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Stuttgart Christmas Market is well known for its charm, flaunting some of the country’s most elaborate roof decorations, a cozy size that makes it easy to navigate, and a historic background story too, since is among the oldest Christmas markets in Europe.
We first visited this charming Baden-Württemberg Christmas market in November 2018 and loved how the city goes all out with their striking rooftop decorations, the show-stopping Advent Calendar at City Hall, as well as its perfect proximity to other fabulous Christmas markets in the area.
Looking to learn more about Christmas markets in Stuttgart, or perhaps need some guidance on planning your own trip there?
In this post, we’ll be covering…
- Practical Info for Stuttgart Christmas Market
- A Brief History of Stuttgart Christmas Market
- Why Visit Stuttgart Christmas Market
- Christmas Markets in Stuttgart to Visit
- More Photos of Stuttgart’s Christmas Markets
We hope you find it helpful and interesting!
Practical Info for Stuttgart’s Christmas Markets 2024
Here are some quick must-knows for Stuttgart’s Christmas Markets this year:
- Dates: Nov 27 – Dec 23, 2024
- Official website: Stuttgart Weinachstmarkt
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
A Brief History of Stuttgart Christmas Market
The Stuttgart Christmas Market is a tradition that dates back more than 300 years, with official mentions dating back to 1692 (and mentions of market traditions going even further back to the early 16th century).
While the original “Christkindleinmarkt” in Stuttgart only took place from the Tuesday to Saturday before Christmas, today the market stretches several weeks, welcoming more than 3 million visitors from around the world throughout the festive season.
Why Visit Stuttgart Christmas Market?
Its stall decor is unique
One of the most striking things first-time visitors will notice about the Stuttgart Christmas Market is that its chalet rooftops are often elaborately decorated.
This is thanks to an annual competition for stall decor that takes place in the city, which means the stalls here are some of the prettiest you’ll find in the entire country!
It has a cool giant Advent Calendar
Every year, the facade of Stuttgart’s City Hall becomes a giant Advent Calendar, with each window showcasing a coat of arms from one of Stuttgart’s 23 districts… quite conveniently the same number of days that the market is open for!
A new window is opened daily, accompanied by a musical greeting from the district being revealed. This is definitely one of the more unique aspects of the Stuttgart Christmas Market that you shouldn’t miss!
It’s close to many other great Christmas markets
Lastly, Stuttgart makes a great base for Christmas market exploration because it’s close to many other great markets worth visiting, including the beautiful Ludwigsburg Christmas Market, the epic Esslingen Medieval Christmas Market, and (if you time it correctly) the annual Chocolate Festival in Tübingen.
Looking for more Germany travel inspiration?
Check out these guides on the best places to visit in…
Christmas Markets in Stuttgart to Visit
Just like in any other major city, the Stuttgart Christmas market scene consists of various markets spread throughout the city—and not just one location—but luckily, the Stuttgart Christmas market scene is small and cozy enough that you can leisurely stroll from one market to the other, without having to pick favorites.
So here are the different locations where you can find Christmas markets in Stuttgart:
Marktplatz
The Marktplatz festive market is the heart of the Stuttgart Christmas market scene, and it offers everything you could want from a Christmas market; handmade crafts, intricate ornaments, an array of festive snacks and a nice selection of boozy hot drinks to get you in the holiday spirit.
This venue also holds an annual competition for the most fabulous chalet rooftop, turning the whole market into a sea of shiny baubles, string lights and wrapping paper, and is also home to the massive Advent Calendar previously mentioned.
Schlossplatz
This Christmas market in Stuttgart boasts of a stunning location, settled against the backdrop of the imposing Stuttgart New Palace, complete with its little avenue made up of charming huts, all dressed in warm string lights.
This venue also features an ice rink and a light sculptures exhibition, with a fun light show that takes place every day on the hour.
Schillerplatz
This Stuttgart Christmas market provides one of the most jaw-dropping backgrounds of the city, with the beautiful Collegiate Church and the historic Stuttgart Old Castle peeking through all those garlands… truly a sight to admire!
Karlsplatz
This very unique Stuttgart Christmas market celebrates the holidays with a Finnish twist, offering all kinds of Nordic goodies, such as piping hot mugs of Glögi (Finnish mulled wine), mouthwatering fire-grilled salmon, and warm cozy sweaters, and is also home to a very random, and very popular, Antiques market that takes place inside a white tent.
In Front of the Markthalle
This section of the Stuttgart Christmas market is smaller than the others, and is mostly made up of food stalls, but we believe that is worth mentioning since is the perfect place to go get a snack and have more room to enjoy it without being squished by passing crowds.
More Photos of Stuttgart Christmas Market
Want to get a glimpse at what is waiting for you at the Stuttgart Christmas markets? Here are some more visuals to inspire your next festive trip there:
We hope you enjoyed this Stuttgart Christmas Markets Guide!
Let us know in the comments if you have any more questions about your trip – we’re always happy to help.
HELLO!
we are planning a 3 week Christmas market trip and plan on spending time in Stuttgart do you know when the official word will be on the markets taking place this year .
thank you!
Hi Maria, the markets are currently scheduled to take place this year, and with the event being outdoors, odds are pretty good that they will go ahead as planned. However, as you know, things can change quickly depending on how COVID cases develop. To my knowledge, there is no official cut-off date for when they’ll make the final decision. Last year for instance, some markets cancelled with only a few weeks notice, so unfortunately that’s a risk that you’ll have to take if you’re planning on travelling this winter… but as of right now, the markets are indeed going ahead as planned. Hope that helps!
Hallo aus Montreal, Kanada!
My prince charming and I have reserved the entire month of December to be doing Christmas markets across part of Europe. We will be cruising on the Danube from Hungary, Slovakia, through Austria and ending with Passau, Germany. We’ve chosen this year to dedicate our time in Germany in the beautiful regions of Bavaria and Baden Württemberg. We were not sure spending some time in Stuttgart, but now it’s definitely on our agenda along with Ludwigsburg, Esslingen am Neckar and Ulm. Do you think 3 days would be sufficient for this part of our itinerary? Liebe Gruße, Joanne