Frankfurt am Main’s city center transforms into a Christmas wonderland during Advent. This guide shares everything you need to know about visiting the Frankfurt Christmas market, plus nearby markets worth adding to your itinerary.
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As Germany’s financial capital and home to the busiest airport in the country, Frankfurt am Main is often viewed as more of a stopover point en route to more exciting locales, like Cologne or Mainz — and it’s definitely not a popular Christmas destination!
Honestly, all of that is somewhat valid. There ARE better, more famous Christmas market destinations in Germany, but the Frankfurt markets have their own charm and are worth visiting if you’ve got a long layover, live in the region, or are beginning or ending a longer Christmas market trip in Frankfurt.
The key thing to know is that the Christmas market in Frankfurt am Main is a sprawling wonderland that takes up most of the city center. Not every single section of the market is worth visiting, and that’s where this guide comes in!
If you want a brutally honest review of the Frankfurt Christmas market that shares what’s worth visiting and what’s worth skipping, you’ve come to the right place.
Happy Advent! ~Claire
Dates, Locations & Opening Hours
📆 Dates: November 25 – December 22, 2025
📌 Locations: There are stalls scattered throughout the Old Town, with that majority located at the Roßmarkt, Paulsplatz, Römerberg, and Hauptwache
⏰ Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am – 9pm, Sunday 11am – 9pm
If you’re visiting Frankfurt from out of town, you’ll likely need to take the train to the central station (Hauptbahnhof). From there, hop on the U-Bahn (lines U4 or U5) and ride it two stops to “Dom/Römer.” You can also ride tram 11, 14 and 16 to “Römer/Paulskirche.”
I strongly suggest starting your Christmas market extravaganza at the Römerberg. That’s where the central Christmas market is located, as well as the tourist information center.
In December, the tourist information center has free Christmas market maps. Pick one up! It comes in handy since there are Christmas market stalls all over the city center. (In my experience, cell signal can be poor when you’re in a super crowded area of the market, which makes it difficult to navigate.)
What to Expect at Frankfurt’s Christmas Markets (My Honest Review)
Frankfurt’s Christmas market has roots dating back to 1393, making it one of the oldest in Germany. (The official oldest can be found in Dresden.) The market you see today is a far cry from the small collection of vendors selling wooden and cloth toys and regional delicacies it began as!
Here’s what you need to know about the four main locations of the Christmas market — they are NOT all created equal!
⭐️ A Local’s Tips for Planning a German Christmas Market Trip 🎅
Römerberg
The Christmas market at the Römerberg is the main one in Frankfurt. The reconstructed half-timbered houses make for a jaw-droppingly beautiful backdrop for the Christmas market, and it’s one of the best photo ops you’ll get during your visit.
The stalls surrounding the Fountain of Justice sell a good mixture of food (more on what to eat later in this guide!), handicrafts, and Christmas decor.
Claire’s Tip: On Wednesdays at 6pm, the tower horns are played from the balcony of the Old St. Nicolas Church (Alte Nikolaikirche) at the Römerberg.
The star of the show is undoubtedly the 30-meter-tall Christmas tree that towers over the market. Right next to it, you’ll find a traditional nativity scene.
Because this is Frankfurt am Main’s main Christmas market, it gets VERY busy in the evenings and on weekends. Keeping that in mind, I began my visit at the Römerberg and looped back at night just long enough to see all of the Christmas lights turned on. It was nearly shoulder-to-shoulder crowds after dark, so I was glad I’d looked through all of the stalls earlier in the day.
🚨 Area to skip: There’s a smaller portion of the Christmas market along the Mainkai river bank (by Eiserner Steg). The stalls here sell mostly imported trinkets, and I didn’t find this area atmospheric or inviting.
Paulsplatz
If the Römerberg provided the traditional atmosphere and gorgeous photo ops, then the section of the Christmas market near St. Paul’s Church is THE place to purchase your Christmas gifts!
This is where the Frankfurt Artists’ Christmas Market takes place, and it’s where you’ll find more handmade and locally-produced items like jewelry, ceramics, honey, and more.
Claire’s Tip: Look for signs advertising products that are “Handgemacht” or “aus der Region.” This means they’re handmade or from the area, which almost always mean they’re higher in quality than the imported trinkets sold at other stalls.
The Paulsplatz Christmas market had my favorite stall of the entire market. Except it wasn’t a stall, it was a two-story HOUSE erected by Wagner Imkerei selling all of their amazing beeswax candles, soaps, and local honeys. I stock up on beeswax candles at the Christmas markets, and I was impressed with the price and quality of Wagner Imkerei’s.
Another stall I have to shoutout is the nearby Töpferei Seifert stall, which sells handmade light-up houses (Lichterhäuser) and handmade earthenware ports, plates, etc.
Claire’s Tip: Keep an eye out for the traditional Quetschemännchen, which are figurines made from walnuts and dried plums. These are not for eating (alas!), but rather for decorating your home. They’re often styled to look like chimney sweeps or musicians, both of which symbolize good luck in German culture.
Roßmarkt
My favorite area of the Frankfurt Christmas market for eating, drinking, and generally just hanging out was the Roßmarkt.
There’s a massive Christmas pyramid where you can order Glühwein, hot apple wine (a local specialty!), and spiced non-alcoholic punch. I also loved the picturesque Ferris wheel on the far end of the square.
What sets this portion of the Christmas market apart is all the seating. Most Christmas markets are standing room only, so the fact that the Roßmarkt has lots of chairs and tables to sit at kind of blew my mind.
Hauptwache
The area around the Hauptwache contains more stalls selling paper stars, grilled bratwurst, small trinkets and decor items, and so on.
It’s a pretty but busy area that’s located just off of the Zeil (Frankfurt’s main shopping street), and it’s worth stopping by en route to the brick and mortar stores if you want to do some Christmas shopping.
Claire’s Tip: This area of the Christmas market bleeds into nearby side streets. So use the Hauptwache as a starting point, but just keep following the trail of neverending Christmas market stalls until you wind up at either the Roßmarkt or Römerberg. It’s a bit confusing, but fun!
Local Foods and Drinks You Have to Try
While in Frankfurt am Main, you HAVE to try the local Christmas market foods:
- Bethmännchen — Thimble-sized sweets made with marzipan, sugar, and rosewater that are topped with three almond slivers to represent the Three Wise Men. You won’t find these anywhere else in Germany as they’re local to Frankfurt and the recipe hasn’t changed since the 1830s!
- Brenten — Very similar to Bethmännchen, but they’re more of a true Christmas cookie since the dough is made with flour as well as marzipan. You can find Brenten imprinted with images of Frankfurt’s most famous buildings, or you can buy them decorated with almond halves. (The imprinted kind make for excellent Christmas gifts.)
- Apple Wine — A strong, sour flavored still cider that’s not found elsewhere in Germany. During Christmas market season, it’s sold warm instead of cold.
- “Frankfurter Wurstchen” — The regional bratwurst. It tastes like it’s been cured, and once grilled the casing has a nice “snap” to it.
🍪 25+ Foods and Drinks to Try at a German Christmas Market 🎄
Looking for More Things to Do In and Around Frankfurt?
There are lots of great day trips from Frankfurt that are easily accessible by train, and I’ve also got a full guide to the top attractions in the Old Town.
My Top Hotel Recommendations
The city center gets really busy during the Christmas market season and will also be more expensive. I suggest staying somewhere close to an U-Bahn or S-Bahn station, where you can reach the Römerberg in 15 minutes or less.
Final Thoughts: Are the Christmas Markets in Frankfurt Worth It?
I enjoyed my time at the Christmas market in Frankfurt am Main, but I wouldn’t say this is a “must visit” market for those of you who are traveling to Germany specifically to see the Christmas markets.
The Frankfurt market is just SO big, and since it’s one of the main travel hubs in the country it gets a lot of visitors. I thought the market was pretty, but it didn’t feel super local. There are definitely stalls where you can find handmade, locally-produced products, but the majority seemed to be imported or of lower quality.
Instead, I’d suggest visiting the Frankfurt Christmas market if you have a long layover between flights, or if you’ll be starting or ending a longer trip here. For example, the Christmas markets in nearby Wiesbaden and Mainz are exceptional, and the Christmas markets in Cologne (which is a slightly further afield) are also large but really good.
Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram to keep up with my daily adventures in Berlin and beyond!
Christmas Markets to Visit Near Frankfurt am Main:
- Wiesbaden Christmas Market Guide: What to Do and Eat at the “Shooting Star Market”
- Mainz Christmas Market Guide: A Cozy Market in Germany’s Wine Capital
- Mannheim Christmas Market Guide: A Traditional Market in Germany’s Rhein-Neckar Region
- A Complete Guide to Bonn’s Traditional Christmas Market
- What to Do, See & Eat at the (Many) Cologne Christmas Markets
- A Guide to Heidelberg’s Quaint Christmas Markets
- Freiburg im Breisgau Christmas Market Guide: A Traditional Market in the Black Forest
- All of my FREE German Christmas market guides!
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