Christmas Markets Münster

Our second visit to Münster and this time in Advent! Our goal, we want to explore the Christmas Münster and the Christmas markets.

Münster has a beautiful old town with gabled houses and arcades. At Christmas time, the shop windows shine with Christmas decorations and make strolling even more beautiful. Lights bathe the city in a wonderful atmosphere in the dark and made me feel welcome. I felt very much at home.

In Münster’s old town, you can explore five Christmas markets on foot. We strolled through all the Christmas markets and were really impressed.
A little tip in advance: Visiting the markets is of course not only possible at the weekend. If you can make it, you should plan a stroll through the markets during the week. Especially on Saturday evening it is very crowded. We went to all the Christmas markets at lunchtime and in the evening, and my conclusion is that I prefer to go a little earlier so that I can take my time and look at what the different stalls have to offer. In the evening, I prefer to enjoy the mulled wine or children’s punch and meet friends and enjoy the illuminated stalls and the atmosphere in the city.

Christmas Village at the Kiepenkerl

A small and fine Christmas village stands on the square around the Kiepenkerl monument.
The Kiepenkerl is the emblem of the city of Münster. Kiepenkerle were travelling merchants who carried the traditional Kiepe on their backs. They used it to transport goods and news from place to place.

The Christmas village has only a few stalls arranged around a Christmas fir tree. You can find Westphalian specialities to eat, but also something sweet and of course mulled wine. Many stalls sell arts and crafts.

I really like the little Christmas village, it’s not so crowded even though it’s very central.

Aegidii Christmas Market

A little off the beaten track, the Aegidii Christmas Market is located in an inner courtyard. Here you will find a large wooden pyramid that turns comfortably in a circle. On the lowest level, figures from Münster’s history walk past you. I even spotted the Türmer von Münster, who has been working in Münster since 1481. The chimes of the pyramid ring out every half hour. The nativity scene at this Christmas market is also beautiful. My favourite decoration, however, were the large figures that resemble smoking men.

For the children, the Christmas market offers a special experience. There are 7 fairy tale figures scattered around the market. You can get a stamp at the stalls next to them. Once you have received all the stamps, you get a little surprise at the stand with the “big bad wolf”. You can download the stamp card in advance from the Internet (https://www.aegidii-weihnachtsmarkt.de/). To keep things exciting, the figures will be placed somewhere else every day!

Of course, food and drink cannot be missing at the Aegidii Christmas Market. There is a wide range of offers, so it is not easy to choose: Reibekuchen, crepes, salmon, bruschetta, currywurst… We ate very good herb spiral potatoes. The production of the potato spiral alone was worth seeing and they also tasted very good.

Otherwise, the market offers the classic stalls with Christmas decorations, handicrafts, clothing and jewellery. The ideal place to stroll and shop.

Giebelhüüskes Market

The Giebelhüüskesmarkt is located in front of the Überwasserkirche. Especially in the evening, when the church is illuminated and the lights on the stalls shine, it is really very Christmassy here.

The focus at this market is clearly on handicrafts. Here you can find gift ideas made of wood, wool and jewellery. There are beautiful Christmas decorations to buy.

I was particularly impressed by the scenery. The stalls at the foot of the church, the lighting and then the smell of hot waffles, roasted almonds and mulled wine. That’s how you imagine a Christmas market.

Lights Market St.Lamberti

For me, the most atmospheric Christmas market in Münster is at the foot of the Lamberti Church. There are about 30 small blue wooden huts on the square in front of the church. The gables of the houses are illuminated and Münster’s largest Christmas fir tree shines brightly – it’s not for nothing that this market is called the Lichtermarkt.

During our visit, the Lamberti Church was open and an open concert was taking place. Candles lit up the nave and the music filled the room. It was beautiful and the perfect balance to the hustle and bustle of the streets.

Back at the Christmas market, we strolled along between the stalls. At this Christmas market, I really like the composition of the traders. The emphasis here is on a varied and individual range of products. For example, you can find beeswax candles from a candle manufacturer, handicraft models on handicraft sheets, a potter, enamel works or felted objects.
Of course, there will also be something to enjoy. From children’s punch to waffles, from mulled wine to barbecue delights – everyone will find something here.

Christmas market around the town hall

The end of our Christmas market tour through Münster was the market around the town hall. This Christmas market is the largest market in Münster’s city centre.
If you walk past the historic town hall through Syndikatgasse, you reach Syndikatplatz. This is where the first stalls are and from here you can easily explore the area behind the town hall. There are about 120 stalls here, of which a good 70% offer handicrafts and 30% cater for visitors.

We went to this Christmas market in Münster twice. On Saturday evening it was very crowded and a quiet look at the stalls was hardly possible. So on Sunday, around noon, we took another stroll between the stalls. We discovered some interesting stalls and even made some purchases. Now Christmas can come!