Christmas Market at St. Petri Church

A Fairytale Forest in the Old Town

St. Petri Church is Hamburg's oldest surviving place of worship — a neo-Gothic landmark whose brick facade is located directly on Mönckebergstraße. Right here, in the central Hamburg Old Town in the Hamburg-Mitte district, the Petri Christmas Market invites you to perhaps the most intimate Advent experience in the city center. While Spitalerstraße, just a few meters away, attracts great attention with its 20-meter-high Christmas tree, St. Petri opts for a different approach: over 200 real fir trees transform the area around the church into a small forest landscape.

Fairytale Forest for Children

In the children's forest, life-sized figures stroll among the fir trees — an elk, a dancing Santa Claus, toy trains on tracks. The staging is loving, not commercially intrusive. Children can discover a real world here instead of just queuing for carousels.

High-Quality Handicrafts and Delicacies

The selection of stalls is deliberately curated: high-quality wooden toys, Christmas decorations, unique handicrafts. On the culinary side, the Petri Market shines with roasted almonds, mulled wine in various variations, bratwurst — and a Hamburg specialty: the hot Caipirinha. Dutch Poffertjes complete the offering, a small culinary nod to the historically close ties between Hamburg and the North Sea ports.

Location and Atmosphere

The market extends along Kreuslerstraße directly next to the church and is within walking distance of Mönckebergstraße via Bergstraße. The atmosphere is Nordic and familial — a conscious counterpoint to loud tourist highlights. Anyone who wants to experience the pre-Christmas everyday life in Hamburg, rather than just photographing postcard motifs, is in the right place.

Accessibility

The market is fully accessible. The nearest accessible stop is U3 Rathaus, from where it is about a four-minute walk.