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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.

Redaktion tripto.de10 min read

Lübeck Christmas Market 2026: dates, opening hours, tips
Table of contents
  1. Lübeck Christmas Market 2026 at a glance
  2. Map: Christmas markets in Lübeck
  3. The Christmas worlds
  4. Traditional Christmas market at the Town Hall
  5. Historic Christmas market on the Marienkirchhof
  6. Fairy-tale forest at St Mary's
  7. Forest of Stars on Klingenberg
  8. Maritime Christmas market on the Koberg
  9. Elf Wonderland on the Jakobikirchhof
  10. Hafenglühen on Drehbrückenplatz
  11. Crafts in churches and warehouses
  12. What to eat and drink
  13. A Hanseatic audio walk through the Christmas city
  14. An Advent day in Lübeck: our suggestion
  15. Practical tips
  16. When to go
  17. Getting there and parking
  18. With children
  19. Accessibility
  20. Dogs
  21. Where to stay
  22. Nearby: our tips
  23. FAQ
  24. When does the Lübeck Christmas market open in 2026?
  25. How late are the markets open?
  26. Are the markets open between Christmas and New Year?
  27. Is entry free?
  28. How much is mulled wine in Lübeck?
  29. Can I bring my dog?
  30. Where is the Ferris wheel?
  31. Read more
  32. Sources
  33. Image credits

In Advent, Lübeck calls itself the "Christmas City of the North", and it's no exaggeration: from 23 November to 30 December 2026, eleven Christmas worlds are spread across the Old Town island, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The classic market stands in front of the Town Hall, St Mary's Church has a medieval market and a fairy-tale forest, the Koberg has a maritime market with a Ferris wheel, and craftspeople sell their work inside two Gothic churches and a medieval hospital. Lübeck's Christmas market was first recorded as early as 1648. Here are all the 2026 dates and opening hours, a map and our tips.

Lübeck Christmas Market 2026 at a glance

Dates 2026Monday 23 November to Wednesday 30 December 2026
Opening hours (Markt, Breite Straße, Forest of Stars)Sunday to Thursday 11am–9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–10pm
Exceptionsclosed 24 and 25 December; 26 December 1–8pm; 30 December 11am–6pm
LocationOld Town island: Markt, Breite Straße, Marienkirchhof, Klingenberg, Koberg, Jakobikirchhof, Drehbrückenplatz
Entryfree; craft markets in St Peter's, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit and Schuppen 6 charge admission
Getting thereLübeck Hbf, about ten minutes' walk via the Holsten Gate to the Markt

Map: Christmas markets in Lübeck

All the markets are on the Old Town island, which you can cross on foot in half an hour. In the centre, the Town Hall market, St Mary's, Breite Straße and Klingenberg are close together. Head north along Breite Straße to the old seafarers' quarter with the Koberg, Jakobikirchhof and the Hospital of the Holy Spirit. Drehbrückenplatz and Schuppen 6 are by the harbour on the Untertrave, and St Peter's is just west of the Markt.

Holsten Gate in Lübeck in winter with a snowy square and church spires
The Holsten Gate in winter – the Christmas city begins behind it. Photo: Dmorwen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0

The Christmas worlds

Traditional Christmas market at the Town Hall

The classic market fills the area around the Town Hall and the Schrangen square and continues into Breite Straße. It smells of roasted almonds, Mutzen doughnuts and mulled wine, and the stalls sell tree ornaments, toys, regional produce and crafts. Children can post their wish lists in the Santa letterbox until the second Sunday of Advent. The market runs until 30 December, closing at 6pm on the last day.

Historic Christmas market on the Marienkirchhof

The churchyard of St Mary's takes you back to the Middle Ages. Craftspeople demonstrate forgotten skills, costumed walk-acts roam the square, and in the evening candles and red poinsettias bathe everything in warm light – best enjoyed with a cup of mead. It's open until 23 December: Monday to Thursday 11am–9pm, Friday and Saturday 11am–10pm, Sunday 11:30am–9pm.

Fairy-tale forest at St Mary's

For many people born in Lübeck it's part of childhood: among fir trees at the foot of St Mary's stand 20 little houses showing scenes from the Brothers Grimm. The handmade figures have been on display for half a century. There's also a children's train and stalls with sweet and savoury snacks. Open Monday to Saturday 10am–7:30pm, Sunday 11am–7:30pm, and 2–6pm on 26 December.

Forest of Stars on Klingenberg

In the middle of town, green firs full of lights fill Klingenberg square, with "star huts" serving food and covered seating in between. Red trading huts sell Christmas gifts, some run by charities. Hours are the same as the Town Hall market.

Maritime Christmas market on the Koberg

The Koberg lies in the old seafarers' quarter. Nets, wooden barrels and beach chairs create a harbour mood, and the stalls serve hot elderflower punch and Hanseatic food. The highlight is the Ferris wheel, with views over the Old Town and the harbour. The market runs until 29 December, closing at 6pm on the last day.

Elf Wonderland on the Jakobikirchhof

Next door, by St James's, the sailors' church, there's an elf village with an elf shop, elf school and elf boat. Children aged 3 to 12 can play elf mini-golf on twelve holes daily 11am–7pm, free of charge with equipment against a deposit. From 27 November to 20 December, the elf workshop runs free craft sessions for up to 20 children on Fridays to Sundays, 2–7pm.

Hafenglühen on Drehbrückenplatz

This rustic waterside market has an industrial harbour feel: mulled wine, pastries and hearty fish snacks, local products and occasional cultural events. On weekdays it opens later (Monday to Thursday 3–9pm); Friday and Saturday 11am–10pm, Sunday 11am–9pm. It's closed from 24 to 26 December.

Crafts in churches and warehouses

What sets Lübeck apart are its craft markets in historic buildings. They charge admission but are worth it if you're looking for gifts you won't find everywhere.

  • St Peter's Church (24 November to 20 December, daily 11am–7pm): artists from Germany and the Baltic region in the bright church interior, decorated with Moravian stars. Ceramics, woodwork, silk, glass, amber jewellery. Entry €4, children up to 12 free.
  • Hospital of the Holy Spirit (27 November to 6 December, daily 11am–7pm): around 80 craftspeople show their work in the entrance hall, the vaulted cellar and more than 100 "Kabäuschen" – tiny wooden chambers in the hospital's long hall that were lived in until a few decades ago. For more than 50 years, volunteer women from the Deutscher Verband Frau und Kultur have run the market, donating the proceeds to social and cultural projects. Entry €4, pupils and students €2, children up to 16 free. Expect a short queue at the door.
  • Lübsche Wiehnacht in Schuppen 6 (21/22 and 28/29 November, 11am–6pm): around 35 regional makers in a historic harbour shed on the quayside; the exhibitors change for the second weekend. Café with waffles and organic mulled wine. Entry €2, children up to 12 free.
Lübeck Town Hall on the market square with brick show wall and arcades
The Town Hall on the Markt, backdrop of the traditional Christmas market. Photo: JoachimKohler-HB, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

What to eat and drink

  • Marzipan: Café Niederegger on Breite Straße, opposite the Town Hall, holds its Christmas bazaar from 23 November to 24 December, with more than 300 marzipan gifts, almond rolls and marzipan baked apples (Monday to Saturday 9am–7pm, Sunday 10am–6pm).
  • Elderflower punch (Fliederpunsch) on the Koberg – a northern German alternative to mulled wine.
  • Mutzen: deep-fried dough dusted with icing sugar, a classic at the Town Hall market.
  • Hearty fish snacks at Hafenglühen by the water.
  • Mead at the historic market on the Marienkirchhof.

2026 mulled wine prices haven't been published.

A Hanseatic audio walk through the Christmas city

Our audio walk "Lübeck: Queen of the Hanseatic League" starts at the Holsten Gate and leads past the salt warehouses, St Peter's and the Town Hall to St Mary's, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit, St James's and the Schiffergesellschaft guild house – right through the Christmas city. 14 stops, 3.1 kilometres, about 90 minutes, in English or German. The first two stops are free in your browser.

An Advent day in Lübeck: our suggestion

  1. 10am – Holsten Gate: start at the Holsten Gate, with the audio guide or a look inside the museum.
  2. 11am – St Peter's and the Markt: crafts in St Peter's, then a first round of the Town Hall market.
  3. 12:30pm – Niederegger: a marzipan break on Breite Straße.
  4. 1:30pm – St Mary's: inside St Mary's Church lie the bells that crashed down during the 1942 air raid. Outside, the fairy-tale forest and the historic market.
  5. 3pm – Hospital of the Holy Spirit or Hanseatic Museum: until 6 December, crafts in the Kabäuschen; then the European Hansemuseum.
  6. 5pm – Koberg: elderflower punch and the Ferris wheel after dark; with children, the Elf Wonderland.
  7. Evening – Hafenglühen: finish with a fish snack on Drehbrückenplatz.

Practical tips

When to go

  • Weekdays: the tourist board itself recommends weekday visits, when the markets are much calmer.
  • Advent weekends: crowded, and parking is scarce.
  • Between Christmas and New Year: the Town Hall market, Breite Straße, Forest of Stars and fairy-tale forest stay open until 30 December; the Koberg, Elf Wonderland and Hafenglühen until 29 December. That makes Lübeck one of the few big cities with market atmosphere after Christmas.
  • 22 November (Totensonntag): the markets open the following Monday; only the Lübsche Wiehnacht in Schuppen 6 is already open on 21 and 22 November.

Getting there and parking

By train it's about 45 minutes from Hamburg; from the main station it's a ten-minute walk via the Holsten Gate onto the Old Town island. If you're driving, use the free park-and-ride service on Advent Saturdays: a shuttle bus runs from the Lohmühle and Einsiedelstraße car parks straight into the Old Town. Große Burgstraße is closed to cars between 10:30am and 10pm; for the Koberg area the city recommends parking on Kanalstraße. You can't drive through the Old Town.

With children

The Elf Wonderland and the fairy-tale forest are children's favourites, along with the children's train, the carousel and the Ferris wheel. The markets are easy to reach with a pushchair, though tight at peak times. There are baby-changing facilities at, among other places, the mobile accessible toilet on the Koberg.

Accessibility

Accessible toilets are provided at the Town Hall market, the fairy-tale forest, the Koberg and Hafenglühen, with another at the Buddenbrook shop. The Old Town has a lot of cobblestones and some slopes, so allow extra time with a wheelchair.

Dogs

Dogs are allowed on a lead. Noise and crowds can be stressful for many animals, though, so weekday mornings are more relaxed.

Where to stay

There are hotels on the Old Town island, near the station and in Travemünde on the coast, which has its own Christmas programme. With just one day, Lübeck is an easy trip from Hamburg.

Gift idea: the Holsten Gate and St Mary's as a souvenir of the Christmas city – design a personal poster.

Nearby: our tips

More ideas for the city: Lübeck.

FAQ

When does the Lübeck Christmas market open in 2026?

On Monday 23 November 2026 at 11am. The Lübsche Wiehnacht craft fair in Schuppen 6 starts earlier, on 21 November.

How late are the markets open?

The Town Hall market and Forest of Stars until 9pm Sunday to Thursday and until 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. The fairy-tale forest closes at 7:30pm.

Are the markets open between Christmas and New Year?

Yes. On 26 December they open in the afternoon, then run until 29 or 30 December. They're closed on 24 and 25 December.

Is entry free?

Most markets are free. The craft markets charge: St Peter's €4, the Hospital of the Holy Spirit €4, Lübsche Wiehnacht €2, with free entry for children.

How much is mulled wine in Lübeck?

2026 prices haven't been published. Expect a mug deposit.

Can I bring my dog?

Yes, dogs are allowed on a lead.

Where is the Ferris wheel?

On the Koberg, at the maritime Christmas market in the north of the Old Town.

Read more

Lübeck and Hamburg make a perfect pair: the regional express takes about 45 minutes to the Hamburg Christmas markets, including the historic market on the Rathausmarkt. All markets at a glance: Christmas markets in Germany 2026.

Lübeck and Hamburg in one weekend? Turn it into a route poster.

Last checked: 16 October 2026. We'll re-check opening hours before the start on 23 November.

Sources

Image credits

  • Photo: Dmorwen, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 (cover)
  • Photo: JoachimKohler-HB, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
#Christmas markets#Lübeck#Advent#City break#Schleswig-Holstein

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