Best Christmas Markets in Cologne (Köln), Germany

Published on

by Henk Bekker

in Cologne / Köln, Germany, North Rhine-Westphalia NRW, Rhine River

Fast trains from London, Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Germany, help to make the Cologne Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmärkte), Kölner Dom (Cathedral), and world-class museums popular travel destinations in Germany.

Cologne Christmas Market Glasses teelichter with Köln motives

Cologne’s Christmas markets have long been popular with foreign travelers. It is easy to reach Köln by train, bus, or car from the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Germany, and even London and the UK, for a fun shopping trip to one of Germany’s liveliest cities. Cologne has several attractive Christmas markets but visitors will also appreciate the other attractions of this mostly modern city. Cologne has some of the best shopping opportunities in Germany, an active nightlife scene, great Romanesque and Gothic churches, and top museums with impressive collections. Advent and New Year’s Eve Rhine River cruises are possible from Cologne on most days when the Christmas markets are open.

2024 Cologne Christmas Markets Dates: Weihnachtsmärkte in Köln are open mostly from 18 November to 23 or 24 December. The market at the harbor is open until January 1, 2025 and the market with ice-skating rink at Heumarkt until January 5, 2025. Opening hours are generally from 11:00 to 21:00 with food and drink stalls often remaining open later.

Best Christmas Markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) in Cologne (Köln), Germany

The most important Christmas markets are in the old town in front of the Gothic Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) and on the nearby Alter Markt and Heumarkt.

Cologne does not limit its Christmas market to only one location — markets are spread throughout the city. The most important Christmas markets are in the old town in front of the Gothic Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom) and on the nearby Alter Markt and Heumarkt. On the edges of the city center, locals far outnumber foreign visitors at beautiful markets on Neumarkt and Rudolfsplatz.

  • Cologne’s favorite drink is the very refreshing local beer – Kölsch, the champagne of beers. It is served in small 200-ml (7-oz) glasses and should be drunk very cold. However, at Christmas markets, warm Glühwein (mulled wine) is more common.
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Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom

The Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom is right next to Cologne’s magnificent Gothic Cathedral, which offers a magnificent backdrop to this large, lively Christmas market with a stage for live entertainment.

The Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom is right next to Cologne’s magnificent Gothic Cathedral, which offers a magnificent backdrop to this large, lively Christmas market with a stage for live entertainment.

This market can get crowded as Cologne Cathedral is the most popular tourist sight in Germany. Visitors flocking to the cathedral and traveling through the adjacent train station ensure a steady flow of visitors all day.

However, this market has a rather commercial and international feel with stallholders as likely to address you first in English as in German. The more beautiful markets are just a short stroll away at Alter Markt. En route, just half a block from the main market is the small Advent Village market with a large illuminated Christmas pyramid.

Heinzels Winter Fairytale Christmas Market in Cologne

Heinzels Wintermaerchen Christmas Market in Cologne

The most interesting Christmas market to visit in Cologne is only around three blocks south of the cathedral on Alter Markt and flowing into Heumarkt. Here, the large Heinzels Winter Fairytale market offers high-quality items produced by skilled craftsmen, gourmet and street food, sweets, and a popular ice-skating rink.

Heinzels Wintermärchen with around 140 stalls feels romantic even during the day and at quieter hours. It is a far more pleasant Christmas market experience than the more sterile market at the Dom.

At Heumarkt, the ice skating rink and around two dozen food stalls usually remain open until early January.

Other Christmas Markets in Cologne

The Cologne Harbour Christmas Market (Kölner Hafen Weihnachtsmarkt) is held in front of the Chocolate Museum (on a peninsula in the Rhine to the south of the old town). The market has 70 stalls, a few rides, and a large Ferris wheel (48 m) for excellent views of Cologne and the Rhine.

Cologne has many Christmas markets spread over the city and suburbs. A few that are of interest to many tourists include:

The Cologne Harbour Christmas Market (Kölner Hafen Weihnachtsmarkt) is held in front of the Chocolate Museum (on a peninsula in the Rhine to the south of the old town). The market has 70 stalls, a few rides, and a large Ferris wheel (48 m) for excellent views of Cologne and the Rhine. This market usually remains open until the 1st of January.

The Angels’ Market at Neumarkt (Markt der Engel) just to the south of the central shopping area is famous for its beautiful white Christmas lights. the around 80 stalls combine traditional fare with more modern food and gift ideas. Locals far outnumber foreign visitors at this lovely market.

The Santa’s Village at Rudolfplatz (Nikolausdorf) to the west of the center is particularly popular with smaller children but the beautiful half-timbered houses with the historic Hahnen city gate as backdrop are also interesting for adults. In addition to St Nicholas visits, rides are available for small children. Hot drinks are served in a Nicholas boot mug.

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Top Sights to See in Cologne (Köln), Germany

Cologne Cathedral Western Facade

For well over a millennium, up to the late 19th century, Cologne was the largest city in the German-speaking world. However, during the Second World War, 90% of the old town was destroyed and the population dwindled from 800,000 before the war to 45,000 immediately afterward as people fled the frequent air raids. Despite this destruction, Cologne is still a very interesting city to visit.

The top sight in Cologne, and with over 6 million annual visitors the most popular monitored sight in all of Germany, is the Cologne Cathedral (Kölner Dom). The Dom is the largest Gothic church in the world with the third-largest church interior in Europe. Its enormous western façade is unrivaled (and hard to capture in a single photo without a wide-angle lens). Construction started in 1248 but the church was only completed in 1880.

Despite numerous air raids during the Second World War, the Cologne Cathedral miraculously escaped the war almost intact. The twin towers are 157 m (518 ft) high, the nave 144 m (475 ft) long, and 43.5 m (143 ft) high. The art and huge stained-glass windows are impressive.

  • It is 509 steps to the viewing platform two-thirds up the south tower.

Cologne’s old town has 12 Romanesque churches. The largest is Groß St Martin but it is worth making the effort to visit St Gereon. St Gereon has Roman origins and an impressive and rare Romanesque decagon cupola.

Top Museums in Cologne (Köln), Germany

James Rosenquist Star Thief On display in the Ludwig Museum in Cologne

With around 150 museums, galleries, and art spaces the choice of cultural sights in Cologne is vast. Some of the museums with world-class collections include:

  • Museum Ludwig, next to the Dom, displays mostly 20th-century modern art and owns the largest Pop Art collection outside the USA.
  • The adjacent Roman-Germanic Museum has articles from the Roman and Frankish periods. (Cologne was an important Roman city for centuries.) The main museum is currently closed for renovations with the top treasures on temporary display near the Neumarkt.
  • The Wallraf-Richartz-Museum is the oldest museum collection in Cologne and has a very important collection of classical paintings (Middle Ages to Impressionist).
  • The Chocolate Museum (Imhoff-Stollwerck Museum) – is hugely popular and currently has strong links to Lindt with some sampling allowed at the end of visits.

Advent and New Year’s Eve Rhine River cruises are possible from Cologne on most days when the Christmas markets are open. Rhine cruises for the rest of winter are more limited.

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