A Guide to Heidelberg, Germany's Christmas Markets (2023)

MARKET TIPS

Before you begin your own Christmas market adventures, there are definitely some things you’ll need to know! I scoured the internet before traveling to Germany because I like to be fully prepared and have a game plan when traveling, especially to countries I’ve never visited before, and these are the best tips that stuck with me and were the most useful during my trip.

• Christmas mugs and pfands: at most Christmas markets in Europe, each stall selling hot drinks will also sell festive Christmas mugs specific to the city you’re in. When you order your drink, the total will likely be higher than what’s written down as the price because there is a “pfand” added, or a small deposit for the mug (usually around 3 euros). You can return your mug to any drink stall and get your pfand back, or keep the mug as a souvenir since you’ve already paid for it!
• Bring cash: when they say cash is king at European Christmas markets, they mean it! Definitely be sure to have a good amount of cash on hand at each different market, especially if you want to take home some mugs or try as much local food as you can.
• Pay attention to currency: this seems obvious, but as a disclaimer, know what currency you’ll need in each country you visit! I had been traveling in Spain, Germany, and France for so long that I was used to always having euros on hand, and I forgot that when I took a day trip to Switzerland, they use francs and not euros. Not a huge deal if you’re able to just grab cash at an ATM upon arrival, but if you’re taking any money out in advance, be sure to have the correct currencies!
• Learn some German phrases: you’re certainly not expected to know the entire language of every country you visit, but if you’re going to Germany to experience the Christmas markets, it’s a good idea to learn at least the basics. Most people will speak a bit of English as well, and I rarely had any issues with the language barrier, but knowing the following words and phrases should help you out:
  • “Hallo” - “hello” (informal)
  • “Danke” or “dankeschön” - “thank you/thank you very much”
  • “Bitte” - “please” (pronounced “bittuh")
  • “Pfand” - “deposit” (pronounced “fund”)
  • “Einen Glühwein bitte” - “one mulled wine please”
  • “Tschüss” - “bye” (pronounced “shoos”)
  I didn’t need to use all of these as most people could clock that I was American by my accent, and immediately switched over to English – so even just saying “One glühwein please” was enough to get me by pretty much everywhere!
• Wear proper shoes & pace yourself: this should go without saying, but if you’re going to spend hours and hours walking every day, it takes a toll on your feet! And even if you have good shoes, don’t push yourself too hard. Explore as much as you can, but don’t overdo it!

MARKET LOCATIONS

As of 2023, Heidelberg holds 6 organized markets throughout the city at these locations (from west to east):

• Bismarckplatz
• Anatomiegarten (this did not show up on Google Maps for me, but going to Strohauer's Café Alt Heidelberg will bring you right there)
• Universitätsplatz
• Marktplatz
• Kornmarkt
• Karlsplatz

Universitätsplatz is the biggest market, followed by Marktplatz. Kornmarkt, Karlsplatz, and Anatomiegarten are all mid-sized, and Bismarkplatz was the smallest–though they’re all worth visiting, if not only to get a glühwein at each market! You can easily walk to each market, and most are located just off of Hauptstraße, which is the main shopping street in Heidelberg.

BISMARCKPLATZ

This market is the first you’ll see if you’re coming from the main train station in Heidelberg, and it’s a small one. It's made up of a couple of stalls in a small median between streets, right at the mouth of Hauptstraße. It was a bit underwhelming if I’m being honest, and I was expecting there to be more booths set up in the park to the north, but it was just the few on the road. It was still nice to wander through, though, and you’ll still be able to get a glühwein or something to eat to start off your market adventures here!

ANATOMIEGARTEN

After walking down Hauptstraße for a bit, you’ll eventually see a collection of stalls lining the left side of the road in front of the Robert Bunsen statue. These felt much more festive to me, and looked like a real market! There were booths selling hand-painted ceramic mugs, crepes with every type of filling you could think of, bratwursts and other sausages, and of course glühwein and other hot drinks like feuerzangenbowle, which is mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugar cube that’s lit on fire! You’ll really start to feel the holiday spirit at this market, even though it’s still on the smaller side.

MARKTPLATZ

Continue walking down Hauptstraße for another few minutes and you’ll reach Marktplatz, another big square filled with more decorative huts and, notably, a huge wooden barrel perched over the market (with a food and drink shop underneath, of course). I didn’t purchase anything at this market, but it was so beautiful and lively to walk around! They had tons of food options, and this market in particular seemed to focus more heavily on flammenkuchen (or tarte flambée), which are basically like small pizzas, sometimes on baguettes. They still had your typical wursts, gingerbread, crepes, hot drinks, and more, though!

KORNMARKT

Kornmarkt is a smaller square on the right side of the street just past Marktplatz. It’s a bit more tucked away, especially since there are huge fir trees lining a lot of the square, but I loved the unique food options here! I got a classic poutine, which wasn’t exactly poutine–it had no cheese curds or traditional gravy, so it was basically like fries with nacho cheese and a gravy-like sauce, but they were really yummy! They had other variations with meats, interesting looking hot drinks and punches, and it almost seemed more like a booth at a specialty food market rather than a Christmas market, but in a good way. There were string lights hanging around, a small train for kids to ride, and a beautiful view of the nearby church (Heiliggeistkirche) peeking out between the trees. Definitely recommend this market if you want some new food options, or just to walk around and enjoy the views!

KARLSPLATZ

The last market down the Hauptstraße, Karlsplatz is a large, very family-friendly market with a big ice skating rink and a view of Heidelberg Castle in the background. I didn't spend too much time at this market because it felt a bit more barren than the others; the market itself is raised up a bit on platforms, and while there were definitely a fair amount of stalls to get food and drinks, the market itself felt a bit overshadowed by the ice rink, so it didn’t have the same feel as the other markets located on the streets. This is definitely the spot to come if you want to go ice skating for a while, and grab a hot drink to warm up afterwards!

OTHER FESTIVE HIGHLIGHTS IN HEIDELBERG

Käthe Wohlfahrt

This store is dedicated to Christmas decorations, and it’s truly like stepping into another world when you get inside! I wasn’t expecting it to be open on a Sunday, but for some reason it was (maybe because it’s peak tourist season?), so that meant it was very, very crowded inside. It was still gorgeous to walk through despite the crowds, and there are two floors and tons of rooms to explore. They offer worldwide shipping, too, so you can use it as a chance to get souvenirs for the family and not have to worry about packing them up with you!

MORE HEIDELBERG MUST-DOS

Explore the Old Town

Even if you don’t stop at the Christmas markets, Heidelberg’s Old Town is full of quaint streets and European charm! With cobblestone streets and colorful buildings around every corner, you can spend hours just walking down side roads and finding plenty of beautiful, secluded areas away from the crowds.

Shop on Haupstrauße

If you’re in the mood for some retail therapy, Hauptstraße is the place to do it! It’s one of the longest pedestrian zones in Europe, meaning you can wander the road and peek into shops without worrying about any cars getting in your way. I saw some awesome vintage stores lining the street, and very nearly left with a leather jacket or two. There are tons of restaurants as well, if you want to grab a meal or a quick bite at a cheaper cost than the market food!

Visit the Old Bridge

Dare I say a trip to Heidelberg would be wasted without visiting the Old Bridge? It’s truly such a stunning area, especially when you have a bit of time to kill and want to spend it people watching on a bench by the river. The bridge was built in 1788 and stretches across the Neckar river, giving you a lovely view of Heidelberg Castle, the large arch at the entrance of the bridge, and the city landscape on both sides of the river.