The Christmas markets in Vienna, Cologne, Munich, Dresden, Nuremberg and Prague have all published their 2026 dates: Vienna’s Rathausplatz market (13 November – 26 December), Cologne Cathedral (16 November – 23 December), Munich’s Marienplatz (20 November – 24 December), Dresden’s Striezelmarkt (25 November – 24 December), Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt (27 November – 24 December), and Prague’s Old Town Square (28 November 2026 – 6 January 2027). Strasbourg has not announced its 2026 dates yet. If you want to see several of them on one trip, plan for 28 November to 23 December, the only stretch when all six are open.
2026 dates at a glance
| City | Market | 2026 dates | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vienna | Christmas Market at Rathausplatz | 13 Nov – 26 Dec | Vienna Tourist Board |
| Cologne | Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral | 16 Nov – 23 Dec (closed 22 Nov) | Market organiser |
| Munich | Christkindlmarkt, Marienplatz and Rindermarkt | 20 Nov – 24 Dec | City of Munich |
| Dresden | Striezelmarkt, Altmarkt | 25 Nov – 24 Dec | City of Dresden |
| Nuremberg | Christkindlesmarkt | 27 Nov – 24 Dec | Market’s official site |
| Prague | Old Town Square | 28 Nov 2026 – 6 Jan 2027 | Market organiser (Taiko) |
| Strasbourg | Christkindelsmärik | Not yet announced (2025 edition: 26 Nov – 24 Dec) | City of Strasbourg |
Dates checked against each official page on 25 September 2026. Organisers can change hours at short notice, so recheck the official page in the week before you travel.
The six markets
- Vienna, Rathausplatz — The first of the six to open, on 13 November, and open until 26 December. It is open daily from 10am to 10pm, with shorter hours on 24 December (10am to 6.30pm). If you are travelling after Christmas, the Vienna Tourist Board lists the Schönbrunn Palace market as running until 6 January 2027.
- Cologne Cathedral — Opens on Monday 16 November and runs to 23 December, with one closed day: Totensonntag, 22 November. The organiser lists more than 140 stalls, open 11am to 9pm Sunday to Wednesday, 11am to 10pm Thursday and Friday, and 10am to 10pm on Saturday.
- Munich, Marienplatz — Runs from 20 November to 24 December across Marienplatz and Rindermarkt, with more than 130 stalls selling goods and food. The city says the original Munich Christmas market dates back to the 14th century and has been held on Marienplatz since 1972.
- Dresden, Striezelmarkt — On the Altmarkt from 25 November to 24 December, with more than 200 traders. The City of Dresden describes it as Germany’s oldest Christmas market.
- Nuremberg, Christkindlesmarkt — Opens with a ceremony on Friday 27 November at 5.30pm and runs until 24 December, open 10am to 9pm Monday to Sunday.
- Prague, Old Town Square — The last of the six to open, on 28 November, and the only one of the six still open in January: it runs until 6 January 2027, daily from 10am to 10pm.
Strasbourg is the notable gap. As of 25 September 2026 the city’s official Christmas site still shows only the 2025 dates (26 November to 24 December 2025). Don’t book a Strasbourg-specific trip around guessed dates; check the city’s site again before committing.
When to go
For several markets on one trip, the dates decide it: Prague opens last (28 November) and Cologne closes first (23 December), so every day between those two dates has all six open. The first weekend in that window is Saturday 28 – Sunday 29 November.
If you are going in Christmas week (21–27 December), the German markets close before Christmas Day: Cologne on Wednesday 23 December, and Munich, Dresden and Nuremberg on Thursday 24 December (Christmas Eve). After Christmas Eve, only Vienna’s Rathausplatz (to 26 December) and Prague’s Old Town Square (to 6 January 2027) of the six stay open.
If you are travelling between Christmas and New Year, Vienna’s Rathausplatz runs to 26 December, while Prague’s Old Town Square market and Vienna’s Schönbrunn market both continue until 6 January 2027.
If you want to be there for an opening, Vienna’s Rathausplatz is the first of the six on 13 November, and Nuremberg’s opening ceremony is at 5.30pm on 27 November.
Planning the route
Four of the six (Cologne, Munich, Nuremberg and Dresden) are in Germany; Vienna and Prague add Austria and Czechia. Whether to link them by rail or by air depends on the distances on your specific route, and our guide to taking the train or flying between European cities walks through how to make that call leg by leg.
Christmas markets are outdoor, evening-heavy visits, so the forecast is worth a look. Before you commit to a city order, check the local forecast on our sister site WeatherPerch, for example the Vienna rain forecast, Munich rain forecast, or Cologne rain forecast. The Vienna sunrise and sunset times show how early it gets dark.
For the rest of each country, see our guides to the top places to visit in Germany, Austria, the Czech Republic and France, or read the Top 10 Countries to Visit in 2026 roundup.
Sources
- Vienna Tourist Board — Vienna’s most attractive Christmas markets
- Weihnachtsmarkt am Kölner Dom — official site
- muenchen.de — Munich Christkindlmarkt 2026
- City of Dresden — Striezelmarkt
- Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt — official site
- Prague Christmas Markets — organiser’s official site (Old Town Square and Wenceslas Square)
- City of Strasbourg — Strasbourg Capital of Christmas
