Cologne Christmas Market 2026: Dates, Cathedral Market and Neumarkt

When does the Cologne Christmas market start? Here are the Cologne Christmas market dates for 2026: first come the harbour and Stadtgarten markets (13 November), then the cathedral, Neumarkt and Rudolfplatz (16 November), with Heinzels Wintermärchen in the Old Town last (23 November).

Most close on 23 December; two stay open into January (official info, 28 October 2026). The opening times are in the table.

Sunday 22 November 2026 is Germany's day of remembrance for the dead (Totensonntag): the cathedral and Neumarkt markets are closed and Stadtgarten only opens after 18:00. Heinzels is closed on 24 and 25 December. Dates and hours are from the markets' own websites and the city portal koeln.de.

• To see the most famous one: the cathedral market; go after the lights come on.
• If you only have one evening: Neumarkt before dark, then walk along Schildergasse to the cathedral market. From Sunday to Wednesday both close at 21:00.
• For ice skating: Heumarkt.
• For a market on the Rhine with a Ferris wheel: the harbour market.
• If you are there in the second week of November: the harbour market and Stadtgarten, both open on 13 November.
• If you come after Christmas: Heumarkt and the New Year market at the harbour.
• To get away from the tourist crowds: Stadtgarten and Rudolfplatz.

Where is the Cologne Christmas market? The headline market's location is Roncalliplatz, in the shadow of the cathedral, a short walk from the Hauptbahnhof.

Look at a Cologne Christmas market map and the six markets form three clusters: the cathedral market, Heinzels and Neumarkt in the old centre, an easy walk from one another; the harbour market on the Rhine south of the Old Town; and Rudolfplatz and Stadtgarten to the west, along the Ring.

1 day: we saw Cologne in a single day. In the morning the cathedral and a daytime look at its market, in the afternoon the Chocolate Museum and the harbour market, then the Old Town and Schildergasse; Neumarkt as it got dark, and the cathedral market again to end the night. This order saves the lit up markets for the evening.

2 days: on day two, the two squares of Heinzels and ice skating on Heumarkt, Rudolfplatz in the late afternoon and Stadtgarten in the evening.

If you would rather see the markets with a local guide, Cologne Christmas market tours:

Three of the six markets (the cathedral, Heinzels and Neumarkt) are in the old centre, within walking distance of each other, so the easiest base for the markets is this area. December weekends fill up early. For hotels near each Cologne Christmas market, sorted by area, see our where to stay in Cologne guide .

Where we stayed: we didn't stay in Cologne. Our base was the Garner Hotel Düsseldorf Main Station, 4 nights from 20 to 24 November 2025, and from there we took day trains to the Cologne markets, then Dortmund and Essen.

Garner Hotel Düsseldorf Main Station prices  Ad

The nearest airports are Cologne Bonn (CGN) and Düsseldorf (DUS); from farther afield, Frankfurt is the big hub with fast trains to Cologne. Flights, the airport train and the Düsseldorf connection are in the getting there section of our things to do in Cologne guide .

Düsseldorf to Cologne train times  Ad

Between the markets: the cathedral market, the two squares of Heinzels and Neumarkt are all within walking distance. For Rudolfplatz take the tram from Neumarkt; for the harbour market take bus 133 (Schokoladenmuseum stop) or walk from the Old Town along the Rhine.

At the markets the smells stop you in your tracks; half the stalls seem to sell sausages and the other half sweets. We gave in and ate something at almost every market.Watch in the video · 22:16 

Flame grilled salmon (Neumarkt): at the Lachs König stall, salmon fillets pinned to wooden boards cook in front of an open fire; they serve it in a crusty roll with lettuce and sauce. I'm not much of a fish person, but I loved this sandwich.Watch in the video · 19:38 

Baumkuchen (Neumarkt): the name means tree cake. Batter is brushed onto a turning roller, and each time it browns in the oven a new layer goes on; the people at the stall told us they make 20 layers. Sliced, it is a cinnamon cake that looks like the rings of a tree. If you only try one sweet in Cologne, make it this one.Watch in the video · 20:34 

Raclette (cathedral market): they melt the cheese and scrape it onto bread, then finish it with oil flavoured with garlic and herbs. It tasted good; the oil is what makes the difference.Watch in the video · 23:36 

Flammkuchen: this thin, creamy Alsatian style flatbread is at most of the markets; we had tried it on earlier trips, so we skipped it this time.Watch in the video · 21:30 

The things to do in Cologne guide  has our sit-down meals, away from the market stalls.

The 22 November closure: on Totensonntag the cathedral and Neumarkt markets don't open, Stadtgarten opens at 18:00 and Heinzels only opens the next day. On a trip over the weekend of 21-22 November, keep the Sunday for the harbour market.

24-25 December: the cathedral, Neumarkt, Rudolfplatz and Stadtgarten close on 23 December; Heinzels and the harbour are closed on 24-25 December. None of these six markets is open on the two days of Christmas.

Crowds: the cathedral market gets very full in the evenings. Roncalliplatz is calmer on weekday afternoons: get there before dusk and watch the stalls light up. In that crowd, your phone and wallet are safest tucked into a front pocket.

The cold: the day we went was clear, but in the evening at the market the cold went right through us; even at the end of November, bring a hat and gloves.Watch in the video · 23:10 

Visa for Cologne: Germany belongs to the Schengen zone, and whether you need a visa comes down to your passport. If one is required, secure an appointment well before the Christmas rush; requirements, documents and fees are covered in our Schengen visa guide .

We used Düsseldorf as a base and went to a different city's market every day; all four are linked by regional trains.

• Düsseldorf: half an hour from Cologne by train, with markets spread through the Old Town.
• Dortmund: the market known for its giant Christmas tree.
• Essen: one of the big markets of the Ruhr region.

We set these four against Vienna, Dresden and Prague in the best Christmas markets in Europe .