Cologne Christmas Market 2026: Best Markets, Dates and Travel Tips
Cologne is Lisa’s favorite Christmas market city. Most cities we’ve visited have one main Christmas market, but Cologne has five or six spread around the city, each with its own theme. A little Christmas train connects them, which is half the fun and makes it really easy to see several markets in one day.
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The Cathedral Market
This is the obvious place to start. The Cathedral Market sits right below Cologne Cathedral, with the huge Christmas tree in the middle and rows of stalls filling the square. It’s also almost next to the main train station, so even if you’re only in Cologne for a day, it’s incredibly easy to get to.
Six Markets, One Little Train
There are five or six markets spread around the city, each with its own theme and its own mug design. The little Christmas train runs between them, so you can hop on and off instead of figuring out how to get from one market to the next. We collect the mugs, so Cologne is a problem for us. Every market has a different one.
If you only have time for one market besides the Cathedral Market, we’d do the Old Town market at Alter Markt. It feels different enough from the cathedral market to make the extra stop worth it.
Bratwurst and Cheese Fondue
Our favorite food find wasn’t actually inside the Cathedral Market. Nearby, we found bratwurst served with a little cup of cheese fondue for dipping bread. We ordered it because we saw someone else eating it, which is usually how we find the best things at Christmas markets.
Try Reibekuchen as well, potato pancakes usually served with applesauce.
Cologne Christmas Market 2026: Dates and Hours
The Cathedral Market runs November 16 to December 23, 2026, and is closed on November 22 (Totensonntag, a national day of remembrance observed across Germany). Hours run 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday through Wednesday, until 10 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Saturdays. The other five or six markets around the city run on slightly different schedules, so check the specific market you're planning to visit closer to your trip.
Practical Tips for Visiting
Cologne’s markets get extremely busy on weekends. If you can, go earlier in the day when it’s much easier to get through the stalls.
Every market has its own mug design. You pay a deposit when you order your drink, then either return the mug for the deposit or keep it. We almost always keep ours, and Cologne is particularly dangerous because there are so many different designs.
Where to Stay in Cologne
If you’re coming mainly for the Christmas markets, staying near the Cathedral or Cologne’s old town makes everything much easier. The Cathedral Market is beside the main train station, and you’ll also be close to the little Christmas train that connects several of the other markets.
We have a full Where to Stay in Cologne guide with our hotel picks and the areas we’d choose. You can also use the map below to compare current hotel prices and availability.
Continue Planning Your Germany Christmas Trip
We've also been to Nuremberg, which works well with Cologne if you’re planning a longer German Christmas market trip. See our Christmas Markets in Germany guide for more stops, or our full guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe.
