By Johanna Lohwasser

 

GRAFENWOEHR, Germany — While the seasons change and leaves start to fall, imagine Medieval castles illuminated by Christmas lights and small stalls offering everything from traditional food, candy and drinks to handmade local tree decorations, candles and hand-crafted wooden toys like vintage merry-go-rounds.

 

Germany is home of the ‘Christkindlmarkt,’ or Christmas market. These festive markets offer traditional delights for your senses. Aromas of Gluehwein (spiced mulled wine), Lebkuchen (gingerbread) and sausage fill the air as you wander through the cold markets, soaking up the festive atmosphere of the Christmas season again. You cannot find a better place to enjoy it than a snowy winter in Germany!

 

Go ditch the mall, and make the journey to a Christmas market, where you can exchange crowded department stores for lovely wooden chalets and experience a down-to-earth holiday cheer. Some of these street markets date back to the late Middle Ages and can be found throughout Germany — both in big cities and small villages alike. Traditional and popular elements of the holiday season are combined and topped with a good number of regional highlights.

 

Below you can find a hand-picked selection of Christmas markets — most within a three hours’ drive from Grafenwoehr. It includes some of the largest, oldest and most beautiful markets in Germany, as well as Austria and the Czech Republic. This list also includes local markets in Grafenwoehr’s neighboring communities and some very unique markets, such as the one around Auerbach’s iron ore mine. Some of the markets held in castles or other special locations charge admission fees. Children often get discounts or free admission, and some might offer discounts for soldiers or DOD affiliated personnel. Just be sure to ask.

 

If you are interested in smaller and local markets, pay attention to the dates.  Some are open for a single day or weekend only. Most markets are open from noon until approximately 8 p.m. Some Christmas markets may have longer opening hours on weekends. Larger markets that run until December 23 or 24 will usually close by noon on the last day.

 

For more Christmas markets locations, visit the German listing site, and look for the A to Z drop-down menu on the left side of the page.

 

Large Christmas Markets
	ZIP	location	dates	entrance fee
Nuremberg	90403	Hauptmarkt	Nov 29 – Dec 24	free
Regensburg	93047	Neupfarrplatz	Nov 25 – Dec 23	free
Munich	80331	Marienplatz	Nov 27 – Dec 24	free
Prague	110 00 – CZ	Praha 1, downtown	Nov 30 – Jan 06	free
Dresden	01067	Altmarkt	Nov 27 – Dec 24	free
Stuttgart	70174	Marktplatz and Schillerplatz	Nov 28 – Dec 23	free
Salzburg	5020 -AT	Salzburg, Residenzplatz / Domplatz	Nov 20 – Dec 26	free
Innsbruck	6020 -AT	Innsbruck, city centre	Nov 15 – Jan 6	free
Berlin	10117	Gendarmenmarkt 1	Nov 25 – Dec 31	1,00 €
Unique Christmas Markets
Vilseck-Sorghof Waldweihnacht (forest market)	92249	Sorghof / Vilseck, 17:00 pm meeting behind fire dept	Dec 21, 5:00 pm	free
Auerbach Iron Ore Mine	91275	Cherrystrasse, follow signs, bus shuttle P+R	Dec 07 – Dec 08	3,00 € children under 16 free
Bayreuther Winterdorf	95444	Maximilianstr. 12-14	Oct 17 – Dec 31	free (special days with admission)
Castle Guteneck	92543	Schlossberg 1	Nov 29 – Dec 22 (Fri, Sat, Sun only)	5,00 – 6,00 € children under 12 free
Regensburg Thurn & Taxis	93047	Emmeramsplatz 5	Nov 22 – Dec 23 (closed Nov 24)	2.00 – 9,50€
Zirndorf Castle Gut Wolfgangshof	90513	Weitersdorfer Str. 22	Nov. 22 – Dec. 15 (Fri, Sat, Sun only)	1,00 – 7,00 €
Kuchlbauer’s Tower Christmas Abensberg	93326	Römerstr 9	Nov 27 – Dec 22 (Wed.-Sun. only)	free
Rothenburg ob der Tauber Reiterlesmarkt	91541	Downtown	Nov 29 – Dec 23	free
German-American Christmas Market Pullman City	94535	Eging am See	Dec. 15 – Dec. 22	2,00 € – 8,00 €
Munich Pink Christmas Market	80337	Stephansplatz	Nov 25 – Dec 22	free
Tollwood Winter Festival Munich	80336	Theresienwiese München	Nov 26 – Dec 31 (market until Dec 23)	market is free
Castle Koenigstein	01824	Downtown	Nov 30 – Dec 22 (Sat & Sun only)	7,00 – 10,00  €
Local Christmas Markets
Grafenwoehr	92655	Marktplatz	Dec 7	free
Pressath	92690	Schulstrasse	Dec 1	free
Freihung	92271	Festplatz am Harranger	Nov 30	free
Kirchenthumbach	91281	Market Square	Dec 7 – Dec 8	free
Vilseck Burg Dagestein	92249	Schlossgasse 6	Dec 7 – Dec 8	free
Vilseck / Sorghof Waldweihnacht	92249	Auerbacher Str. 16	Dec 7	free
Weiden	92637	Downtown	Nov 28 – Dec 23	free
Castle Wildenreuth	92681	Downtown	Dec 07 – Dec 15 (Saturday and Sunday only)	2,00 – 5,00 €
Neustadt a.d. Waldnaab	92660	Stadtplatz	Dec 8	free
Edelsfeld	92265	Downtown	Dec 8	free
Hirschau	92242	Market Square	Nov 30 – Dec 1	free
Amberg	92224	Market Square	Nov 28 – Dec 23	free
Bayreuth	95444	Market Square	Nov 25 – Dec 23	free
Neumarkt i.d. OPf.	92318	Rathausplatz	Nov 29 – Dec 23	free
Garmisch	82467	Richard-Strauss-Platz 1	Nov 23 – Dec 23	free

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