Grünau Christmas Market at Don-Ugoletti-Platz

Grünau – a Village in the City of Berlin

Grünau is a district in the Treptow-Köpenick borough, in the far southeast of Berlin – right on the west bank of the Dahme and at the entrance to the Müggelsee area. Historically, Grünau, as a former villa and water sports village, has retained an atmosphere that clearly distinguishes it from the hustle and bustle of the capital. Anyone visiting the Grünau Christmas Market on the 1st Sunday of Advent will feel this atmosphere particularly intensely: a market organized by the residents for the residents.

Don-Ugoletti-Platz and the Friedenskirche

Don-Ugoletti-Platz is located in the centre of the district, directly in front of the Protestant Grünau Friedenskirche – a brick building from the late 19th century. On this manageable square, the citizens' association 'Zukunft in Grünau e.V.' sets up its market village every November: a few carefully curated stalls, a small stage for music, a fairy tale hut, and a nativity scene exhibition inside the church.

Programme on the 1st Sunday of Advent

The programme has been deliberately kept small since its first editions in the early 2020s – this is the market character that Grünau wants. Musically, the horn quartet of the BVG Orchestra provides the opening, the Union Oldie Choir sings classic Christmas carols, and the choir of the Grünau Community Centre offers a mix of younger repertoire. Christmas stories are read to children in the heated storytelling hut. Santa Claus distributes sweets, and carols are sung together around the campfire.

Mulled Wine, Feuerzangenbowle, a Few Stalls

The number of stalls is manageable – this is not a market for the masses, but for the neighbourhood. Mulled wine and Feuerzangenbowle are available at the citizens' association's stand, sausages from the grill, crêpes, homemade cookies, and occasionally handicrafts from Grünau artisans. Those who want to escape the hectic large markets at Gendarmenmarkt or Alexanderplatz will find the exact opposite here: quiet, slow, with real conversations.

In the Berlin Borough of Treptow-Köpenick

Treptow-Köpenick is the largest borough of the state of Berlin by area. With Grünau, Müggelheim, Schmöckwitz, and Köpenick itself, it includes several districts close to the water, which complement each other to form their own identity. The Grünau Christmas Market fits into this neighbourhood as a quiet Advent market and offers an opening event for the entire pre-Christmas season in the southeast of Berlin.