Exploring the Christmas Markets in Berlin
Christmas markets or localy known as Weihnachtsmärkte, are one of the most famous and beloved German holiday traditions. Berlin offers a wide variety of Christmas markets all over the city. There are not only Berlins Christmas markets to explore in December but also numerous Christmas activities. It’s not easy to decide which Christmas markets to visit, so here is a list that includes the most famous Christmas markets in Berlin.
- Gendarmenmarkt
- Weihnachtsmarkt at Charlottenburg Palace
- Alexanderplatz Christmas Market
- Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church Christmas Market
- Berliner Weihnachtszeit at Roten Rathaus
- Winter World on Potsdamer Platz
- Spandau Christmas market
- Opernpalais Nostalgic Market
- Lucia Christmas Market
The city is also home to a few international Christmas markets that are bringing holiday traditions from all over the world to the German capital. It are mostly one day markets so check the Berlin official travel website for the correct dates depending on the year.
- Finnish Advent Bazaar
- Swedish Christmas Bazaar
- Japan Market Christmas Edition
- British Christmas Market
- Norwegian Christmas Bazaar
- Japanese Christmas Market
- Danish Christmas Market
When do the Christmas markets start?
Most of the Christmas market start at the end of November and continue during the four weeks of Advent. There are only a few that you can visit after Christmas or in January. The opening times of the markets are every day from: 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM.
Only the Weihnachtsmärkte at Gendarmenmarkt, City Hall and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church will be open between 26 and 31 December.
City Hall and Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church market are open between New Year’s Eve and the 2th of January. For more details check each market’s opening times or Berlins official travel website.
Where to Stay in Berlin?
The best location to stay for Berlin Christmas markets is the Mitte district. To be more precise the areas around Checkpoint Charlie and Alexanderplatz. Most of the main Christmas markets are within this area. You’ll be at walking distance to at least a few. In addition, both areas are very well-connected to the rest of the city so if you want to combine visiting Christmas markets with other activities you will not have to travel to much. We stayed at the Classik Hotel Alexander Plaza.
Tips
- December in Berlin can be really cold. We had a weekend in Berlin where the tempratures where minus 5, so don’t forget your thermal underwear if you are planning to walk from one market to another.
- Bring cash! Some of the markets ask for an entrance fee and most of the stalls at the markets only use cash as a payment method.
Getting into the winter vibe? Check out some more winter content on the website. If you are curious which other places we also visited in Germany take a look on the Germany page.
