Lichtenfels Christmas Market and Fairy Tale Forest
Family Christmas Market with Fairy Tale Forest, Railway, and Witch's House on the Upper Main
2026
About Lichtenfels Christmas Market
Lichtenfels Christmas Market — edition 2026
The 2026 edition is listed in the official event calendar of Stadtmarketing Lichtenfels. The dates November 27 – December 23, 2026, are confirmed by two independent sources: Stadtmarketing Lichtenfels and the Obermain-Jura event calendar.
The detailed program — the weekly changing list of live music acts at the pavilion — will be published by the city in October 2026. Based on experience, it will feature trombone choirs, church and men's choirs, as well as local bands from the Lichtenfels district and the neighboring Coburg region.
Highlights Lichtenfels Christmas Market 2026
Programme Lichtenfels Christmas Market 2026
Main Market — November 27 to December 23, 2026
- Monday to Friday: 3:00 PM–7:00 PM
- Saturday and Sunday: 1:00 PM–7:00 PM
- December 23 (Wednesday): 1:00 PM–7:00 PM
Fairy Tale Forest — Daily
- 2:00 PM–6:00 PM Fairy Tale Forest Railway runs its laps
- 4:00 PM Fairy Tale Reading in the Witch's House
- 5:00 PM Fairy Tale Reading in the Witch's House
Live Music at the Pavilion
- Every Friday at 5:00 PM — changing bands, choirs, and brass groups
- Every Sunday at 5:00 PM — changing program
Fairy Tale Forest Extension
- December 27–30, 2026, daily 2:00 PM–6:00 PM
- Fairy Tale Forest Railway and readings as usual
Organizer
- City of Lichtenfels / Stadtmarketing Lichtenfels
- With vendors from the city center and associations from the district
The complete live music program for 2026 will be announced in October on lichtenfels.de.
Prices Lichtenfels Christmas Market 2026
Practical information — Lichtenfels Christmas Market
Getting There
Lichtenfels is on the Berlin-Munich ICE high-speed train line (stop: Lichtenfels station, a five-minute walk to the market square). By car, take the A73 (exit Lichtenfels-Süd). Parking: Marktplatz multi-storey car park (fee applies) or Park & Ride at the train station.
Opening Hours
Main Market: Mon–Fri 3–7 p.m., Sat and Sun 1–7 p.m., December 23 1–7 p.m. Special opening for Fairy Tale Forest Dec 27–30 daily 2–6 p.m.
Admission
Market entry is free. Fairy Tale Forest Railway and fairy tale readings are free. Food, drinks, and handicrafts at market prices.
Information
Stadtmarketing Lichtenfels, Tel. +49 9571 795-880, E-mail [email protected].
Four Weeks of Advent on the Market Square
The Lichtenfels Christmas Market opens from November 27 to December 23, 2026 — for almost four weeks, the market square of the basket-making town on the Upper Main will be the scene of a classic Franconian Christmas market. Wooden stalls with craftspeople, regional specialties, mulled wine and gingerbread, a large Christmas tree above the rooftops: the ingredients for a peaceful, family-friendly Advent atmosphere in a town of just under 21,000 inhabitants.
The Fairy Tale Forest — Lichtenfels' Special Feature
What sets Lichtenfels apart from many other Christmas markets in the region is the Fairy Tale Forest: a dedicated area where the Fairy Tale Forest Railway runs its laps and children can listen to fairy tale readings in the Witch's House. The attraction is open daily from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.; readings take place at 4 p.m. and 5 p.m. in the Witch's House. The Fairy Tale Forest will also be open after the holidays from December 27 to 30 — an extension specifically for families during the school holidays.
Live Music at the Pavilion
Bands, choirs, and brass groups provide atmospheric live music at the market pavilion — every Friday and every Sunday at 5 p.m.. The program changes weekly and includes trombone choirs, church choirs, local bands, and occasional solo performances. Free admission.
Handicrafts and Delicacies
The wooden stalls around the Christmas tree host vendors from the Lichtenfels district and the neighboring Coburg region: jewelry, handicrafts, decorations, basketware (for which Lichtenfels has been famous for centuries), local specialties from bratwurst to mulled wine to gingerbread. Prices are below big-city levels — a real advantage of a Central Franconian Christmas market.
Lichtenfels and the Upper Main-Jura
Lichtenfels is the district town of the district of the same name in Upper Franconia — at the transition between Franconian Switzerland, Upper Main-Jura, and the Coburg region. The town is known throughout Germany as the Korbstadt (Basket Town): until the 20th century, basket weaving was a central economic sector; today, it is kept alive as a tradition. The pilgrimage site Vierzehnheiligen is also located in the municipality — one of the most important Baroque churches in Southern Germany.
Where it takes place Lichtenfels Christmas Market
Lichtenfels Christmas Market at a glance
History of Lichtenfels Christmas Market
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