Stuttgart Christmas Market

About the market

The Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt is held every Advent in the centre of the Baden-Württemberg capital. City records mention it in 1692, when it was already called a traditional Stuttgart event. The modern market has around 200 stalls and receives about 3.6 million visitors a year, which places it among the largest Christmas markets in Germany. It covers several old squares and lanes. Schillerplatz and Marktplatz form its core. Karlsplatz hosts a Finnish Christmas market and a fair for Christmas collectors. On the edge of Schlossplatz there is a children's 'fairytale land' with a miniature railway and an ice rink. The market is known for the decorated roofs of its stalls, which stallholders compete to dress with figures and lights. The official opening takes place in the Renaissance inner courtyard of the Old Castle (Altes Schloss). For 2026 the official site gives hours of Sunday to Thursday 11:00–21:00 and Friday and Saturday 11:00–22:00.

Sources: Wikipedia · Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).

About Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital and largest city of Baden-Württemberg, with about 613,000 people, set in a valley of the Neckar known as the 'Stuttgart Cauldron'. Hills, some covered in vineyards, surround it, and the Swabian Jura and the Black Forest are about an hour away.

Known as the 'cradle of the automobile', it is home to the Mercedes-Benz Museum and the Porsche Museum, both good indoor options on a cold day. It hosted matches at the 1974 and 2006 FIFA World Cups.

Sources: Wikipedia. Some wording is drawn from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA).