Best Christmas Markets in Germany to Visit with Kids
After visiting close to 20 of the best Christmas markets in Europe, I’m often asked about the best Christmas markets in Germany for kids. There are endless choices, and each one offers something a little different from the others, but we found some of our favorites that kids are sure to love.
*Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means we may receive a commission if you click a link and purchase something we have recommended. Please check out our disclosure policy for more details. Thank you for your support!
The Christmas season is a magical one throughout Europe, but there’s something special about the traditional German Christmas markets. Germans invented the Christmas market, and maybe that’s why no one seems to do them better.
Aromas of gingerbread, sausage, and glühwein fill the air, as friends stroll past the wooden huts shopping for the perfect holiday gift. The Christmas markets are all about family and friends, and spending time together during the busy holiday season. Here are some Christmas markets in Germany you won’t want to miss if you’re planning a visit.
When are the German Christmas Markets?
To experience the magic of German Christmas markets, plan your visit for December or even late November if your schedule allows. The festive season generally starts the Friday before Advent (the end of November) and lasts until just before Christmas Eve (later in some larger cities).
Each city and market may have its own schedule, so it’s important to verify the dates for each location you plan to visit. You can find the precise dates and times on the official websites of the respective Christmas markets.
What to Buy At German Christmas Markets?
At the German Christmas markets, you might be tempted to buy everything in sight! The festive music and lively ambiance can often lead to spontaneous purchases. Fortunately, there are many beautiful and unique items to bring home as souvenirs.
If you’re not sure what to choose or feeling a bit overwhelmed, here are some top recommendations for must-have items. Look for traditional German treasures like hand-blown glass ornaments, intricately carved wooden nativity scenes, beeswax candles in various shapes and sizes, strings of colorful glass lanterns, and charming wooden Christmas pyramids.
Since these iconic items can be found at almost every market, consider waiting until the end of your trip to make your purchases. This way, you can browse through different markets and decide which pieces you love the most.
Best Christmas Markets in Germany for Kids
1. Munich
Munich’s Christmas markets are mind-blowing and may be overwhelming with small children in tow. I recommend finding one of the city’s smaller markets to enjoy.
Munich’s main Christmas market is on the Marienplatz and it is as magical as they come. Located near the city center, the market’s main Christmas tree is covered in over 3,000 lights. It sparkles like a beacon in front of the Rathaus. No one knows the exact height of the tree, because the city holds a guessing contest and awards the winner a prize.
The main market covers over 20,000 square meters. It features typical Bavarian handicrafts and delicious food, including crepes, potato pancakes, and stollen.
In the New Town Hall (Neues Rathaus), a white angel sits behind a counter and takes letters to the Christkind (Christ child) daily. This service also includes a reply with an original “Christkindl” stamp.
This location also has a Himmelswerkstat (Heavenly Workshop) where children (ages 6-12) can make holiday crafts and prepare for Christmas with staff from the Munich Children’s Museum.
Also, beware the Krampus! They look scary, but they’re totally harmless (they are meant to frighten those children who have been naughty). Over 300 masked beings frighten visitors to the Munich Christmas market during the big traditional run of the Krampusses. The scary fellows with their shaggy fur costumes will run around a second time about a week later.
There are at least seven other different markets throughout the city and many other smaller ones. We recommend the Weinaachtsdorf (Christmas Village) at the Residenz. It is smaller, equally festive, and contained so children aren’t going very far if they get lost. Munich with kids during the holidays is one of our favorite places to be.
2. Nuremberg
Nuremberg is perhaps best known for its old town and Royal Castle, but it offers a large variety of museums, churches, gardens, and a zoo.
Nuremberg’s Christmas market is one of the oldest in Germany, with a history dating back to the mid-16th century. People often say it is the best Christmas market in Germany.
Today, the market takes place in front of the spectacular Church of Our Lady, which rises majestically skyward, as the market stalls surround her and spread out into the main square and surrounding streets below.
Nuremberg Children’s Christmas Market
Perhaps Nuremberg is the best Christmas market in Germany for kids as it has its very own Children’s Christmas Market. Here children have their own designated space to run around and enjoy rides, sample special holiday drinks created just for them, bake their own gingerbread figures, create glass ornaments to take home, and even make their own candles.
There’s a post office for writing their Christmas wish lists and an indoor space where fairy tales are read by the Christkind.
Don’t miss the lantern procession where over a thousand children carry their hand-crafted lanterns through the market or take a ride on a horse-drawn stagecoach. We even discovered a live manger with camels to feed!
Those looking to sample Christmas market food shouldn’t miss the famous Nuremberg sausages and gingerbread. Be sure to pick up a Rauschgoldengel, a gold foil angel, and prune man, both souvenirs found in Nuremberg’s market.
3. Dresden
While Dresden is best known for its Baroque architecture, with notable buildings such as the Zwinger and the Blockhaus, a walk around the city is sure to educate and amaze the whole family. Dresden is a great place to celebrate the holiday season, with beautiful markets showcasing the work of local artisans.
Germany’s oldest Christmas market, Dresdner Striezelmarkt, can be found here, and it dates back to 1434. Eventually, the location was permanently established in the Dresden Altmarkt Square. Altmarkt Square is in the heart of the city and features crafts from Dresden as well as surrounding villages.
The market is also home to the largest Christmas pyramid and over 200 vendors. Unique family experiences can also be created during seasonal events such as the Stollen Festival and the Pyramid Festival. If the market or events are too crowded, there is fun to be had at the city’s numerous other markets.
First time visitors should also make sure to view Dresden’s winter lights, a display of Christmas lights which includes a 15-foot tall Christmas tree and can be found on the Prager Straße, which is the city’s most well known shopping district. Adults and young children alike are likely to be captivated by the beautiful displays as they stroll the shopping mile.
4. Cologne
Cologne is a vibrant city with stunning Christmas decor, accentuated by the Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market. This is among the most beautiful markets in Germany, set against the stunning backdrop of the ancient Cologne Cathedral.
Booths center around the giant Christmas tree in the middle of Roncalliplatz, creating a beautiful display of what German markets can be. While enjoying the scene, be sure to try the food stalls, where vendors are stocked with hot chocolate and traditional German foods!
Cologne is one of the best places to visit multiple large markets in one city. In addition to the Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market, there is also the Harbor Christmas Market, located near the Rhine, which includes a ferris wheel. It’s the perfect place to get a great view of the city and the harbor.
We also recommend the Heinzels Wintermärchen which is easily the largest and most magical market. The theme revolves around house elves (Heinzelmännchen), and the market has them prominently featured throughout. There’s also an ice skating rink and some fabulous food stands.
5. Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg is one of those places that celebrates Christmas all year long. There is a Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas Village in the middle of this walled medieval town. The store has over 16,000 square feet of Christmas goodies and a Christmas museum!
People descend on the town in mass every year during Advent for the Reiterlesmarkt. This is an event that hasn’t changed much since it began in the village 500 years ago. The small town is enchanting, and the Christmas market is very manageable with children.
Be sure to try the schneeballen (which I really didn’t care for, but when in Rothenburg), as well as the Franconian wine and sausage. When finished, take some time to walk the elevated town walls, kids will love exploring all the nooks and crannies.
6. Berlin
Berlin is a very cosmopolitan city, and offers a very diverse display of Christmas celebrations.
The German capital city has close to 80 different Christmas markets, so it can be difficult to see everything. The flip side is that the large number of markets ensures there’s something for everybody!
The most popular of these markets is the WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt, where local artisans show off carvings, crafts, and culinary delights. Visitors can also expect spectacular entertainment like live music from choirs, acrobatic performances, and dance groups.
Another great thing to experience during the season is Winterwelt at Potsdamer Platz. This features a large toboggan run and an outdoor skating rink, offering families a fun time on ice!
7. Heidelberg Christmas Market
Located on the banks of the Neckar River and the edge of the Odenwald Forest, Heidelberg is famous for its 14th-century university and stunning castle perched high above the river. A haven for day trippers, it is best enjoyed in the evening, once the crowds have left.
Heidelberg’s Christmas market consists of five unique, separate markets located in squares around the city. Visitors can stroll from one to the next along Europe’s longest pedestrian shopping street, the Haupstrasse.
In Karlsplatz, under the shadow of the castle, visitors can enjoy Christmas on Ice, strapping on ice skates and taking a spin in the open-air ice rink.
Kids will love the merry-go-round at Universitätsplatz, and having their picture taken in “Father Christmas’ House” on Marktplatz, where all proceeds go to charity.
Be sure to try the crepes, chocolate-covered fruit, and lebkuchen hearts. Be sure to pick up a nutcracker or ornament to take home. There are plenty of things to do in Heidelberg with kids.
8. Freiburg im Breisgau Christmas Market
Located in the heart of the Black Forest, Freiburg is a university city. It is home to over 200,000 people, but the area where the Christmas markets are located is fairly compact.
The Christmas markets take place in the heart of Freiburg’s medieval old town, which is dominated by a 116-meter Gothic spire, the Freiburg Minster. The town’s cobblestone streets have a recessed street canal system, called bächle. Kids will love to splash in the water so be prepared!
There are five markets located in squares throughout the old town, each one offering a different ambiance. Children will enjoy baking cookies at the Kartoffelmarkt or making candles at the workshop in the Franziskanerstraße.
When visiting the week before, during, and after Christmas, families won’t want to miss Freiburg’s Christmas Circus, featuring artists from around the world. Be sure to try the tarte flambé, raclette, and chestnuts.
Save room in your bag for Christmas market souvenirs. Here you will find many traditional arts and crafts of the Black Forest region. We loved the colorful wooden toys, cuckoo clocks, beeswax candles, and straw shoes, and don’t forget a souvenir mug!
9. Stuttgart
Stuttgart, nestled in southern Germany, is a beautiful city any time of year, but in the winter with its Christmas markets it is truly a magical place.
The Stuttgart Christmas Market hosts over 300 stalls, each one featuring stunning decorations. Wooden stalls sprawl out in the front of Stuttgart’s Old Palace and along the town square while festive concerts entertain the crowds.
Don’t miss the additional stalls in the palace’s inner courtyard, as well as the ice-skating rink (Wintertraum) and miniature railway. Opportunities for family fun are endless in Stuttgart!
10. Hamburg
Located in Northern Germany along the Elbe River, Hamburg is a riverfront city featuring a sizable number of Christmas markets! The first markets open the Monday before Advent, but the first Winter Market opens at the beginning of November.
There are over 30 Christmas Markets in Hamburg, including themes like Maritime, Scandinavian, and British. Many of the markets run into one another. This makes it easy to explore multiple markets in a short period of time.
One well-known market can be found at Hamburg’s Rathaus, the seat of Hamburg’s senate and parliament. The building provides a picturesque backdrop to one of the busiest and most popular markets in the city, offering visitors an exquisite view while enjoying all the market has to offer, from traditional German food to Glühwein.
11. Rüdesheim am Rhein
Rudesheim is a beautiful city nestled along the Rhine in the Rhine Valley. Families will love the Rüdesheim Christmas Market of Nations. It opens at the end of November, and offers a multicultural experience for everyone.
More than twenty countries from three continents come to offer their specialty items, making this an opportunity to travel the world in one place. Expect to find delicacies like French crepes, Finnish salmon, and German sausages.
For those who are looking for experiences outside of the Christmas markets, tours of the Rhine River are always available by boat.
Kids will also love exploring Siegfried’s Mechanisches Musikkabinett, which is housed in a 15th century knight’s house, and is home to miscellaneous mechanical wonders from that era.
If you visit on a clear day be sure to take a ride on the Seilbahn Rüdesheim, a cable car that provides epic views over the city and the river.
12. Gengenbach
Gengenbach is a somewhat smaller town, but that doesn’t mean there isn’t plenty to do! The town sits along the edge of the Black Forest, allowing visitors to observe beauty in both nature and the small town.
The town’s Christmas market opens at the end of November, and its most famous Christmas attraction comes in the form of the world’s largest Advent calendar, projected on the city’s town hall. This sight will amaze young and old alike, as the windows of the town hall are transformed into their own squares of the calendar with one new one revealed every evening in December.
If your family wants to celebrate the holiday season in a unique way, a trip to the German Christmas markets doesn’t disappoint! With stunning Christmas decorations, delicious traditional treats, and shopping galore, this is sure to be a vacation your family won’t soon forget!
