Market Dates: November 22 – December 22, 2021
When flying into Germany, Frankfurt is often the first destination for many visitors. It is the most populated city in the German state of Hessen and is one of the country’s international business hubs. While the city is beautiful year round, Frankfurt really comes to life at Christmas. During the holiday season, visitors find themselves strolling decorated streets, enjoying festive music and (our personal favorite) attending Christmas markets! Want to plan a trip? Frankfurt’s Christmas Market has been spread throughout the city for 2021 and this guide is here to help you have the best trip possible.
Current Rules
Due to COVID-19, Frankfurt has adopted Germany’s 2G regulation policy for their eating areas. While the market itself does not require a ticket, guests may be randomly selected to present proof of COVID-19 vaccination when eating or drinking. From our experience at the market, vaccination status is checked by security when entering the designated gastronomy areas.
Will I have to wear a mask? FFP2 or surgical masks are required in all market areas (Masks can be removed when eating and/or drinking).
Click here to read Frankfurts’s COVID-19 Rules.
If you are visiting from outside the EU, I recommend heading to a local apothecary in Germany to have your vaccination card transcribed. This will provide you with an EU digital pass and a barcode. You can then upload the barcode you receive to the CovPass app to show at all markets.
Note: To be considered fully vaccinated under 2G regulations, guests must have received both vaccination doses and 14+ days have passed since their last dose.
Hauptwache
Hauptwache is where I recommend starting your market journey. This is one of the smaller market areas, but it has ample food vendors and a children’s train.
I personally enjoyed sitting inside this location’s eating area where we could purchase drinks and nibble on market snacks (discussed later in the ‘German Delights’ section of our blog). This is a great meeting point if you are planning to visit the market with friends.
Tip: This location has a medical trailer where you can get tested for COVID-19.
Liebfrauenberg
To reach the next market area, Liebfrauenberg, you will walk down the main street that is lined with vendors. This location has sweets, glühwein, bratwurst and more! It is a smaller area, but worth a stop for food.
Paulsplatz
Continuing on, guests will find themselves in one of the larger market areas: Paulsplatz. This is the best area for shopping!
Rows upon rows of artisan and craft vendors await guests. Jasper’s favorite stall, the dog treat vendor, happens to be in this area.
Grab some grub and peruse the stalls for unique holiday gifts. I am partial to the paper stars (pictured above) that are popular at markets all over Europe.
Tip: If you have kids, these chocolate tools are hand carved and a great gift option!
Romerberg
Just across the train tracks, guests will find the Romerberg (aka the heart of the market). I love visiting this location after nightfall as the evening lights glow and create a wonderful ambiance.
On the Romerberg, guests can shop as the towering Christmas tree twinkles above them. If you are feeling nippish, you can even grab a snack at the base of the tree.
My favorite part, however, has to be Frankfurt’s carousel. Not only is it fun to ride, but it has some quirky features that make it unique… like tails made of real horse hair.
Tip: If you want to relax near the water, walk past the Romberg & you will find a smaller market area that is less crowded and has food.
Rossmarkt & Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz
Outside of the main market strip, vaccinated guests can also enter the Rossmarkt and Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz areas. Personally, we did not have time to explore these areas.
German Delights
Christmas markets are bursting with delicious food options. While many visitors opt for traditional favorites, such as bratwurst, I recommend trying something new during your visit. One of our favorite food items at the Frankfurt market is “Schweinefleischspieße.” This delicious pork dish is slathered in a sauce of your choosing and grilled on a stick. Not a fan of pork? Many booths offer alternative meat options.
Looking for a sweet and salty treat? Try a massive chocolate covered pretzel! Want to taste something that’s a little out of the box? I decided to try a chocolate covered chili and… it was great! Honestly, I always walked straight past these treats at the market. I truly thought they were a joke or a gag gift people purchased for friends. Turns out, they are actually delicious. If you’ve ever had a chocolate bar with chili flakes inside, it has a similar taste. The bottom of the chocolate covered chili is fairly sweet and reminds me of a bell pepper. If you don’t like spice, avoid the top part of the chili that has seeds. It gets pretty spicy once you eat the entire chili.
As for drinks, German markets have more than just Glühwein to offer. One of my favorite drinks is hot chocolate with baileys. The alcohol taste is subtle, but adds a nice kick.
Never bought a drink at the Christmas markets? You may be surprised when a vendor charges you 8 Euros for a drink labeled 5 Euros. Don’t worry, they’re not ripping you off! Each drink has a fee associated with it. This fee is essentially a deposit for the mug to ensure that guests return the mug to the vendor. If you choose to keep the mug, you will not receive the deposit back. If you do not wish to keep the mug, you can turn the mug back into the vendor. They will then refund you the deposit fee (usually about 1-3 euros).
Tip: You can ask to purchase just the mug if you do not want a drink.
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When to visit?
To really get that Christmas market feeling, I personally recommend visiting at night. Once the sun goes down, everything comes to life. Twinkling lights and crowds of giggling guests will fill the streets during the evening. The atmospheric lighting combined with the scent of candied almonds, mulled wine and fir trees is something you can’t recreate during the day.
If you are looking for a less crowded and more relaxed atmosphere, however, I would visit during the day. Daytime visits are better for taking pictures, avoiding crowds and tend to be more dog friendly. Similarly, weekend visits tend to be pretty busy compared to weekdays.
Tip: It begins to get dark in Germany around 1600-1700 in the Winter.
Dog Friendly
Have a pet you want to travel with? No worries! Frankfurt’s market areas are dog friendly. Given our experience at Christmas markets, however, I would only recommend bringing your dog during the day. If you plan to visit the markets at night (which can start at 1600 in Winter), also be aware that there can be broken glass on the floor, large crowds and rowdy drinkers. I recommend carrying your dog at night or investing in dog boots with hard bottoms (These are the ones Jasper wears).
Tip: Don’t forget a waterproof jacket for your dog (This is our favorite Jasper uses for Snow/Rain)!
Alte Oper
A favorite holiday tradition in Frankfurt is enjoying a performance at the Alte Oper. This facility offers everything from operas to modern ensembles. It is the perfect way to immerse yourself in the holiday season. Click here to browse their website and find a performance to suit your fancy.
Tip: Alte Oper is within walking distance of the Christmas market. Plan for an evening at the market after your show.
Transportation
The best part about Frankfurt’s market is that it is easily accessible by foot, regardless of your transportation method. If you are arriving by train or bus, you will want to start your market journey at Romerberg (about a 20 minute walk from the train station). The station name you should look for when booking your tickets is Frankfurt (main) hbf.
If you are arriving by car, you have more options on where you want to start your market explorations. We prefer to start near Hauptwache and work our way towards Romerberg.
Click here for our favorite parking garage.
Looking for Christmas markets around Germany? Check out these Blogs:
Your Ultimate Guide to the Aachen Christmas Market – Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt
Your Ultimate Guide to the Heidelberg Christmas Market – Weihnachtsmarkt
The Ultimate Guide to Wiesbaden’s Twinkling Star Christmas Market – Sternschnuppenmarkt
Everything You Need To Know For The Perfect Edelweiss Lodge Vacation in Garmisch, Germany
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