Anyone who’s ever visited a Christmas market knows there’s Christmas markets, and then there’s German Christmas markets.
I don’t mean a German Christmas market in your local town or city centre here in the UK. I mean a real one. In Germany.
As a forces child I lived in Germany for several years when I was little and going to Christmas markets was one of the highlights of the year. Quite simply, there’s nothing like a proper German Christmas market to get you into the festive spirit!
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Now I’m a mum taking the kids to Germany for the Christmas markets has become a tradition. With Covid-19 restrictions continuing to ease across Europe winter 2022 will be the first time in two years we’ve been able to travel as a family.
This year we’re hoping to take Violet to her very first Christmas market – the question is: which are the best German Christmas markets to visit in 2022?
In this collaborative post we reveal all!
The best German Christmas markets to visit in 2022
Bernkastel-Kues Weihnachtsmarkt
(end of November – end of December 2022)
Bernkastel-Kues is a romantic medieval city built more than 700 years ago on the banks of the Moselle river. At Christmas one of the old houses in the main square is transformed into a giant advent calendar and each window is numbered, and a great show is made of opening the relevant door each evening. The market boasts the largest nativity display in the Moselle as well as 40 illuminated stalls, attracting thousands of tourists each year. Accommodation is often fully booked on Christmas market days, so – as with all of Germany’s Christmas markets – it’s worth booking your stay ahead of your visit.
If you’re up for a challenge you can also walk up to the Burg, the ruins of 9th Century Landshut castle, for a panoramic view over the Moselle (although I wouldn’t recommend taking a pushchair, which you will have to drag up – I’ve been there, done and got the sore arms to prove it!)
Trier Weihnachtsmarkt
(mid-November – late Decemeber 2022)
Just 50 minutes after taking off from Gatwick you can find yourselves in Luxembourg. From there it is roughly a 45-minute car journey into Germany to Trier, one of the oldest cities in Germany, also on the banks of the Moselle river. Trier Christmas market is held every year in front of the city’s charming Cathedral where more than 90 wooden stalls sell everything from hand-blown glass decorations to wooden toys and ceramics.
Dates are still to be confirmed but the market is open daily from mid-November to late December.
Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt
(November 21 – December 22, 2022)
Whether you’re looking for a traditional Christmas market or a trendier offering Frankfurt’s Christmas market is one of the oldest in Germany and attracts thousands of visitors each year. With the airport close by it’s easy to get to and there are various different markets to choose from when you get there, offering a quintessential German Christmas market experience. As well as the usual food and drink stalls selling gluhwein, bratwurst, potato pancakes and gingerbread you’ll find pottery, ceramics, jewellery and art on stalls that are open 7 days a week.
Cologne Weihnachtsmarkt
(November 21 – December 23, 2022)
Cologne’s Gothic cathedral is the backdrop to not one but a series of Christmas markets dotted about the city, making Cologne Weihnachtsmarkt the biggest in Germany. Dubbed the best decorated Christmas market in the country, you’ll find hundreds of stalls, the largest Christmas tree in the Rhine and an ice-skating rink to name but a few attractions. Each market has its own unique vibe, from Stadtgarten Christmas market in the trendy Belgian quarter to Nicholas’ Village Christmas Market with half timber houses and a plethora of Christmas lights.
Have you ever visited a German Christmas market before? I’d love to know which ones you recommend!
This is a collaborative post.
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