Dortmund Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips

On Thursday 19 November 2026, Dortmund's Christmas City (Weihnachtsstadt) opens, and it stays open until 30 December – so you can still go between Christmas and New Year. More than 250 stalls are spread over ten squares in the city centre, from the Alter Markt to Hansaplatz. That's where the landmark stands that many people travel for: a 45-metre Christmas tree with around 138,000 LEDs and a four-metre angel on top. Below you'll find all 2026 dates and special opening times, a map and tips for a day in the Ruhr's biggest city.

Dortmund Christmas Market 2026 at a glance

Dates 2026	Thursday 19 November to Wednesday 30 December 2026
Opening hours	Mon–Thu 11am–9pm, Fri–Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 12pm–9pm; mulled wine and food stalls about an hour longer
Closed	Sunday 22 November (Totensonntag) and 25 December
Special hours	24 December 11am–2pm (some stalls only); 26–27 December 12pm–9pm; 28–30 December 11am–9pm
Location	City centre inside the ring road: Hansaplatz, Alter Markt, around St Reinold's and St Peter's churches, Katharinentreppen
Entry	free
Getting there	Dortmund Hbf, then about ten minutes on foot; park-and-ride at four sites

Map: Dortmund Christmas City

The Christmas City isn't one square but a walk. Arriving by train, you start at the Katharinentreppen steps opposite the main station, follow the Westenhellweg shopping street to St Peter's Church and on to Hansaplatz with the tree. From there it's a few steps to the Alter Markt and St Reinold's, the oldest part of the centre. Allow two to three hours for the whole loop with breaks.

What makes Dortmund special

The giant tree on Hansaplatz

The tree is a point of civic pride: 45 metres tall, about 40 tonnes, 28 days to build. The organiser bills it as the world's biggest Christmas tree. It is switched on every year on the day after Totensonntag – in 2026 that's Monday 23 November. Until 30 December there's a light show every half hour from 5pm. Note that the market itself opens four days earlier, so if the lit tree is the main reason for your trip, come from 23 November.

Ten squares instead of one lane of stalls

The stalls – crafts, decorations, unusual toys – are spread across the whole centre. Crowds thin out better than at many compact old-town markets, and you can mix the market with shopping on the Westenhellweg and Ostenhellweg.

A time travel in lights

Ten light installations retell the city's history: from Hanseatic town to the age of coal and steel to today's tech hub. The aluminium, fibreglass and LED figures were made by MK Illumination from Innsbruck with Dortmund lighting firm BELLLUCI. They look best after dark, from around 4.30pm.

What to eat and drink

• Westphalian grilled ham (Grillschinken): the hearty signature of the Christmas City, carved hot from the grill.
• Bratwurst with mustard, Ruhr-style.
• Mulled wine in the annual mug (Jahresbecher): the design changes every year, and many locals collect them.
• Hövels Christmas City beer: Dortmund brewery Hövels brews a special 4.9% beer for the market. In 2025 it was sold only at the Go Gärtchen by St Peter's Church, also in a swing-top siphon to take home.
• Candied almonds, crêpes and gingerbread for the sweet tooth.

2026 prices for mulled wine, beer and mug deposit haven't been published yet.

With kids

The 2026 programme isn't out yet. Here's what 2025 offered, and much of it returns every year:

• Baking and crafts in the Christmas village for children aged four and up (€2.50 in 2025), with Borussia Dortmund's mascot EMMA visiting on Mondays.
• Hohnstein Punch and Judy show on the north side of St Reinold's, about 20 minutes, free.
• Magic shows at the Salasas Theater der Magie on Hansaplatz, also free.
• Treasure hunt "10 squares – 10 questions": pick up the sheet at the events office on the Alter Markt or download it; complete answers earn a small prize.

With a pushchair, a weekday afternoon is best; Hansaplatz gets packed on Friday and Saturday evenings.

An Advent day in Dortmund: our suggestion

1. 11am – Football Museum: right opposite the station, the German Football Museum covers World Cup wins and the Bundesliga – a good morning stop before the stalls fill up.
2. 1pm – Katharinentreppen and Westenhellweg: first loop of the market, grilled ham for lunch.
3. 2.30pm – St Peter's Church: look at the "Golden Wonder", its huge carved altarpiece, then a Christmas beer at the Go Gärtchen.
4. 4pm – Alter Markt and St Reinold's: crafts, and the puppet show for the kids.
5. From 5pm – Hansaplatz: the light show on the giant tree every half hour, followed by mulled wine from the annual mug.

Industrial heritage in Advent

Dortmund and the Ruhr offer more than stalls. With a second day, head out to Zollern Colliery in Bövinghausen: its machine hall with an Art Nouveau portal is one of Germany's finest industrial buildings and pleasantly quiet in winter. In neighbouring Bochum, the German Mining Museum has a demonstration mine underground – fitting for Advent in a region where miners' traditions such as St Barbara's Day (4 December) are still alive.

A weekend on the Rhine and Ruhr

Dortmund makes a good starting point for two or three days of Christmas markets in North Rhine-Westphalia: its market runs until 30 December, and trains between the big cities are very frequent. Our suggestion:

• Day 1 – Dortmund: football museum in the morning, market in the afternoon, light show on Hansaplatz from 5pm. Stay near the station.
• Day 2 – industrial heritage and Düsseldorf: Zollern Colliery or the mining museum in Bochum in the morning, then on to Düsseldorf for the Lichterdom on the Kö and an Altbier in the Old Town.
• Day 3 – Cologne: half an hour from Düsseldorf, with six markets within walking distance of the cathedral, and fast ICE trains onwards.

On regional trains, the Deutschlandticket covers all three cities at no extra cost.

Practical tips for international visitors

When to go

• Monday to Thursday, 11am–3pm: the quietest time.
• From 23 November: only then is the giant tree lit.
• Advent Saturdays: very busy with coach groups; open until 10pm.
• Sundays: opening only at noon.
• Between the holidays: 26–30 December gives you five more market days when many other cities have packed up.

Getting there and parking

The train is easiest: Dortmund Hbf is an ICE hub, about an hour from Cologne or Düsseldorf, and the Katharinentreppen opposite the station lead straight into the market. Dortmund Airport has buses to the station. Drivers should use the park-and-ride sites at Hauptfriedhof, Westfalenpark (car park D1), the harbour and Schulte-Rödding – with a valid public transport ticket, parking there is free for up to 24 hours. City-centre car parks fill up fast on Advent Saturdays.

Cash, cards and Pfand

Many stalls accept cards, but carry some euros for smaller stands. Mugs come with a deposit (Pfand) you get back when you return them – or keep the mug as a souvenir.

Accessibility

The squares sit in the flat pedestrian zone with little cobblestone. It gets tight mainly on Hansaplatz during the light shows; mornings are best with a wheelchair or walker.

Where to stay

Most hotels are around the main station and the ring road, within walking distance. The organiser recommends the Ringhotel Drees, about ten minutes' walk from the tree, with a market package including a mulled wine voucher and a 2026 Christmas mug. Dortmund also works as a day trip from Cologne or Düsseldorf.

Gift idea: the tree, the football museum and the colliery on a personalised poster.

Nearby: our tips

• German Football Museum: right by the main station, ideal for the morning.
• Zollern Colliery (LWL Museum): Art Nouveau mine in the west of the city.
• German Mining Museum Bochum: demonstration mine, 20 minutes by train.
• Henrichenburg Boat Lift: an impressive technical monument on the Dortmund-Ems Canal in Waltrop.

More: Dortmund.

FAQ

When does the Dortmund Christmas market open in 2026?

On Thursday 19 November 2026 at 11am. The giant tree on Hansaplatz is lit from Monday 23 November.

How long does it run, and how late is it open?

Until Wednesday 30 December 2026. Monday to Thursday until 9pm, Friday and Saturday until 10pm, Sunday 12pm–9pm. Mulled wine and food stalls stay open about an hour longer.

Which days is it closed?

On Totensonntag (22 November) and on Christmas Day (25 December). On Christmas Eve only some stalls open, from 11am to 2pm.

Is entry free?

Yes. You only pay for individual extras such as the children's baking workshop.

How much is mulled wine in Dortmund?

2026 prices haven't been published. There's a deposit on the annual mug – keep it if you collect them.

When is the light show on the tree?

Every half hour from 5pm, from 23 November to 30 December.

Can I bring my dog?

The organiser doesn't mention a dog ban, but Hansaplatz and the Westenhellweg are very crowded in the evening. Mornings are better with a dog.

Is Dortmund worth visiting after Christmas?

Yes. The market is open 26–30 December: 12pm–9pm on the 26th and 27th, then 11am–9pm.

Read more

Dortmund fits nicely into a Rhine-Ruhr loop: the regional express takes you in about an hour to the Düsseldorf Christmas market, which also runs until 30 December, or to the six markets around Cologne Cathedral. All dates: Christmas markets in Germany 2026.

Dortmund, Düsseldorf, Cologne? Turn your Advent trip into a route poster.

Last checked: 16 October 2026. We'll add the 2026 stage and children's programme once the organiser publishes it.

Sources

• https://www.weihnachtsstadt-do.de/
• https://www.weihnachtsstadt-do.de/tipps

Image credits

• Photo: Lucas Kaufmann, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cover)
• Photo: Freddo213, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0