Dortmund is famous among football fans because of its football club - Borussia Dortmund.

But that's not all - the Christmas market in Dortmund is also very charming.

The Christmas Market is known as “Weihnachtsmarkt” in German and they are famous all over the World.

We visited the Christmas market in Dortmund in 2018. The Christmas markets normally start in the last days of November and they normally open until the end of December but remain closed during the Christmas Holiday.

It's highlight suggested to check the timings before going to the Dortmund Christmas Market as they have different dates and times every year.

How to Reach Dortmund:

Dortmund is among the top 10 largest cities in Germany so it's relatively easy to reach Dortmund whether you are coming from within Germany or from abroad.

a. By Air:

The city has its own airport called  Dortmund Airport (DTM) which has several flights from different cities and countries.

From the airport, you can take the Airport Shuttle Bus which runs regularly between Dortmund Airport and Dortmund Hauptbahnhof or you can also take a bus from the airport to the Aplerbeck U-Bahn station and then transfer to the metro to reach the city center.

b. By Train:

It's very easy to reach Dortmund by train as it's connected within Germany and other neighboring countries aswell. Deutsche Bahn operates regular trains to Dortmund from major cities like Berlin, Munich, Frankfurt, and Hamburg.

c. By Bus:

It's a budgeted way to travel and there are different companies like FlixBus that have different routes to other German cities and other countries like France, Belgium, Netherlands, Czech Republic.

How to navigate within Dortmund:

Dortmund has a very good transportation system including U-Bahn (metro), S-Bahn, buses, and trams.

You can walk from Central Station to the Christmas market in Dortmund but the Christmas market is highly accessible by U-Bahn aswell from the Dortmund Train Station with U41, U47, U45 U49 in the direction of Hacheney, Aplerbeck, Westfalen, and Horde).

Dortmund Christmas Market Guide:

The city of Dortmund embraces the Christmas festivity just like any other big German City. As soon as you step into the city, you can feel the festivity and be welcomed by Christmas lights, decor, and festive stalls.

The streets are decorated with sparkling lights and wooden huts are set up selling Christmas specialties. All the streets of Dortmund were fully crowded with people.

It felt like all the Dortmunders are on the streets. Dortmund hosts one of the biggest Christmas Markets in Germany, having 300 Stalls.

What are the main Christmas Markets in Dortmund:

• Hansaplatz

• Alter Markt (Old Market Square)

• Reinoldikirche

• Kleppingstraße and Westenhellweg

1. Christmas Market at Hansaplatz:

One of the biggest Christmas markets in Dortmund is set up in Hansaplatz. It has one of the Giant Christmas Trees with a height of 45 meters and is made up of 1700 Trees and thousands of lights.

During 2018, we were living in Dortmund city center and we used to watch the preparation of the Christmas tree every day, it was so exciting to see the Christmas tree full of lights.

Hansaplatz is also surrounded by hundreds of wooden stalls selling gifts, decorations, and delicious Christmas treats. The market also offers entertainment options like live music and performances.

2. Christmas Market at Alter Markt (Old Market Square):

On the next square in the old town, there is an open stage with a snowy wonderland background and theme where the singers perform Christmas Songs every day.

The square is a meeting point for the people and during Christmas, the square changes into Christmas.

Just a few minutes walk from Hansaplatz you can reach the Alter Markt Christmas market which is a relatively smaller but more intimate Christmas market.

This Christmas market is also famous among kids as they have carousel rides, and stalls selling handcrafted items, toys, and holiday decorations.

There is also a stage surrounded by small chalets selling Christmas specialties to the people. So the people can enjoy the food and music together. This place is almost full every day, with visitors enjoying the music and dancing to Christmas songs.

3. Christmas Market at Reinoldikirche in Dortmund:

One of the main areas of Dortmund is Reinoldikirche and it's also turned into the festivity. Around the Reinoldikirche, the street is decorated with colored hanging globes, which change colors and make the view magical.

The small wooden chalets sell different Christmas decoration pieces, handicrafts, traditional wooden toys, Christmas socks, lights, scarves, and candles.

There are many small squares where they have placed different stalls decorated with Multicolor LED lights.

On the other side of the Reinoldikirche, there are different food stalls offering traditional German food, from German Sausages (Wurst) to French Crepes, from famous German Pommes to Churros, from Bratkartoffeln to Brezel and Roast nuts.

4. Christmas Market at Kleppingstraße and Westenhellweg in Dortmund:

The main pedestrian street of Dortmund Kleppingstraße and Westenhellweg has small Chalet shops offering different things to the visitors. The small chalets are decorated with tiny LED lights and little Santa Claus on the roof of the chalets.

Most chalets offer fresh food like Fried fish, Boiled Potatoes with sauces, and different varieties of bread. There are also stalls of traditional decoration, Jewelry, Wooden baskets, and toys.

This place is mainly for families with kids with car rides and sky wheels for the best view of the Dortmund City Center.

There are also a few artists playing very alluring music for the audience and receiving great appreciation from the audience. The main fashion street also has food stalls, and it is always full of crowds these days.

There are also a few rides for the kids- if you are coming along with the kids, this is a place for you.

There's another small Christmas market near Kampstrasse Station with different food stalls and standing tables for the chit-chat sessions. The market also has a tall Christmas Pyramid with different levels.

The pyramid rotates, and each level depicts different characters like angels, dancing people, and candles.

There's also a Theatre for the kids with a performance of Puppet Shows every evening. You can also book your walking tour to Dortmund Christmas Market with a full guide of one hour in which they tell you about the 100 Years history of Christmas Markets.

5. Other Christmas Market in Dortmund:

Apart from the Christmas Market in Dortmund's City center, the other neighborhood in Dortmund also has their own Christmas markets.

a. Hörde Christmas Market:

Hörde Christmas Market is a small cozy market which is famous among the locals and it also has a small ice rink.

b. Aplerbeck Christmas Market:

The Aplerbeck Christmas Market is also famous among the locals and it has traditional stalls selling handcrafted goods, Christmas ornaments, and local foods.

c. Hombruch Christmas Market:

There's another christmas located in Harkortstraße and it's also famous among the locals.

Ending Note:

If you happen to be in North Westphalia Street during Christmas, you shouldn't miss the Christmas market in Dortmund. You will be amazed to find out that the city isn't only crazy about Christmas but they also celebrate christmas wholeheartedly.