Regensburg Christmas Market 2026: Skip Munich for This

Munich and Nuremberg pull the crowds, but the Bavarian market worth building a trip around sits in a medieval Altstadt where roughly 1,500 buildings still stand from the 13th to 15th centuries. Running since the 1790s, the Regensburg Christmas Market, the Christkindlmarkt, pours around 40 varieties of Glühwein and has never felt like it was performing for tourists.

Regensburg Christmas Market 2026

Dates

Status: Confirmed
Regensburg dates: 23rd November to 23rd December 2026
Last checked: August 2026

Update: Dates were announced in August. Sign up for our newsletter for future updates.

Source: Verified by Ultimate Christmas Markets via the City of Regensburg.

Note: The details below are for the main Christkindlmarkt on Neupfarrplatz. Scroll down for the other three markets, which run on their own dates and hours.

Plan Your Visit

Location and Times

Location: Neupfarrplatz
Opening times:
Sunday to Wednesday: 10am to 8pm
Thursday to Saturday: 10am to 9pm
Christmas Day: Closed

Travel and Accommodation

Parking: Please take public transport to help limit congestion.
Where to stay: Hotel Das Regensburg is 5 minutes from Neupfarrplatz.

Amenities and Attractions

Admission: Free.
Lights: The Neupfarrkirche is illuminated every day from 6pm.
Children’s Day: Every Wednesday. St Nicholas gives gifts from 2pm to 4pm (and on 6th December).
Carousel: Rides on the historic carousel are discounted on Children’s Day.
Ice skating: No.
Reason to visit: UNESCO World Heritage setting, traditional artisans, four distinct markets, nightly Christ Child appearance, Danube riverside views.

Dietary Options

Vegetarian: Plenty of options.
Vegan: Some options.
Gluten free: Limited.
Food Specialties: Knackwurstsemmel mit allem, roasted almonds, Lebkuchen, marzipan sweets.

Accessibility

Accessible: Yes.
Pet-friendly: Yes, but not recommended during busy periods.

Central Hotels

Staying in Regensburg’s Old Town is a practical choice because it is conveniently located near Neupfarrplatz. For an eco-friendly hotel in this area, consider staying at the popular, highly rated Hotel Das Regensburg.

Read our complete German Christmas Markets guide.

Visitor Feedback

What Visitors Loved

• The Thurn und Taxis setting is what people remember. Torches along the paths, open fire pits and stalls spread widely through the castle grounds mean it stays comfortable even when busy.
• Craft quality is consistently praised at both Thurn und Taxis and the Lucreziamarkt, with handmade wood, metal, basketry and soaps rather than the mass-produced stock found at bigger markets.
• Neupfarrplatz wins on drink and food range. The Glühwein selection is unusually wide and the Knackwurstsemmel gets specific mentions from repeat visitors.
• Doing all four in a day is realistic and visitors who stayed a night rated the trip higher than those who came as a day trip from Munich or Nuremberg.

Common Complaints

• Pricing at Thurn und Taxis is the loudest recurring gripe. Entry sits on top of food and drink that runs noticeably above the free markets, and families report the total climbing fast once children’s rides are added.
• The ticket structure confuses people. Prices change by day with Saturday the dearest, tickets are single entry only, and several gates are exit only, so people report circling the walls looking for the way in.
• A minority found the stalls inside Thurn und Taxis no more distinctive than a standard market and felt the entry fee was not justified by what was on sale.
• Crowd management at Neupfarrplatz drew comparisons with other Bavarian cities, with a few visitors noting it felt less organised at peak times.

The Bottom Line

Regensburg’s strength is that three of its four markets are free and genuinely good, so the paid one is a choice rather than an obligation. Go to Thurn und Taxis on a Monday when entry is cheapest and the crowd thins, and eat at Neupfarrplatz where the prices are normal.

Event Location

Additional Markets

Lucrezia Market

Running since 1982 and named after Lucia, the light-bringer of Advent tradition, the Lucreziamarkt is the craft market of the four. Contemporary handmade work rather than imported ornaments, with two music stages, an art exhibition at the Thon-Dittmer-Palais, and an “action hut” running cultural activities. The food leans organic, vegetarian and vegan alongside the usual sausages, crêpes and hot drinks.

Status: Confirmed
Lucrezia dates: 27th November to 23rd December 2026
Source: Lucrezia Market
Location: Kohlenmarkt and Haidplatz.
Opening times:
Sunday to Thursday: 11am to 8pm.
Friday and Saturday: 11am to 9pm.
Admission: Free.

Romantic Christmas Market

The Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt is held on the grounds of Schloss St. Emmeram, the Thurn und Taxis family seat, which has more rooms than Buckingham Palace. Torches, lanterns and open fires between the huts do most of the work here, and the stalls are spread widely enough through the castle grounds that it rarely feels packed. Kartoffelsuppe im Brotlaib is the thing to eat. A royal Christ Child appears nightly to recite a poem and scatter “stardust” over the crowd.

Status: Confirmed
Romantic dates: 20th November to 23rd December 2026
Source: Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt
Location: Thurn und Taxis Palace, Emmeramsplatz.
Opening times:
Monday to Thursday: 3pm to 9pm.
Friday: 3pm to 10pm.
Saturday: 2pm to 10pm.
Sunday: 2pm to 9pm.
Sunday of the Dead: Closed.
Payment: Not all stalls accept credit or debit cards.
Admission: Tickets start at €6.50. Prices vary depending on the day and time of entry.
Tickets: Discounted early bird tickets are available online. Or purchase on the day at the event.
Entry: Tickets are for one entry only.
Santa: No, but Christkind visits this market.
Pet-friendly: Yes, dogs are allowed on a leash.

Advent Market at Spitalgarten

The Adventsmarkt im Spitalgarten sits across the Danube in Stadtamhof, in the beer garden of the Spital brewery at the foot of the Steinerne Brücke. It is the smallest of the four markets, and the one locals use, with campfire spots, mulled wine and a view straight back across the water to the cathedral. Silver jewellery and olive wood pieces are the standouts among the crafts.

Status: Confirmed
Advent Market dates: 23rd November to 23rd December 2026
Source: Stadtmaus
Location: St Katharinen Hospital Garden in Stadtamhof, near the Stone Bridge.
Opening times:
Monday to Friday: 4pm to 10pm.
Saturday: 11am to 10pm.
Sunday: 11am to 9pm.
Admission: Free.

What to Expect

All four markets are within walking distance of each other, which makes Regensburg one of the few German cities where you can genuinely do the lot in a day. The order matters. Start at the Lucreziamarkt in the late morning while the craft stalls are quiet, move to Neupfarrplatz for lunch, cross the Steinerne Brücke to the Spitalgarten in the afternoon for the view back over the Danube, then finish at Schloss Thurn und Taxis after dark, which is the only time the torchlight and fire pits make sense.

Neupfarrplatz is the busy one. Up to 10,000 people pass through on a December day, and the stalls ring the Protestant Neupfarrkirche in a tight loop, so walk the full circle before committing to a Glühwein. If you want a sit-down break, the Historische Wurstkuchl by the bridge has been grilling sausages over charcoal for the better part of 900 years and stays open through winter.

Regional Specialties

• Knackwurstsemmel: Regensburg’s own, ordered “mit allem” with horseradish, gherkins and mustard.
• Halber Meter Bratwurst: a half metre of bratwurst in a roll, the Neupfarrplatz party trick.
• Reiberdatschi: Bavarian potato pancakes served with apple sauce, crisp outside and soft in the middle.
• Kartoffelsuppe im Brotlaib: potato soup ladled into a hollowed bread loaf, best at Thurn und Taxis.
• Bratapfel: a baked apple stuffed with nuts and raisins, served hot.
• Lebkuchen: firmer and chewier than English gingerbread, usually almond topped or sugar glazed.
• Marzipankartoffeln: marzipan rolled and dusted to look like tiny potatoes.
• Stollen: dense fruit bread under a layer of icing sugar, often with a marzipan core.
• Glühwein: Neupfarrplatz pours around 40 different varieties, which is the reason to do a full lap before choosing.
• Feuerzangenbowle: a rum soaked sugar loaf set alight and left to drip into mulled wine.
• Eierpunsch: the eggnog style alternative, with hot Apfelpunsch for anyone avoiding alcohol.

Gift Stalls

• Erzgebirge carvings: Räuchermännchen incense smokers, nutcrackers and candle pyramids from the Ore Mountains workshops.
• Regensburg ceramics: regional pottery, from serving pieces to glazed decorative work.
• Hand-blown glass ornaments: made by local artisans using traditional techniques, sold singly rather than in boxed sets.
• Wooden toys: dolls, puzzles and miniature models, a long-standing Bavarian craft.
• Bavarian beer steins: ceramic Krüge with pewter lids, a nod to the region’s brewing.
• Trachtenhüte: traditional Bavarian felt hats, often trimmed with badges or feathers.
• Handmade soaps and bath products: a Lucreziamarkt speciality, made by the sellers themselves.

Sustainable Travel Tips

• Arrive by train: Regensburg Hauptbahnhof is a 10 minute walk from Neupfarrplatz, and there is no reason to drive here from Munich or Nuremberg.
• Walk between the markets: the Altstadt is compact and all four markets are on foot from each other, so you will not need transport once you arrive.
• Keep the deposit mug: Glühwein is served in a Pfand mug you pay a deposit on. Return it or keep it as the souvenir, but do not take a disposable cup.
• Buy from the maker: the Lucreziamarkt and Thurn und Taxis both prioritise stallholders selling their own work, which is where your money stays local.
• Eat the plant-based options: the Lucreziamarkt has the strongest vegetarian and vegan range of the four if you want something beyond sausage.