Bavaria’s most romantic Christmas markets

The delicious aroma of roasted almonds and chestnuts fills the air, while steam rises from mugs of punch and mulled wine served at small wooden stalls. Christmas market season is here! Hundreds of lights bathe the markets in a festive glow and create an atmospheric setting for your Advent trip.

Whether you stroll through Ochsenfurt’s festively decorated lanes or enjoy a Christmas punch with views of the Alps in Murnau, Bavaria’s Advent markets are wonderful places to spend time with family and friends.

Here are five Christmas markets in Bavaria for festive and romantic days out. All of them are easy to reach by rail. So go ahead and treat yourself to a mug of mulled wine. It tastes even better when you know that you can simply board the train again for your journey home.

Visit Coburg with your family or friends during Advent. On the Friday before the first Sunday of Advent, the Christmas market opens its festively decorated stalls on the historic market square.

During Advent, Coburg’s Old Town sparkles in a warm glow. Festive aromas and Christmas melodies drift through the lanes and build anticipation for the holidays. Artists, choirs and brass bands accompany the market with seasonal music.

A canopy of lights stretches around the monument to Prince Albert. Beneath its gentle glow, you can end the day with a mug of punch. The decorated wooden stalls offer pottery, beeswax candles, Christmas decorations and regional specialities. A historic children’s carousel adds a touch of nostalgia to the market square.

From Coburg station, you can reach the Old Town and market square on foot through the town centre.

On the third weekend of Advent, Ochsenfurt’s Old Town is transformed into the so-called “Adventsgässle”, or little Advent lanes. A sea of lights illuminates the historic streets and squares, while local traders, associations and craftspeople offer Christmas goods and seasonal food.

As you stroll through the lanes, you will discover small stalls, music and lovingly decorated corners. Unlike a Christmas market held on a single square, the festivities spread throughout the Old Town. This allows you to wander through the Christmas streets without following a fixed route.

Ochsenfurt station is close to the Old Town. From there, you can walk to the Adventsgässle.

What could be more romantic than a Christmas market with views of the Alps? On the third weekend of Advent, you can stroll through Murnau’s festively decorated centre and enjoy the seasonal atmosphere with mulled wine, macaroons and gingerbread.

At the Christmas market organised by Murnau’s local associations, clubs, organisations, artists and traders present their products. Music, a living Nativity scene and activities for children are regular features of the festive programme. Between the stalls, you can catch glimpses of the surrounding mountains.

Additional winter stalls and places to eat and drink create a festive atmosphere in the town centre throughout Advent. As the programme may change from year to year, check the current dates and opening hours before your visit.

From Murnau station, Bahnhofstrasse leads directly towards the town centre and Christmas market.

Kempten’s Christmas market opens every year against the historic backdrop of the town hall. Between rustic wooden stalls, sparkling lights and decorated Christmas trees, you can spend atmospheric hours here from late November until shortly before Christmas. Seasonal treats and hot drinks invite you to stay for a while.

You will also encounter Kempten’s Nativity scenes around the town hall. Almost life-sized figures carved from Swiss pine decorate the historic building during Advent. Further Nativity scenes can be found in the town hall foyer and in the crypt of the Basilica of St Lawrence.

Alternatively, take a seat on Kempten’s little Christmas train. During the free ride through the decorated town centre, you can learn more about the sights along the route. Donations support a charitable cause. As services may be cancelled in unsuitable weather, check the organiser’s latest information before your visit.

From Kempten Hauptbahnhof, local buses take you towards the town centre. The Christmas market on Rathausplatz is an easy walk from the central bus interchange.

The Franconian Open-Air Museum in Bad Windsheim has a special atmosphere during the Christmas season. On the first three Sundays of Advent, it celebrates “Advent in Franconian parlours”. Surrounded by historic farmhouses, workshops and traditional rooms, you can experience a Franconian Advent away from the usual bustle.

Music, readings, crafts and Christmas decorations await you in different museum buildings. The historic parlours provide an atmospheric setting: outside, the winter cold settles over the grounds, while inside, music plays and stories are told.

On the first three Advent weekends, the historic kitchen of the farmhouse from Herrnberchtheim is filled with the aroma of potato gingerbread. The programme also includes hands-on museum activities as well as changing concerts, theatre performances and events at the Museum Church in Franconia. As not every activity is available each weekend, check the current programme before your visit.

The open-air museum is approximately a 15-minute walk from Bad Windsheim station.

Discover romantic Christmas markets by rail

Whether you stroll through Ochsenfurt’s festively decorated lanes as a couple, enjoy Christmas punch with friends against the Alpine backdrop of Murnau or explore historic Advent parlours with your family, spending time together is at the heart of these festive trips.

Check the current event dates and opening hours before setting off. You should also check your connection in DB Navigator, as timetables and engineering-related disruptions can change at short notice. This allows you to enjoy the colourful Christmas markets and travel home comfortably by rail.