Leipzig’s Christmas market spreads across seven areas of the old town, with more than 300 decorated stalls, so you can walk from a Renaissance town hall to a Finnish log cabin in ten minutes. It is one of Germany’s oldest Christmas markets, and the city around it has Bach, Goethe’s favourite cellar and a beer you won’t find anywhere else. It suits couples, groups and music lovers who want a big market without the crowds of Dresden or Nuremberg.
Why go
Leipzig is compact. The whole market sits inside the old ring road, so there is no need for trams between squares. Each area has its own character: the traditional Markt, a medieval market on the Naschmarkt, a Swiss village with skating on the Burgplatz, and Finnish and South Tyrolean villages on Augustusplatz.
The city is also an easy add-on. Dresden is about an hour away by train, so you can pair this with our Dresden Christmas market 2026 guide, and Berlin is a similar distance.
Leipzig
Don’t miss
The places that make the trip, and why each one deserves your time.
Krzysztof Golik / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 The Markt and the Old Town Hall
The main market fills the square in front of the long Renaissance town hall, with the 20-metre tree, the stage and trombone players on the town hall balcony.
Medieval market, Naschmarkt
Behind the Old Town Hall, the Alt Leipzig medieval market brings craftspeople, mead and old-style stalls to the small square by the Alte Börse.
Appaloosa_LE / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Mädler Passage and Auerbachs Keller
Leipzig's grandest shopping arcade leads down to Auerbachs Keller, the cellar restaurant Goethe wrote into Faust, a warm stop between market squares.
Xxlfussel / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 Nikolaikirchhof
The square round St Nicholas' Church, where the peaceful protests of 1989 began, has the market's Feuerzangenbowle pyramid.
Whgler / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Finnish village, Augustusplatz
A 200-year-old log cabin anchors the Finnish village, with glögi and flame-grilled salmon, beside a South Tyrolean village, a fairy-tale forest and the Ferris wheel.
Go at dusk, when the Ferris wheel lights up.
Swiss village and ice rink, Burgplatz
Next to the New Town Hall, the Swiss village has a skating rink and covered seating, a good pause for families.
Gegeours / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0 St Thomas Church
Bach was cantor here for 27 years and is buried inside, and the St Thomas Boys Choir sings concerts in the church during Advent.
Leipzig Christmas market 2026 dates and hours
These details come from Leipzig Tourismus und Marketing (leipzig.travel), the city’s official tourist board.
- Dates: Tuesday 24 November to Wednesday 23 December 2026.
- Opening ceremony: 24 November at 5pm.
- Hours: Daily 11am to 9pm; Fridays and Saturdays to 10pm.
- Last days: On 22 December the market closes at 8pm. On 23 December only the trading stalls open, until 8pm.
- Size: More than 300 stalls in seven areas of the city centre.
The market areas
- Markt, in front of the Old Town Hall: The traditional heart of the market, with the stage, Café Zimtstern and a tree of about 20 metres, hung with 300 red and gold baubles and some 3,000 lights. Trombone players perform from the town hall balcony at set times.
- Naschmarkt: The Alt Leipzig medieval market.
- Augustusplatz: The Finnish village with its 200-year-old log cabin, a South Tyrolean village, a fairy-tale forest and the Ferris wheel.
- Burgplatz: The Swiss village, added in 2024, with an ice rink and covered seating.
- Nikolaikirchhof: The Feuerzangenbowle pyramid.
- Salzgässchen: A historic-style carousel on several levels.
- Grimmaische Straße and Thomaswiese: Large animal and mushroom figures among real fir trees, and a giant walk-in Christmas present.
The 48-hour route
Day 1
Morning: Start at St Thomas Church, where Bach worked and is buried. Walk to the Markt for 11am, when the stalls open and the square is still calm.
Afternoon: Explore the medieval Naschmarkt behind the Old Town Hall, then duck into the Mädler Passage. Continue to the Nikolaikirchhof for the Feuerzangenbowle pyramid and a look inside St Nicholas’ Church.
Evening: Walk on to Augustusplatz as the lights come on. Ride the Ferris wheel, then warm up with glögi and flame-grilled salmon in the Finnish village.
Tip: Fridays and Saturdays are the busiest evenings. Go on a weekday, or reach the Markt at opening time.
Day 2
Morning: Take a tram to the Monument to the Battle of the Nations, the vast memorial to the 1813 battle, or to the Spinnerei, a former cotton mill full of galleries.
Afternoon: Back in the centre, skate at the Burgplatz ice rink in the Swiss village, then browse Grimmaische Straße and the giant present on the Thomaswiese.
Evening: Dinner at Auerbachs Keller, then a glass of Gose at a brewery pub. If the St Thomas Boys Choir has a concert, it is the best way to end a Leipzig Advent day.
What to eat and drink
- Leipziger Lerche: A small shortcrust pastry with almond paste and a cherry inside, Leipzig’s own sweet.
- Leipziger Stollen and Pulsnitzer Lebkuchen: Saxon fruit bread and gingerbread from a nearby town known for it.
- Glögi and Flammlachs: Finnish mulled drink and salmon grilled on boards by an open fire, in the Finnish village.
- Glühbier and Winzerglühwein: Mulled beer, and mulled wine made by winemakers.
- Gose: Leipzig’s slightly sour, slightly salty top-fermented beer. The Gasthaus & Gosebrauerei Bayerischer Bahnhof brews it in the world’s oldest surviving terminus station, and the Gosenschenke "Ohne Bedenken" has its own brewery.
- Saxon classics: Auerbachs Keller in the Mädler Passage serves Saxon dishes in a cellar that dates to the 16th century. Zum Arabischen Coffe Baum, serving coffee since 1711, reopened in March 2025 as a café, restaurant and museum.
Where to stay
- Zentrum, inside the ring: Walk to every market area. Best for first-timers.
- Near the Hauptbahnhof: Quick trains to Dresden and Berlin, and a short walk to Augustusplatz. Best for a two-city trip.
- Waldstraßenviertel: Leafy streets of 19th-century houses west of the centre. Best for a calmer stay.
- Südvorstadt and Karl-Liebknecht-Straße: Bars and cafés a few tram stops south. Best for groups.
Getting around
The old town is small and mostly pedestrian; every market area is a few minutes’ walk from the next. Trams cover the rest of the city, and the S-Bahn runs under the centre to the main station and beyond.
Getting there: Leipzig Hauptbahnhof has direct trains from Berlin, Dresden, Frankfurt and Munich. Leipzig/Halle Airport has its own station with trains to the city.
Good to know
- Opening day: The market opens on Tuesday 24 November, two days after Totensonntag, a quiet holiday in Germany.
- Last days: Plan for 22 December at the latest if you want the full market; on 23 December only the trading stalls open.
- Not open after Christmas: For markets that keep going, see our Christmas markets open in January 2027 list.
- Combine cities: Leipzig works well with Berlin or Dresden. Our best Christmas markets in Germany has more.
- More markets: Our best Christmas markets in Europe hub lists Europe’s best in opening order.
FAQ
When is the Leipzig Christmas market 2026?
It runs from 24 November to 23 December 2026. The opening ceremony is on 24 November at 5pm, and on 23 December only the trading stalls open, until 8pm.
What are the Leipzig Christmas market opening hours?
Daily from 11am to 9pm, and to 10pm on Fridays and Saturdays. On 22 and 23 December it closes at 8pm.
Where is the Finnish village at the Leipzig Christmas market?
On Augustusplatz, by the opera house and the Gewandhaus, alongside a South Tyrolean village, a fairy-tale forest and the Ferris wheel.
Is Leipzig a good alternative to Dresden?
Yes. Leipzig’s market is large and traditional but spread over more squares, and the city is about an hour from Dresden by train, so many visitors see both.
