Monschau Christmas Market 2024 | Dates, Hotels & More

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Monschau Christmas Market may not be one of the most famous Christmas markets in Germany, but in our opinion it’s one of the prettiest, and one of our favorites we’ve been to.

Located an hour away from Aachen, this tiny town perched close to the Belgian border is truly one of the most beautiful places you can visit in Germany, with a charming maze of half-timbered and stone buildings hugging the scenic waters of the Rur River.

Did we mention it’s also guarded by a big, hilltop castle?

We first visited this Christmas market in December 2019 and fell in love with the beauty of this little town, which is (quite honestly) like a snow globe village come to life.

Looking to learn more about the Monschau 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 Monschau Christmas Market
Why Visit Monschau Christmas Market?
Christmas Markets in Monschau to Visit
More Photos of Monschau Christmas Market

We hope you find it helpful and interesting!

Monschau Christmas Market 2024 Dates

According to the official event website here, this year’s edition of the Monschau Christmas Market will take place on the following dates:

Dates 2024: Nov 29 – Dec 22, 2024

In need of a place to stay? Here are some quick accommodation recommendations:

Budget: Check prices and availability
Mid-Range: Check prices and availability
Luxury: Check prices and availability

The cozy room in our mid-range recommendation

Why Visit Monschau Christmas Market?

Wondering whether Monschau Christmas Market is worth a trip? Here are some reasons to visit:

Monschau is honestly so beautiful

There are some Christmas markets in Germany we love for their elaborate decor (like Cologne), and others we love for their sheer variety (like Munich). In the case of Monschau, our obsession comes from just how gorgeous the backdrops are.

Everything about Monschau’s immaculately preserved streets lend themselves perfectly to a festive, Christmassy atmosphere. Little wonder why the local tourism office bills Monschau as not just a Christmas market, but an entire Christmas village.

There’s a lot of great gifts to buy

While many bigger Christmas markets these days (like Nuremberg and Frankfurt) often have stalls selling mass-produced goods, we found that most of what we were seeing in Monschau was really unique.

In fact, the Market Hall (Markthalle) was filled with “Made in Monschau” vendors from the local area, which meant lots of great unique shopping we hadn’t encountered at other markets during our trip.

The markets here have a really personal feel

Maybe it’s the fact that Monschau doesn’t get as much traffic from international tourists as other more well-known markets, but overall we found that the vendors (and restaurant/bar owners) in Monschau seemed friendlier and more eager to chat than in bigger cities.

This contributed to the overall friendly, small-town vibe which made us fall so head over heels!

BONUS: A really great Christmas series filmed here

If you’re looking for a fun festive watch to enjoy before visiting Monschau, make sure to catch Over Christmas (ÜberWeihnachten) on Netflix.

It’s a really cute holiday comedy set in Monschau that perfectly captures the holiday vibes of the town. Watch it and we promise you’ll want to visit for yourself!

Looking for more Germany travel inspiration?

Check out these guides on the best places to visit in…

Christmas Market Locations in Monschau to Visit

Wondering where to find Christmas market stalls in Monschau? Here are the main locations of Monschau Christmas Market:

Marktplatz

The main place to find Christmas market stalls in Monschau is Marktplatz, where there are a few dozen wooden huts topped with adorable red/green signs selling everything from handmade gifts and baked goods to typical Christmas market food and drink.

Surrounding these stalls are all the signature half-timbered houses of Monschau, creating the most perfect backdrop.

BONUS TIP: If you’re looking for a place to warm up and enjoy a coffee indoors, Café Kaulard offers great views over the square from their second floor, plus they have some really tasty cookies and baked goods to try!

Gerberplatz

Another small area in Monschau where we saw Christmas market stalls was Gerberplatz.

While the selection here was of course tiny in comparison to the main market at Marktplatz, we found it to be way quieter here – perfect for grabbing a Glühwein away from the crowds.

Markthalle

If your goal at the Monschau Christmas Market is to shop and stock up on gifts for all your loved ones, then make sure you visited the town’s Markthalle, where dozens of local artisans are set up with plenty of “Made in Monschau” products for you to peruse.

This is where we did the majority of our shopping… bonus points because it was nice and warm!

Monschau Old Town Center

In addition to the main Christmas market areas in Monschau, it must be said that pretty much the entirety of Monschau’s Old Town Center is festively decorated with baubles, garlands and twinkly lights.

Make sure you carve some time into your itinerary to wander around and just soak it all in!

You never know what nice shops or market stalls you might stumble upon. In fact, on our way to meet our taxi, we even came across this charming little courtyard (along Stadtstrasse, a short walk from Gerberplatz), selling food and little gifts. A happy little surprise on our way out!