Heidelberg Christmas Market

Fairytale Christmas magic in Heidelberg

Christmas market romance: from November 25 – December 22, 2024, Heidelberg’s Old Town will shine in festive splendor for four weeks.

The Bismarckplatz and the Winterwäldchen on Kornmarkt will even be open until January 1, 2025, and Karlsplatz with its ice rink until Sunday, January 6, 2026. The opening hours are Sunday – Friday from 11 am – 9 pm, Saturdays from 11 am – 10 pm and the ice rink from 10 am – 10 pm.

On Monday, November 25, 2024 at 6 pm, Lord Mayor Prof. Dr. Eckart Würzner will officially open the Heidelberg Christmas Market on the market square. The Heidelberg Christ Child, accompanied by the angels and the children’s choir of the Bildungshaus für Musik from Ziegelhausen, will set the mood for the most wonderful time of the year with messages of love and hope, poems and Christmas carols. The opening will be enriched by a short ecumenical devotion by Pastor Johannes Brandt, head priest of the Catholic parish in Heidelberg, and Dean Dr. Christof Ellsiepen from the Protestant Church in Heidelberg.

Six squares invite you to stroll and celebrate

For four weeks, visitors can experience the Christmas atmosphere as the scent of winter delicacies wafts through the narrow alleyways of the large and small Christmas markets on the six squares.

At the beginning of the pedestrian zone, on Bismarckplatz, festively decorated huts with sweet and savory specialties and a wheelchair-accessible children’s carousel invite you to linger until Sunday, 6 January 2025. There is a special offer for children up to the age of 6 in wheelchairs – they can ride for free on Mondays and Wednesdays.

As you continue your walk through the main street, you will pass the Anatomy Garden. Crafts and winter delicacies are presented here in front of the monument to the chemist Robert Bunsen.

There is so much on offer on University Square that you will be spoiled for choice when it comes to buying presents. In addition, culinary specialties invite you to linger, the over 100-year-old jumping horse carousel is the attraction for the little ones and the Christmas pyramid turns impressively above the roofs of the Christmas huts.

On the market square, the Heidelberg barrel with Perkeo, Heidelberg’s symbolic figure, on top is an impressive sight. It is 10 m high and has a capacity of 120,000 liters. This makes it about half the size of the original in the barrel cellar of Heidelberg Castle. Inside the barrel, there is a room with seating for 30 people above the bar. From there you can enjoy the hustle and bustle of the market with a glass of mulled wine in the warmth. Small wooden barrels also offer the opportunity to warm up and take a relaxing break.

As every year, the Lions Club invites visitors to the “Santa’s House”, where Santa Claus himself can be photographed with visitors for a good cause.

Charities and associations present themselves in the Bürgerhütte.

The Heidelberg Winter Forest on the Kornmarkt creates a truly magical atmosphere. With over 100 sparkling Christmas trees, a nativity scene, a children’s train and white pagoda tents, it will enchant visitors up to and including Wednesday, January 1, 2025.

A fantastic view of the most famous ruins in the world can be enjoyed during the Heidelberg Christmas Market on Karlsplatz. There is probably nowhere more romantic than at the foot of the castle. The icy fun in the open air on one of the most beautiful ice skating rinks in Germany is open until Sunday, January 6, 2025. And once you have solid ground under your feet again, you can warm up with mulled wine or children’s punch and treat yourself to a treat from one of the Christmas market stalls.

Action days

Families, senior citizens and students can once again look forward to numerous discounts on the Christmas market’s special days this year: Monday is the most popular day for students in Heidelberg, as mulled wine is available at reduced prices on “Student Day”. On “Family and Senior Citizens’ Day” every Thursday, children and senior citizens aged 65 and over receive many discounts. Santa Claus makes his rounds on Wednesday, December 4, 2024 and hands out presents to the little Christmas market guests.