Note: Sadly, this Christmas market closed in 2022. However, as we love beautiful Christmas markets like this, we’ll leave this up as a memory of what once existed.
Hot Glühwein? Check. Tasty sausage roasted over an open fire? Check. Good friends? Check. A castle, the Schloss Charlottenburg? Check.
If you’ve checked all of these items off, you’ve just spent a perfect day or night at one of Berlin’s most picturesque and romantic Christmas markets, the Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Charlottenburg.
Xmas Market Guide: Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Charlottenburg
Already one of Berlin’s premier tourist attractions, Schloss Charlottenburg becomes all the more spectacular once it’s been set up for its annual Christmas market. It not only attracts tourists, but locals as well who come with their family and friends to enjoy the welcoming, warm, and festive experience.
Recommended reading: For more information on Berlin Christmas markets, check out advice from locals including the Berlin Christmas Markets: A Beginner’s Guide and The Best Five Christmas Markets in Berlin.
A Christmas Market Beside a Castle
Nighttime is the best time to visit, as the castle is illuminated with various colors, and the stalls, children’s rides, and other buildings are covered with swathes of twinkling fairy lights.
Eat All the Sausages and Drink All the Wine
While taking in the beautiful surroundings of the Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Charlottenburg, eat all the wurst you can manage and drink all of the mulled wine you can handle.
Live Entertainment in the Form of Christmas Carollers
While at Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Charlottenburg, check out the live entertainment like this local choir singing Christmas carols.
Seasonal Retail Therapy
With more than 250 stalls, Weihnachtsmarkt Schloss Charlottenburg also offers a great chance for shopping to your heart’s content. If you love Christmas, you’ll be able to find anything and everything related to the holiday season. Other stalls even sell things like jewellery, soap, scarves, hats, and oddly enough underwear!
Location
Good To Know
1) Opening and closing dates for the Christmas market are announced annually, as are the daily hours of operations. Check their website ahead of time to plan your visit accordingly.
2) The Christmas market is extremely busy on the weekends. If you’re driving, be prepared to spend a lot of time looking for a parking space. Consider taking public instead or visiting during the week.
3) Admission is free.
4) Dogs aren’t permitted inside the market unless they’re a designated guide dog.
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Ooooh – gorgeous photos! This one looks like so much fun too – I want to explore more of the xmas markets!!
I was there yesterday, too! And made pretty the same picture 😉
Cheryl,
Schöne Beleuchtungen, schöne Farben!
Photos and posts like these make me ache (ACHE!) for the Weihnachtsmärkte at this time of year. Even if it’s +21C here on the beach, it doesn’t totally make up for the very atmosphere and food and drink about which you’ve described.
I completely agree about being in Europe at this time of year, and it’s why I’ve set up the RTW so I end up in Europe/Germany for the final three months of 2012. 🙂
Thank you for your post and photos!
Not a huge fan of the neon lights on the building, but everything else seems very appropriate for Christmas time. I need to be somewhere like this for the season one year.
Beautiful, I love how all the buildings are lit up.
@Andrea – thank you. It was really fun, especially when you can enjoy them with friends.
@Christine – ha ha, that’s awesome. 🙂
@Henry – Glad you enjoyed the post. Don’t worry about it now and enjoy your current situation. You’ll see it all next year for sure. 🙂
@Stephanie – Agree, I wasn’t the biggest fan either but the setting was quite lovely. 🙂
@Laurel – Me too! Christmas markets are one of my favorite things about living in Europe.
@Taknil – Danke!
Nette Bilder!
Christmas markets make me so jealous that I live in LA and we don’t have one! Looks like a really lovely one here too.
I’ve always wanted to visit and shop and festivities at one of the many Christmas markets in Europe. The only thing is that its so overwhelming since there are so many. Can’t decide. If I were in Germany, I’d definitely visit this Berlin one at night, too. I’m loving those lights on the building – very colorful and appropriate for the holidays.
@Jade – Come and visit Europe in the winter! Then go back home to LA and appreciate the warm weather all the more. 😀
@Sherry – there are so many … but you start to realize they’re all the same after a while. Just pick the best ones like ones located besides castles or ones with different themes. 🙂
Great photos! I feel like a kid in a candy store watching them 🙂 Christmas is my favorite time of the year and I can easily spend a full day in a Christmas market.
@Adrian – aww, thanks. Me too!
These pictures make me miss living in Germany! Have fun 🙂
@Mathieu – Come back for another visit! And living in Berlin? Well, there’s never really a moment that’s not fun. 😉
Gah, I wish we could be there! Chiang Mai has some really pretty Christmas trees that have been sprouting up around the city, but the 80+ degree weather really changes the vibe. 🙂 Love the way the Schloss Charlottenburg is lit up – so festive!
@Christy – Chiang Mai sounds pretty nice right about now. 🙂
This looks so amazing, I’d love to visit a traditional Christmas market like this one day!
Hey there Alice –
Thanks for commenting. I do hope you make it to a European Christmas market someday! Please make sure you have a mulled wine for me. 😉
Cheryl xo