I have heard that the Christmas markets in Cologne are amongst the best so thought I would organise a weekend trip there.

Cologne has a variety of Christmas markets, as befits its status as the fourth largest city in Germany.

The most popular and best-known is in front of the famous Cologne Cathedral - the organisers expect over 4 million visitors each year to the 150 stands in the Roncalliplatz.

But there are quite a few others on offer - some in the centre and some in quieter parts of the city. And the market next to the historic cathedral is not the oldest by a long way...

The current markets on the Neumarkt and the Alter Markt were founded in the 1970s, with the cathedral market opening in the 1990s and most of the other smaller markets since the turn of the century.

Here are the markets to visit

Cologne Cathedral Christmas Market

The biggest of all the city markets in the shadow of the symbol of the city, Cologne Cathedral.

The Christmas Market in Cologne's Old Town

This market is located in the Cologne's 'Altstadt' (the old town) on the Alter Markt and calls itself the Home of the Heinzelmännchen (who were little creatures from a Cologne legend who used to do all the housework until they were annoyed by an inquisitive housewife).

The Angels' Market
The Angels' Market is the big market in the Neumarkt square, a little way outside the immediate city centre. It is one of the original markets that restarted the Christmas market boom in Cologne in the 70s.

The Christmas Market in the Stadtgarten

The Stadtgarten is one of the parks on the edge of Cologne city centre and this Christmas market is held in the beer garden of the main restaurant in the park.

Harbour Christmas Market

The relatively-new Hafen Weihnachtsmarkt is on the banks of the Rhine in the grounds of the Chocolate Museum.

Nikolausdorf

The "Nicholas Village" is a Christmas market in the Rudolfplatz square with good public transport connections.

Other Things To Do in Cologne
See Cologne Cathedral (of course). A World Heritage recognised site, the symbol of the city, and a treasure trove of history and architecture for those interested in those topics. The current building was started in the 13th century and eventually finished six centuries later. It was damaged in the Second World War, although the two spires never fell.

Visit one of the towers for an aerial view over the city. It may not be the highest, but some of the best views come from the Köln Triangle - the tower across the river from the cathedral. There is an observation deck at the top of the tower.

Visit the chocolate museum.

Finer details:
Flights will be around £100 in Dec and we will all book our own nearer the time. There will be the option to return on either a Sunday or Monday. Hotels will be around £100 for 2 nights and £150 for the 3 nights. There is a £50 deposit to pay now which will come off the cost of the hotels and just means I have people's commitment before spending time booking things. Please book on if you are interested and I will be in touch about the deposit.

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Weekend Trip to Cologne Christmas Market: Dec 2024

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Weekend Trip to Cologne Christmas Market: Dec 2024

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