Christmas in Germany is a magical experience! This guide will help you plan out all the best things to do on your trip, as well as what to wear, and fun stories to read and watch to set the mood before you go.
Year visited:2025
Time of Year: December
What’s in this Article:
- Why Visit Germany for Christmas
- What to Wear for Christmas in Germany
- Christmas Things to Do in Germany
- What to Read & Watch Before Visiting
Why Spend Christmas in Germany
Germany is the perfect place to enjoy the holiday season! They basically invented Christmas (kind of…).
The most important reason you’ll want to spend Christmas in Germany is because of the Christmas markets. Basically every town in Germany has its own Christmas market, with unique stalls selling gifts, food and gluhwein. And big cities will have multiple markets. Some markets will also have rides, ice skating, music and more.
But in addition to Christmas markets, here are some other reasons to visit Germany for Christmas:
- Germany invented Advent calendars.
- Germany created nutcrackers and the angel tree topper!
- Gingerbread (or lebkuchen) is famous in Nuremberg.
- Adorable half-timbered towns are the perfect backdrop for a magical holiday trip.
And that’s just the beginning. There are so many magical things to do for Christmas in Germany! So be sure to check out my list below.
What to Wear for Christmas in Germany
Listen. I agonized for a long time over what to pack and wear for Christmas in Germany. I read packing lists. I bought things years ahead of time (any time I saw something I thought would look great!). I scheduled outfits in a spreadsheet (seriously). I cut out sweaters that I really wanted to bring. I bought a third pair of (winter) boots.
After 2 weeks of walking 15,000 steps, living out of a carry-on, and taking multiple Instagram photos, here are the basic guidelines that you need to know to have a good holiday trip to Europe:
Must-Haves
- Coat: Your coat is (probably) the most important clothing piece you will bring. You want it to be warm and cute, because if you have typical winter weather, most of your pictures will be of you in your coat. Make sure to bring a coat that you love (and that has good pockets–I love the cell-phone pocket on the inside of my coat).
- Boots: The second most important piece of clothing you bring will be your shoes. They need to (hopefully) be cute. They need to be warm. And, most of all, they need to keep your feet comfortable on 10,000+ steps of cobblestones a day. I only wanted to bring one pair of shoes, to save packing space. I ended up buying these winter boots, and they were perfect! Not too bulky, but with a good grip for icy walking, warm enough in the cold weather, but not too hot indoors, and absolutely comfortable to walk in!
- Hat: The other most important item you need will be a hat. Hats keep you warm (obviously), but they also are the perfect prop for cute winter photos. A fun hat makes any picture better!
Accessories
Your hat, coat and boots/shoes are going to be the most important things to focus on. But here are some other accessories that you can think about bringing with you:
- Christmas Sweater: I have way too many holiday sweaters, and I wanted to bring them all. But they are bulky. And unnecessary. So I cut it down to two solid colored cardigans for layering, and one fun Christmas sweater. And I’m so glad I brought my fun sweater! It was perfect for a photo shoot in the little town of Gengenbach. I planned to wear it under my jacket, and just have my jacket open to see it, but it ended up being so warm by the end of our trip (in the high 50s F), that I just wore the sweater and a long sleeved shirt underneath.
- Pro Tip: Even if it’s not warm enough for just a sweater, you can take off your coat for a few minutes to grab a cute photo. So definitely pack at least one cute top.
- Scarf: Another fun photo prop that also keeps you warm is a scarf. I brought a fun penguin scarf, but I only wore it for the first few days. It’s definitely an optional item, but it doesn’t take up too much room to pack, adds extra warmth if needed, is great for photos, and can even serve as packing material for fragile souvenirs like Christmas market mugs.
- Bow/Hair Accessories: Definitely an optional bring, but something to consider for fun photo props. A back shot with a big red bow in your hair is really fun for the holiday season. I brought a little blue bow to wear to the fancy libraries and cute small towns in honor of Belle from Beauty and the Beast.
- Gloves: This one is more of a necessity, but not the most important thing to bring. Gloves can be cute for photos (like my half-fingered candy cane gloves!), especially a photo of you holding something, like a mug. But of course, they are also practical. You will want gloves that you can still use with your phone, if you can. There are lots of screen compatible gloves available nowadays, although I always use half-fingered gloves, as it’s easier to operate my camera.
- Leggings: My mom went crazy one Christmas buying me Christmas leggings (thanks mom!). I really wanted to wear all of them, but, as I’m practical as well as whimsical, I only brought one thin pair to layer under my pants, and my favorite cozy, fleecy polar bear leggings (pictured above). I also brought fleece lined leggings to wear under a dress. It’s a good idea to bring a pair of leggings for layering in case it is cold, and if you want to wear a dress. I ended up not needing them for layering, as it was fairly warm.
Average Temperatures
We were in southern Germany and France for 2 weeks at the beginning of December. During our trip, most of the temperatures the first week were in the 40s F. Most of the temperatures the second week were in the 50s F. The coldest place we went was Neuschwanstein Castle, which was up in the mountains and was the only place we saw snow.
Obviously it will be different every year, which is why it’s a good idea to bring layers. I wore my hat the first week, but usually stuffed it in my coat pocket or kept it in my bag the second week. There was even a day I went out without a coat!
Usually early December tends to be pretty warm for winter, in my experience. But, as I said, you never know! The average temperatures in Germany in December usually range from the 30s-40s F.
The Best Christmas Things to Do in Germany
Now onto the good stuff! The best Christmas and winter things to do in Germany. Trust me, I spent years (8, to be exact) planning out our trip to Germany. Of course, things changed over the years (especially after… you know… 2020), but trust me when I say I have researched ALL the things.
You will find both popular and lesser known things to do on this list. And definitely feel free to share your own ideas in the comments at the end!
- Good to Know: This list is an overview with ideas of the best things to do on your trip. You can click on the links for more detailed, practical guides telling you just how to do each thing if you would like further information. Or check out all my Germany guides here!
Visit a Christmas Market
Obviously visiting the Christmas markets is the number one reason to spend Christmas in Germany.
Here you will find stalls of crafts, jewelry, ornaments, toys and more. Food stalls will sell crepes, sausages, potato pancakes, roasted chestnuts, and of course gluhwein from the iconic Christmas market mugs. Bigger markets will also have ice rinks, rides like Ferris wheels and carousels, and sometimes even entertainment.
Be sure to check the market dates for the cities and towns you plan to visit. Most large cities’ markets will be open from the end of November through the beginning of January, but they can vary. And some smaller towns are only open on weekends. Also be sure to check the opening hours.
Popular Christmas Markets
- Nuremberg
- Rothenburg
- Frankfurt
- Dresden
- Stuttgart
- Esslingen
- Heidelberg
Visit a Themed Christmas Market
In addition to your typical market, there are a lot of themed markets in Germany. My favorite one that we visited was the Medieval themed Christmas market in Esslingen (near Stuttgart)! They had Medieval themed food, costumes, archery and ax throwing, music and more. It was so much fun!
“Medieval” is a popular Christmas market theme, and there are different ones all over the country. But you will also find other themed markets too, so be sure to do some research to find all the interesting ones where you’re visiting.
Themed Market Ideas
See a Castle Decorated for Christmas
There are few things more magical than a fairy tale castle decorated with twinkling lights and Christmas trees. We attended the “Royal Winter Magic” at Hohenzollern Castle near Stuttgart.
It was seriously magical. The only downside was we had to visit at night, and didn’t get to see the castle in the daylight.
Castles to Visit
- Hohenzollern Castle
- Rheinstein Castle
- All of the ones listed below!
Visit a Christmas Market IN a Castle
The reason Hohenzollern was originally on my list was because they hosted a Christmas market in the castle! Unfortunately, they stopped doing that after Covid, so I never got to fulfill my dream of shopping at a Christmas market in an actual castle. There are other castles in Germany that do host markets, though, so you can still fulfill that dream!
Castle Christmas Markets
See Neuschwanstein Castle Covered in Snow
On the subject of castles… there is nothing particularly Christmassy about Neuschwanstein Castle. But… it is the most popular castle in all of Germany (potentially the world!), and it is perfectly whimsical to see it covered in snow. And yes, it is worth visiting in the winter !
So be sure to add a stop here if you can.
The Christmas Museum in Rothenburg
The beautiful thing about the Christmas Museum in Rothenburg ob der Tauber is that it is open year-round! So even if you visit Germany in the summer (it’s much nicer weather!), you can still get your Germany holiday vibes (and ornaments) here.
The museum is very affordable, and is nice for learning some of the history of how the holiday developed over the years. And for seeing some… interesting ornaments.
Even if you don’t visit the museum, definitely check out their Christmas store, which is HUGE. One could get lost wandering the winter village themed rooms full of ornaments.
Eat a Schneeball (Snowball) in Rothenburg
And while you’re in Rothenburg, be sure to eat a snowball, or “schneeball.” This local dessert is made of a dough similar to pie crust, and all kind of wound up in a little ball, and then covered in toppings. The classic is powdered sugar, which looks like a snowball. But you can also get it with cinnamon, chocolate, or all sorts of different flavors.
Classic schneeballs are quite big, but we found a shop selling mini ones, which was fun for trying different flavors (and infinitely easier to bite… Just saying). Some people complain of them being too dry, and like to have coffee or hot chocolate with them. Personally, I really liked it. But then again, I love pretty much all sweets.
Eat Gingerbread in Nuremberg
Nuremberg is famous for their gingerbread (lebkuchen, in German). Of course, you can get it all year round, but it’s especially good at Christmastime. Unless you’re allergic to nuts (I am). Because all Nuremberg gingerbread has nuts (fortunately I also found this adorable gingerbread man cookie there).
I really wanted to take a gingerbread making class while we were there, but the classes were unavailable during the Christmas season. If you visit Nuremberg at another time of year, look into taking a gingerbread making class in the city!
Wander the Tübingen Chocolate Festival
A unique event that takes place during the holiday season in Germany is the Tübingen ChocolART Festival. Similar to a Christmas market, but instead of toys and ornaments, everything for sale is edible. Even the art.
You can watch people making candy, filling sugar cones with melted chocolate (literally you could buy a whole cone full of chocolate), or painting portraits in chocolate. You know. The usual.
It’s especially fun to visit at night, when the buildings around the square are all lit up.
See the World’s Largest Advent Calendar
I was particularly proud of myself when I made friends with some Germans in Paris who had never heard of Gengenbach. I showed them a picture of the town hall and told them they had to go!
Gengenbach, Germany is a small town in the Black Forest region with the distinction of having the world’s largest Advent calendar. Each night from Nov. 30 until Christmas they illuminate a new illustration in each of their 24 windows. There is a whole story and presentation that goes with the big reveal, but this is all done in German, soo… I have no idea what was actually going on!
There are other places that will light up Advent windows, but none as good as Gengenbach. It was one of our favorite places!
Watch the Nutcracker Ballet
We didn’t do this on our trip to Germany, but since I’ve learned that nutcrackers (and the original story) originated from Germany, I think it would be worthwhile to add a trip to the theater to your itinerary, especially if you’re staying in one of the bigger cities. A whimsical ballet in a gorgeous theater is just the thing to put you in a holiday mood, and it would be a nice break from walking and Christmas markets.
What to Read & Watch Before Visiting Germany for Christmas
Ok, so maybe it’s just me, but I personally love to read books and watch movies about places before I visit. It gets me excited and helps me understand the history and appreciate what I’m seeing (I also like to watch movies after I’ve been somewhere, and shout out proudly from the couch, “I’ve been there! I’ve been there! I’ve been there!).
Here are some fun and whimsical reads (and watches) that I think perfectly set the mood for a German holiday.
- The Nutcracker: Did you know that Germans invented the nutcracker doll, and the original tale is from Germany? I always associate the story with Russia, because of the ballet, but it’s actually the perfect read (or watch, as it’s also a movie. And a ballet.) before visiting Germany for Christmas.
- Winter Tales: The Nutcracker story, and many other winter tales can be found in this gorgeous book I picked up in Nantucket. It has folktales from all over the world, and is perfect for preparing to visit Europe, or just for cozying up by the fire all winter long.
- Grimm Fairy Tales: Not exactly Christmas, but on the subject of reading and folk tales, you should also read a few Grimm fairy tales before you visit the land of castles and villages from which they came.
- The Sweet Smell of Christmas: This was both mine and my sister’s favorite Christmas book growing up. We each have a copy of it now. It’s not necessarily set in Germany, but the pictures definitely give that feel, and will set the mood for the holiday season in Europe.
- A Heidelberg Holiday: This is a Hallmark Christmas movie set in Heidelberg, Germany. And, fun fact, it stars the same actress I was in a Hallmark movie with (seriously. I met her. And by met, I mean, saw her walk past and proclaim we were all doing great!). It gives you some background on German holiday traditions, as well as beautiful shots of one of the most popular towns/Christmas markets in Germany!
- Joyeux Noel: Not the happiest of holiday movies, but this beautiful tale is based on the true story of the front lines in WWI, where the German, French and Scottish troops ceased fighting for a day to celebrate Christmas together. Literally just typing this is making me tear up… If you haven’t seen it, watch it!
So now you are prepared for a magical trip to Germany for Christmas! Be sure to check out my other Germany guides for more information on trip planning.
Any more questions?
If you have any questions about visiting Germany for Christmas, or any other ideas of magical holiday things to do, feel free to email me or share them in the comments below!
Planning a trip for Christmas in Germany?
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You might also like:
- How to Visit Neuschwanstein in Winter
- Magical 1-Week Munich Itinerary
- Rothenburg Day Trip Guide
- Real Life Hallmark Christmas Towns
- That Time I Was in a Hallmark Christmas Movie
Julia is a travel blogger with a Bachelor’s Degree in photography from Indiana Wesleyan University. She worked as a professional photo-retoucher for seven and a half years, before leaving the company to work in the travel industry. She now works at a historic 1800’s hotel. When she’s not working, she’s reading fantasy novels or classic literature, and planning trips to magical destinations.
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