The period running up to Christmas is a wonderful time to be visiting this cosmopolitan city on the Rhine. The Christmas decorations are out, lighting up the city with millions of sparkling lights, and the enticing aromas of brewing Glühwein are hard to miss. Soak up the seasonal atmosphere, allow your senses to absorb the spicy scents and evocative smells of the Christmas market: the heady aromas wafting through the air from the drinks huts – cinnamon, clove, star anise and zesty citrus – to the more robust flavours of Waffeln, Reibekuchen and Würstchen.
Should you be lucky enough to be visiting Düsseldorf at Christmas Time, be sure to check out my list of tips below and immerse yourself in memories of Christmas’ past.
Christmas Markets
In 2024 the Christmas Markets are open from 21st November to 30th December. Whilst opening times do vary slightly between each of the markets, they are generally open from 11am to 8pm and close an hour later at 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays.
Christmas Market on Marktplatz, by the Town Hall
The Christmas Market nestled in the heart of the old town, on the city’s Marktplatz, offers both a traditional and magical setting. With traditional red, wooden huts and golden fairy lights, which mimic the colours of the town hall itself, this market certainly gets you in the festive spirit. With everything from metal smiths to candle makers you can search out those special presents and admire the creativity of the various artisans. Add in the nativity scenes, carol singers and a splendid Christmas tree and there is more than enough to please each and every visitor. Among the many crafts-men’s and -women’s stalls, are a number offering food and drink – a great place to stop for some Glühwein (mulled wine) or a traditional Flammkuchen.
The Engelchenmarkt on Heinrich-Heine-Platz
The Engelchenmarkt (Little Angels Market) has a unique Art-Nouveau setting and with a combination of the thousands of little fairy lights twisted around the trees, the Christmas music and intricate detail on the angel heads above each stall, the overall effect creates a truly heavenly atmosphere. The music pavilion in the centre is also decorated with a canopy of lights which sparkle from above, lighting up the sky and adding to that sense of marvel and enchantment
Sternchenmarkt on Stadtbrückchen Square
Just through the archway and into the courtyard of the Wilhelm-Marx-House is the equally atmospheric Sternchenmarkt (Little Stars Market) which is a somewhat hidden gem, as many tourists do not venture this far. Sparkling stars glisten on the walls of the sky-blue stalls and the canopy above is strewn with a number of giant crystals. Around the central water fountain this pretty winter wonderland offers fresh waffles, Dutch poffertjes (small, fluffy pancakes) and of course the statutory Bratwursts! These latter offerings can be served with a portion of Sauerkraut or red cabbage. Perfect on a cold night!
Flingerstrasse Christmas Market
The Christmas Market on Flingerstrasse is most visited for its windmill Glühwein stall. The market stretches along the length of the shopping street offering visitors a chance to shop at the Christmas stalls, as well as the neighbouring high street shops. Perfect for all kinds of Christmas shopping!
Schloss Benrath
The pretty-in-pink Schloss Benrath offers a magical setting for their annual Christmas Markets. Enjoy musical performances, tasty treats and stalls offering yet more tempting produce. I would also recommend that you spend some time in the Palace’s gardens and Park. It’s the perfect spot for a peaceful wintery stroll.
Open times vary. Friday 2pm to 9pm, Saturday 11am to 9pm, Sunday 11am to 8pm.
22 November until 22 December 2024
Window Shop in the Department Stores
I would particularly recommend checking out the window displays in the city’s department stores, particularly Kaufhof on the Kö, which always fill their windows with wintery scenes full of goodies. Don’t forget the windows of luxus store Breuninger, Karstadt and of course the big-name designer outlets along Königsallee!
Take a Stroll along Königsallee
Enjoy the lights along the impressive Königsallee and make sure you don’t miss the various arcades leading off from the main street, including the fancy Kö Arcade and Sevens. The Schadowstrasse Arcade is also decorated beautifully this time of the year and is well worth a look.
Feast Your Eyes on the Heinemann Windows
Heinemann, on Bahnstrasse, always delivers a great window display, whatever the season but come Christmas time it is particularly lush. I always enjoy marvelling at the beautiful chocolates, carefully sculptured marzipan figures, spiced biscuits and lebkuchen (gingerbread) and almost always come away with a craving for the festive stollen cake. Heinemann also has a cafe and restaurant upstairs, where you can sit back and relax whilst enjoying a delicious slice of cake. It is Christmas after all, so why not!
Take a Ride on the Riesenrad
What better way to enjoy views out over Düsseldorf than a ride on the Riesenrad. The Riesenrad (ferris wheel) is open daily from 11am to 8pm (with a later finish of 9pm on Fridays and Saturdays). The admission price is €9 for adults and for children under 1.40m there is a reduced admission price of €6.
18 October until 5 January 2025
Go Ice Skating
DEG-Winterwelt Düsseldorf
During the Christmas Markets, there is an excellent ice rink that opens up next to the Kö-Bogen on Corneliusplatz. A skate at the Winterwelt costs just 9 EUR (6 EUR for children under 11) with an extra small cost for renting ice skates. You can also enjoy food and drink inside the cosy alpine hut or if you fancy your hand at a bit of curling, book one of the four lanes for an evening of fun with family and friends.
8 November until 12 January 25
At the Airport
You wouldn’t expect an ice rink at the airport but for December’s five weekends and running into early January, the airport sets up a free ice rink. This isn’t available every year so best check-up before you head of town to visit.
Warm Up with a Drink
Nothing can beat a glass of Glühwein or Hot Chocolate at the end of an evening at the Markets. Not only does it taste delicious but it helps to keep your hands toasty! Throughout Germany, the drinks are served in cute mugs such as those below – do be aware that you pay a small deposit on the mug which is refundable on its return.
Join the locals on Uerige corner
If this gives you an appetite for further liquid refreshment, you might want to taste traditional Düsseldorfer Alt in Uerige (always an occasion) or alternatively, visit the smallest ‘pub’ in the city and hop across the street to the Killepitschstube. Here you can sample a small glass of the heart-warming herbal liquor reputed to contain a mixture of over 90 fruits, herbs and spices. You may also want to check out my guide to the various breweries of Düsseldorf, should you want to sample more of the local altbier!
Frohe Weihnachten!
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Other posts that may help you:
- My Favourite Cafes in Düsseldorf
- What To Do On Sunday In Düsseldorf
- The Ultimate Guide to Düsseldorf
- A Guide to Düsseldorf’s Breweries
- The Best Christmas Markets in Nordrhein-Westfalen [2024]
Thank you for reading and I hope I have inspired you with a few ideas for Düsseldorf at Christmas time. If you have any questions about the items on my list or the city in general, please do get in touch in the comments below.
If you enjoyed this post, please share it with your family and friends!
Happy exploring,
Love Victoria X
5 comments
Ahh Vicky, I am sooo wanting to hop on a plane to Germany right now after reading this post! Berlin was top of my list, but I think Dusseldorf comes a close second! Those little Christmas markets tho :O Looks amazing, hope you have a wonderful Christmas this year lovely! Jess xx
Ahh Vicky love this post, I now want to hop on a plane to Germany right away! Berlin is still top of my go-to list, but I think Dusseldorf now comes a clos second! Those Christmas markets tho :O hope you have a fab Christmas this year lovely! Jess xx
Hi Vicky , we are three blokes in our 50’s. Any good beer orientated things to do or other things we might enjoy aside from the markets ? Probably stay 3 nights in December before Christmas. Thanks
Hi Chris! I would recommend visiting the various Breweries in the Old Town (this post might help with that!) along with the area along the river (Rheinufer) – you’ll also find that a lot of the Breweries offer local food. If you’re into playing skittles you could combine beer and ‘Kegeln’, there’s also the Classic Remise (car museum) and then some of the less touristy parts of town like Nord Park (there’s a japanese garden here), Kaiserswerth and Benrath. Hope that’s helpful!
That’s great , thanks a lot Victoria, a good combination of stuff to do then. We are going !
Chris