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While often overshadowed by the famous Christmas markets in Cologne, Bonn Christmas Market is a worthwhile festive destination for those in search of food, shopping, and culture.
After all, this is the city of Beethoven and HARIBO, with a slew of excellent museums, one of the country’s oldest churches, and dreamy architecture-spotting all around (especially in the Südstadt area, where you’ll find opulent villas galore).
We first visited this Christmas market in December 2019 and really enjoyed strolling around the festive stalls scattered around town.
Looking to learn more about the Bonn Christmas Market in North Rhine-Westphalia, or perhaps need some guidance on planning your own trip there?
In this post, we’ll be covering…
- Practical Info for Bonn Christmas Market
- Why Visit Bonn Christmas Market?
- Christmas Market Locations in Bonn to Visit
- More Photos of Bonn Christmas Market
We hope you find it helpful and interesting!
Practical Info for Bonn Christmas Market 2024
Here are some quick must-knows for Bonn Christmas Market this year:
- Dates: Nov 25 – Dec 22, 2024 (Closed Nov 24)
- Official website: Click here
In need of a place to stay? Here are some quick hotel recommendations:
- Budget: Check prices and availability
- Mid-Range: Check prices and availability
- Luxury: Check prices and availability
Why Visit Bonn Christmas Market?
Wondering whether Bonn Christmas Market is worth a trip? Here are some reasons to visit:
Tons of great stalls for food and shopping
Scattered around Bonn’s central core, you’ll find dozens of stalls selling all kinds of delicious Christmas goodies, along with fun gifts to bring home for loved ones.
Unlike smaller Christmas markets where you quickly run out of stalls to browse, the selection in Bonn seems to go on, and on, especially when combined with the assortment of shops in the city center.
So, if your goal is to shop (or eat), this is definitely a great Christmas market destination to check out.
It’s a bit more low-key than Cologne
While we must admit that the Christmas markets in Cologne win in terms of extravagance, one thing we far prefer in Bonn is the crowds (or lack thereof).
Generally speaking, the Christmas market scene in Bonn is considerably less crowded and lesser known among international tourists than Cologne… meaning it feels less congested and you will (at the very least) hear a lot less English!
Of course, this doesn’t mean the Christmas markets in Bonn are empty. On the contrary, we found the markets to be very lively even in the middle of the day. So, if you’re crowd-averse like us but still want to visit a market with a vibrant and upbeat atmosphere, we can recommend Bonn as a good middle ground.
There’s great Christmas markets nearby
For those who are looking to visit multiple Christmas markets on one trip, Bonn is a great home base.
In addition to the amazing Christmas markets in Cologne (about 30 min away by train), there’s also the underrated Medieval Market in Siegburg (20 min away by tram).
And, for those willing to travel a bit further afield, you could also potentially do day trips to see the Christmas markets in Frankfurt or Düsseldorf.
Bonn is a really cool city
Lastly, if you’re hoping to do more on your trip than simply consuming your weight in candied nuts and mulled wine, then Bonn is a great destination to pick thanks to its many other attractions.
You could for instance stop by one of the city’s many award-winning museums, take a day trip to see the stunning Schloss Drachenburg in Königswinter or follow in the footsteps of Beethoven, who was born here.
Besides offering an abundance of history and culture, Bonn is also a vibrant student city, with tons of great restaurants and bars.
All that to say – Christmas market or not, Bonn is well worth a trip!
Looking for more Germany travel inspiration?
Check out these guides on the best places to visit in…
Christmas Markets Locations in Bonn to Visit
Wondering where to find Christmas market stalls in Bonn? Here are the main locations of Bonn Christmas Market:
Münsterplatz
The heart of Bonn’s Christmas Market can be found in Münsterplatz, where there’s a high density of classic Christmas market stalls selling ornaments and gifts, along with tons of tasty classic Christmas market food.
There’s of course also some rides and activities for the little ones, along with quite a bit of room to perch and grab a bite.
Bottlerplatz
This may have been one of our favorite parts of the Bonn Christmas Market, thanks to its adorable Glühwein carousel. If it’s optimal cozy Christmas vibes you’re looking for, we can’t picture a more atmospheric place to warm up with a hot drink:
Friedenplatz
Another key location of the Bonn Christmas Market was Friedenplatz (conveniently located right by a transport hub), where we found lots of nice wooden chalets selling fun gifts, like Christmassy gnomes and home decor.
We also liked it here as it was less congested than some of the other more narrow shopping areas.
Poststraße, Windeckstraße, Vivatsgasse
Of course, there are tons of additional stalls scattered around central Bonn as well, mostly selling food. If you’re looking for a festive few streets to stroll, then Poststraße, Windeckstraße and Vivatsgasse were both fully decked out.
More Photos of Bonn Christmas Market
Looking for some more Bonn Christmas Market eye candy? Here are some additional photos we captured during our visit:
We hope you enjoyed this Bonn Christmas Market Guide!
Let us know in the comments if you have any more questions about your trip – we’re always happy to help.