49.38° N · 10.18° E · Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg's Christmas market fills the Marktplatz and the surrounding streets from 20 November to 23 December 2026. It is open from 11 to 19 h from Sunday to Thursday and until 20 h on Fridays and Saturdays, and on 27 November at 17 h the Reiterle arrives, the rider who gives it its name.
Part of Rothenburg ob der TauberRomantic RoadChristmas markets of Europe
Step by step
The craft and food stalls surround the Town Hall.
During the market it opens daily until 18 h (19 h from Friday to Sunday).
Stroll to the Plönlein with the lights on.
Rothenburg is one of the German towns that best fits Christmas. During the market the Town Hall tower is also open daily, so you can see it from above.
The Reiterlesmarkt is Rothenburg's Christmas market and spreads through the heart of the old town: the Marktplatz, the Grüner Markt, the Kirchplatz and the inner courtyard of the Town Hall. The craft and food stalls surround the Town Hall, with the half-timbered facades and the square's Christmas tree lit up.
Its name comes from the Reiterle, the rider of a legend from Franconian folklore. At first he was imagined as a mysterious messenger from another world who travelled through the air in the dark time of the year; today he is the market's friendly ambassador, and the opening with the Reiterle is one of the market's events. Each year a market mug is sold with a new design: the 2026 one is by the artist Alfons Berse and shows the illuminated Marktplatz.
In 2026 it opens from Friday 20 November to Wednesday 23 December. The hours are from 11:00 to 19:00 from Sunday to Thursday and from 11:00 to 20:00 on Fridays and Saturdays. On Sunday 22 November, Totensonntag, the market closes. The official opening is on 20 November at 17:00, and the Reiterle's arrival is on Friday 27 November at 17:00. The calendar on the tourism website already announces the 2027 edition from 19 November to 23 December; confirm the hours closer to the date.
In the same weeks there are other events: on 27 November, a guided Christmas walk about the Reiterle; on 11 December, Winterglühen in the Burggarten, and every day at 18:00 a tour of medieval crimes and ghosts leaves from the Marktplatz.
Rothenburg is next to the A7 motorway, at the Rothenburg ob der Tauber exit, and has a train every hour, changing at Steinach. Leave the car outside the wall, in one of the five large car parks: P1 on Friedrich-Hörner-Weg, P2 on Nördlinger Straße, P3 on Schweinsdorfer Straße, P4 next to the Galgentor and P5 on Bezoldweg, the latter with electric chargers. P1, P2 and P3 take coaches, and P2 and P3, motorhomes. Inside the old town there are spaces for visitors with a ticket, but the old core is closed to traffic from 19:00 to 6:00 and on festival days there may be more restrictions. The rates are on the municipal website.
Entry is free. During the market, the tourist office on the Marktplatz is open Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 17:00 and at weekends and public holidays from 10:00 to 17:00. Go with children in the afternoon, when the lights come on, and leave the evening for strolling; with a pushchair, the cobbled streets and the weekend crowds make it difficult.
Who it's for
What to bring
Map
What you have around the starting point.
More to do
Itineraries
Tips
At weekends many coaches arrive.
That way you see the market at night, when the day trippers leave.
The fried dough ball typical of Rothenburg, in the pastry shops in the centre.
Questions
From 20 November to 23 December 2026.
From 11 to 19 h from Sunday to Thursday, and from 11 to 20 h on Fridays and Saturdays.
No, entry is free.
The rider who gives the market its name. In 2026 he makes his entrance on 27 November at 17 h.
Geocaliahttps://www.geocalia.com/en/germany/bavaria/rothenburg-ob-der-tauber/things-to-do/reiterlesmarkt
