Stuttgart Christmas Market (Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt)
Schlossplatz, Stuttgart, Germany, 70376
When over 3 million visitors attend a Christmas market, you know it’s good. The Stuttgart Christmas Market (Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt) is one of Germany’s best—which is saying something—and visitors will delight in traditional crafts and toys, warm drinks and cookies, plus plenty of twinkling lights and singing choirs. Get ready: This one’s a spectacle as much as a shopping spree.
The basics
No one knows how to Christmas market better than Germany, and Stuttgart is proof in the Christmas pudding. Some 300 vendors set up their classic wooden shops here, hawking everything from wooden figurines to mulled wine, advent calendars to cinnamon star cookies, Christmas baubles to smoked salmon sandwiches. For a whole month—late November to late December—central Stuttgart is all fairy lights, Christmas trees, holiday scents, and plenty of good cheer.
To get the full experience, go with a local on a tour—this massive, 300-year-old market is quite the maze, and a local’s eye will turn it from a holiday stop into a cultural deep dive.
Things to know before you go
Free public restrooms are scattered throughout the market, including at the Schillerplatz entrance.
Visitors can catch live Christmas music, typically choirs, in the Renaissance courtyard of the Old Palace.
Information stalls can be found at the Schillerplatz entrance and on Königstrasse, near the mulled wine pyramid.
How to get there
The Stuttgart Christmas Market is about as centrally located as it gets, winding across Schlossplatz to Karlsplatz and beyond. With so many visitors, it’s widely advised that attendees take public transport to the market if they’re not already in the area. On the S-Bahn, get off at the Hauptbahnhof or Stadtmitte stations; it’s about a 5-minute walk from there.
When to get there
The Stuttgart Christmas Market runs from late November to late December. It’s typically open every day from roughly 10am to 9pm, with extended hours on Friday and Saturday. Plan your visit after the sun sets for a magical experience; the market will glow with lights, visitors are bundled up, and smoke wafts in the chilly night air.
A walk through history
The Stuttgart Christmas Market is one of Germany’s most beautiful Christmas markets, and is one of Europe’s oldest. Its first written mention dates back to 1692, though Stuttgarters will tell you it’s run even longer than that. This one’s not just for the shoppers and mulled-wine lovers—it’s for history buffs, too.
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