What are the best Christmas markets to visit in Berlin? In this guide, we will lead you through all the top locations you’ll want to visit during Germany’s most important holiday season.
The city lights up in the evening and steams by day from the cups of mulled wine. Berliners immerse themselves in this parallel world, with carousels, sweets, and wooden houses, enjoying one of the most cheerful times of the year. Christmas is very important in Berlin, and each neighborhood organizes its own traditional markets and events.
The Christmas markets in Berlin may seem similar, but the uniqueness of each area has given them very different atmospheres and vibes. From Neukölln to Charlottenburg, the journey is truly marvelous.
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Best traditional Christmas markets to visit in Berlin
Christmas market at Gendarmenmarkt
Where: Gendarmenmarkt.
The most typical and beloved of all, the Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market in the heart of the Mitte neighborhood charms the people of Berlin with its atmosphere and lights. Nestled between the French and the German Cathedral, it ensures the best experience with its typical wooden houses and products on display. You will have to go there at least once. The Christmas market area is fenced and requires a one-euro entrance fee.
Christmas market at Potsdamer Platz
Where: Potsdamer Platz.
When we talk about Christmas, we think of colored lights, and when we think of Berlin, its palaces and modern architecture come to mind. Potsdamer Platz lights up traditionally during Christmas, surrounded by skyscrapers. This mix of folklore, shops, and modernity makes Potsdamer Platz one of the most interesting locations during this time of the year. Here, you can also find a large toboggan and a 500 square meter open-air ice rink.
Christmas market at the Sony Center
Where: Sony Center.
Just a few steps from Potsdamer Platz, you can find another of the best Christmas markets to visit in Berlin, under the shining dome of the Sony Center. In this glass theater, there are not many stalls, but entertainment is nevertheless assured by the wonderful light installations. Here, you can view a show of lights projected only during this period, perhaps warming up with a good cup of Glühwein (mulled wine).
Christmas market at Charlottenburg Palace
Where: Spandauer Damm 20-24, 14059 Berlin.
Another Christmas gem stands in the evocative setting in front of the Charlottenburg Castle. Here, you can find sweets and traditional products, prepared by over 250 exhibitors. Even if it is a bit far from the downtown area, it is still worthwhile to cross the city, if only to admire the majesty of the Prussian castle surrounded by the lights and fragrances of Christmas.
Christmas market at the Memorial Church (Gedächtniskirche)
Where: Breitscheidplatz, 10789 Berlin.
Another famous and beloved Christmas market in Berlin is located in the glitzy district of Charlottenburg, in front of one of the city’s main monuments, the Gedächtniskirche. Here, you cannot miss all the foods, fragrances, and colors of Christmastime in Germany, making it a popular destination for tourists and locals. The market at the Gedächtniskirche tragically appeared in the news following the terrorist attack in 2016. However, the new security measures have consolidated the perimeter of the area, and visitors today have nothing to fear.
Christmas Market at Berlin City Hall
Where: Next to Marienkirche, Karl-Liebknecht-Str. 8, 10178 Berlin.
The size and central location are two of the strengths of this Christmas market, which is perhaps one of the best and most representative of Berlin. In the small wooden village opposite the Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), you can also find an ice-skating rink or choose to rise 50 meters on a brightly illuminated Ferris wheel. The only downsides are the crowding and a slightly commercial atmosphere.
Christmas Market in Spandau
Where: Reformationsplatz, 13597 Berlin (Spandau).
If you want to fully enjoy the Christmas tradition atmosphere in Germany, you may have to go to the Spandau district. This area is substantially outside the German capital, and for this reason, the Christmas market built in the main square has retained an authenticity that is lacking elsewhere. Tradition shows its best side here and offers a dimension more suited to the festive spirit. This is a perfect Christmas location for families, but also for those who want to get away from the bustle of the center and enjoy a few hours of real relaxation.
Christmas market at Alexanderplatz
Where: Alexanderplatz, 10178 Berlin.
Alexanderplatz is one of the most visited places in Berlin for its shops and its importance in the geography of transportation. This is why its Christmas stalls are designed to sell and display the most diverse objects. It is definitely not the most traditional market but still attracts thousands of tourists every year, also interested in its great Christmas pyramid. In this typical German wooden structure, it is possible to drink hot beverages while listening to folk music until the evening.
Best alternative Christmas markets to visit in Berlin
Lucia Christmas Market at the Kulturbrauerei
Where: Schönhauser Allee 36, 10435 Berlin.
Outside the tourist area of Mitte, the Lucia Christmas Market is located in the inner courtyards of the Kulturbrauerei, in Berlin’s Prenzlauer-Berg area. This was once a brewery and is now an eclectic cultural center that also houses clubs, art exhibitions, and small shops. Visiting this Berlin Christmas market, you can meet many more local people and at the same time walk along the streets of one of the most beloved neighborhoods.
Christmas market at Klunkerkranich
Where: Karl-Marx-Straße 66, 12043 Berlin.
If you want to experience something truly different, then you will have to come here. Klunkerkranich is a bar with a large terrace from which you can admire one of the best views of Berlin, and each year it hosts a Christmas market above the city’s rooftops. Klunkerkranich is located in Neukölln, which in recent years has become one of the youngest and most active districts of the German capital. This is the ideal place to have a hot drink before venturing into the weekend nightlife. To enter the highest market in Berlin, you have to pay for a ticket, the price of which varies according to the time of entry. It is also possible to find queues at the entrance due to limited places, so it is better not to arrive at the last minute.
Alt-Rixdorfer Christmas Market
Where: Richardplatz 28, 12055 Berlin.
We could not forget to mention the Christmas market in Berlin’s bohemian area of Neukölln. Few tourists and many young people gather here for a weekend for their Christmas ritual, looking for decorations and local food, which involves flavors from other countries of the world. Little exaggeration and a lot of practicality are the elements that distinguish this attraction from all the others. The alternative soul of the city never ceases to breathe.
Christmas shopping in Berlin
Enjoying Christmastime in Berlin also means walking along the wide avenues filled with shops, entering large shopping centers, or visiting small boutiques.
Drive through the Kurfurstendamm in the Charlottenburg district if you want to have a look at the most prestigious shop windows. Here, the Kathe Wohlfahrt is a real temple of Christmas. It is a shop that looks more like a museum and sells traditional articles all year round. If you want to stay warm, go to the luxurious KaDeWe (Kaufhaus des Westens), or move to the Mall of Berlin and Potsdamer Platz Arkaden. Here, you will find many shops adorned with elaborate and sparkling decorations.
Alternatively, start from Hackescher Markt and enter the tiny streets around Gipsstrasse and Weinmeisterstrasse to find the smallest original shops. One of the most famous is the Hackesche Höfe, a shopping center that develops around a network of internal courtyards.
