Discover the best things to do in Koblenz at Christmas with a festive guide to this German city where the Moselle meets the Rhine, featuring Christmas markets, light trails, boat trips and concerts.
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Koblenz is one of the oldest cities in Germany, founded by the Romans among the scenic UNESCO World Heritage Upper Middle Rhine Valley. It’s known for its wine, its hilltop fortress and its position where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet. And at Christmas it gets a dose of extra sparkle from Christmas markets, light trails and plenty of glühwein.
Koblenz often gets overshadowed by its bigger and busier neighbours Cologne and Frankfurt. But if you’re stopping here on a festive Rhine or Moselle river cruise or just looking for a more relaxed destination for a German Christmas market break, here’s our guide to Koblenz at Christmas, featuring the most festive things to see and do.
What is Koblenz’s winter weather like?
Koblenz in December is chilly, with average temperatures ranging from daytime highs of 5°C (41ºF) to night-time lows of 0ºC (32ºF). Rainfall is fairly steady through the year, with an average of 11 wet days in December. Snow is fairly uncommon and you’re more likely to see cloudy, overcast skies, with the sun setting around 4.30pm in mid-December.
What should you wear at Christmas in Koblenz? Most festive events are outside, so wrap up in a warm coat, scarf, gloves and hat. Several thin layers underneath are better than one thick one, especially if you’ll be alternating between indoors and outdoors.
Things to do in Koblenz at Christmas
Koblenz Christmas markets
Most towns and cities in Germany have a Christmas market where you can pick up tasty treats and local gifts. But rather than one big market, Koblenz has seven smaller ones, each with a different feel. Most are located in the Altstadt (old town), a few minutes’ walk from each other so you can easily visit them all. Here’s what to expect from each:
The market in Am Plan has been running for over 40 years, with a big rotating pyramid in the centre. Underneath the pyramid is a bar, and on some evenings singers and musicians perform on top of it. There are lots of food and drink stalls, with cosy booths where you can sit, plus a few gift stalls selling decorations, scarves and dog treats.
Jesuitenplatz is Koblenz’s busiest market, especially in the evenings and at weekends. This pretty square is surrounded by half-timbered houses and overlooked by the Baroque town hall, whose windows are turned into a giant advent calendar. There’s a mix of food, drink and gift stalls, including a festive train which sells hot chestnuts.
Head through an archway in the corner of Jesuitenplatz to the next market in Willi-Hörter-Platz. This is lit up with lots of twinkling white lights, with the SchaEngelbar selling local mulled red and white wines. There’s also a traditional nativity scene tucked away just off the square in the town hall courtyard (there are also toilets here).
Münzplatz is the largest square, easily recognised by the windmill in the middle. This market focuses on food and drink, so it gets very busy on weekend evenings. As well as things to eat there (see below for some of our favourites), you can also pick up foodie gifts like lebkuchen biscuits, liquorice sweets and schnapps to take home.
The city’s newest market is in Josef-Görres-Platz. It’s popular with families thanks to a miniature train running around the History Column, a tall sculpture telling the story of Koblenz. It’s surrounded by small red and white huts selling gifts and drinks.
Koblenz’s smallest Christmas market is next to the Liebfrauenkirche, with a few stalls in a courtyard next to the church lit by lanterns. There are a couple of stalls selling gifts made from wood and mammoth ivory. It’s also where you can try a Feuerzangenbowle – where a block of sugar is soaked in rum and set on fire so it drips into mulled wine.
Finally, the last of the Christmas markets in Koblenz is just outside the old town in Zentralplatz, next to the Forum shopping centre. It’s got a more modern feel with a mix of food and gift stalls, a giant illuminated star and a 70-year-old wooden wheel.
Koblenz’s Christmas markets run from 22 November 2024 to 5 January 2025 (though Jesuitenplatz and Liebfrauenkirche markets finish on 22 December). They open late morning and are usually fairly quiet in the daytime, but get busier as it gets dark. Closing time is 8pm on Sunday, 9pm Monday–Wednesday and 10pm Thursday–Saturday.
Map of Christmas markets in Koblenz
What to eat at Koblenz’s Christmas markets
Although we had plans to try out a few of Koblenz’s restaurants, we ended up doing most of our eating at the Christmas markets – there were just too many delicious things to try! Koblenz is in a wine-making region and you’ll find white and rosé glühwein as well as the usual red. There’s also Eierpunsch (egg nog) and more unusually hot Aperol.
You normally pay a pfand (deposit) of €3–€5 for a mug or glass, and you can either return it later and get your money back or keep it as a souvenir.
When you get hungry, there are the usual variations on sausages you find in Germany as well as some other specialties to look out for. Flammekueche is an Alsace take on a pizza, with a thin crispy base and a crème fraîche topping with bacon and onions.
Reibekuchen are deep-fried potato cakes often served with apple sauce. Flammlachs is a Finnish traditional dish with sides of salmon flame cooked over a wood fire. There are also tasty mushrooms fried in butter and garlic. Or if you’ve more of a sweet tooth try the crêpes and waffles, fruchtspieße (chocolate covered fruit skewers) and lebkuchen.
Christmas Garden Koblenz
The Ehrenbreitstein Fortress is Koblenz’s most famous landmark, a hilltop castle which looks out over the city from 118 meters above the Rhine. It was built between 1817 and 1828, but there’s been a fortress on this site for over 1000 years. Today it’s home to several different museums, but on winter evenings it gets a festive makeover.
Christmas Garden Koblenz is a light trail through the castle grounds, following a circular route past illuminations and projections set to music. It’s become an annual event, with a different display each year – on our trip it included thunder clouds, colourful trees, a fairytale carriage and steam train. And there are food and drink stalls along the route.
The fortress is across the river from Koblenz, but it’s easy to get there using the Seilbahn Koblenz cable car over the Rhine. It’s usually closed in winter but runs when the event is on, and you can get a combined ticket which includes a return trip on the cable car.
Christmas Garden Koblenz is open from 21 November 2024 to 8 January 2025, with pre-booked time slots from sunset until 10pm. It’s worth timing your visit for just after sunset so you can watch the sun go down from the viewing platform first too.
Festive boat trip on the Rhine
A lot of the Christmas activities in Koblenz are outside, but if you want to warm up (or just sit down for a bit!), you can take a boat trip* on the Rhine. The standard trip is an hour-long circuit, but there are also special events like festive meals and day trips. Tours depart from just south of the Pegelhaus restaurant on the Rhine side of Koblenz.
You start off with views of the Ehrenbreitstein Fortress and the Deutsches Eck (German corner). This is the point where the Rhine and Moselle rivers meet, and is marked with a giant statue of William I, the first German Emperor, sitting on his horse.
The boat then travels south down the Rhine as far as Stolzenfels Castle, an impressive 13th-century castle which was converted into a palace in the 19th century. There isn’t any commentary on board but it’s a relaxing way to spend an hour watching the scenery float past, with a glass of mulled wine included and food available to buy.
Christmas concerts
During December there are free Christmas concerts in the Citykirche and Liebfrauenkirche churches in Koblenz old town. We listened to a beautiful performance by a choir in the Citykirche, a dramatic modern space with contemporary stained-glass windows.
There are also regular concerts in the Liebfrauenkirche, with a mix of choirs, musicians and orchestras. Posters in the church entrances show what’s on that week.
Look out for musicians performing at the Christmas markets too. There are different choirs singing in Josef-Görres-Platz (Monday–Friday at 7pm from 3–20 December) and songs and stories in local dialect outside the Liebfrauenkirche (advent weekends at 5pm).
The details
How to get to Koblenz
Koblenz’s nearest airports are Cologne Bonn to the north (94km) and Frankfurt Main to the southeast (113km). Both are connected to Koblenz by direct train, taking 75–90 minutes. Or if there’s a group of you (or you’re arriving late when trains are limited) you can pre-book a private transfer to Koblenz from either airport through Welcome Pickups.*
Koblenz is also well connected to destinations around Europe by train. If you’re coming from the UK you can take a Eurostar to Brussels then travel to Koblenz via Cologne (3.5 hours). You can also reach Amsterdam, Strasbourg or Munich in 4–5 hours.
Getting around Koblenz
Koblenz’s Hauptbahnhof (main train station) is a 20-minute walk from the old town. Some of the slower local trains also stop at Koblenz Stadtmitte station, which is closer.
The centre of Koblenz is fairly small so you can easily get around on foot. Much of the old town is pedestrianised and there’s limited on-street parking. So if you’re bringing a car you’re best off parking in one of the 10 garages around the edge of the city.
Where to stay in Koblenz
If you’re visiting Koblenz in winter, then I’d recommend staying in the old town. This way you have the Christmas events on your doorstep and don’t have a long walk back in the cold and dark. The markets close at 10pm at the latest, so it’s not too noisy at night.
We stayed in a third-floor loft-style apartment* with Am Plan’s Christmas market right outside – easy to pop out for a glühwein refill! This industrial-style apartment sleeps up to seven in two sleeping areas (a big open-plan kitchen/lounge with a double and sofa bed, and a bedroom with double and twin) and has two bathrooms and a laundry room.
If you prefer a hotel, the Altstadt Hotel & Café* is on the corner of the busy Jesuitenplein market. There are 14 en-suite bedrooms, decorated in neutral colours with bright white bathrooms. And a café on the ground floor which does a good breakfast.
Or the Sander Hotel* is just outside the old town, a short walk from the main train station. It’s a bigger property which has 100 queen, king, twin and accessible rooms. And there are extra facilities like a bar, courtyard terrace and an underground guest car park.
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