Atmospheric Christmas market and shopping experiences for everyone’s taste

Especially during the Christmas season, Düsseldorf sparkles in bright lights and a festive atmosphere. It is the perfect place not only to enjoy a glass of mulled wine with friends but also to go shopping. Throughout the city, more than 210 stalls decorated with love and passion sell traditional craft from filigree glass to figurines from the Ore Mountains.

Düsseldorf in December is a small winter fairyland with its own special flair. The streets are illuminated with lights, sparkling like fairies in the dusk, the smell of cinnamon and pralines pervade the air. The nostalgic Christmas market turns the city into a special place for adults and children alike.

The city offers the perfect opportunity to combine Christmas shopping with a special seasonal experience, a place to enjoy traditional crafts, foods and drinks, mulled wine and punch for example, German bratwurst or tasty sweets. From 17 November to 23 December the traditional Christmas market opens its doors weekdays between 11am and 8pm with seasonal market stalls at different points in the city. At weekends the market closes at 9pm.

The historic crafts market at the front of the Düsseldorf city hall displays traditional craftsmanship, while the ‘Engelchenmarkt’ creates a divine atmosphere embodied in angel figurines adorning the stalls. Every street and place has its own individual decoration reminding for example of historic places in the city. The stalls on the Flinger Straße look like old town houses once built by merchants. Only a short distance away is another Christmas market on the Schadowplatz, directly in front of the Kö-Bogen shopping centre that in recent years has made Düsseldorf even more interesting as shopping destination. Here traditional wooden huts form a symbiosis with modern architecture created by the famous architect Daniel Libeskind. The highlight is an ice-skating ring with fantastic view towards the Hofgarten.

For those looking for a special shopping experience, focusing on high-class brands and designer wear, the Königsallee – called Kö by locals – is still the best destination in the entire region. Closer to the Rhine river, in the old city centre, many young local designers have their boutiques.
This year, special tours are introducing tourists to the best the city has to offer during the Christmas season. Like the seasonal hotel package, the tour can be booked directly online via the Düsseldorf tourist office.

duesseldorf-tourismus.de/christmas-market

TEXT: JESSICA HOLZHAUSEN | PHOTOS: DUESSELDORF TOURISMUS