Out of all the Christmas markets we visited in Germany, the Speyer Christmas Market was one of the smaller ones. However, that doesn't mean that it lacked in magic. In fact, that couldn't be farther from the truth!
The Speyer Christmas Market is one of the most enchanting little Christmas markets in Europe. It's not far from other cities in Germany, like Heidelberg, Mannheim, Mainz and Frankfurt. I suggest spending a couple of hours in Speyer to check out this beautiful Christmas market.
Speyer is situated on the banks of the Rhine River, so you might be able to find a Christmas markets river cruise with Speyer on the itinerary.
It's one of Germany's oldest cities, founded by the ancient Romans as a fortified town within the Roman Empire. The Speyer Christmas Market takes place in the middle of its historic old town.
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Visiting the Speyer Christmas Market
The Speyer Christmas Market takes place annually outside the front of Speyerer Dom (the Imperial Cathedral of Speyer), Europe's largest Romanesque church.
The stalls line the main street of Speyer's Old Town, Maximilianstraße, right down to Altpörtel, the old city gate. This is the main pedestrian-only street in town.
Here are the dates and times for this year's Christmas market in Speyer:
Speyer Christmas Market 2025
- November 24th, 2025 to January 6th, 2026
- Monday - Thursday, Sunday from 11:00am to 9:00pm
- Friday & Saturday from 11:00am to 10:00pm
- December 24th from 10:00am to 1:00pm
- Closed December 25th and 26th
- December 31st from 11:00am to 3:00pm
- January 1st from 1:00pm to 9:00pm
Speyer's Christmas Market is a smaller market, though it doesn't lack that special festive atmosphere or elaborate decorations.
We also didn't find that it was very busy as it's a bit off the main tourist track. I suggest spending at least an hour or two here (or even a half day), completely embracing this enchanting town.
For that reason alone, you should check out the Speyer Christmas Market. It's also one of the only markets that remains open on Christmas Eve and beyond Christmas until the New Year.
There's no shortage of gluhwein, and you can snag a Speyer Christmas Market mug if you collect them like I do. There are many different flavors of gluhwein here, like blueberry or a mulled rosé.
We even found some gluhwein flavored candies for sale at a booth.
For the kids, there's a vintage carousel and even an ice rink with skate rentals (or you can bring your own). There's also a beautiful Christmas pyramid on display.
At one point, we heard some music coming from the church. After going inside, we discovered some high school aged kids performing a recital. This was such a pleasant surprise to stumble upon and added to the magical vibes of the holiday season.
Artisans Market in Speyer
We also discovered many handmade goods and ornaments that we didn't find elsewhere. In fact, there's an Artisans Market in Speyer that takes place on the four Advent weekends (Friday from 4pm to 8pm, Saturday and Sunday from 11am to 8pm).
The Artisans Market takes place in the central town hall courtyard. You'll find unique gifts and handmade wares made from textiles, wood, precious metals, paper, ceramics and more. For this reason, it might be worthwhile to plan your trip to Speyer on the weekend.
German Christmas Markets and Gluhwein Explained
If you've never been to a Christmas market in Germany before, let me briefly explain how purchasing gluhwein works. Each city, town and Christmas market will have its own unique mug.
- When you purchase a mug of gluhwein (mulled wine), you will pay an additional small deposit (pfand) for the mug. This is usually only a couple of Euros at most. When you bring back the mug, you will receive your deposit back.
- You can also choose to keep the mug as a souvenir. I fell in love with the mugs at the Christmas markets and decided to collect one from each market. As we visited several Christmas markets, I returned home with nine mugs in total!
These are a really inexpensive souvenir that reminds me of my trip to the Christmas markets. I put up a little shelf in my kitchen where I have all of my mugs displayed quite nicely.
Speyer Christmas Market: Getting There
One of the easiest ways to reach Speyer is by train. It takes 30 minutes from Mannheim direct, or 1hr 30 minutes from Frankfurt (via Mannheim). It's easy to book your train here.
Of course, it's also easy to drive to Speyer. Thinking about renting a car? I suggest comparing car rentals with Discover Cars where you'll always find the best rates.
Where to Stay in Speyer
Speyer is located about an hour from Frankfurt by car. Feel free to base yourself in Frankfurt and visit Speyer for the day.
However, you might want to fully immerse yourself in the action. In that case, spend the night in Speyer.
Use the handy map below to browse the properties. Click each one to learn more and book your stay.
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Don't forget travel insurance!
Heading out of the country? Don't forget to get travel insurance. It's best to be covered in case of an emergency, cancellation or accident.
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