-drawn carriage rides from 13:30 to 16:00, and cheaper rides on the carousels. St. Nicholas arrives by carriage on Saturday 5 December at 16:00. Rosenheim is under an hour from Munich by train, so it’s an easy afternoon trip.
My tip: bring some coins for the mug deposit and order a Kinderpunsch, the alcohol-free punch for kids.
Rosenheim Christkindlmarkt: dates and hours
New on the site
- Nuremberg Christmas Market 2026: dates, hours, opening night, the kids’ market, the lantern procession, what to eat and how to get there from Munich.
- Munich Christmas Markets 2026: Marienplatz, the Residenz, the medieval market, the Chinese Tower, Tollwood and more, with dates, hours and family tips.
- Christmas Markets Near Munich: 5 Day Trips by Train: Rosenheim, Fraueninsel, Kufstein, Salzburg and Oberaudorf by regional train.
- Krampus Runs 2026 in Bavaria & Tyrol: where and when to see one, Krampus vs. Perchten, and tips if you’re bringing kids.
Planning a trip and stuck on something? Ask me here. I answer as many questions as I can.
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Pfiat di (take care),
Brian