Every year, the festively decorated “Cathedral City” invites visitors to take a Christmas stroll through Cologne during the holiday season.
Large, lavishly decorated Christmas markets shine in the city centre. Each market is devoted to a different theme and is well worth a visit. Arts and crafts from all over Europe, high-quality goods, culinary delights and captivating entertainment programmes for young and old will make you look forward to Christmas with even greater anticipation.
But visitors can also discover a wide variety of smaller Christmas markets outside of the city centre, in the various city quarters (called “Veedel” in Cologne). These markets range from neighbourhood markets that offer goods from local businesses to markets that only sell culinary specialities and unique weekend markets.
The Christmas-related offers are rounded out by Advent trips on the Rhine, the Christmas Garden in the Cologne Zoo, and various thematic circus performances, concerts and other events. Last but not least, visitors shouldn’t miss this opportunity to do some of their Christmas shopping along Cologne’s popular shopping miles.