Aachen Christmas market 2026: dates, times

The Aachen Christmas market fills the old town between the cathedral and the town hall, where Charlemagne once had his palace. It is one of the most popular markets in western Germany and easy to reach from Cologne, Belgium and the Netherlands. The short answer for 2026: according to the organisers, the market runs from Friday 20 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026, daily from 11:00 to 21:00.

Aachen Christmas market 2026: dates and times

Dates and times from the official website of the organiser, MAC – Märkte und Aktionskreis City e.V. (see sources), as of October 2026.

Sunday 22 November 2026 is Totensonntag, the Protestant day of remembrance of the dead. The market only opens in the evening that day. On Saturday 12 December it stays open an hour longer for the "long Christmas market". The market closes on 23 December and does not reopen between Christmas and New Year.

With 34 days, Aachen's season is in line with the other big markets in the region:

Season: calendar days from the first to the last day.

What makes the Aachen Christmas market special

The setting. The stalls stand in the lanes and squares around Aachen Cathedral, the burial place of Charlemagne and Germany's first UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Gothic town hall, built on the foundations of his palace. In the evening, with the lit-up cathedral above the market, it is one of the most atmospheric settings of any German Christmas market.

An award. In April 2026 the market received the "Excellent European Christmas Market" quality seal from the European Excellent Christmas Market Association, as one of twelve markets in Europe, according to the organisers. 2026 is the market's 53rd edition.

Printen. Aachen's speciality is Aachener Printen, a hard, spiced gingerbread sweetened with syrup and often coated in chocolate. The name is protected as a geographical indication in the EU, so real Aachener Printen must be made in and around the city. You find them at the market and in the bakeries of the old town – they keep well and make a good present to take home.

Mulled wine and crafts. Besides Printen, the stalls sell mulled wine, Christmas treats, decorations and crafts – the organisers speak of a festive Christmas village in the old town.

When to go

• Weekday afternoons are the calmest. Saturdays in Advent are the busiest, and the lanes around the cathedral get very full.
• Late afternoon is the best time for the lights: it gets dark before 17:00 in December.
• Saturday 12 December is the "long Christmas market", open until 22:00.
• Sunday 22 November the market is only open from 18:00 to 21:00.

Getting there

Aachen is on the main rail line between Cologne and Brussels: regional trains reach Cologne in about an hour, and the high-speed trains between Brussels and Cologne stop at Aachen Hauptbahnhof. From the station, the old town is about 15 minutes on foot. From the UK, the Eurostar to Brussels and a connecting train make Aachen an easy rail trip; train connections to Aachen^* can be compared on Omio. The nearest large airports are Cologne Bonn and Düsseldorf, with onward trains via Cologne.

Where to stay

Aachen is small enough to visit as a day trip from Cologne, but an overnight stay lets you see the market in the evening and the cathedral in the quiet of the morning. The old town around the cathedral, the Elisenbrunnen and the Theaterplatz is the most convenient area: everything on foot, the station within walking distance. Hotels fill up quickly on Advent Saturdays, so book early.

More than the market: a day in Aachen

Plan time for the cathedral itself: the octagonal Palatine Chapel from around 800, the Shrine of Charlemagne and the throne of Charlemagne, which can be seen on a guided tour. The cathedral treasury next door is one of the most important in northern Europe. The town hall with its Coronation Hall, where the coronation banquets of German kings were held for centuries, is open to visitors. Aachen is also a spa town: its hot springs fed Roman baths, the Elisenbrunnen in the centre still has sulphurous spring water you can smell, and the Carolus Thermen spa is a warm option on a cold day.

If you combine Aachen with Cologne, the Cologne Christmas markets 2026 open on 16 November, and our guide how many days in Cologne shows how to fit in a day trip to Aachen.

Cologne trip planDay by day, with map and tips

Weather in December

Aachen is mild but wet in December: on average about 7.1 °C by day and 3.0 °C at night, with 86 mm of rain over the month (ERA5 via Open-Meteo, 2015–2024). Snow is rare. Warm shoes, a waterproof jacket and gloves are enough. YesTrip shows you the forecast for your actual travel days and suggests matching clothes in the packing list.

Germany is in the EU, so EU mobile plans work without extra roaming charges. Travelling from outside the EU, for example from the UK, a travel eSIM for Germany^* (Airalo) is usually cheaper than roaming; our eSIM price index compares the prices per gigabyte.

For more ideas, our guide to the best Christmas markets in Europe compares twelve cities.

Also for the same trip: Düsseldorf Christmas market 2026.

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