Germany
Speyer's Christmas market sits before its UNESCO Romanesque cathedral, in a 2,000-year-old imperial city on the Upper Rhine.
Famous for
UNESCO Romanesque cathedral and a small, authentic market in a 2,000-year-old imperial city.
Speyer is one of Germany's oldest cities — founded by the Romans, later an imperial seat, and home to a UNESCO Romanesque cathedral that holds the tombs of eight Holy Roman Emperors. Its Christmas market, on the Maximilianstraße before the cathedral, is smaller and more authentic than the Rhine's bigger-city markets. The Pfälzer Bratwurst is the local specialty, and the Pfalz wine region supplies the Riesling glühwein. Speyer is a common Rhine stop between Mainz and Strasbourg.
Dates: Late Nov – Dec 23
Vibe: Authentic and unhurried — a cathedral town without the big-river crowds.
Local tip
The cathedral's crypt is one of the largest Romanesque columned crypts in Europe — and it's free to enter.
Germany
Seven Christmas markets sit in the shadow of Cologne's UNESCO cathedral, anchored by the Cathedral Market (Dom) and the medieval Old Town market.
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreGermany
The Christkindlesmarkt is the world's most famous Christmas market, set in Nuremberg's medieval main square and dating back to the mid-1600s.
Late Nov – Dec 24
ExploreGermany
Regensburg's Romantic Christmas Market sits in the medieval Neupfarrplatz, in a UNESCO old town with the world's oldest sausage kitchen (since 1146).
Late Nov – Dec 23
ExploreGermany
Rüdesheim's Christmas Market of Nations lines the Drosselgasse with stalls from 25+ countries, in a Rhine-gorge wine town famous for Riesling.
Late Nov – Dec 23
Explore