Cologne · Germany
Heinzel's Winter Fairytale
Heinzels Wintermärchen
23 Nov 2026 – 10 Jan 2027 Official
Official websiteDates and hours may change. Check them on the market's official site.
Key facts
| City | Cologne |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Cologne, Germany |
| Dates | 23 Nov 2026 – 10 Jan 2027 Official |
| Opening hours | Heumarkt daily 11:00–22:00, closed 24–25 Dec; Alter Markt until 23 Dec |
| Official website | Official website |
| Map pin | 50.93524, 6.95760. Approximate location from the sources used for this page. |
About the market
Heinzels Wintermärchen is a Christmas market and ice rink in Cologne's Old Town. Its organisers describe it as the city's largest Christmas market, with more than 100 stalls arranged in themed alleys and small squares across Alter Markt and Heumarkt. The sources give no founding date or visitor figures. They do explain the theme: the Heinzelmännchen, the little brownies of Cologne legend, who became popular through August Kopisch's poem of 1836. In the tale they secretly helped lazy craftsmen at night until a tailor's noisy wife discovered and banished them. At this market they return every year to turn the Old Town into a winter wonderland. Craft and food are central. Artisans from across Europe, including wood carvers, blacksmiths and confectioners, show their skills, mostly in the Handwerkergasse at Alter Markt. The Futter- und Naschgasse offers traditional and regional fare such as strudel, waffles, apple pancakes, Handbrot, potato fritters and flame-grilled salmon. The ice rink has straights over 100 metres long and circles a horseman statue. It stays open well into January, and the organisers call it arguably Germany's finest open-air rink. Children can mould candy canes, forge a horseshoe with their name, write a wish-list at the Christmas Post Office, or ride a Ferris wheel or historic carousel. Ice stock rinks for team play, live music, jugglers and artists add to the programme. The organisers also promote the sustainability motto 'avoid, reduce, compensate'.
Sources: heinzels-wintermaerchen.de.
About Cologne
Cologne (Köln) is the fourth-most populous city in Germany and the largest in North Rhine-Westphalia, with over one million inhabitants. It lies on the left bank of the Rhine. The city began as the Ubii settlement Oppidum Ubiorum in 38 BC, and the Romans founded Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium in AD 50. That Roman name is the origin of the city's name. In the Middle Ages Cologne flourished on major trade routes, became a free city after 1288, and joined the Hanseatic League. Its best-known landmark is Cologne Cathedral. It was built to house the Shrine of the Three Kings, was the world's tallest building from 1880 to 1890, and is now described as the tallest cathedral in the world. The skyline is also shaped by the Twelve Romanesque churches. Cologne is famous for Eau de Cologne, produced in the city since 1709. World War II bombing destroyed around 80% of the old city centre, but most major historic landmarks were restored. Today the city hosts more than 30 museums and hundreds of galleries. It has several universities, including the University of Cologne, and is home to Lufthansa's main corporate headquarters. For winter visitors, the sources point to the Heinzels Wintermärchen Christmas market and ice rink in the Old Town.
Sources: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Photos
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