Inspirations
Weekend ideas and remarkable places across Germany.
Christmas markets 2026
German Christmas markets 2026: official dates and hours for Nuremberg, Dresden, Cologne, Munich, Berlin and more, plus map, comparison and routes.
All Christmas markets at a glance
Zoos in Berlin: Zoo, Tierpark & Aquarium prices 2026
Berlin Zoo, Aquarium, Tierpark, Peacock Island and Wildpark Schorfheide: prices, winter opening hours and family tips, with a map.
Winter day trips in Germany: 13 ideas for 2026/27
Snow on the Zugspitze and Brocken, ice in the Breitachklamm, warm thermal baths: 13 winter day trips for 2026/27 with prices and a map.
Berlin museums on a rainy day: 14 winter picks
From Nefertiti to a Trabant simulator: 14 Berlin museums for rainy days and winter, with prices, opening hours, free entry tips and a map.
Rothenburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Rothenburg ob der Tauber Reiterlesmarkt 2026: 20 November to 23 December on the Market Square. Opening hours, Schneeballen, museum, tips.
Münster Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Six Christmas markets in Münster's Old Town: 23 Nov–23 Dec 2026, Sun–Thu 11am–8pm, Fri–Sat 11am–9pm. Town Hall, Lamberti, Aegidii, map, tips.
Essen Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Essen International Christmas Market 2026: 13 Nov–23 Dec, Sun–Thu noon–9pm, Fri–Sat noon–10pm, closed 22 Nov. Festival of lights, Ferris wheel, map.
Heidelberg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Heidelberg Christmas Market 2026: 23 Nov–22 Dec, Sun–Fri 11am–9pm, Sat 11am–10pm, on six Old Town squares. Ice rink until 10 Jan, map and tips.
Lübeck Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Lübeck Christmas market 2026: 23 Nov–30 Dec, Sun–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm. Eleven Christmas worlds from Town Hall to Koberg, map and tips.
Esslingen Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Esslingen medieval and Christmas market 2026: 24 November to 22 December, around 180 stalls in the old town. Hours, map, programme, tips.
Ludwigsburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, hours, tips
Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market 2026: 24 November to 22 December on Marktplatz and Arsenalplatz. Opening hours, map, travel tips.
Goslar Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Goslar Christmas market and Christmas forest 2026: 25 November to 30 December in the old town. Hours, Rammelsberg mine, parking, tips.
Quedlinburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, hours, tips
Quedlinburg Christmas market 2026: 25 November to 22 December, plus Advent in the Courtyards on three weekends. Hours, map, parking, tips.
Potsdam Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Potsdam Christmas market 2026: 23 November to 27 December in the old town, plus Sinterklaas, a chocolate market and Babelsberg. Map and tips.
Freiburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Freiburg Christmas Market 2026: 19 November to 23 December on nine Old Town squares, Mon–Sat 10am–8:30pm. Lange Rote sausage, map, tips.
Regensburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Regensburg 2026: Christkindlmarkt 23 Nov–23 Dec, Thurn und Taxis palace market from 20 Nov, Lucrezia craft market, Spitalgarten. Hours, prices.
Bamberg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Bamberg Christmas Market 2026: 24 November to 23 December from Maxplatz to Obstmarkt, from 9:30am. Nativity scenes, smoked beer, map, tips.
Augsburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt 2026: 23 November to 24 December on Rathausplatz, angel show Fri–Sun at 6pm. Hours, map, Fuggerei, tips.
Dortmund Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Dortmund Christmas City 2026: 19 November to 30 December, 250+ stalls and a 45-metre tree on Hansaplatz. Hours, map and tips.
Düsseldorf Christmas Market 2026: dates, hours, tips
Düsseldorf Christmas market 2026: 19 November to 30 December, themed markets from the Old Town to the Kö. Hours, closures, map, tips.
Bremen Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Bremen Christmas market 2026: 23 November to 23 December at the Town Hall, plus the Schlachte-Zauber on the Weser. Hours, map, tips.
Erfurt Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Erfurt Christmas market 2026: 24 November to 22 December on the Domplatz and in the Old Town. Hours, map, local food and tips.
Mainz Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Mainz Christmas market 2026: 26 November to 23 December by the cathedral, with pyramid, nativity and WinterZeit markets. Hours, map, tips.
Hanover Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Hanover Christmas market 2026: Old Town 23 Nov–22 Dec, daily 11am–9pm, with Finnish village and wishing-well forest. Station market, map, tips.
Hamburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Hamburg Christmas markets 2026: City Hall market from 23 November with flying Santa, Gänsemarkt, St. Petri, Santa Pauli. Map and visitor tips.
Stuttgart Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Stuttgart Christmas Market 2026: 25 November to 23 December across four city-centre squares. What's confirmed, map and visitor tips.
Frankfurt Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Frankfurt Christmas Market 2026: 23 November to 22 December, Römerberg to Roßmarkt. Opening hours, programme, local specialities, map.
Leipzig Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Leipzig Christmas Market 2026: 24 November to 23 December, around 300 stalls across the Old Town. Opening hours, mug deposit, map, tips.
Aachen Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Aachen Christmas Market 2026: 20 November to 23 December around the cathedral and Town Hall, daily 11am–9pm. Exceptions, Printen, map, tips.
Berlin Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Berlin Christmas markets 2026: Gendarmenmarkt, Red Town Hall, Charlottenburg, Spandau, Kulturbrauerei, Alexanderplatz. Dates, entry, map.
Autumn trips in Germany 2026: 16 places for fall colours
Golden beech forests, misty valleys, wine harvest and cranes: 16 autumn trips from Rügen to the Allgäu, with a map, directions, prices and tips for 2026.
Christmas markets in Germany 2026: dates, map and routes
German Christmas markets 2026: official dates and hours for Nuremberg, Dresden, Cologne, Munich, Berlin and more, plus map, comparison and routes.
Nuremberg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt 2026: 27 November to 24 December, daily 10am–9pm. Opening ceremony, children's market, map and visitor tips.
Munich Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Munich Christkindlmarkt 2026: opens 20 November for the first time, until 24 December. Plus nativity market, medieval market, Pink Christmas, Tollwood.
Cologne Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
All Cologne Christmas markets 2026: cathedral from 16 November, Old Town ice rink, Neumarkt, Stadtgarten, harbour. Official dates, map, tips.
Dresden Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Dresden Striezelmarkt 2026: 25 November to 24 December. Plus Neumarkt, Stallhof and Augustusmarkt with dates, map and visitor tips.