Rothenburg ob der Tauber, Bavaria, Germany
Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt
One of Germany's most picturesque Christmas markets, inside Rothenburg's medieval walls. 2026 dates reported, awaiting official confirmation.
The dates below have been reported for this year and fit the calendar, but we have not yet been able to confirm them with the organiser or an official source. Event listings give 20 November–23 December 2026, closed on Totensonntag (22 November). The dates fit the 2026 calendar, but we haven't found them on Rothenburg's own tourism pages yet.
- Dates
- 20 Nov – 23 Dec 2026
- Opening hours
- Reported: Sun–Thu 11am–7pm, Fri–Sat 11am–8pm; closed Totensonntag (22 Nov)
- Stalls
- 61 (reported)
- Address
- Marktplatz, 91541 Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber is the walled medieval town that appears on half the Christmas cards in Germany. Its Christmas market, the Reiterlesmarkt, is one of the most atmospheric in the country. It’s named after the “Reiterle”, a legendary rider figure from local folklore, and its stalls fill the Marktplatz, the Grüner Markt and the square around St Jakob’s church.
Dates: provisional
Event listings give the 2026 market as Friday 20 November to Wednesday 23 December, closed on Sunday 22 November (Totensonntag). Those dates are consistent with the 2026 calendar and with the market’s usual pattern. But we haven’t yet found them on Rothenburg’s own tourism pages, so we’re showing them as provisional. The reported hours are Sunday to Thursday 11am–7pm and Fridays and Saturdays 11am–8pm.
What to expect
Reports describe around 60 decorated stalls, with brass groups playing on the stage at the Grüner Markt. Look out for Rothenburg’s own pastry, the Schneeball (“snowball”): strips of shortcrust dough shaped into a ball, fried, and dusted with sugar or dipped in chocolate.
Make a day of it
Walk the covered ramparts, which run almost all the way round the old town. Rothenburg is also home to a year-round Christmas village shop and the German Christmas Museum, both a short walk from the Marktplatz, so it can feel like Christmas here even in July. The Plönlein, the little cobbled junction with its half-timbered house between two gate towers, is the classic photograph.
Getting there
Rothenburg has its own station on a branch line from Steinach, with connections to Würzburg and Nuremberg. It’s about ten minutes’ walk from the station into the old town. Rothenburg is on the Romantic Road, and it combines well with Nuremberg’s Christkindlesmarkt.
When will we know?
We check the official source every week and will update this page the day the dates are confirmed. In the meantime, our What’s open? tool shows the markets that have confirmed dates for any day you’re travelling.
