Are the Frankfurt, Germany Christmas Markets Worth It?

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I take a Christmas trip every single year, and it’s become one of the things I look forward to the most as the holiday season approaches. I’ve visited markets in the NYC, Canada, and Europe, and it’s nearly impossible to pick a favorite!

I only got to spend one day in Frankfurt at Christmastime, and it happened to be the first day after my 7 hour, red-eye flight to Europe. In other words, I had to hit the ground running if I wanted to make the most of seeing the Frankfurt Christmas markets. I was running on practically zero sleep, but we all have an “I’ll sleep when I’m dead” mentality when we’re on vacation…right? No? Just me? Okay fine…but that mentality got you this blog post. You’re welcome 😉.

What are the 2024 Dates of the Frankfurt Christmas Market?

This year, the Christmas markets run from November 25, 2024 – December 22, 2024.

OPENING TIMES ARE AS FOLLOWS:

• Monday-Saturday: 10:00am – 9:00pm
• Sundays: 11:00am – 9:00pm

Things to Try at the Frankfurt Christmas Markets

At almost all Christmas markets, you can find glühwein (also called spiced wine or mulled wine), popular German sausages such as bratwurst or currywurst, roasted sweetened chestnuts, spiked hot cocoa, lebkuchen (gingerbread), and massive German soft pretzels.

Foods that I was specifically told to try in Frankfurt include:

• Frankfurter – Frankfurt’s famous sausage
• Apfelwein – basically alcoholic apple cider; similar to glühwein – served in a souvenir mug
• Raclette – melted Swiss cheese over bread (think fondue!)
• Bethmännchen – small pastry made from marzipan with almond and powdered sugar
• Brenten – small tea biscuits made from marzipan dough (I liked this one better than bethmännchen tbh)

If it’s your first time visiting a German Christmas market, definitely try some of the food they sell. However, I did want to mention that some food is not always the best. If you do want to try the food here, go for something that is hot and freshly prepared.

You’ll notice that certain things, such as the “soft” pretzels that I mentioned earlier, are not sitting under a warmer in most stalls…which means, they’re actually hard pretzels because the dough has gotten so cold. Unless your hotel has a microwave, you may have a little trouble with these.

Additionally, a popular souvenir to bring home is the Quetschemännchen, which are little ladies and gentlemen made from dried plums and nuts, bound together with wire. Traditionally, a man would give his love a quetschemännchen as a way of letting her know he liked her. If she kept it, she felt the same way…but if she gave it back to him? Onto the next one…

Exploring the Christmas Markets in Frankfurt

Here’s where I’ll take you around the Frankfurt Christmas market and give you a peak inside the magic!

Where is The Main Christmas Market in Frankfurt?

Römerburg Square

The main Christmas market in Frankfurt is in Römerburg Square, the historic center of the city. It has a carousel, a massive Christmas tree, and a backdrop of colorful Dutch-looking houses.

What’s even more is the roofs of the stalls are decorated! While you will certainly be distracted by all the food, the smells, and the lights, make sure to look UP at the stall roofs and take it all in. Some of them even had moving puppets that drank hot cocoa or waved to the crowd. No surprise here – this quickly became my favorite out of all of Frankfurt’s Christmas markets!

Here, you’ll find the Altes Rathaus (Old Town Hall) and the Neues Rathaus (New Town Hall), aka the Römer. Definitely snap a pic of the Römer – it is one of the most important and historic buildings in the city.

In Römerburg Square, you’ll also find the Gerechtigkeitsbrunnen, or the Fountain of Justice, located in the center of the square. She is surrounded by Christmas stalls, string lights, and other decor. The photo below makes it kind of hard to see her, but she is the centerpiece of the square.

Paulsplatz

The market at Paulsplatz is right near the Römerburg Square one, so it’s easy to bop from one to another. Paulsplatz is named because St. Paul’s Church is located here, which serves as one of the Christmas market backdrops. Here is where you’ll also find Wagner’s Honighaus, one of the most famous vendors selling things made out of honey. Definitely go inside this one – it’s quite impressive!

Weihnachts Roßmarkt

The Roßmarkt was the closest market to my hotel, and the one I explored first. I used this market as a landmark because it has a Ferris wheel and a giant “Christmas pyramid” that I could see from far away. I actually do not know what the legit name of this pyramid is, so if you do, please help a girl out. It’s super festive-looking though, and it even rotates! if you look closely, it has nativity figurines in the center that you can see as it spins around.

The Weihnachts Roßmarkt bleeds into the Hauptwache market, which I talk about next.

Hauptwache Market

The Hauptwache Market is near the Hauptwache Bahn station. In fact, this was the first market I saw when I got off the S-Bahn. Nothing excites you quite like getting smacked in the face with Christmas as soon as you enter a new city. I was here for it. My favorite part of this market was the adorable train that you could ride in.

Part of this market stretches along the Zeil, Frankfurt’s most famous shopping street. “Wait, you mean you can see the Christmas markets AND get your shopping done?” Yes. That’s exactly what I’m saying. The trees lining the streets also come alive with Christmas lights at nighttime around this area.

Rosa Weihnacht at Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz

Rosa Weihnacht is the Pink Christmas market, aka “gay Christmas market” in Frankfurt. It is surrounded by tents with pink lights, music, and vendors selling food and gifts.

If you read my Munich post, you know they also have a Pink Christmas there too. If I’m being 100% honest, I think I liked Munich’s a little better. It was just more…I don’t knowww…….gay??

But don’t get me wrong – I still thought this one was super festive and cute. At Frankfurt’s Pink Market, they were softly playing Christmas music, and at Munich’s, they were blasting Britney Spears and Beyonce. The decor at Munich’s market was also a little more…extra. To put it simply, think of Frankfurt as your classy gay friend, and Munich as your sassy gay friend. But regardless, still stop by this market!

City Christmas Market

The City Christmas Market is located on the rooftop of the City Alm where you can enjoy food and drink in rustic alpine huts, all while taking in the views from high up.

This is the only market that I did NOT get to go to, mostly because I was not dressed for the occasion. I know that sounds like an extremely petty reason, but listen: I’ve heard this referred to as the “Gossip Girl Christmas market,” and I was…not ready. I was very red-eye-flight chic in my oversized sweater, leggings, and no makeup. Remember the “you can’t sit with us” scene in Mean Girls? That was the scene I was trying to avoid in real life.

BUT! I’m telling you about it so you can go to it, look stunning, and I can live vicariously through you 😉.

What Is Frankfurt, Germany Known For?

Frankfurt is Germany’s main financial hub and is home to multiple banks and stock exchanges. It’s also the only European city I’ve been to other than London that has skyscrapers. It’s I always find it fascinating when places are able to blend old and new world architecture together to create a unique city aesthetic!

In case you were spending multiple days in Frankfurt or you had some extra free time, I listed some things below for you to check out:

Notable Buildings in Frankfurt:

• Goethe House – A museum in what was once the home of Johann Wolfgang Goethe, a renowned German writer
• Frankfurt Cathedral – A Roman Catholic Gothic-style church, located in the heart of Frankfurt. Also known as the Imperial Dome of Saint Bartholomew
• Frankfurt Main Tower – 56-storey skyscraper with an open-air observation deck overlooking entire city
• Städel Museum – A prestigious museum featuring a large collection of European art
• Senckenberg Museum – one of Germany’s largest history museums

So…Are The Frankfurt, Germany Christmas Markets Worth It?

Okay….so here’s where I’m going to be honest with you. If you would have asked me this question after I had come here during the daytime, I would have said ehhh…probably not. But after seeing the markets at nighttime? Absolutely yes.

The biggest reason I felt this way was due to some of the architecture in the city. A lot of the Christmas markets were situated around other buildings that weren’t exactly…aesthetic. With the exception of a few skyscrapers and the older-looking Dutch buildings in Römerberg, I felt like a lot of the architecture looked very bland.

Many of the European Christmas markets I’ve been to have phenomenal backdrops that really pull the entire experience together (think ornate, Gothic churches in Cologne or Neues Rathaus in Munich). I felt like Frankfurt was lacking this in comparison.

But once it got dark, I realized there were certain decorations around Frankfurt’s city center that didn’t pop until nighttime. There were trees lining the roads with lights that you couldn’t see in the daytime, but the best example is the Christmas market stalls. A lot of the vendors decorated the roofs on their stalls, similar to what you would see at Stuttgart’s Christmas markets. The way the stalls came to life at night was absolutely beautiful.

Getting to Frankfurt

Frankfurt is Germany’s busiest airport hub, so don’t expect to be on an empty flight coming here! If you are coming from elsewhere in Germany, many people take the train, or you could even fly if the train ride is too far. My favorite app that I use when booking international transportation is Omio, because it gives you routes, times and prices for trains, buses, and airplanes.

How Many Days is Enough for the Frankfurt Christmas Markets?

Having said that, I do think that one day, or two at the most, would suffice seeing the Frankfurt Christmas markets. Frankfurt was the first city I flew into when I did my 2024 Christmas market trip, and I ended up marathoning the whole day and knocking out everything I wanted to do. If you are someone who can hit the ground running after an overnight flight, I would think one night would be all you’d need. If you think you’d need a post-flight, mid-day nap and want more time to explore the city, you could consider booking two nights.

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