Weingarten St. Nicholas Market

Advent Market in Front of Weingarten Basilica

Weingarten in Upper Swabia (Ravensburg district, AGS 08436) is famous for its baroque St. Martin's Basilica — one of the largest baroque churches north of the Alps, the annual venue for the Blood Ride on the Friday after Ascension Day. In front of this monumental backdrop, the Weingarten St. Nicholas Market takes place every year on the last weekend before the 1st Advent. Date 2026: Friday, November 27 and Saturday, November 28.

Arts and Crafts and Regional Products

Regional vendors present their products in wooden huts on Münsterplatz: handmade arts and crafts (pottery, woodwork, glassblowing, felt), Christmas decorations, wax candles, honey, and specialties from Upper Swabia — from spaetzle makers to Allgäu mountain cheese. The market is manageable — not a mass event, but deliberately family-friendly and quality-oriented.

The Alpine Hut with an Open Fireplace

The heart of the market is a large alpine hut — a wooden chalet in alpine style with its own bar, long tables, and an open fireplace. Here, families and groups of friends meet over mulled wine, children's punch, cheese fondue, and alpine specialties. Live music plays in the background, and outside, the air smells of roasted chestnuts and bratwurst.

Partner Cities with Their Own Stalls

A special feature of the Weingarten St. Nicholas Market: Weingarten's partner cities are present with their own market stalls. They showcase typical regional specialties — gastronomic specialties, arts and crafts, drinks — thus creating a European connection to the small Upper Swabian market town. Those looking for an Advent market with character and an international touch will find it here.

A Weekend Before the 1st Advent

The market deliberately takes place before the 1st Advent — as a "prelude" to the Advent season. This way, it avoids competition with the large markets in Stuttgart, Ulm, and Konstanz and retains its quiet, family-friendly character. The city center is car-free for the weekend; Münsterplatz and the surrounding alleys become an Advent landscape.