Tis the season to deck the halls and fill your soul with festive cheer! And where better to embrace the season than at some of Europe’s Christmas markets? With twinkling lights, roasting nuts, spiced wine, handmade crafts, Christmas carols, and local festive traditions, we think Germany might have the most magical Christmas markets in all of Europe.
Pack your warmest coat, grab your mittens, and let’s set out to explore Germany’s most beloved Christmas markets – while considering your wallet. Yes, with so many stalls, delicious smells, and tempting treats on offer it is easy to blow your budget.
Below we’ve rounded up the best Christmas markets in Germany, followed by a guide on what to eat, drink, and buy and tips on how to keep things budget-friendly so your holiday season is truly special.
You can experience all these German Christmas markets on one of Trafalgar’s Christmas market tours.
How to stick to your budget at German Christmas markets and other tips
Take cash! Germany is a country that loves cold, hard cash so don’t be surprised if small stallholders refuse to take cards.
One good way to stick to your budget is by taking cash and only spending what you have. You could budget around €30 to €50 for each market, which should be enough to buy drinks, bratwurst and other snacks. For food you can expect to pay around €3 to €6 per beer or wurst.
While Christmas markets are – after all – markets with things to buy, to stick with your budget you can choose to embrace the atmosphere and try to resist temptation. Do some pre-research to see what sort of goods will be available so you don’t impulse buy everything in sight! Instead of buying lots of souvenirs, choose one special piece and take photos as memories instead!
Another good tip is to make sure you have the right clothing and layers. The stalls will sell winter hats, gloves, scarves and sweaters, but at elevated prices compared to your local store.
What to buy at German Christmas markets
Each German Christmas market will have different things to buy. Often the pop-up stalls feature handmade goods from local craftspeople, meaning no two markets are alike! As a souvenir you might like to bring home charming Christmas decorations to remember your trip, or buy a mug or cup to drink mulled wine or hot chocolate in as a memento.
If you’re with friends or family, one nice idea is to have a set budget (maybe €20) and buy each other a gift. It is Christmas season after all!
Traditional crafts and Christmas ornaments
German Christmas markets are filled with gorgeous, often handmade, Christmas ornaments and goodies that you just won’t find in your hometown. Think intricate wooden ornaments and traditional nutcrackers, through to delicate hand-painted glass baubles and mugs with the market name.
At every German Christmas market you’ll find a range of traditional crafts that capture the spirit of the season. One special thing to take home are the intricate wooden pyramids, which rotate when lit by candles, but you’ll need to budget for it. A more budget-friendly festive souvenir is the market mug or cup, which you’ll need to drink mulled wine or beer anyway! Often they are decorated with the market name and year, making the perfect memento for those on a budget.
- Hand-painted ornaments – the perfect souvenir
- Mugs with the name of the town and year, to drink out of at the market. Very budget friendly and you take it home!
- Wooden Christmas pyramids (Weihnachtspyramide) – you can buy small version of these ornate structures that spin. The perfect annual reminder of the markets!
- Advent calendars
- Christmas wreaths
- Nutcrackers
- Candle holders and candle arches (known as schwibbögen)
- Music boxes (spieldosen)
Christmas gifts and artisan goods
Like many local artisan markets or craft fairs, German Christmas markets have a range of goods beyond those with a festive theme. If you have to buy gifts for people back home you could do your Christmas shopping at the markets in Germany! Expect to find items like the below:
- Knitted hats, scarves, and gloves
- Handcrafted jewelry
- Pottery and ceramics
- Kitchen goods
- Wooden toys for children
- Hand-painted ornaments and figurines
- Candles
Local foods and gourmet goodies
Besides street food, which we’ll talk about below, you’ll also find stalls run by local producers who sell delicious treats and souvenirs such as jams, chutneys, local cheese, cured meats, and spices. You’ll also see the famous Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) cookies and hearts that you can take home as an edible souvenir.
- Local jams and chutneys
- Lebkuchen (Gingerbread) cookies and hearts
- Spices and seasoning
- Local cheese and cured meats
READ NEXT: Five Alternative European Christmas Markets
What to eat and drink at German Christmas markets
Every town and city will have slightly different regional foods, like Nuremberg’s local-style bratwurst, but overall you should be able to find the following festive drinks and delicious local dishes at any German Christmas market.
- Lebkuchen (gingerbread) hearts
- Stollen (fruit bread)
- Roasted nuts (Gebrannte Mandeln)
- Glühwein (mulled wine)
- Feuerzangenbowle (a flaming punch)
- Bratwurst (sausage) – and so many other wursts!
- Currywurst (chopped sausage with curry sauce)
- Reibekuchen (potato pancakes)
- Käsespätzle (cheesy pasta)
- Flammkuchen (pizza-like tart with bacon, onions & cheese)
- Schupfnudeln (small potato dumplings)
- Bratkartoffeln (crispy fried potatoes with onions & bacon)
- Raclette (melted cheese)
- Maronen (roasted chestnuts)
Visit Germany’s top Christmas markets
Reiterlesmarkt in Rothenburg ob der Tauber
On any given day the medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a fairytale, so it’s even more special when the annual Reiterlesmarkt lights up the night. With a backdrop of gorgeous half-timbered Tudor houses, Rothenburg is a living fairytale.
On Trafalgar’s German Christmas Market tour your Travel Director will give you an orientation tour of the town before letting you loose at the market. Make sure you try the town’s famous Schneeball pastry. It means snowball and this fried treat is made with plum Schnapps.
Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt
Beyond being famous for its well-preserved landmarks, imperial castle and Old Town, Nuremberg is known for its incredible Christmas market: Christkindlesmarkt. Each year the aroma of grilled sausages and mulled wine takes over the city as this quintessentially German festive fair takes over.
Here more than 200 independent stalls sell everything from sweet gingerbread hearts to handmade crafts, like wooden toys, but its most curious tradition is the famous Zwetschgenmännle prune men, which are little human-like figurines posing in various ways (and all made of prunes!). An odd but fun tradition in Nuremberg.
While here, try the local Nürnberg Rostbratwurst, which are small sausages that you can eat the local way: “Drei im Weggla” – “Three in a bun”.
Eisenach Christmas market in Wartburg Castle
For festive fairs with a difference, we’re fans of the Eisenach Christmas market, which is held in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Wartburg Castle. The medieval castle is worth the visit alone, so it’s extra exciting to visit when this weekend-only Christmas market pops up with its sizzling Bratwurst and steaming vats of Glühwein.
Erfurt’s medieval market, Weihnachtsmarkt
Schnitzel, gingerbread and egg punch await at Erfurt’s annual Christmas market, set against the backdrop of the town’s well-preserved medieval city center. Here half-timbered houses and the old bridge (which is the longest inhabited bridge in Europe) add to the festive charm of the market.
Besides having a gorgeous decorated Christmas tree, at the entrance to the Domplatz you’ll be greeted by a towering German Christmas pyramid (Weihnachtspyramide), a tradition developed in the late 1700s as a low-cost tree substitute. Now these pyramids are very much part of German Christmas market traditions and this one features nearly 30 life-sized figures.
Be sure to try Erfurt Schittchen (German stollen or fruit bread), which has rum, raisins, almonds and lemon.
Munich’s magical Christmas markets
Bundle yourself up in your thickest coat and venture out for an evening exploring Munich’s Christmas markets. On Trafalgar’s Christmas Markets of Austria, Germany and Switzerland tour you’ll stop in the Bavarian capital where festive cheer is almost a sport. The best thing is you’ll join a Local Specialist on a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experience to experience another side of Europe’s Christmas markets.
With your guide you’ll discover lost and forgotten Advent traditions while exploring Marienplatz with its impressive Town Hall and the ornate Glockenspiel. You’ll stop to taste delicious advent treats from small independent businesses, before being let loose at one of Munich’s Christmas markets. Admire the magnificent Christmas tree, soak in the sights and sounds, then embrace the cosy gemütlichkeit atmosphere at a traditional restaurant.
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Dresden’s Striezelmarkt, Germany’s oldest Christmas market
No tour of Europe’s best Christmas markets would be complete without visiting the oldest one – and Dresden’s Striezelmarkt claims that crown, with roots traced back to 1434. Beneath a dazzling display of lights, you’ll discover local Christmas traditions at Dresden’s very traditional Striezelmarkt while on Trafalgar’s German Christmas Markets.
Expect plenty of mulled wine and Christmas carols as you wander between some 240 stalls admiring handcrafted decorations. Make sure you try Christstollen, a fruitcake made with rum-soaked raisins, orange peel and almonds.
Leipzig’s Christmas market: Weihnachtsmarkt auf dem Marktplatz
The Leipzig Christmas market dates back to 1458, making it one of Germany’s oldest festive traditions. Each December more than 250 decorated stalls pop up in Marktplatz, where you can savor the scents of Glögi wine and admire the traditional crafts.
The market is set in the middle of the historic city, giving it a fairytale festive atmosphere like those you may have read about as a child. From the main square, wander down pedestrian-friendly Grimmaische Strasse, where you’ll find a forest of decorated trees, and continue to Augustusplatz to find a vintage-style carousel and a Ferris wheel.
Berlin’s many Christmas markets
There are more than 80 Christmas markets that pop up across Berlin, but of course some are better than others. One to visit if you have free time is the Charlottenburg Palace Christmas Markets, where you’ll get to snack on delicious street food and drink Glögg to the backdrop of a royal palace!
That’s our guide to Europe’s best Christmas markets in Germany and how to stick to your budget. Anything to add? Leave us a comment….