Updated 31 October 2026. Market dates and bus and train details checked against the organizers’ and transport operators’ 2026 information.
Short answer: The easiest Christmas markets near Salzburg are just across the border in Bavaria. The Berchtesgadener Advent (20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027) is about 55 minutes away on bus 840, and the Bad Reichenhall Christkindlmarkt (20 November to 24 December) is about 45 minutes by S-Bahn, with a change in Freilassing. For a weekend, the candle-lit markets in Burghausen are about an hour away by car.
We live close to the Austrian border, so Salzburg feels like a neighbor to us. Its own Christkindlmarkt on the Domplatz and Residenzplatz is one of the most beautiful in Europe, and it runs from 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027. But if you’re staying a few days, the Bavarian markets next door make a great change of scene, with mountains all around and a more village feel. 🎄
Berchtesgaden: the Advent market below the Watzmann
The Berchtesgadener Advent fills the old town between the royal palace and the collegiate church, with the Watzmann mountain all around. There’s a lantern trail above town and a kids’ area with a maze of 300 Christmas trees. It’s one of the few markets that runs past Christmas.
| Berchtesgadener Advent 2026 | |
|---|---|
| Dates | 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027 (closed 25 December) |
| Until 23 December | Mon to Fri 12:00 to 20:00, Sat and Sun 11:00 to 20:00 (also open on Sunday 22 November) |
| 24 and 31 December | 10:00 to 16:00 |
| 26 December to 3 January | Mon to Fri 12:00 to 19:00, Sat and Sun 11:00 to 19:00 |
| Entry | Free |
How to get from Salzburg to Berchtesgaden
- Bus 840 leaves Salzburg Hauptbahnhof from platform J (Bussteig J) and also stops at Mirabellplatz. It takes about 55 minutes to Berchtesgaden (ZOB, the bus station at the train station) and runs about hourly. Pay cash on this bus.
- Check the last bus back. In the winter 2026/27 timetable, the last bus from Berchtesgaden to Salzburg leaves at 19:15, so plan your evening around it, or take the train.
- Train: take the S-Bahn from Salzburg to Freilassing and change to the S4 to Berchtesgaden Hbf. It takes a little longer (roughly an hour and a quarter with the change), but trains run later in the evening.
Bad Reichenhall: the spa-town market
The Bad Reichenhall Christkindlmarkt sits on the Rathausplatz of this elegant spa town, with regional food and crafts and the mountains right behind the town hall. It runs from 20 November to 24 December, daily 12:00 to 20:00, until 21:00 on Fridays and Saturdays, and 10:00 to 13:00 on Christmas Eve.
Getting there: take the S-Bahn from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof to Freilassing (about 12 minutes) and change to the S4, which reaches Bad Reichenhall in about 20 minutes. Bad Reichenhall is on the same line as Berchtesgaden, so you can do both in one day: Berchtesgaden in the afternoon, then Bad Reichenhall for the evening, when it’s open later.
Burghausen: castle and candlelight on two weekends
Burghausen has the world’s longest castle, and in Advent it hosts two special markets:
- Advent in den Grüben, on 27 to 29 November and 4 to 6 December: a small, candle-lit market along the old lanes below the castle, with about 30 regional sellers. Friday 16:00 to 21:00, Saturday 15:00 to 21:00, Sunday 15:00 to 20:00.
- Burgweihnacht, on 11 to 13 December: a market inside the castle itself, with crafts, stories, a fire show and concerts in the castle chapel. Adults €5, under-18s free.
Getting there: Burghausen is about an hour from Salzburg by car. By train it’s slow, with at least two changes (via Freilassing and Mühldorf or Tüßling), so if you don’t have a car, it’s better as an overnight trip. Our medieval and castle Christmas markets guide has more markets like this one.
Tickets: what works across the border?
- Deutschlandticket: valid on the trains between Salzburg Hauptbahnhof and Freilassing, and on the S4 to Bad Reichenhall and Berchtesgaden. On bus 840, it’s only valid on the German section (to and from the Zollhäuser stop), so you need an extra ticket for the Austrian part. Our Deutschlandticket guide explains how it works.
- Bayern-Ticket: a Bavarian day ticket for up to five people. It’s accepted on bus 840, and you can buy it from the driver. On weekdays it’s valid from 9:00, and on weekends and on 24 and 31 December from midnight.
- Without either: on bus 840, a day ticket for the whole route costs €14.10.
A two-day plan from Salzburg
- Day 1: Salzburg’s Christkindlmarkt in the morning (it opens at 9:00 on Saturdays and Sundays), then the S-Bahn to Bad Reichenhall for the afternoon and evening.
- Day 2: bus 840 to Berchtesgaden around midday, the Advent market and lantern trail as it gets dark, then back to Salzburg by train via Freilassing.
- Early December: Salzburg’s Krampus run is on Saturday 5 December at 18:30 on the Christmas market. Our Krampus run guide lists the others in Bavaria and Tyrol.
Coming from Munich instead? Our Christmas market day trips from Munich cover Rosenheim, the Chiemsee and Salzburg, and the Christmas market calendar has every date. If you’re staying past Christmas, Berchtesgaden and Salzburg are both on our list of Christmas markets still open after Christmas.
Pfiat di (take care), Brian
FAQ
How do I get from Salzburg to the Berchtesgaden Christmas market?
Take bus 840 from Salzburg Hauptbahnhof (platform J) to Berchtesgaden, about 55 minutes, paying cash on board. In winter 2026/27 the last bus back leaves Berchtesgaden at 19:15. You can also take the S-Bahn to Freilassing and the S4 to Berchtesgaden, which runs later.
When is the Berchtesgaden Christmas market in 2026?
The Berchtesgadener Advent runs from 20 November 2026 to 3 January 2027, closed on 25 December. Until 23 December it’s open Monday to Friday 12:00 to 20:00 and Saturday and Sunday 11:00 to 20:00.
Is the Deutschlandticket valid from Salzburg?
Yes, on the trains between Salzburg Hauptbahnhof and Freilassing and on the S4 to Bad Reichenhall and Berchtesgaden. On bus 840 it’s only valid on the German section, to and from the Zollhäuser stop.
When is the Salzburg Christmas market in 2026?
The Salzburg Christkindlmarkt on the Domplatz and Residenzplatz runs from Thursday 19 November 2026 to 1 January 2027, with free entry.
Sources
Checked on 31 October 2026:
- Berchtesgadener Advent
- Bad Reichenhall Christkindlmarkt
- Visit Burghausen: Christmas markets
- Salzburger Christkindlmarkt: opening hours
- Salzburg.info: Christkindlmarkt program (Krampus run 5 December)
- Albus Salzburg: line 840 (platform J, cash only, Deutschland-Ticket and Bayern-Ticket rules)
- DB Regio Bus: Watzmann-Express line 840 (fares)
- Königssee: line 840 timetable valid from 25 October 2026 (PDF)
- BRB: S4 Freilassing to Berchtesgaden timetables
- Deutschlandticket: cross-border routes (Freilassing to Salzburg Hbf)
Top photo: Geolina163, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.