Where to Find the Best Christmas Markets in Germany

Germany takes Christmas seriously, and nowhere more so than in its squares and pedestrian streets from late November onwards. Lights go up, wooden stalls open, and the smell of glühwein and grilled sausage settles over whole neighbourhoods. If you are choosing a city for a winter break, this is a shortlist built with help from writers who have eaten and drunk their way around the markets themselves. Dates refer to the 2016 season, so confirm local opening times before you book.

Cologne: seven markets, one day

Cologne’s trick is variety. As many as seven markets sit within walking distance of one another, each with its own style, from a home of the elves to a fairy-tale angel market. You will not manage all of them in a day, but hopping between them is a good way to spend one. Dave Brett of Travel Dave Blog picked the St Nicholas market, the most traditional he found in the city, with a band playing Christmas songs in the background and, in his view, the best mulled wine in Cologne. Take the boot-shaped mug home as a souvenir. Facebook | Twitter

Munich: glühwein and a cheap flight

In 2016 the Munich Christmas market ran from 25 November to 24 December. The city’s markets go back centuries, to the Nicholaus markets of the 14th century and a Nikolaidult held by the Beautiful Tower on Kaufingerstrasse in 1642. Cat Gaa of Sunshine and Siestas found a cheap flight from Seville, Spain just before the holidays, while her cousin Christyn had a week off work in Frankfurt. Munich’s dozen or so Weihnachtsmarkt did the rest: a warm mug in her hands, family beside her, handicrafts to browse, bratwurst to share and ornaments bought for each other’s trees. After a warm Spanish Christmas, she wrote, a chill in the air and family were all she needed. If you have longer, see our guide to what to do in Munich for a weekend getaway. Facebook | Twitter

Nuremberg: the classic

Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt is arguably the best in Germany, and certainly among the most visited, with more than two million people passing through in the four weeks it opens each year. The stalls, under candy-striped awnings, sit in neat rows and sell traditional crafts: little ‘smoker’ men with incense burning inside, carved wooden toys and more. A horse-drawn stagecoach carries visitors over the cobbles of the medieval old city. Weekends are a crush of people huddled against the cold; come midweek and you can wander in peace, eating Nuremberger sausages three to a roll and drinking glühwein. Lance and Laura Longwell of Travel Addicts, who have seen many European markets, rate it among the best. Facebook | Instagram

Hamburg: the biggest, by the Rathaus

Every year Flick, of They Call it the Diamond Blog, flies out with university friends to visit their best friend in Hamburg. Her favourite market is also the biggest, spread out in front of the Rathaus. From the end of November, locals come every evening for food and glühwein before moving on to a bar. The eating is the point: bratwurst in assorted flavours, fresh seafood, crepes, smoked salmon, hot funnel cake rolled in cinnamon sugar, cream cheeses flavoured with everything from curry to pomegranate and mint, and hot candy woven in front of you. Before leaving, browse the Christmas decoration shop for a bauble and buy an iced lebkuchen as a gift; Santa swings across the sky on his sledge at 4, 6 and 8pm daily. Read more here. Twitter

Heidelberg: lights under the castle

Heidelberg is an old city set among hills and forests, with the castle looking down on the Neckar, and at Christmas the Old Town turns dreamlike under lights and decorations. A second market at Kornmarkt has a more fairy-tale feel. From the end of November until 10 January, the city also lays on what it calls Germany’s most beautiful ice rink, on Karlsplatz, for skating between market visits.

Berlin: sixty ways to do Christmas

Berlin puts on about 60 markets a year, ranging from traditional to urban, plus eco-markets and creative ones aimed at children. There is a list of Berlin Christmas markets 2016 here. The tourist office asks visitors to leave suitcases, bags and large backpacks behind because of security checks. Amanda of Marocmama, who lives in North Africa where winter barely registers, went to Berlin hoping to find Christmas. Her family’s favourite was Alexanderplatz Neptunbrunnen: smaller than the big markets, with a fountain at the centre of the skating rink that kept the children happy, and enough space to sit and watch without crowds. There they discovered Dresdner Handbrot, now a family favourite. Twitter | Facebook

Dresden: the oldest of them all

The Striezelmarkt on Altmarkt Square is said to be Germany’s oldest Christmas market, open from 24 November to 24 December in 2016 and celebrating its 582nd anniversary that year. Across the city, 11 markets run from the traditional to the medieval. Sid of The Wanderer has written a detailed account of visiting them.

Bremen: the alternative side

Germany has no shortage of markets, but Bremen offers a few that break the mould. The Schlachte Zauber runs along the Schlachte promenade by the Weser, with pirate ships, concerts every day and old-school artisan goods. The newer Findorffer Winterdorf, outside the Schlachthof arts centre, specialises in healthy alternatives, including a good vegan menu, and is strung with thousands of fairy lights, colourful signs and a disco ball, which makes it one of the cosiest around. Henar Gomez of Wanderwings recommends both. If you want the main Bremen Weihnachtsmarkt instead, head for the Ratskeller stand and the best white-wine mulled wine you will try. Facebook | Twitter

Before you go

• Dates shift each year, but the window is broadly late November to Christmas Eve.
• Midweek visits are calmer, especially in Nuremberg, where weekends are packed.
• Berlin’s security rules mean no suitcases or large backpacks at the markets.
• Keep the mug. Cologne’s boot-shaped one is the classic souvenir.