Aachen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
Aachen Christmas Market
Stalls wrapped around Charlemagne's cathedral and the town hall — and the home of Aachener Printen.
- Dates
- 20 Nov – 23 Dec 2026
- Opening hours
- Daily 11am–9pm. Exceptions: Sun 22 Nov (Totensonntag) 6pm–9pm only; Sat 12 Dec 11am–10pm; Wed 23 Dec 11am–8pm
- Admission
- Free entry
- Address
- Katschhof and Markt, 52062 Aachen
Dates last checked 3 October 2026 · source · Always confirm with the organiser before travelling.
Aachen’s Christmas market wraps around two of the most historic buildings in Germany: the cathedral, which Charlemagne built as his palace chapel and where he is buried, and the Gothic town hall, built on the foundations of his palace. The stalls fill the Katschhof between them, the Markt in front of the town hall and the lanes around the cathedral.
Dates for 2026
The market runs from Friday 20 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, according to the official market site.
Opening hours — check these three days
The market is open daily 11am–9pm, with three exceptions:
- Sunday 22 November (Totensonntag): only 6pm–9pm. Don’t arrive in the afternoon expecting to find it open.
- Saturday 12 December: the “long Christmas market”, open until 10pm.
- Wednesday 23 December: closes early, at 8pm.
What to try
Aachen’s speciality is Printen, a hard, spiced gingerbread sold plain, nutty or coated in chocolate. The city’s bakeries have made it for centuries and you’ll find it all over the market. It keeps well, so it’s a good thing to take home.
Getting there
Aachen Hauptbahnhof is about fifteen minutes’ walk from the cathedral. The city is right on the borders with Belgium and the Netherlands, with direct high-speed trains from Brussels and Cologne, so it combines easily with a trip to either.
Make a day of it
Aachen Cathedral was among the first places in the world to be named a UNESCO World Heritage Site, in 1978, and its treasury holds one of the most important collections of medieval church art in northern Europe. Maastricht and Liège, both with Christmas markets of their own, are each less than an hour away.
Whatever the forecast, you will be standing still outdoors in the cold for longer than you expect — see our guide to what to wear, and use What’s open? to see which markets are trading on the days you travel.
