German Christmas Markets Planner 2026 (PDF checklist)

Christmas market stalls with lit stars and a tree in front of the German Cathedral on Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin — Photo: Roman Babakin / Shutterstock. The Christmas market on Gendarmenmarkt, Berlin.

Ten German Christmas markets, one planner

Cologne opens on 16 November 2026. Nuremberg opens on 27 November. In between, eight more markets start on dates that are easy to mix up, and some of them close on Sunday 22 November.

We read each market’s official page in October 2026 and put the dates in one short PDF checklist, with a link to every market so you can check hours and prices yourself.

In this guide

The 2026 dates for ten markets, in order of opening: Cologne, Munich, Rothenburg, Trier, Aachen, Heidelberg, Dresden, Goslar, Mainz and Nuremberg
Which markets close on Sunday 22 November (Totensonntag)
A trip checklist, with the rail booking page
Links to our own articles on Nuremberg, Dresden, Rothenburg, Goslar, Trier and Aachen

Get the Christmas markets planner

Enter your email and we will send the free PDF checklist.