• Travelsignposts Home
  • Country Guides
  • City Guides
  • River Cruises
  • Europe Photos
  • About Us

Germany Travel

  • Home
  • Trip Planner
  • Photos
  • Videos
  • Map
  • Weather
  • Site Map
  • Destinations
  • Sightseeing
  • Shopping
  • Food
  • Getting around
  • Useful facts
  • News & Events
You are here: Home / Sightseeing / The Magic of the Cologne Christmas Markets 2024

The Magic of the Cologne Christmas Markets 2024

By Helen Page 1 Comment

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn

Cologne Christmas Markets under the Impressive Kolner Dom:

Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market

Weihnachtsmarkt-am-Kölner-Dom

When it comes to Christmas markets in Germany, the city of Cologne puts on quite a sparkling show. There are six themed Christmas markets in the Alstadt, not to mention the smaller markets outside of the city centre.

Each year, around the last Monday before Advent, the Christmas markets in Cologne open their gates to locals and visitors alike. Many years ago, Cologne was our very first German Christmas market experience and needless to say, it was a magical experience. We’ve been back several times since.

The Cologne Christmas markets are well attended by locals who come to meet up with friends for a drink, pick up little Christmas presents as well as to stock up on traditional Christmas foods. There are also more than 100 stage appearances to keep the event lively. The atmosphere is enchanting and it is a great place for visitors like us to join in the local festivities.

Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom

Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom

Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom

The Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom) is the largest and most impressive of Cologne’s Christmas markets. There are about 150 beautiful wooden pavilions selling all kinds of Christmas goodies, so knowing where to begin can be overwhelming for first-time visitors. For us, we thought that a good place to start is at the stall selling glühwein.  This hot, spiced wine drink is delicious and has the added benefit of giving your body an inner warmth. The glühwein-filled mug can also be used as a hand warmer. You can just buy the glühwein drink, but we paid for the Christmas mug as well. It makes for a nice souvenir of our  Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market visit.

Cologne Christmas Market

Tony’s happy with his Gluhwein

In the cold wintry air, the aroma of hot food, roasted almonds and gingerbread can trigger hunger pangs quite quickly.  Follow your nose and you’ll find the hot food stalls, all of which are doing a good trade.

Lebkuchen – A Cure for Winter Blues

Apart from the hot food, there are plenty of traditional Christmas foods, cakes, chocolates and several stalls selling lebkuchen.  The Germans believe this Christmas treat is a good cure for winter depression.

Cologne Christmas market

Cologne Christmas Market

These heart-shaped gingerbread cookies carry all kinds of love messages which are sure to lift the spirit of the receiver.

Things to Buy

Armed with our mug of glühwein, we wander around to the other stalls and watch craftsmen demonstrating their art. There are stalls selling lovely hand-painted Christmas tinsels and decorations, hand-made candles and lots of other handicrafts. One of my favourites is the lichthäuschen or light houses.

Christmas House Lights

Lichthäuschen or light houses

Kölner Altstadt Christmas Market

Close to the Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market is the Weihnachtsmarkt Kölner Altstadt on Alter Markt and Heumarkt. Here you’ll find the Heimat der Heinzel – Home of the Elves. Hundreds of elves turn Cologne’s Old Town into a fairytale world. The Home of the Elves market has a stall that sells delicious woodfire roast salmon. This is where we come to for a nice salmon roll.

Weihnachtsmarkt Kölner Alstadt

Heimat der Heinzel – Home of the Elves

At Heumarkt there is also a popular ice-skating rink. If you’re lucky, you may get to see ice-skating performances by local groups. This Heumarkt venue stays open till end of the first week in January.

Markt der Engel (Angels’ Market)

If you’re good, you might just meet some angels at the Markt der Engel, or Angels’ Market.  Neumarkt is an enchanting Christmas wonderland near Cologne’s major shopping streets. As you stroll down the broad lanes with their ornately decorated stands you’re also likely to come across illuminated mythical creatures on stilts circulating amongst the crowds.

Nikolausdorf (Nicholas Village)

Nikolausdorf or Nicholas Village is on Rudolfplatz, between Neumarkt and the trendy Belgian Quarter. This market’s magical setting includes the historic Hahnentorburg.

Nicholas Village

Nikolausdorf

Kölner Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt

A little further from Cologne’s historical centre is the Kölner Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt. This Harbour Christmas Market has the romantic Rhine River as a backdrop and it is also set against Cologne’s famous Chocolate Museum.

Kölner Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt

Cologne Harbour Christmas Market

Being a maritime-themed market we had hoped to find more seafood stalls here but didn’t see any that we fancy. Instead Tony bumps into a pirate and ends up having a fencing duel with him.

Cologne Christmas Markets (Nov 18 – Dec 23, 2024)

The Christmas markets run for a whole month from November 18th up to before Christmas Eve. To truly enjoy all the markets, it’s worthwhile spending a few days in Cologne.
Most of these markets operate daily from 11:00 to 21:00. (Sun-Wed), Thur-Fri (11:00 – 22:00) Sat (10:00 – 22:00)

Cologne Christmas Markets

Cologne Christmas Markets

Places to Stay

We’ve stayed at the Eden Hotel Früh am Dom a few times. Being just next to the Cologne Cathedral, it is very convenient for visiting the Christmas Markets.
For all Cologne hotels, see Here.

See Travel Signposts Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market Photo Gallery HERE.

For more Cologne Info, see HERE.

Map of Cologne:

Am Domhof, 50667 Cologne, Germany

Click here to get a free PDF of this post

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window) LinkedIn

Related

Filed Under: Sightseeing Tagged With: christmas in cologne, christmas markets germany, cologne christmas concert, cologne weihnachtsmarkt, german christmas markets

avatar

About Helen Page

Helen Page is a prolific blogger and ardent traveller; she runs Travelsignposts with her professional writer and photographer husband Tony.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

You can also find us on

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Latest Additions

  • Christmas in Berlin – Christmas Concerts in Berlin 2024
  • Christmas Concerts in Munich – Christmas in Munich
  • Christmas Magic at WeihnachtsZauber in Berlin 2024
  • A Picture Perfect Rothenburg Christmas Market 2024
  • Nuremberg Christmas Market – Nürnberg Christkindlesmarkt 2024

Plan and Book Your Trip


eNews and Updates

feedburner Sign up now to get emailed news as well as other site updates!

Get the Guerrilla Travel Photography ebook here now!
City Guides
Country Guides
River Cruises

Who is behind Travelsignposts?

Helen and Tony Page at Singapore Changi Airport

We're Helen and Tony Page, and we love travelling - lucky as we've been doing it for the last few decades!

Tony has long been a professional photographer and writer, but Helen now writes most of the posts and takes a lot of photos herself!

Travelsignposts is our main travel planning site, but we've just launched Travelsignposts China and Tony also runs the Travelsignposts Photo and Guerrilla Travel Photography web sites, as well as publishing the Take Better Digital Photos and Guerrilla Travel Photography eBooks.

Read more about Helen and Tony or contact them.

Other Countries

  • Austria
  • Belgium
  • Bulgaria
  • Croatia
  • Czech Republic
  • Devon & Cornwall
  • England
  • Estonia
  • Europe (General)
  • Finland
  • France
  • Greece
  • Ireland
  • Italy
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Portugal
  • Scotland
  • Spain
  • Switzerland
  • Turkey
  • Ukraine

Resources

  • Take Better Digital Photos eBook Take Better Digital Photos eBook
  • Take Better Digital Photos Free eCourse
  • Travel Signposts Photo – our main travel photography site
  • Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook Guerrilla Travel Photography eBook

Copyright Travelsignposts Pty Ltd © 2025 Log in

Get a free PDF of this post!
Just enter your email address below and we'll send it to you immediately.

Please enter your Email Address