50th Haigerlocher Christkindlesmarkt

Haigerloch – Town of Rocks and River

Haigerloch in the Zollernalb district is one of Baden-Württemberg's most impressive small towns. The townscape, nestled tightly between rock faces and the meandering Eyach river, with its castle, castle church, Atomic Cellar Museum (a scientific-historical curiosity from World War II), and the world-famous St. Anna Rock Church, offers a unique backdrop even without the market. During Advent, a special light installation gently illuminates the vertical rock faces.

50 Years of Tradition

The Haigerlocher Christkindlesmarkt has taken place annually on the third weekend of Advent since 1977 and is considered one of the oldest Christmas markets in the region. The 50th edition in 2026 is an occasion for the municipal Culture and Tourism Office to curate the program with particular care. Already announced: additional program points, an expanded stage schedule, and a special anniversary edition of the well-known Haigerloch reusable cups, used for serving mulled wine and children's punch.

What Makes the Market Special

Stalls offering arts and crafts, woodwork, ceramics, blacksmithing, and felt work, alongside culinary specialties from gingerbread and cookies to regional sausages and cheeses, and hot chestnuts, line the market square and surrounding alleys. Music groups, schools, and bands from Haigerloch and the surrounding districts perform Advent songs, brass music, and short theatrical scenes on the stage at the market square. Saint Nicholas distributes sweets to children on St. Nicholas Day.

Atomic and Art Cellars Open

During the Christkindlesmarkt, the Atomic Cellar Museum and the Karl Hurm Art Museum are open on Saturdays from 2 PM to 5 PM and on Sundays from 11 AM to 5 PM. The Atomic Cellar Museum commemorates the research work of Werner Heisenberg and Otto Hahn in the Haigerloch rock cellars in the spring of 1945 – an unusual combination of Christmas spirit and scientific history, possible only here.

Christkindles Express and Sustainability

The Christkindles Express, a nostalgic shuttle bus, connects the parking lots on the outskirts of town with the old town during the market. All hot drinks are served in uniform Haigerloch reusable cups – a conscious step towards waste reduction that is part of the market's identity. Medieval markets in Karlstal, introduced in recent years as a supplement to the classic Christkindlesmarkt, round off the weekend.