In 2024, the best large Christmas markets in Berlin, Germany, are at Gendarmenmarkt, Rotes Rathaus, Schloss Charlottenburg, and the Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche. Many winter markets are open on Christmas Day.
German Christmas markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) are highlights of the festive season in Berlin – Germany’s capital city has at least fifty large markets with food stalls serving traditional food and drinks. The best Christmas markets for visitors to Berlin are in the Mitte city center and Charlottenburg areas close to major tourist attractions and shopping areas. The most popular Christmas markets in Berlin are held at Gendarmenmarkt, Rotes Rathaus, Breitscheidplatz / Gedächtniskirche, and Schloss Charlottenburg.
Dates and Opening Hours of Berlin’s Top Christmas Markets
Many of Berlin’s Christmas markets are open daily from around 11:00 to 22:00 from 25 November 2024 but some stretch the holiday season from 1 November 2024 to 5 January 2025.
In contrast to most other Christmas markets in Germany, the top Weihnachtsmärkte in Berlin are open on Christmas Day (December 25) and a few days beyond. All will close early, if open at all, on Christmas Eve (December 24) — the markets at Gendarmenmarkt and the Gedächtniskirche are open longest on the 24th.
Most Weihnachtsmärkte have free entry but when a small admission fee is charged, it is money well spent as it keeps crowds down.
It is worth seeking out the different Christmas markets at Gendarmenmarkt and Schloss Charlottenburg but other large Xmas markets are often a bit interchangeable and simply visited because travelers happen to be in a particular part of the city for shopping or sightseeing during the Christmas season.
Weihnachtszauber Gendarmenmarkt — The Best Christmas Market in Berlin
The best, most beautiful, and top Christmas market to visit in Berlin is the Weihnachtszauber (Christmas Magic) Gendarmenmarkt on one of the most beautiful public squares in Berlin.
If you have time for only one traditional Christmas market in Berlin, make it this one but note that it may be held at Bebelsplatz as an interim measure.
This Christmas market is famous for its large artifacts displays and artists’ workshops selling unique gifts. It also often has slightly higher quality and more delicious food options than other markets. Heated tents are pleasant for sitting down for a decent meal rather than just eating a grilled sausage while standing up.
Due to construction work, the market is held in 2023 and 2024 not at the beautiful Gendarmentmarkt with the concert hall, and German and French cathedrals, but rather at the nearby Bebelsplatz between the Staatsoper and Humboldt University on Unter den Linden. A very convenient location — use U-Bahn Station Museumsinsel. It is fun walking here from the Brandenburg Gate to see the Christmas decorations and lights on Unter den Linden.
In contrast to the other Christmas markets in Berlin, the Weihnachtszauber Gendarmenmarkt charges a small fee for admission after 14:00 on weekdays and all day on Advent weekends. This €2 (€6 on New Year’s Eve) is money well spent as it helps to prevent the market from becoming too crowded. Children under 12 are free.
The Weihnachtszauber Gendarmenmarkt is open until 1 am on January 1, 2025 — admission on 31 December 2024 from around 18:00. On December 24, the Christmas market on Gendarmenmarkt is open from noon to 6 pm.
In 2024, the Christmas market on the Gendarmenmarkt / Bebelsplatz is open daily from 25 November 2024 to 1 January 2025.
Weihnachtsmarkt vor dem Roten Rathaus of Berlin
The Weihnachtsmarkt vor dem Roten Rathaus (Christmas Market in front of the Red Berlin City Hall) is located in the heart of historic old Berlin near Alexanderplatz, which also has a very large market. This market usually has the largest giant Ferris wheel, which is not that high — for top views go up the Fernsehturm (TV Tower) to the highest viewing platform and restaurant in Germany.
This market is very popular with children as it has several rides as well as the largest ice skating rink in Berlin at the Neptune Fountain. The ice rink is free, or around €5 to rent skates.
The market is closed all day on December 24 but reopens from December 25, 2024, until January 5, 2025, as a winter wonderland.
The largest (and possibly ugliest) Christmas market in Berlin is traditionally at the nearby Alexanderplatz — people visit the Alexanderplatz market as they are there for the shopping and transportation hub rather than to find some festive atmosphere at the city’s busiest market.
Weihnachtsmarkt an der Gedächtniskirche in West Berlin
The Weihnachtsmarkt an der Gedächtniskirche (Christmas Market at the Memorial Church) is one of the most popular in Berlin. The market has well over a hundred stands selling anything from mulled wine (Glühwein) and sausages to special gifts, traditional handicrafts, and clothing.
It is the location more than anything else that contributes to the market’s popularity. The Christmas market is on Breitscheidplatz right in front of the busy Zoologischer Garten train station at the junction of Kurfürstendamm and Tauentzienstraße, traditionally the main shopping streets of West Berlin.
In recent years, the Christmas Market at the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church has been functioning up to a few days in January to become the Weihnachtsmarkt with the longest hours in the heart of Berlin. During Christmas time, the nearby streets and major shopping centers have beautiful Christmas decorations, Christmas trees, and imaginative lights.
This large market is open from 24 November 2024 to 5 January 2025 — most days from 11 am to 9 or 10 pm. On December 24, the market is open only from 11 am to 2 pm; on December 25 & 26 and January 1 from 1 to 9 pm, and on December 31 from 11 am to 8 pm.
Christmas Markets at Schloss Charlottenburg Palace, Berlin
The Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Charlottenburg (Christmas Market at Charlottenburg Palace) is a fairly newcomer to the Berlin Advent season but the beautiful location made it instantly popular. Only natural products are used to decorate the huts and tents.
The market is not too big and popular with local families, as there is also a small fairground with carousel rides aimed at smaller children.
This classic Christmas market is located at Spandauer Damm in front of Schloss Charlottenburg, the only Prussian royal palace that survived in Berlin itself. Top nearby museums include the Sammlung Scharf-Gerstenbrg, Bröhan Museum (Jugendstil, Art Deco), and Käthe-Kollwitz-Museum.
The market at Schloss Charlottenburg is open from 25 November to 29 December 2024 but is closed all day on December 24.
Other Christmas Markets in Berlin in 2024
Berlin has many further different Christmas markets worth visiting:
The Winter Market (Wintermarkt Schlossplatz) at the Humboldt Forum is at the reconstructed Berliner Schloss, now home to several important museums. The stalls sell local arts and crafts with special stands for social actions. This market has a comprehensive program of activities, cultural events, and live music in cooperation with the museums in the Forum. (25 November 2024 to 1 January 2025)
The Lucia Christmas Market is a small market at the Kulturbrauerei at Schönhauser Allee 36, Prenzlauer Berg, near the free Life in the GDR / DDR Museum. The Lucia market is famous for its Scandinavian handcrafts and food and is thus also known as the Swedish Christmas market. It is near the Eberswalder Str / Pappelallee U-Bhan, tram, and bus stops with the famous Konnopke’s Imbiss currywurst stand.
The large market in the old town of Spandau, to the northwest of Berlin, is often considered the best and most beautiful of all the Christmas markets in Berlin. It is easily reached by S-Bahn from central Berlin or Berlin Airport. (25 November to 22 December 2024)
The large market at Potsdamer Platz (partly open from 1 November 2024 to 1 January 2025, as a winter sports center with a toboggan run winter slide) may lack a bit of character but it is open for long and very convenient as a transportation hub and near large shopping centers including the Sony Center and Mall of Berlin LP12. The cultural giants of the Kulturforum are also just a short walk away.
The largest Christmas market in Berlin is at Alexanderplatz but it is also often considered the ugliest market in the city. Alexanderplatz seems to be under perpetual reconstruction but it remains Berlin’s most important transportation and shopping hub. The area is crowded during the Christmas holiday festive season and the large Alexanderplatz Christmas market caters well to the crowds. The nearby market at the city hall (next to the TV Tower) is worth the short walk.
Berlin is by far the most interesting city to visit in Germany. Berlin has fantastic museums and endless entertainment options in addition to visiting the best Christmas markets. First-time visitors will easily get an appreciation of the size and sights of central Berlin by touring the city on cheap public bus routes especially aimed at sights popular with visitors, such as bus lines 100, 200, and 300.
