Leipzig Christmas Market 2026-2027: Dates and Location

The Leipzig Christmas Market runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026, spread across seven squares in the city’s historic centre. Leipzig traces its market back to 1458, which makes it Germany‘s second-oldest Christmas market, according to the city’s own tourism site, leipzig.travel. More than 300 stalls fill the Market Square, Naschmarkt, Nikolaikirchhof, Augustusplatz, Petersstraße, Salzgässchen and Roßplatz for the 2026 edition, up from the roughly 250 stalls of recent years.

What is the Leipzig Christmas Market?

The Leipzig Christmas Market is a traditional Christmas market held every winter across seven squares in Leipzig’s historic city centre, with its main stage at the Market Square (Markt). Leipzig’s market dates back to 1458, making it the second-oldest Christmas market in Germany after Dresden’s Striezelmarkt, according to leipzig.travel. It is also one of Germany’s largest Christmas markets, with more than 300 wooden stalls selling ornaments, toys, local crafts, food and drink in 2026.

The market’s history includes a wartime interruption, when private commerce was banned under Nazi rule from 1939 to 1944; it restarted in 1946 with just 32 stalls, according to the original account of this page, and grew from there into one of the country’s best-known holiday markets. A 20-metre Christmas tree stands over the Market Square, decorated with around 3,000 lights, and choirs and other performers appear on the market’s stages throughout December.

When does the Leipzig Christmas Market open in 2026?

The Leipzig Christmas Market opens on 24 November 2026 and closes on 23 December 2026, confirmed on the city’s official tourism site, leipzig.travel. Stalls open from 11am daily, with a festive opening ceremony and tree-lighting around 5pm on the first day. Regular hours run Sunday to Thursday from 11am to 9pm and Friday and Saturday from 11am to 10pm, with shorter hours on 22 December (until 8pm) and 23 December, when only the stalls on the Market Square stay open, until 8pm.

Where is the Leipzig Christmas Market taking place?

The Leipzig Christmas Market’s main square is the Markt, at Markt, 04109 Leipzig, with six further market areas spread through the surrounding streets. Augustusplatz, one of the largest of these squares, sits between the Opera House and the New Town Hall at the eastern edge of the city centre and hosts a dedicated fairy-tale forest display. The Naschmarkt, next to the Old Town Hall, hosts the “Alt Leipzig” medieval market, while Nikolaikirchhof carries a mulled-wine pyramid beside St Nicholas Church. Petersstraße, a pedestrian shopping street south of the Markt, carries a row of stalls linking the main square to Roßplatz, while Salzgässchen hosts a historical carousel in one of the market’s narrower lanes.

Why should you visit the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Listed below are reasons to visit the Leipzig Christmas Market.

1. Experience the festive atmosphere. Leipzig’s city centre turns into a series of connected winter markets, each with its own theme, from the medieval Naschmarkt to the fairy-tale forest on Augustusplatz.
2. Sample traditional German food and drink. Leipzig’s stalls serve regional specialities such as stollen, Thuringian bratwurst and mulled wine alongside the usual Christmas market fare.
3. Shop for handmade crafts and ornaments. More than 300 stalls sell wooden toys, incense smokers, nutcrackers, Advent calendars, glass ornaments and knitwear across the seven market areas.
4. Watch shows and parades. Choirs, folk dance groups and theatre troupes perform on the market’s stages throughout December, alongside the opening-day tree-lighting ceremony.

What does it cost to enter the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Entry to the Leipzig Christmas Market is free, and it has been throughout the market’s history. Visitors only pay for optional extras: fairground rides start from about €10 ($11, £8), Christmas concert tickets from about €5 ($6, £4), and food, drink and handcrafted souvenirs cover a wide range from a couple of euros for a snack to over €100 ($115, £83) for larger craft pieces. These figures come from the market’s general fee structure in past years and are worth checking again closer to the market’s opening, since stall and ticket prices can change year to year.

What attractions sit close to the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Listed below are attractions close to the Leipzig Christmas Market.

• St Thomas Church. St Thomas Church is a 13th-century church that seats around 1,200 people and holds the grave of Johann Sebastian Bach, who worked here as cantor. It sits a few minutes’ walk from the market’s main squares.
• Auerbachs Keller. Auerbachs Keller is a historic restaurant and bar 0.5 km (0.3 mi) from the market, set in the cellar vaults of a Renaissance building and known as the setting for a scene in Goethe’s Faust.
• The Museum of Fine Arts. The Museum of Fine Arts sits 1.5 km (0.9 mi) from the market and holds paintings, sculptures and drawings spanning from medieval times to the present.

Is there another name for the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Yes, the Leipzig Christmas Market is also called the “Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt,” its German name. Weihnachtsmarkt is German for “Christmas market,” and locals and Leipzig’s own promotional material use the German name interchangeably with the English one.

What food can visitors eat at the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Listed below are German foods worth trying at the Leipzig Christmas Market.

• Stollen. Stollen is a fruit bread filled with dried fruit, nuts and spices, dusted with powdered sugar, and one of the market’s signature Christmas treats.
• Gingerbread. Gingerbread, called Lebkuchen in German, appears as decorative hearts and figures at stalls across the market.
• Thuringian bratwurst. Thuringian bratwurst is a grilled pork sausage from the neighbouring Thuringia region, usually served on a bun and one of the market’s most common street foods.
• Grobrot. Grobrot is a coarse rye bread or roll, typical of German cuisine and sold at several food stalls in the market.
• Potato pancakes. Potato pancakes, called Kartoffelpuffer or Reibekuchen, are made from grated potato, onion and egg, fried and served with apple sauce.

What can visitors drink at the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Listed below are drinks available at the Leipzig Christmas Market.

• Glühwein. Glühwein is hot spiced red wine, the standard drink at every German Christmas market, usually served in a souvenir mug.
• Gingerbread liqueur. Gingerbread liqueur is a spirit flavoured with cinnamon, cloves, vanilla and honey, drunk on its own or added to coffee or cocoa.
• Hot chocolate. Hot chocolate at the market is made from melted chocolate and steamed milk, usually topped with whipped cream or marshmallows.
• Fruit wine. Fruit wine made from strawberries, raspberries or blueberries is a regional Leipzig speciality, sometimes fortified with brandy or other spirits.

What can people buy at the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Listed below are souvenirs sold at the Leipzig Christmas Market.

• Christmas ornaments. Christmas ornaments at the market include glass, wooden and handcrafted pieces featuring Christmas symbols, sold as gifts or keepsakes.
• Nutcrackers. Nutcrackers carved into toy-soldier or king figures come in a range of sizes and colours across several stalls.
• Advent calendars. Advent calendars, a German Christmas tradition for counting down to the holiday, come in many styles at the market’s craft stalls.

How do you get to the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Leipzig is reachable by plane, train, tram or on foot from within the city centre. Leipzig/Halle Airport sits about 14 km (8.7 mi) northwest of the city centre, with connections across Germany and the rest of Germany’s Christmas market circuit, and flights bookable through Trip.com. High-speed ICE trains reach Leipzig Hauptbahnhof from Berlin and Munich in one to two hours, and the market is a 10-minute walk along the main shopping street from the station. Long-distance coaches are a cheaper alternative for a shorter trip within Germany, with routes bookable through Flixbus. Tram lines 3, 7, 8, 10 and 15 run from the Hauptbahnhof to stops such as Augustusplatz or Markt, right in the middle of the market area.

Where should you stay in Leipzig during the Christmas market?

Listed below are areas worth staying in during the Leipzig Christmas Market, with a range of hotels bookable through Booking.com.

• Near the Market Square. The Westin Leipzig sits about 0.6 km (0.4 mi) from the market, within walking distance of the main squares, with an on-site spa and restaurant for visitors who want a full-service stay.
• Naschmarkt area. Cityherberge, a city-centre hostel, sits about 0.35 km (0.2 mi) from the Naschmarkt, with shared and private rooms for budget-focused visitors.
• Central apartments. Abito Suites Leipzig, about 0.6 km (0.4 mi) from the market, offers apartment-style suites with kitchens, suited to families or groups staying several nights.

What are the best restaurants to eat at in Leipzig?

Listed below are restaurants worth visiting near the Leipzig Christmas Market.

• Auerbachs Keller. Auerbachs Keller sits inside the historic Mädler Passage, about 0.1 km (0.06 mi) from the market, and serves traditional dishes such as roast pork, schnitzel and its own baked potato pancakes.
• Zill’s Tunnel. Zill’s Tunnel, about 0.2 km (0.12 mi) from the market at Augustusplatz, serves contemporary dishes and wine pairings inside a historic railway tunnel and holds a Michelin star.
• Barthels Hof. Barthels Hof, about 0.3 km (0.19 mi) from the market, serves Saxon dishes inside Leipzig’s historic city hall building.
• Stadtpfeiffer. Stadtpfeiffer, about 0.3 km (0.2 mi) from the market at Augustusplatz, specialises in classic Saxon dishes such as roast goose, served in a rustic setting.

What should you wear at the Leipzig Christmas Market?

Dress in layers with a warm coat, hat and gloves, because Leipzig’s Christmas market runs through the coldest weeks of the year. Daytime highs in Leipzig average around 2-4.5°C (36-40°F) through late November and December, with nights close to or below freezing, according to multiple climate data sources. Rain or light snow falls on roughly a third of December days, so waterproof shoes are worth packing alongside warm layers for the market’s cobbled and paved squares.

How many days do you need for the Leipzig Christmas Market?

A single day covers the Leipzig Christmas Market comfortably, since all seven market areas sit within Leipzig’s compact city centre. Visitors combining the market with St Thomas Church, Auerbachs Keller or the Museum of Fine Arts, all within 1.5 km (0.9 mi) of the main squares, may prefer two days to see the market itself in the evening, when the lights and tree are at their best, and the surrounding sights during the day.

Is the Leipzig Christmas Market better than the Dresden Christmas Market?

It depends on what kind of market you prefer. Leipzig’s market dates to 1458 and spreads across seven squares in the city centre, with a modern mix of medieval, fairy-tale and craft-themed areas. The Dresden Christmas Market is older still, tracing back to 1434, and concentrates its stalls along the Elbe River in a more classical, single-focus setting built around Saxon crafts, food and music. Visitors who want variety and several distinct market moods in one visit tend to prefer Leipzig; visitors who want one cohesive, traditional market square tend to prefer Dresden.

PIN FOR LATER

About the author. This guide is written and maintained by the Wonderful Wanderings editorial team. Wonderful Wanderings was founded in 2012 by Sofie Couwenbergh, and the team covers Leipzig and Germany’s wider Christmas market season for independent travellers, including the hotels, trains and coaches worth booking around them, and updates this page each year once the market’s new dates are confirmed.