Augsburg Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips

On Monday 23 November 2026 at 6pm the windows of Augsburg's town hall open – and 23 angels turn the Renaissance facade into a giant Advent calendar. The Engelesspiel, or angel show, is the signature of the Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt, which fills Rathausplatz and the lanes down to Moritzplatz until Christmas Eve. The market traces its origins back to the 15th century and has officially carried the name Christkindlesmarkt since 1949. Since 2026 it has also held the "Excellent European Christmas Market" seal from EECMA, an association that honours twelve markets in Europe each year. Here are all angel show dates, the 2026 opening hours, a map and tips for an Advent day in the city of the Fuggers.

Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt 2026 at a glance

Dates 2026	Monday 23 November to Thursday 24 December 2026
Opening hours	Sunday to Thursday 10am–8pm, Friday and Saturday 10am–9:30pm
Exceptions	Opening day, 23 November: 6–9:30pm; 23 December: 10am–9:30pm; Christmas Eve, 24 December: 10am–2pm
Angel show	Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6pm, plus 23 November and 23 December
Location	Rathausplatz, Fuggerplatz, Martin-Luther-Platz (Annastraße), Philippine-Welser-Straße and the children's market on Moritzplatz
Entry	free
Getting there	About 15 minutes' walk from Augsburg Hbf; tram to Rathausplatz or Moritzplatz

Map: Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt

The main market fills Rathausplatz in front of the town hall and Perlach Tower, around the big Christmas tree. From there, stalls run south along Philippine-Welser-Straße to Fuggerplatz with its Fugger monument, into Annastraße to Martin-Luther-Platz, and to Moritzplatz with the children's market. At the top of Maximilianstraße, the "s'Weihnachtsplätzle" has five stalls run by charities. Everything is within five minutes' walk.

The angel show (Engelesspiel)

When the town hall windows open at 6pm, the square falls quiet: 23 angels appear on the facade to music. They are young women from Augsburg chosen specially for the role – a head for heights included. The show was invented in 1977 by the then tourism director Fritz Kleiber, inspired by a painting by Hans Holbein. On 23 December the angels walk down the stairs all the way to the portal in front of the town hall.

Angel show dates 2026, always at 6pm:

• Monday 23 November (opening)
• Friday to Sunday, 27, 28 and 29 November
• Friday to Sunday, 4, 5 and 6 December
• Friday to Sunday, 11, 12 and 13 December
• Friday to Sunday, 18, 19 and 20 December
• Wednesday 23 December

Our tip: arrive 15 minutes early and don't stand right under the town hall; step back towards Perlachberg so you can see the whole facade.

More highlights

Advent calendar on the city administration building

Rathausplatz has a second Advent calendar: from 1 December a window opens daily at 4:45pm on the city's administration building, on 24 December already at 11:30am. The designs, created by graphic design students at Augsburg University of Applied Sciences, show the city's statues and figures celebrating Christmas with a wink.

Nativity scene and Heavenly Post Office

By the Christmas tree on Rathausplatz stands the Altaugsburggesellschaft's nativity with large wooden figures carved in Oberammergau. Right next to it, under the tree, is the Heavenly Post Office: Christmas mail posted here arrives with a postmark from the Austrian village of Christkindl. Open daily 10am–8pm, closed on the opening day and on Christmas Eve.

Children's market on Moritzplatz

Moritzplatz has its own area for families with a Christmas carousel, a witch's house, an activity hut, sweets, apple fritters and crêpes.

Fairy-tale trail

In the shop windows of ten stores between Rathausplatz, Maximilianstraße, Annastraße and Philippine-Welser-Straße, the Augsburg Märchenstraße tells a fairy tale in scenes every year. A puzzle card for children guides you from window to window.

Augsburg Christmas concert

On Sunday 13 December 2026 at 11am, the Augsburg Philharmonic Choir and choirs of the city's music school sing in the Golden Hall of the town hall. Tickets are sold only via Reservix and at the tourist information on Rathausplatz.

What to eat and drink

• Mulled wine and punch at the bars around Rathausplatz.
• Swabian classics: Schupfnudeln (potato noodles) and Kässpätzle (cheese spaetzle), plus steak and spit-roast rolls.
• Hot chestnuts, also dipped in chocolate.
• Gingerbread and sweets from the confectioner's stall, chocolate-covered fruit on Fuggerplatz.
• Bosna: a bratwurst with onions and curry in white bread, a classic in Austria and southern Germany.
• Lángos fresh from the pan on Maximilianstraße.

Prices for mulled wine and the mug deposit in 2026 haven't been published yet.

Gift idea: the town hall, Perlach Tower and Fuggerei as a keepsake of Advent in Augsburg – design a personalised poster.

Your Advent day in Augsburg: our suggestion

1. 10am – Fuggerei: start at the Fuggerei, the world's oldest social housing complex still in use, founded by Jakob Fugger in 1521. Residents still pay a symbolic annual rent of €0.88 and say three daily prayers for the founding family.
2. 11:30am – Town hall and Golden Hall: inside the Augsburg Town Hall, the Golden Hall dazzles with its gilded coffered ceiling. Building work is under way in the town hall, so check beforehand that the hall is open.
3. 12:30pm – Rathausplatz: first round of the market, the nativity scene and the Heavenly Post Office.
4. 1:30pm – Maximilianstraße: lunch and a stroll down the grand boulevard with its fountains to the basilica of St Ulrich and Afra.
5. 3:30pm – Fuggerplatz, Annastraße and Moritzplatz: crafts, chocolate fruit and, with kids, the children's market.
6. 4:45pm – Advent calendar: from December, the day's window opens on the administration building.
7. 6pm – angel show: Friday to Sunday the angels appear at the town hall. Afterwards, mulled wine in front of the illuminated Perlach Tower.

Practical tips

When to go

• Weekday mornings: the market opens at 10am and is relaxed until lunchtime.
• Friday to Sunday from 5:30pm: Rathausplatz fills up around the angel show. Come early or spend the rest of the evening on the smaller squares.
• 23 December: grand finale with the angels descending to the portal; the market is open until 9:30pm.
• Christmas Eve: the market closes at 2pm – perfect for a last mulled wine before the presents.

Getting there and parking

Augsburg is on the Stuttgart–Munich high-speed line; from Munich the train takes around half an hour. From the main station it's about a quarter of an hour on foot to Rathausplatz, and trams run every five minutes. Drivers are pointed to the park-and-ride site on the Plärrer grounds on Langenmantelstraße: from 23 November to 24 December 2026 it costs €2.50 Monday to Friday and €3 at weekends, with tram line 4 into the centre. There are more P+R sites on every main road into town; city-centre car parks fill up fast on Advent weekends.

Luggage bus

If you're combining the market with Christmas shopping, leave your bags for free at the swa luggage bus by the Mercury Fountain opposite the Moritzplatz stop: from 26 November to 19 December 2026, Thursdays 2–8:30pm, Fridays 2–10pm, Saturdays noon–10pm. You can also get timetable information there.

With children

The children's market on Moritzplatz, the Heavenly Post Office, the fairy-tale trail with its puzzle card and of course the angel show make Augsburg a very family-friendly market. With a pushchair, avoid the half hour before the angel show.

Where to stay

Hotels are around the main station and in the city centre. Augsburg also makes a good and often cheaper base for Munich – and vice versa.

Side trip: the Romantic Road

Augsburg lies on the Romantic Road, which runs north via Donauwörth to Rothenburg ob der Tauber and Würzburg. About 50 kilometres north, Harburg Castle towers over the Wörnitz valley, one of the best-preserved castles in southern Germany. Check winter opening times before you go.

Nearby: our tips

• Augsburg Town Hall: Renaissance building with the Golden Hall, backdrop of the angel show.
• Fuggerei: the world's oldest social housing complex still in use, ten minutes from the market.
• Harburg Castle: medieval castle on the Romantic Road.
• Andechs Abbey: pilgrimage church and monastery brewery on the Holy Mountain above Lake Ammersee.

More ideas for the city: Augsburg.

FAQ

When does the Augsburg Christkindlesmarkt open in 2026?

On Monday 23 November 2026 at 6pm with the first angel show. From Tuesday 24 November it opens daily at 10am.

How late is it open?

Until 8pm Sunday to Thursday, until 9:30pm on Fridays and Saturdays and also on 23 December. On Christmas Eve it closes at 2pm.

When is the angel show?

Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays at 6pm, plus 23 November and 23 December, also at 6pm.

Is entry free?

Yes, the market is free. Only the Christmas concert in the Golden Hall on 13 December requires a ticket.

How much is mulled wine in Augsburg?

2026 prices haven't been published yet. Add a mug deposit.

Can I bring my dog?

The organiser doesn't mention a dog ban, but Rathausplatz is packed during the angel show – with a dog, daytime is better.

Is the market open on Totensonntag?

It doesn't matter in 2026: Totensonntag falls on 22 November and the market only starts the day after.

Read more

Augsburg and Munich are an ideal Advent pair: in around half an hour you're at the Munich Christmas market. Follow the Romantic Road north to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. All markets in one place: Christmas markets in Germany 2026.

Augsburg, Munich and the Romantic Road? Turn your trip into a route poster.

Last checked: 16 October 2026. We'll check the angel show dates and hours again before the opening on 23 November.

Sources

• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/engelesspiel/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/adventskalender/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/postamt-krippe-uvm/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/parkplaetzepark-ride/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/avg-gepaeck-und-infobus/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/eecma-siegel/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/maerchenstrasse/
• https://augsburgerchristkindlesmarkt.com/marktplan-moritzplatz/

Image credits

• Photo: Burkhard Mücke, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cover)
• Photo: Diego Delso, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0