Einen Glühwein, bitte! A first-timer's guide to German Christmas markets

When little wooden huts appear on the square

Once mid-November has passed, little wooden huts (die Bude) start going up one by one on the square in front of the town hall or on the open space next to the church. In the German winter the sun sets at around 4 p.m., so when the lights come on in these huts and the smell of cinnamon and roasted almonds starts drifting through the air, you know Christmas market (der Weihnachtsmarkt) season has arrived. Depending on the region, the name changes too: Christkindlesmarkt, Christkindlmarkt or Striezelmarkt. A warm glass of wine with colleagues on the way home from work, a ride on the merry-go-round with the kids at the weekend: for Germans, the Christmas market is the neighbourhood meeting place that helps them get through the winter.

When do they open? The big markets in 2026

Many big markets open between mid and late November. On Totensonntag (the Sunday of the Dead, when people remember those who have died; this year on 22 November) in particular, many are closed or only open the day after. The following Sunday (29 November) is the first Sunday of Advent (der 1. Advent).

City and market	Dates in 2026	Good to know
Munich, Marienplatz (Christkindlmarkt)	20 Nov – 24 Dec	Closed on Sun 22 Nov
Berlin, Alexanderplatz	23 Nov – 26 Dec	Free entry
Berlin, Gendarmenmarkt (WeihnachtsZauber)	23 Nov – 31 Dec	Entry €2, free on weekdays 11 a.m.–2 p.m.
Dresden, Striezelmarkt	25 Nov – 24 Dec	One of the oldest markets, first recorded in 1434
Nuremberg, Christkindlesmarkt	27 Nov – 24 Dec	The Christkind gives the opening speech on the first evening

Most close around midday on 24 December. Some markets, like the one in front of the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church in Berlin, open earlier than this, so check your local town hall's website.

Give the mug back and get your money back

The classic Christmas market drink is Glühwein (der Glühwein), wine heated up with spices. The first time you buy one, it might seem more expensive than you expected. That's because a deposit on the mug (das Pfand) is added to the price of the drink. When you've finished, take the mug back to the stall and you'll get the full deposit back. It's usually a few euros.

The mugs have a different design every year, so you might be tempted to keep one as a souvenir. But paying the deposit doesn't make the mug yours. If you'd like to take it home, ask at the stall or buy a souvenir mug separately. If you don't drink alcohol, there's Kinderpunsch (der Kinderpunsch), made with fruit tea and juice. The name means 'children's punch', but plenty of adults drink it too. If the menu says mit Schuss, it means a shot of something strong, like rum or amaretto, has been added.

What to eat? Different flavours in every region

• Bratwurst — the grilled sausage you'll find at every market. It comes in a bread roll with mustard
• Drei im Weggla — a Nuremberg speciality: three finger-sized Nuremberg sausages in a bread roll
• Reibekuchen — fried cakes made from grated potato. That's the Rhineland name; elsewhere they're also called Kartoffelpuffer. They come with apple sauce (Apfelmus)
• gebrannte Mandeln — almonds roasted with a coating of sugar and cinnamon. They're behind that typical market smell
• Lebkuchen / Stollen — Lebkuchen, the spiced biscuits from Nuremberg, and Stollen, the Christmas bread from Dresden
• Langos / Schmalzkuchen — Langos, a Hungarian-style fried flatbread, and Schmalzkuchen, small round fried pastries

A few tips to make it easier

Do this 👍	Be careful with this 👎
Bring cash and coins (some stalls don't take cards)	Slipping a deposit mug into your bag without saying anything
Go on a weekday afternoon or early evening instead of a busy weekend evening	Standing around for ages in thin shoes (your feet freeze first)
Take the mug back to the stall where you bought it when you've finished	Several Glühweins on an empty stomach (they go to your head faster than you think)
Wear your bag at the front	Keeping your phone in your back pocket in a crowd

More and more stalls take cards, but not all of them do yet. Many, in particular, give the deposit back in cash.

Today's German words

Word	Meaning
der Weihnachtsmarkt	Christmas market
der Glühwein	mulled wine (wine heated with spices)
das Pfand	deposit
der Kinderpunsch	warm non-alcoholic punch
die Bude	(market) wooden stall
gebrannte Mandeln	sugar-roasted almonds

Order your first Glühwein of the year with "Einen Glühwein, bitte!" Frohe Vorweihnachtszeit! 🎄