Name: Dortmund Christmas City 2026
Start: 2026-11-19T00:00:00+00:00
End: 2026-12-30T00:00:00+00:00
Location: Innenstadt Dortmund (Hansaplatz + weitere Plätze)

Christmas City

About Christmas City

From November 19 to December 30, 2026, Dortmund's city center transforms into the Christmas City: featuring the world's largest Christmas tree (45 m high, ~138,000 LEDs on Hansaplatz), over 250 market stalls across the city center, classic mulled wine and bratwurst stands, and many family activities. A tourist highlight of the Ruhr region.

Dates 19 Nov — 30 Dec 2026

Venue Dortmund (05913)

Prices Free

Status Confirmed

Edition 2026

Christmas City — edition 2026

Six weeks of Dortmund Christmas City with the world's largest Christmas tree (45 m, 138,000 LEDs) on Hansaplatz, over 250 market stalls, and the entire Dortmund city center as a Christmas stage. 3.5 million visitors are expected.

The 2026 Christmas City runs for six weeks. Opening on Thursday, November 19, 2026, with a grand ceremony and the festive lighting of the world record tree. Closing on December 30, after the Christmas holidays.

Highlights Christmas City 2026

World's largest Christmas tree (45 m, 138,000 LEDs)
Over 250 market stalls throughout the city center
Expected 3.5 million visitors
Children's Christmas market on Alter Markt
Six weeks of programming

Programme Christmas City 2026

Opening — Thursday, November 19, 2026

Ceremony by the city leadership
Festive first lighting of the world record tree (45 m, ~138,000 LEDs)
Opening of the over 250 market stalls

Program (continuous until 12/30)

Hansaplatz — Main square with the world record tree
Alter Markt — Children's Christmas market with carousel
Reinoldikirchplatz — Classic variety of stalls
Friedensplatz — Market extension
Westen- and Ostenhellweg — Pedestrian zones with stalls

Opening Hours

Mon–Thu: 11:00 AM–9:00 PM
Fri–Sat: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM
Sun: 12:00 PM–9:00 PM

Special Days

Nov 22 (Totensonntag) — closed
Dec 24 — until 2 PM only
Dec 25 — closed
Dec 26–30 — regular hours

Specialties

Glühwein, Punsch, Eierpunsch (mulled wine, punch, eggnog)
Reibekuchen mit Apfelmus (potato pancakes with apple sauce - Ruhr region specialty)
Bratwurst, Champignons, candied almonds
Gingerbread hearts, Schmalzkuchen
Wood and glass crafts at the market stalls

Prices Christmas City 2026

Free admission. Pay for consumption on-site. Mulled wine deposit mugs typically €3–5. Portion of potato pancakes approx. €5, bratwurst €4–5.

Practical information

Practical information — Christmas City

Getting There

The city center is easily accessible by public transport: U-Bahn (Reinoldikirche, Stadtgarten, Kampstraße, Hauptbahnhof), regional trains, IC/ICE stop Dortmund Hbf. Direct ICE connection from the Netherlands.

Admission

Free admission. Pay for consumption on-site. Mulled wine mugs with a deposit (typically €3–5) as collector's items.

Tip

Weekdays and early afternoons are significantly quieter than weekends. If you want to experience the tree at dusk: arrive between 4 PM and 6 PM. Dress warmly in frosty weather — the city center with its long market strolls invites you to linger.

Dortmund Christmas City — Market with a World Record Tree

The Dortmund Christmas City is one of Germany's most famous Christmas markets — known primarily for its world record Christmas tree. On Hansaplatz, a constructivist fir tree arrangement made of real Nordmann firs is erected annually: 45 meters high, adorned with around 138,000 LEDs. This makes it the world's largest walk-in Christmas tree. The Christmas City 2026 runs from November 19 to December 30.

Over 250 Stalls in the City Center

The market stalls are spread across several squares and streets in the city center:

Hansaplatz — Main square with the world record tree
Alter Markt — Historic market square
Reinoldikirchplatz — In front of the Reinoldikirche
Friedensplatz — Southern city center hub
Westenhellweg and Ostenhellweg as pedestrian zones

In total, over 250 market stalls participate — from woodcarvers, nativity scene artists, gingerbread bakers, glass manufacturers to mulled wine and potato pancake stands.

Opening Hours 2026

Monday to Thursday: 11:00 AM–9:00 PM
Friday and Saturday: 11:00 AM–10:00 PM
Sunday: 12:00 PM–9:00 PM

Special Days and Closures

November 22 (Totensonntag/Sunday of the Dead) — closed
December 24 (Christmas Eve) — open only until 2 PM
December 25 (Christmas Day) — closed
December 26 to December 30 — open as usual

Mulled Wine and Potato Pancakes — The Classics

As at any German Christmas market, Glühwein (mulled wine - classic red, white, with a shot) and Reibekuchen mit Apfelmus (potato pancakes with apple sauce - a Ruhr region specialty) are the classics. These are complemented by typical bratwurst stands, candied almonds, gingerbread hearts, Schmalzkuchen (lard cakes), and mulled wine collector mugs with Christmas City motifs.

Family Program — Children's Christmas Market

On the Alter Markt, you'll find the children's Christmas market with a carousel, a children's stage, and activities. There are also guided tours with St. Nicholas, craft workshops, and a special non-alcoholic children's mulled wine variant called "Kinder-Punsch" (children's punch).

Tourist Destination in the Ruhr Region

The Dortmund Christmas City attracts around 3.5 million visitors each year — many from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Scandinavia. This makes it the most important Christmas market in the region and one of the top Christmas markets in Germany. Other important Christmas markets in North Rhine-Westphalia: Aachen, Cologne, and Münster.

Dortmund — The Christmas Tree Capital

The world record Christmas tree has been the city's trademark since the 1990s and is erected every year in the weeks leading up to the market's opening. The structure supports around 1,700 Nordmann firs arranged in a "pyramid." The lighting was converted to LEDs in 2010 — energy-efficient and with the same brilliance.