As winter days grow darker and colder, these Christmas markets bring a festive glow to the season. Some particularly charming and rustic markets are opening next weekend, offering cosy mulled wine and hearty food by open fires, mesmerising fire shows, artistic light installations, and opportunities to glide across sparkling ice whilst skating or curling.
More and more Christmas markets are bringing a festive atmosphere to the days as they grow darker and colder. This coming weekend, a number of particularly beautiful and rustic markets are opening. Here, you can warm up with mulled wine and hearty food by an open fire, be enchanted by fire shows and artistic light installations, or venture out onto the glittering ice for a spot of ice skating or curling.
Experience fire shows at the Historic Christmas Market
Rustic fire pits and fantastic light and art installations make the Historic Christmas Market on the RAW site a wonderful pre-Christmas spectacle for the whole family. Look forward to food and drink, fire shows and a festive experience inspired by medieval customs. Amongst the stalls, you’ll find historic fairground rides, try your hand at axe throwing and warm up by the many open fire pits.
When: 12 November to 22 December 2026
Where: Revaler Straße 99, Friedrichshain
Enjoy mulled wine and glitter at Nollendorfplatz
Colourful, queer and full of festive cheer: the Christmas season kicks off at Nollendorfplatz with the LGBTQIA* Winter Days, before Christmas Avenue takes over with mulled wine, music and plenty of good cheer. Look forward to sparkling lights, a varied stage programme and an open, warm atmosphere right in the heart of Schöneberg’s rainbow neighbourhood. Here you can raise a glass with friends, celebrate together and get into the spirit of Advent.
When: LGBTQIA Winter Days from 4 to 22 November, Christmas Avenue from 23 November to 23 December 2026; closed on 15 and 22 November
Where: Nollendorfplatz, in front of the Metropol, Schöneberg
Glide through a sea of lights at WINTERLIGHTS
Once again this year, Berlin-based light artist Christopher Bauder has devised a very special winter experience. To this end, he is transforming DARK MATTER’s TRANSFORMATOR art gallery into a sparkling world of light, featuring more than 600 floating fir trees and over 300,000 twinkling lights,
Right in the middle, you’ll find an ice rink, which this year, for the first time, becomes part of the light art installation itself. Thousands of lights embedded in the ice transform into colours, patterns and animations right beneath your skates. The whole experience is accompanied by the atmospheric sounds of Dutch musician Chris Kuijten. Every 45 minutes, light, music and movement merge to create a new spectacle.
Don’t have your own ice skates? No problem – you can hire a pair on site. And after a few laps on the ice, mulled wine, non-alcoholic punch and winter specialities provide a cosy break.
When: 4 November 2026 to 14 February 2027, Tuesday to Thursday 2 pm–10 pm, Friday 12 noon–11 pm, Saturday 11 am–11 pm, Sunday 11 am–10 pm
Where: DARK MATTER, TRANSFORMATOR Art Gallery, Köpenicker Chaussee 46, Rummelsburg
Go ice skating in the Grünau Winter World
Ice skating, tobogganing and roasting bread on a stick over an open campfire : during the cold season, the Grünau lido draws visitors to the beach with its Winterwelt. The stalls offer hearty and sweet treats, and alongside the toboggan run and ice rink, there’s also a large indoor play area nearby where the little ones can let off steam and warm up. And here you’ll find 11 more cool ice rinks in Berlin.
When: 13 November 2026 – 14 February 2027
Where: Sportpromenade 5, Grünau
Warm up in the Glühwald at Uber Platz
The scent of pine and the delight of mulled wine: right opposite the East Side Gallery, a little pine grove awaits you at Uber Platz, complete with covered mulled wine huts and fire pits. Here, after a day of sightseeing, you can get into the Christmas spirit in comfort.
When: 6 November 2026 – 3 January 2027
Where: Uber Platz, Friedrichshain
Visit the Grinch at Heissa Holzmarkt
As early as November, you can warm up by the fire pits at the Holzmarkt with a hot cup of mulled wine. Every year during Advent, the creative village on the banks of the Spree, with its little shops, cafés and restaurants, is transformed into a magical Christmas wonderland. Small market stalls offer glitter, trinkets and lovely gifts. It’s the perfect way to get into the spirit of winter and Christmas with family and friends. On Wednesday, the Grinch will be paying a visit and there’ll be Holy Drag Karaoke for everyone. The Sauna Boat is back! And this year, once again, the ‘Warme Kater’ invites you to dance your way into winter from Thursday to Saturday.
When: 6 November to 20 December 2026 (Wednesdays to Sundays)
Where: Holzmarktstraße 25, Friedrichshain
