All About the Aachen Christmas Market in Germany 2023 Dates
The Aachen Christmas Market is always mentioned in everyoneâs 10 ten and âbest ofâ list, so I had to see why. Keep reading to discover everything you need to know about the 2023 Aachen Christmas market.
The market scene is set surrounding the beautiful Aachen Cathedral, and itâs not too big, and not too small, making it a fun outing.
Curious if I thought it deserves a spot on a âtopâ list? Read on for my thoughts.
Hopefully, this post will give you a rundown of everything you need to know if you plan on checking out the Aachen Christmas market in 2023.
The Important Stuff About the 2023 Aachen Christmas Market

Before we dive in, hereâs what you need to know if youâre going to check out Germanyâs Aachen Christmas market.
*The content below is info Iâve gathered, along with my own opinions, tips, and suggestions. Double-check opening hours/dates before heading out to the Aachen Christmas market.

Christmas Market Tips for Newbies
If this is your first time at a European Christmas market, here are some helpful tips to help make your experience a little easier. Click here to read the post.
Aachen Christmas Market 2023 Dates

The Aachen Christmas Market in 2023 will run from 23 November until 23 December 2023.
HOURS:
Daily from 11 am until 9 pm
Exceptions:
Sunday, November 26: 6 pmâ9 pm
Saturday, December 12: 11 amâ10 pm
Friday, December 23: 11 amâ9 pm
There is no charge to attend the Aachen Christmas Market in 2023.
⍸⍸⍸FIRST AND FOREMOST: Before you leave, check out the 2023 Aachen Christmas Market page and the Aachen Tourism page for hours and dates in case of any changes.
How to Get there
Aachen is located about an hour west of Cologne and Dusseldorf in North-Rhine Westphalia (the western part of Germany; zoom out on the map) and is easily accessible either by train or car.
We personally drove because we live near Aachen, but if youâre interested in taking the train in, check out their transportation page. Itâs about a 10-15 minute walk from the train station to the cathedral.
Itâs totally possible to hit up both the Cologne Christmas market and the Aachen Christmas market on the same day, but I would plan for more time in Cologne since itâs so much bigger.
If youâre looking to make it to two markets, or even three markets in one day I would go to the Monschau Christmas market first (only open on certain weekends), then Aachen, and then Schloss Merode at night.
Iâd save the awesome Cologne market for a full day on its own.
Where to Park
If youâre driving to the Aachen Christmas market, Parkhaus Am Dom is near the cathedral and the only one Iâve personally used for the Aachen Christmas Market (JesuitenstraĂe 12, 52062 Aachen).
Come out of the parking garage and go left, then turn left at the next street, then youâll see the market on the right.
Toilets

Okay, Iâm not one to rave about toilets, but WOW. The WC setup they have here was spectacular. Granted, we all went at the beginning of the day, so it was âfreshâ and clean, but I was very impressed by their pop-up potty setup.
If only all make-shift toilets were this niceâŚ
For the Kiddos
Thereâs no Ferris wheel at the Aachen Christmas market, but you will find two carousels.
One thing to keep in mind (as our kids found out the hard way). The carousel near the gingerbread man is slightly smaller and ânot as coolâ as the one on the other side of the Rathaus. Just passing that along from the kids.
Another fun feature at the Aachen Christmas market is the ginormous inflatable Printenmann (aka gingerbread man)! Heâs seriously ginormous and the kids all got a kick out of him.
All About the Mugs
Mugs are a huge deal at markets, am I right? If youâre not familiar, hereâs a quick rundown on how the Christmas market mugs work:
When you get a drink at a Christmas market, they typically* come in a festive and unique mugâeach market has its own design (and sometimes theyâll have multiple to choose from). You pay a deposit for the mug with your payment for the drink. Then, you get your money back when you return your mugâŚunless you donât return it.
The mugs are excellent souvenirs and fun keepsakes to remember your time at the markets.
*Some places, mostly in countries outside of Germany (France and Belgium at least), serve their drinks in reusable plastic cups. Some of them will have the townâs name on them, and some of them wonât.
Mugs at the Aachen Christmas Market
If you want one of the coveted Aachen witch mugs, that comes in several fun colors, be prepared to show your covid vaccine, get a bracelet, and enjoy your beverage of choice within a âroped offâ area.
I loved all the colors they had, but when you only keep one mug from each place and have difficulties making decisions, the plethora of colors gave me anxiety.

I ended up letting the kids pick and they all went with yellow (not my first choice, but oh well).
Iâm definitely looking forward to getting more mugs from Aachen in the years to comeâmaybe one in every color?!
What to Eat at the Aachen Christmas Market
So, hereâs one thing I didnât love about Aachen: I felt like the food options werenât the best here. Youâll find your usual flammkuchen, currywurst, and even some pretzels, but that was kind of it. There was a sweet roll stand (I will be back to try that), waffles, and a really delicious fruity/coco-nutty muffin-type thing, but no foods that really wowed me.
You will find a lot of PrintenâAachenâs version of Lebkuchen or gingerbread. Itâs sweetened with a syrup made from sugar beets grown all around the region (they were actually just harvesting some from the field across our street last week). Youâll find Printen shops selling them in different flavors. I love white chocolate, personally.
If youâre looking for a market with great food, head to Essen!
What to Buy at the Aachen Christmas Market
Where Aachen lacks on the food front, it does have a lot of vendors selling things you never knew you needed.
From the ceramic little houses, and heavenly cinnamon-scented decorations to collapsable light-up stars, and a few local vendors, I thought they had a pretty decent selection.
My Thoughts on the Aachen Christmas Market

I visited the Aachen Christmas with my friend and our kids (five kids total) during the day and in the middle of the week. We got there right when it opened and it was pretty empty (which is awesome when you have lots of kids to look out for). I loved that the market snaked all around the cathedralâthe entire thing was spread out, but we didnât have to walk a long distance.
All of the typical stalls were there; I didnât see too many new things or must-have items that you canât get anywhere else. I also didnât notice too many different food stalls (not like compared to the ones in Essen or even France).
This is also a Covid complaint, but it was a bummer that we couldnât walk around with our warm drinks.
But does it warrant a spot on a âbest ofâ list? Iâm not entirely sure. Itâs a great market, but there wasnât a lot for kids, and the lack of food options was a bummer.
Since this one is only 45 minutes from our house I actually want to go back without my kids so I can look at everything a little better. I spend so much of my time telling the kids âno,â for things they want every 2 seconds, that I forget to actually look for things I might want.

Other Christmas Markets to Check Out
Since youâll be in the area, donât forget to check out these other amazing Christmas markets in the area. Theyâre some of my favorites!
Have you been to the Aachen Christmas Market? Iâd love to hear your thoughts on itâŚand what you got to eat and drink!
Wow! Am so happy you are keeping me on your mailing list! Love you and love seeing pictures of the kids. They are growing up so fast. Have fun!!!!
I thought I left a reply. If not, thanks for keeping me on your mailing list.