Tower brass at 6 p.m.
Every evening at six, brass players perform from the balcony of the Old Town Hall.
Source: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Leipzig · Germany
Leipzig Christmas Market
Leipziger Weihnachtsmarkt
24 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 Official
Official websiteDates and hours may change. Check them on the market's official site.
Key facts
| City | Leipzig |
|---|---|
| Country | Germany |
| Location | Markt, Leipzig |
| Dates | 24 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 Official |
| Opening hours | Sun–Thu 11:00–21:00; Fri–Sat 11:00–22:00 |
| Official website | Official website |
| Map pin | 51.34040, 12.37474. Approximate location from the sources used for this page. |
About the market
The Leipzig Christmas Market is held each year from late November to 23 December on the city's central market square, in front of the Old Town Hall, and in the streets around it. Its history is usually dated to 1458, based on a note by the chronicler Johann Jacob Vogel. He recorded that Elector Friedrich II of Saxony publicly advertised a 'Weynachtsmarckt' for the city that year. That puts Leipzig alongside the other long-established German markets in Munich, Bautzen, Frankfurt and Dresden. The market has around 300 stalls and recorded more than 2.8 million visitors in 2019, which makes it one of the largest in Germany. Like many German markets, it was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Alongside the stalls there is a programme of supporting events across the season.
Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Traditions and specialities
What is particular here
Santa's arrival by train
On the Saturday before the first Sunday of Advent, Santa arrives by special train at the main station. Families then escort his carriage and a brass band through the city to the market square, where he holds daily office hours.
Source: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Ore Mountains miners' parade
Every two years, seven miners' bands with hundreds of musicians and uniformed participants march through the city.
Source: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
The historic carousel
A carousel on Salzgässchen, parts of it over 100 years old, burned in 2009 and was rebuilt true to the original in 2010.
Source: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Leipziger Lerche
a small almond and marzipan pastry associated with Leipzig.
Source: Wikipedia · Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Stollen and Saxon Christmas baking, sold widely across the market.
Stollen and Saxon Christmas baking, sold widely across the market.
Source: Wikipedia · Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
About Leipzig
Leipzig is Saxony's most populous city, with about 634,000 people, roughly 150 km southwest of Berlin. It grew rich as a trading city where two major medieval routes, the Via Regia and the Via Imperii, crossed, and its trade fair dates back to 1190. From 1764 to 1945 it was a centre of publishing.
The 1989 demonstrations that began at St Nicholas Church helped bring down communism in Europe. Leipzig University is one of Europe's oldest, the zoo is among the best in Europe, and around 12,500 late-19th-century buildings shape the cityscape. Leipzig Hauptbahnhof, one of Europe's largest railway stations by floor area, puts the market within walking distance for train travellers.
Sources: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).
Photos
AIA Labs publishes this page as an independent guide. It is not the market's own website.