The Most Beautiful Christmas Markets in Germany (From a Dutch Perspective)

Germany is the spiritual home of the Christmas market. The first ones popped up in the 14th century and the tradition has been refined for 700 years into something genuinely magical. Wooden chalets, gluhwein, lebkuchen, traditional ornaments, and the kind of atmosphere that makes you want to wear a chunky scarf and forget all your problems for a few days.

For anyone in the Netherlands, the best part is how close they are. Cologne is an hour and a half from Eindhoven by car. Aachen is 45 minutes from Maastricht. Düsseldorf is two hours from Amsterdam. You can be drinking gluhwein in front of a German cathedral within a morning's drive.

Here are the ten most beautiful German Christmas markets, all within easy reach of the Netherlands.

The Cologne Christmas Market in front of the cathedral is one of the most spectacular in all of Germany. Imagine a 700-year-old gothic cathedral as the backdrop, more than 150 wooden stalls beneath strings of golden lights, and the entire square filled with the smell of bratwurst and gluhwein. It is the picture-postcard German Christmas market.

Cologne actually has seven different markets across the city, each with its own character. The Heumarkt market focuses on traditional crafts, the Old Market has a maritime theme, and the Rudolfplatz market is the romantic one. You can easily spend a full day wandering between them.

When to go: Mid-November to 23 December Drive from Amsterdam: 2.5 hours Where to stay: Hotels near Cologne Hauptbahnhof put you within walking distance of all the markets.

Aachen is the closest major German market to the Netherlands and one of the most underrated. The market sets up around the magnificent cathedral and town hall, and the medieval setting is genuinely beautiful. Aachen is famous for printen, a spiced gingerbread that you absolutely have to try, and the market has dozens of stalls selling it in every conceivable variety.

Aachen is so close to the Dutch border that you can easily do it as a day trip from Maastricht or Eindhoven. But the city is lovely enough that staying a night gives you time to explore the cathedral, the thermal baths, and the historic centre properly.

When to go: Mid-November to 23 December Drive from Amsterdam: 2.5 hours / Maastricht: 45 minutes Where to stay: Hotels in the old town are within walking distance of the market.

Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt is the most famous Christmas market in Germany and probably the world. It dates back to the 16th century and takes place around the Frauenkirche on the main square. Two million visitors come every year to see the 180 stalls, the traditional Nuremberg sausages, the lebkuchen, and the iconic Christmas pyramid.

The atmosphere is unmistakably traditional — there are strict rules about what can be sold and how the stalls must look, which keeps the market authentic. It is further from the Netherlands than the Rhineland markets but absolutely worth the drive or train journey.

When to go: Late November to 24 December Drive from Amsterdam: 6 hours Where to stay: The historic centre within the old city walls is the best location.

Düsseldorf hosts seven separate Christmas markets across the city, each with its own theme. The Engelchen-Markt around the Heinrich-Heine-Allee is the most charming, with hand-carved wooden angels, while the Sternchenmarkt on Stadtbrückchen has a magical glittering atmosphere.

Düsseldorf is also a great city for shopping — the Königsallee is one of the most famous shopping streets in Germany — and the city's Altstadt has hundreds of pubs and restaurants. It is the perfect Christmas market city break.

When to go: Mid-November to 23 December Drive from Amsterdam: 2 hours Where to stay: Hotels near the Altstadt give you easy access to the markets and nightlife.

Münster is one of the most beautiful cities in northwest Germany and its Christmas markets are some of the most romantic. There are five markets across the historic centre, each connected by the city's atmospheric arcaded streets. The market in front of the Lambertikirche is particularly lovely.

Münster is famous for its student energy and bicycle culture, and the Christmas markets feel less commercial than the bigger Rhineland ones. It is a great choice for anyone who wants atmosphere over crowds.

When to go: Mid-November to 23 December Drive from Amsterdam: 2 hours 45 minutes Where to stay: Hotels in the old town near the cathedral are best.

Dortmund's Christmas market is famous for one thing: it has the largest Christmas tree in the world. The 45-metre tree is built from 1,700 individual fir trees and dominates the Hansaplatz. Around it, more than 300 stalls make Dortmund one of the biggest Christmas markets in Germany.

The market is enormous and full of variety, from traditional crafts to street food from all over the world. If you want a market that feels like a proper festival, Dortmund is hard to beat.

When to go: Mid-November to 30 December Drive from Amsterdam: 3 hours Where to stay: Hotels in the city centre are close to the main market.

Essen's Internationaler Weihnachtsmarkt is one of the largest in Germany and is famous for its international flavour — there are stalls from more than 20 countries selling food, crafts, and decorations from around the world. It is set up across the central pedestrian zone in the city centre and stretches for nearly a kilometre.

The market is very accessible from the Netherlands and makes a great day trip or short weekend.

When to go: Mid-November to 23 December Drive from Amsterdam: 2.5 hours Where to stay: Hotels around Essen Hauptbahnhof are convenient.

Bonn was once the capital of West Germany and still has a stately, historic feel. Its Christmas market is set around the Münsterplatz with the basilica as a backdrop, and it is one of the most charming smaller German markets. Less crowded than Cologne, just as atmospheric.

Combine the market with a visit to the Beethoven House and a walk along the Rhine. Bonn in winter is quietly beautiful.

When to go: Mid-November to 23 December Drive from Amsterdam: 3 hours Where to stay: Hotels near Münsterplatz put you in the heart of the action.

Trier is Germany's oldest city, founded by the Romans, and the Christmas market in front of the cathedral and the Porta Nigra (a 2nd century Roman gate) is one of the most historic settings you will find anywhere. The market is on the smaller side compared to Cologne or Dortmund, but the setting and the atmosphere more than make up for it.

Trier is also surrounded by some of Germany's best wine country, so you can combine a market visit with a wine-tasting trip along the Mosel river.

When to go: Late November to 22 December Drive from Amsterdam: 4 hours Where to stay: Hotels in the old town near the Porta Nigra.

Monschau is a tiny half-timbered village in the Eifel region, just over the Belgian and Dutch border, and its Christmas market is one of the most magical in Germany. The medieval streets are narrow, the houses are crooked, the river runs through the centre of town, and the entire village transforms into something out of a Grimm fairytale during Advent.

The market only runs on the weekends in December and gets very busy, but it is one of the most atmospheric Christmas experiences in Germany.

When to go: Weekends in December Drive from Amsterdam: 3 hours Where to stay: Stay in one of the small inns in the village or in nearby Aachen.

Drive if you can. Most German Christmas markets are in cities with good road connections from the Netherlands, and a car gives you flexibility to combine multiple cities in one trip. Cologne, Düsseldorf, and Aachen can easily be done in a single weekend.

Go on a weekday afternoon if you can. Saturdays in December are extraordinarily busy at the most popular markets — Cologne in particular gets shoulder-to-shoulder packed.

Bring cash. Most German market stalls take card payments now, but plenty still operate cash-only.

Dress for the cold. German winters are colder than Dutch ones, particularly in the south. A proper winter coat, hat, gloves, and warm boots are essential.

A Getaway Gift Card is the perfect Christmas gift for anyone who wants to plan their own German market trip — they pick the city, the dates, and the hotel.