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BADEN-WÜRTTEMBERG

The best Christmas markets in Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate

Christmas is a time when Germany's south-west really shines. The region's Christmas markets, or 'Weihnachtsmärkte', are one of the highlights of the festive season.

Published: 24 November 2023 11:13 CET
Heidelberger Schloss
The Heidelberger Schloss is a stunning backdrop for the city's Christmas market. Photo: Heidelberg Marketing / Theodor Assfalg

Here’s when you can experience some of the best that Baden-Württemberg and Rheinland-Palatinate offer. 

Baden-Württemberg

Stuttgart & Surroundings

The state capital’s Christmas market has been running for around three hundred years, with roots that go back even further. Stuttgart’s Christmas market is also among the most popular in Germany – an estimated three and a half million visitors attend each year! The market takes up much of the city’s heart, and hundreds of stalls offer food, drink and gorgeous Christmas decorations. Tip: Take a trip on the giant Ferris wheel in front of the Neue Schloss! This year’s market runs each day from November 29th to December 23rd.

Ludwigsburg, Stuttgart’s stately cousin just to the north, will also showcase its gorgeous 18th-century architecture and local delicacies in its annual ‘Baroque Christmas Market‘, running in the city’s Marktplatz between November 23rd to December 22nd (closed November 26th for a local holiday). 

Mediaeval jewel Esslingen, twenty minutes by train from Stuttgart’s city centre, also features Christmas markets worth your while. Not only is there a range of stalls offering modern gifts and decorations at the ‘Christmas Market’, but the ‘Medieval Market’ next door is truly something to behold, with food, gifts and performances straight out of the 15th century, when the Imperial Free City was at its peak. Both take place every day from November 23rd to December 21st. 

Stuttgart’s Christmas market in Schillerplatz. Photo: Mike Stuchbery

Freiburg

While the Christmas market in the mediaeval university city of Freiburg im Breisgau is a modern addition (first occurring in the 1970s), that’s not to say it’s not a spectacular experience. While Freiburg’s Christmas market winds through the city’s historic centre, most stalls can be found on the scenic Rathausplatz. Tip: If you’re taking the kids, they can help make some of the Black Forest region’s tastiest creations in the ‘Children’s Bakery’. The market is open between November 23rd and December 23rd (Closed November 26th). 

Heidelberg

For a truly spectacular location for a Christmas market, you can’t miss Heidelberg. Nestled in the valley created by the Neckar River, the city has hosted a famed university and has been a local centre of power for centuries. The majestic and romantic ruins of Schloss Heidelberg can be seen from many of the squares in the city’s heart, where the Christmas market occurs.

Tip: If there’s one market where you can take memorable photos, this is it – the floodlit castle is astonishing. The Heidelberg Christmas market takes place between November 27th and December 22nd.

 

Mannheim

Mannheim’s an 18th-century creation, laid out (famously) in a very modern grid – but that doesn’t mean the city’s Christmas market isn’t a magical experience. The city’s Christmas market is focused around the iconic ‘Wasserturm’ and is one of the country’s largest. While it’s not as famous as others in the region, that makes it even better – you can focus on the beautiful variety of food (one of the market’s specialities) without having to elbow your way (too much) through crowds. The market runs from November 27th to December 22nd. 

Konstanz

The most beautiful city on the Bodensee has a Christmas market to match. While it’s only been running in its current form since 1989, it’s become one of the most beloved in the region. One reason is the presence of one of the lake’s White Fleet passenger ships, where visitors can retire for a hot drink and spectacular views, moored right next to the market. It runs from November 30th to December 23rd. 

Ulm 

Ulm was one of Germany’s wealthiest cities during the Middle Ages, so it’s only fitting that the city boasts a Christmas market. Hundreds of stalls offer great food and beautiful handcrafted decorations in the city’s Munsterplatz, dominated by the world’s tallest church spire.

Tip: Time your visit during daylight hours to get incredible views from the top of the Ulm Munster’s spire. Ulm’s Christmas market extends from November 27th to December 23rd. 

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Rheinland-Palatinate

Mainz

The home of the printing press also leaves a great impression through its Christmas market. Many Christmas markets like to think they’re among Germany’s most beautiful, but Mainz, the state capital, has a strong claim, with its offerings filling the square around the city’s millennium-old cathedral, the Mainzer Dom. Tip: With the historical background of the cathedral, renaissance buildings and a focus on exquisite lighting, this is another Christmas market for photography lovers. The Christmas market runs between November 30th and December 23rd.

The Mainz Christmas market is a sea of light. Photo: Landeshauptstadt Mainz

Kaiserslautern

Despite its modern appearance, Kaiserslautern has a long and storied history, which is reflected in the Christmas market outside the centuries-old Stiftskirche and the 19th-century Fruchthalle. If you’re one for Christmas carols, there’s a comprehensive program of musical performances here that comes highly recommended. Kaiserslautern’s Christmas market takes place between November 20th and December 23rd. 

READ MORE: An essential guide to Bavaria’s Christmas markets this winter

Speyer

Speyer is one of Germany’s oldest cities, a seat for former kings, and, indeed, is the resting place for many of them. The city’s cathedral, the Speyerer Dom, is the perfect backdrop for the local Christmas market, which spills along the Maximilianstrasse that leads towards it. Tip: Speyer’s Christmas market has a packed schedule of events and performances, so it’s a good idea to check the website for what’s available on the day you plan to visit. You can experience Speyer’s Christmas market from November 27th to January 7th.

Trier

Another of Germany’s oldest cities, Trier, offers intense competition to its neighbours in Mainz, Worms, and Speyer regarding its festive offerings. Trier’s Christmas market takes place outside its cathedral, the Trierer Dom, and incorporates a robust mediaeval feel. Tip: It’s also where to head if you’ve got a sweet tooth, with the local Gebäckkringel, Dampfnudeln and Marzipanstollen enjoying a reputation far beyond the state’s borders. Trier’s Christmas market takes place between November 24th and December 22nd. 

Worms

Worms is a significant city in German music, performance, myth, and legend – where the famous Nibelungenlied was thought to have been written in the Middle Ages. So it’s appropriate that at the city’s Christmas market, which takes place throughout the ancient centre, you’ll find many stages where musicians, poets and other performers entertain visitors. Naturally, the food and handcrafted offerings are also fantastic. Experience Worm’s market from November 27th to December 23rd.

Are you aware of an unmissable Christmas market in Baden-Wurttemberg or Rheinland-Pfalz? Let us know! 

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READER QUESTIONS

EXPLAINED: How to dispose of your Christmas tree in Germany

Once you can't hear the bells jingling, and the beautiful Christmas tree in your living room becomes a dry, dead hazard, it's time to dispose of it correctly. Here's how to do it in Germany.

Published: 27 December 2023 11:07 CET
Updated: 6 January 2024 11:05 CET
EXPLAINED: How to dispose of your Christmas tree in Germany

Christmas trees can have a relatively short “life” span in Germany. Traditionally, they are decorated just on Christmas Eve (though this has been changing, and many families now decorate their trees well in advance) and are often disposed of by January 6th, the Feast of Epiphany, which celebrates the end of the Christmas season.

If you bought a real Christmas tree, it’s now time to start thinking about how to dispose of it properly. 

Collection days

Many cities in Germany have designated days for you to simply leave your tree out to be collected – often just on the sidewalk. Depending on the city though, these dates might vary depending on your district.

In Berlin, for example, each district has at least two collection dates, with one in the second week of January and one in the third. Larger districts even have different days depending on neighbourhood.

After collection, these trees are shredded using special machines and then used in biomass power plants to generate energy. In Berlin alone, city services collect 350,000 trees a year – and the energy produced from them can heat around 500 homes for a full year.

Cities that organise collection on the street include Berlin, Potsdam, Düsseldorf, Hamburg, and Frankfurt, among others. 

To find out if municipal workers will collect the trees disposed of on sidewalks where you live; you can search for Weihnachtsbaumabholung + the name of your village, town, or city.

In all cases, people must remove all decorations (tinsel, candles, etc) beforehand. It’s typically better to leave your tree out the night before, or be sure that if you’re up early on the day, to have your tree out by 6:00 am at the latest.

Collection points

Not every town or city will necessarily have dedicated pick-up. But many, if not most, will have designated drop-off points where you can leave your Christmas tree. This is especially likely to be the case the smaller your city, town, or village is.

To find out where your community’s collection point might be, google Weihnachtsbaumsammelstelle, Weihnachtsbaumabgabestelle or Weihnachtsbaumablagestelle + the name of your town to check if there are collection points and where.

Collection points are available around Munich, Leipzig, Cologne, Dresden, Stuttgart, and many more.

Again, make sure you’ve removed all tinsel, decorations, and the like before dropping your tree off.

Other disposal ‘methods’

For those who have gardens at home, the Christmas tree branches can be used to cover perennial plants and sprouting bulbs from frost. They can also be used as household compost, but the pieces should be 15 cm long at home, and only about as thick as a finger.

One place authorities ask you not to leave your tree is in a public park.

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