Dusseldorf Christmas Market: The Complete Guide
Are you headed to Dusseldorf, the modern but traditional German city? It is the country's fashion capital and is known specifically for its art, music, and historic landmarks in the Old Town. If you are ever visiting in the wintertime you will see a snowy city lined with colorful lights, Christmas trees, decorations, and friendly locals enjoying the holiday spirit.
Check into a lovely boutique hotel in a quiet area of town or head to Old Town near the many pubs and restaurants of Altstadt. If you are looking for an active holiday, stay near Corneliusplatz with its ice rink. No matter what area you choose, Dusseldorf will give you the best Christmas experience.
Travel tips: One thing that you should keep an eye out for are the festive Christmas markets in Dusseldorf. If you stop by one you can shop for sweet treats and other items that make great Christmas gifts for your loved ones. And remember, if you get weighed down with Christmas market purchases, store your bags safely in a Dusseldorf luggage storage facility. Then, keep shopping and sampling delicious food!
Engelchen Markt
Angel's Market, also called the Little Angel's Market, and locally known as the Engelchen Markt, is one of the many Dusseldorf Christmas markets that we suggest you check out. Its venue is the Heinrich-Heine-Platz which is transformed every winter with a golden glow and angel-topped stalls selling all sorts of interesting items. In the center of the market, you will find a music pavilion offering live musical performances.
The Angel's Market stays open for four whole weeks and has a romantic atmosphere that makes it the optimal destination for wintery date nights in the Dusseldorf city centre. Keep an eye out for handcrafted items and clothing, as well as delicious treats like mulled wine and cookies.
What to do near Engelchen Markt
The Heinrich-Heine-Platz has a few fun activities located nearby, so why not make a day out of it? After you stop by the market you can go to the Bestes Casino which is just a minute's walk away, or stop by the Wilhelm-Marx-Haus historical landmark.
Handwerker Markt
The Handwerker Markt is held every year at Marktplatz and is one of the Dusseldorf Christmas markets that you will want to visit for sure. This Christmas market is situated right in front of the Dusseldorf Rathaus, or City Hall, which is the perfect backdrop for the festive event. It is the main Christmas market in the city and lots of people like to visit, so you will probably be joined by crowds of other enthusiastic tourists.
On site, you will find an amazing vintage carousel that is about 100 years old, as well as a life-sized manger that was hand carved. The huge Christmas tree is sure to catch your eye, as well as cute red huts where you can buy all sorts of items. You will find the same kinds of things here as in all the markets around the city, along with more unique wares including blown glass figurines, wooden kitchenware or candle holders.
What to do near Handwerker Markt
This is one of the best Christmas markets in Dusseldorf, but once you've seen everything there you might want to find some other activities to try. If you take a short walk you can visit the Wheel of Vision, a large Ferris wheel that you can ride to catch spectacular views overlooking the city and the Rhine River.
Altstadt Markt
Looking to do some Christmas shopping? This Dusseldorf Christmas market is a great place to get all of your presents before Christmas Day. It is the main market in the city and also a spectacular place to find food, which you can buy from cute huts that look like Dusseldorf Burgher houses! The centerpiece of the market is the Christmas Pyramid featuring all sorts of local characters from the city and it is also a great place to buy mulled wine! The Altstadt Markt location is at Flinger Straße in the city center.
These stalls sell all sorts of Christmas decor, like gorgeous handmade ornaments made from pinecones and other natural materials. You definitely won't find anything like it back home, so grab some as stocking stuffers or for decorating your own Christmas trees!
What to do near Altstadt Markt
While you are exploring this Christmas market take some time to admire the Old Town's colorful facades in the background. There are some great shops in the area as well, so why not go shopping around Dusseldorf's city center and make sure that you've checked everything off of your shopping list?
Schadow-Markt
The Schadow-Markt takes over one of Dusseldorf's main shopping streets and it could be the best Christmas market in the city for getting gifts during Christmas time. It is smaller than most of Dusseldorf's Christmas markets and is actually just a street filled with stalls. However, it is still worth stopping by when you visit Dusseldorf!
Each of the pretty wooden huts offers a different selection of festive goodies for you to browse and it can be a nice change from the repetitive items sold in big box retailers. If you get hungry during your Christmas shopping spree you can always buy a snack and a glass of mulled wine or hot chocolate to keep you cozy.
What to do near Schadow-Markt
Each festive season, the street of Schadowstrasse is adorned with Christmas lights making it a nice place to take a stroll. Keep walking until you reach the Dusseldorfer Schauspielhaus performing arts theatre and see if there is anything going on.
Märchen-Markt
The Märchen-Markt is known as the fairytale market and is a unique addition to your Dusseldorf Christmas experience. All of the cute huts are decorated with various characters from fairytales making the market an easy favorite among kids. If you are traveling as a family this should be your first stop.
On Fridays the market gets a special visit from Father Christmas, so make sure that you have your letters ready for him. Take this opportunity to sit and listen to story time at the Christmas Tower while you are here!
What to do near Märchen-Markt
After you've seen everything at the market why not take a walk around the Corneliusplatz state park? Or you can do some sightseeing and take a look at a local landmark, like Kriegerdenkmal im Hofgarten.
Dusseldorf's Best Christmas Markets
The Dusseldorf Christmas market dates usually range between mid-November and late December, so you will have a few weeks to go shopping and admire the twinkling lights in the different markets. There are also some other nearby markets in the surrounding area if you still want to do more exploring!
Dusseldorf has some great Cologne Christmas markets, as well as some others in nearby cities around the North Rhine Westphalia region! Duisburg has the longest running Christmas market in all of Germany, and the Dortmund Christmas Market is home to the world's largest Christmas tree.
You can enjoy unlimited transport and visit a bunch of them if you buy a Westphalia Regional ticket from the central train station. If we could give you any travel advice it would be to visit as many of them as possible!
