Regensburg Christmas Market 2026: Dates, Hotels + 10 Winter Tips

Last updated 22.10.2026

The Regensburg Christmas market is really five markets, and that is its big advantage over Nuremberg or Munich: five completely different markets within a few hundred metres of each other. There is the city’s Christkindlmarkt around the church on Neupfarrplatz, the arts-and-crafts Lucrezia-Markt, a small Advent market by the Danube with a view of the cathedral and, best of all, the romantic market in the courtyards of the Thurn und Taxis palace, where fire pits burn between the stalls and the “princely Christ Child” speaks from a balcony. Regensburg is just over an hour by car from Munich Airport and about an hour by train from Nuremberg, so a day trip is possible. You will enjoy it far more as a long weekend with one or two nights in the old town, though. In 2026 the main Christkindlmarkt on Neupfarrplatz runs from Monday 23 November to Wednesday 23 December, and the Thurn und Taxis palace market opens earlier, on Friday 20 November. Below you will find hotels within walking distance of the markets, a three-day plan, dates and opening times for every market, ticket prices, how to get there from the airports and ten things to do in Regensburg in winter.

Regensburg Christmas market at a glance

• 2026 dates: Christkindlmarkt on Neupfarrplatz 23 Nov – 23 Dec 2026, Romantischer Weihnachtsmarkt at Thurn und Taxis Palace 20 Nov – 23 Dec 2026 (closed 22 Nov), Lucrezia-Markt 27 Nov – 23 Dec 2026, Advent market in the Spitalgarten 23 Nov – 23 Dec 2026, the count’s market in Dörnbergpark 19 Nov – 20 Dec 2026.
• Where: all in the UNESCO-listed old town, five to fifteen minutes’ walk from one market to the next. Only the Spitalgarten is across the Stone Bridge, in the Stadtamhof district.
• Opening times: Neupfarrplatz Sun–Wed 10am–8pm, Thu–Sat 10am–9pm. Thurn und Taxis Palace Mon–Thu 3pm–9pm, Fri 3pm–10pm, Sat 2pm–10pm, Sun 2pm–9pm.
• Opening ceremonies: the palace market on Friday 20 November 2026 from 6pm, the Christkindlmarkt on Monday 23 November 2026 at 6pm by the Alte Wache, with the Regensburger Domspatzen boys’ choir.
• Entry: free at every market except Thurn und Taxis Palace, where adults pay €6.50–13.50 depending on the day (about £5.50–11.50). Children under 6 go free, and on Sundays all children go free.
• Ice rink: not at the markets. You can skate indoors at the Donau-Arena (tip below).
• Best for: a long weekend, Friday to Sunday. A day trip from Munich or Nuremberg is easy, from Prague it is a long day (itinerary below).
• Where to stay: in the old town around the cathedral, or for less near the station or on the Unterer Wöhrd island (our hotel picks).
• Currency: euro. Bring cash for the stalls, as plenty of them still don’t take cards.

Where to stay for the Regensburg Christmas market

You can see Regensburg in a day, but the markets only come into their own after dark. On weekdays the Thurn und Taxis market doesn’t open until 3pm, and its fires and lanterns are at their best in the evening, exactly when day-trippers are heading back to the train or the car. We recommend turning the markets into a long weekend and staying at least one night. After the mulled wine and Feuerzangenbowle nobody has to drive or chase the last train, on Friday evening you can walk round the palace market without the Saturday crowds, and on Sunday morning you have Neupfarrplatz and the Stone Bridge almost to yourself.

We have picked six places to stay at different price levels, all within walking distance of the markets:

• Hotel Goliath am Dom (Goliathstraße 10): a five-star hotel right next to the cathedral, a few minutes from both Neupfarrplatz and the Stone Bridge. For anyone who wants Advent in comfort. Bonus: the hotel sauna is very welcome after a whole day on your feet. Guests rate it 8.9 on Booking.com.
• Hotel Bischofshof am Dom (Krauterermarkt 3): a historic hotel in the former bishop’s court, a few steps from the cathedral. For those who want to sleep in medieval Regensburg and have dinner without leaving the building. Bonus: its own restaurant and on-site parking, which is rare in the old town. Rated 8.8.
• Hotel Münchner Hof und Blauer Turm (Tändlergasse 9): a family-run hotel in the pedestrian zone, two minutes from the cathedral and even closer to Neupfarrplatz. Every room is furnished differently. Bonus: guests get a discount at the Am Dachauplatz car park, five minutes’ walk away. Rated 8.7.
• Hotel am Peterstor (Fröhliche-Türken-Straße 12): a mid-range, more affordable option on the southern edge of the old town, about 450 m from the main station and 400 m from Thurn und Taxis Palace. Ideal if you arrive by train and want to spend your evenings at the palace market. Rated 8.6, and 9.6 for location.
• SORAT Insel-Hotel Regensburg (Müllerstraße 7): a design hotel in a former factory on a small island in the Danube, looking across to the cathedral and the Stone Bridge. For couples who want to wake up to a river view. Bonus: a restaurant overlooking the Danube and private parking. Rated 8.3.
• Jugendherberge Regensburg (Wöhrdstraße 60): the cheapest option, with family rooms and a breakfast buffet, about 1.2 km on foot to the cathedral across the island. For families with children and groups of friends who would rather spend their money at the markets than on the room. Rated 7.5.

Which area? The old town around the cathedral and Neupfarrplatz is the prettiest and puts everything within ten minutes, but it is also the most expensive and awkward to reach by car (pedestrian zone, low-emission zone). The area around the main station and Peterstor is more practical if you arrive by train, and it is the closest to the palace market. For a quieter and often cheaper night, stay on the Unterer Wöhrd island, ten to fifteen minutes across the bridge from the centre. For more options and current prices for your dates, see all accommodation in Regensburg.

Tip: book early. Regensburg is a small city with a limited number of hotels in the old town, and on Advent weekends they also fill up with German visitors and office Christmas parties. If you can, take Friday to Saturday or Sunday to Monday. Monday is also the cheapest day to visit the palace market.

Regensburg Christmas market as a long weekend

This is how we would spread Advent in Regensburg over three days. We save the palace market for Friday evening, when it is cheaper and less crowded than on Saturday, and spend Saturday, the busiest day at the markets, mostly on the city, the cathedral and the Danube.

• Friday: fly into Munich or Nuremberg in the morning and take the train on, drop your bags at the hotel and spend the afternoon at the Christkindlmarkt on Neupfarrplatz and the Lucrezia-Markt on Haidplatz. Once it gets dark, walk over to the Thurn und Taxis palace market, where a cheaper evening ticket applies from 8pm. The fire pits and the Feuerzangenbowle are at their best late in the evening.
• Saturday: in the morning, St Peter’s Cathedral and the Stone Bridge with sausages at the Wurstkuchl, then the underground museum beneath Neupfarrplatz or the House of Bavarian History on the Danube. In the afternoon, when the centre is at its busiest, cross the bridge to Stadtamhof for the Advent market in the Spitalgarten (on Saturdays it opens at 11am) and have dinner at the Spitalgarten beer hall, looking across to the cathedral.
• Sunday: in the morning, a trip out to Walhalla above the Danube (in winter open 10am–12pm and 1pm–4pm), in the afternoon the count’s market in Dörnbergpark, or with children the palace market, where all children get in free on Sundays. Then head for the airport. Shops in Germany are closed on Sundays, the Christmas markets are not.

Can you do Regensburg in a day? From Munich or Nuremberg, yes: you are here in roughly an hour to an hour and a half and back the same evening. From Prague it is about three hours each way by car and closer to four by train, so you get an afternoon at the markets and not much time at the palace market after dark. It can be done, and coach operators run one-day Advent trips, but expect an early start and getting back around midnight. From further afield we would not try it as a day trip at all, it only makes sense with at least one night.

Got four days? Add Nuremberg, a short train ride from Regensburg, where the Christkindlesmarkt opens on Friday 27 November 2026.

Why the Regensburg Christmas markets are worth the trip

Regensburg is one of the few large German cities that came through the Second World War almost unscathed, and its medieval centre has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 2006. At Advent that means the stalls don’t stand between department stores but between Gothic tower houses, beneath the cathedral and next to the oldest stone bridge over the Danube. What we like most is that every market is different: the city’s Christkindlmarkt is the classic, with sausages and blueberry mulled wine, Lucrezia is for people looking for a present nobody else will have, the Spitalgarten is all about a fire by the river, and Thurn und Taxis Palace is the one you pay to get into but will remember. And compared with Nuremberg or Munich, it is noticeably calmer.

How to get to the Regensburg Christmas market from the airport

• From Munich Airport (MUC): the most convenient way in. The RE 22 regional “airport express” (Flughafenexpress) runs directly from the airport to Regensburg main station every hour, no change in Munich needed. By car it is about 105 km along the A92 and A93, a little over an hour. Check current train times on bahn.com or in the DB Navigator app.
• From Nuremberg Airport (NUE): the U2 underground takes you to Nuremberg main station, and from there trains to Regensburg take roughly an hour. By car it is around 110 km, about an hour and a quarter.
• From Prague (PRG): if you are combining Regensburg with Prague, direct Prague – Munich trains run roughly every two hours via Plzeň, Domažlice and Furth im Wald and stop in Regensburg. From Prague main station the journey takes around four hours, and the timetable changes on 13 December 2026, so check on bahn.com. FlixBus runs from Prague (Florenc) to Regensburg in about three and a half hours, stopping by the main station. By car it is about three hours via the D5, A6 and A93. You need a Czech motorway vignette for the D5, while German motorways are free for cars up to 3.5 t.

From Regensburg main station it is a ten-minute walk to the centre and five minutes to the palace market.

Where to park in Regensburg and what to know about the low-emission zone

The old town between the Danube and the ring of parks is a low-emission zone (Umweltzone), which you may only enter with a green emissions sticker on the windscreen. Hire cars registered in Germany normally have one already. If you are driving your own car from abroad, order the sticker online well in advance, as driving in without it can get you a fine. There is no point driving into the historic centre anyway: the lanes are narrow and much of it is pedestrianised. Leave the car in one of the multi-storey car parks on the edge: Parkhaus Petersweg is right by the north entrance to the palace market, Parkhaus Dachauplatz is five minutes from Neupfarrplatz, and there is also the Tiefgarage am Theater by Bismarckplatz and the large Unterer Wöhrd car park on the island, a few minutes across the bridge from the centre. Another option is P+R West on the western edge of the city, with a bus into the centre. On Advent Saturdays we would rather arrive in the morning, as spaces are harder to find in the afternoon.

Regensburg Christmas markets 2026: dates and locations

All five big markets have their 2026 dates confirmed by the city or the organisers. Dörnbergpark (19 Nov) and the palace market (20 Nov) open first, the main Christkindlmarkt and the Spitalgarten follow on Monday 23 November, and Lucrezia is the last to open, on Friday 27 November. All except Dörnbergpark close on Wednesday 23 December, and nothing is open on Christmas Eve. If you want to catch every market, go between 27 November and 20 December.

Stall opening times

Neupfarrplatz is open Sunday to Wednesday 10am–8pm and Thursday to Saturday 10am–9pm, including from 10am on opening day. The palace market opens at 3pm on weekdays and 2pm at weekends, but according to the organiser the evening “Gastro-Insel” by the campfire in the courtyard stays open for another hour after the market closes. The Spitalgarten doesn’t open until 4pm on weekdays, so if you want to go in daylight, it only works at the weekend. Dörnbergpark is open Thursday to Sunday only. On Christmas Eve, 24 December, none of the Regensburg markets are open.

Opening ceremonies and lights

• Thurn und Taxis Palace: official opening on Friday 20 November 2026 from 6pm, closing ceremony on 23 December from 11.55pm.
• Neupfarrplatz: the mayor opens the Christkindlmarkt on Monday 23 November 2026 at 6pm by the Alte Wache. The Regensburger Domspatzen sing, the brass band of the Protestant deanery plays, St Nicholas brings sweets for the children and Regensburg’s Christkindl (Christ Child) appears. At the end, the bells of the surrounding churches ring out.
• Church illuminations: the Neupfarrkirche in the middle of the market is lit up every day from 6pm for as long as the market runs.

Regensburg Christmas market 2026: what’s on

Regensburg has no single programme for the whole city. Each market puts on its own, so below you will find what to expect where. Most organisers haven’t yet published their specific 2026 concerts and performances. As soon as they do, we will add them here.

Christkindlmarkt on Neupfarrplatz

Regensburg’s main and oldest market is run by the city itself, and its wooden stalls surround the white Neupfarrkirche in the middle of the square. According to the city, an independent jury ranked it among the ten most beautiful Christmas markets in the German-speaking countries. You will find decorations, glass, ceramics, wooden nativity scenes and toys, often with the stallholder making them in front of you. For bread, sausages and meat the city makes sure everything is craft-produced rather than factory-made. On neighbouring Kassiansplatz a Viktualienmarkt with changing food stalls runs for the whole season, and Christmas trees and Advent wreaths are sold on Neupfarrplatz as well.

• Music on stage: local groups perform mainly on Fridays and Saturdays in the late afternoon. The 2026 programme hasn’t been published yet. As soon as it is, we will add it here.
• Children’s day every Wednesday: St Nicholas hands out presents to children at 2pm and 4pm, and the carousel is cheaper. He also comes at the same times on Sunday 6 December 2026.
• Toilets: the city sets up toilets on Kassiansplatz, open daily from 10am until half an hour after the market closes.

Romantic Christmas market at Thurn und Taxis Palace

This is the market people travel to Regensburg for. It fills the courtyards of St. Emmeram Palace, the family seat of the princely Thurn und Taxis family, and in the evening it is lit only by candles, lanterns and torches. A big Christmas tree stands in the middle of a little village of wooden huts, fires burn between the stalls, and in the huts basket makers, goldsmiths, furriers, woodcarvers and soap makers work and sell what they make. According to the organiser, Princess Gloria von Thurn und Taxis herself sometimes walks among the visitors. For us it is best after 8pm, when the families with small children have gone home and only the people who came to sit by the fire are left.

• 2026 tickets (adults 17+): Sunday and Tuesday–Friday €9.50 (about £8), Monday €6.50 (about £5.50), Saturday €13.50 (about £11.50). The “Nachtschwärmer” evening ticket, valid Mon–Thu and Sunday from 7pm and Friday and Saturday from 8pm, costs €5.50–6.50. Students €5.50, seniors 65+ €5.50 on Mondays.
• Children aged 6–16: Mon–Sat €3.50 (about £3), free on Sundays (family day). Children under 6 always go free.
• Girls’ night: every Sunday from 7pm, women and girls get in free.
• Buying tickets: at the entrances or online with a booking fee. Groups get one free ticket for every ten people.
• Enchanted children’s forest (Kinderzauberwald): old-fashioned rides under the old maple trees, a petting zoo, a puppet theatre and a mosaic workshop, open the same hours as the market.
• The princely Christ Child: regularly speaks from the palace balcony, has a letterbox below it (and replies if a child writes their address) and every Advent Sunday at 4pm meets children in the children’s forest to hear their wishes in person.
• Concerts and the Christmas story: Princess Gloria sings carols with the Regensburg rock band Sacco & Mancetti and reads the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke. The organiser hasn’t published the 2026 dates yet. As soon as they are out, we will add them here.
• Palace tour: you can join a guided tour of the historic state rooms straight from the market. Tickets and the meeting point are at the princely house’s stall inside the market.
• Entrances: the main north entrance is on St. Petersweg, about 50 m from Emmeramsplatz, and the south entrance is on Margaretenstraße, towards the main station. It is about five minutes’ walk from both the station and the centre. Practical information from the organiser is on wm-tut.de.

The organiser also sells its own market coins (Markttaler) and, among other things, rents out heated huts for groups and office parties, so if you are travelling as a group of ten, it is worth a look. For a normal visit, a spot by one of the fires is all you need.

Lucrezia-Markt on Haidplatz and Kohlenmarkt

The market of Regensburg’s craftspeople and applied artists has been running since 1982 and is named after St Lucia, who in the Scandinavian tradition brings light with a crown of candles on her head. Exhibitors sell only their own work: jewellery, ceramics, glass, wood, metal, leather, textiles, paper, candles and soap. If you are looking for a present nobody else will have, start here rather than on Neupfarrplatz. The market comes with a cultural programme on two stages and an art exhibition in the neighbouring Thon-Dittmer Palace. The food includes organic, vegetarian and vegan options. Open 27 Nov – 23 Dec 2026, Sun–Thu 11am–8pm, Fri–Sat 11am–9pm.

Advent market in the Spitalgarten by the Danube

Cross the Stone Bridge and right on the other side, in the garden of St Catherine’s Hospital in the Stadtamhof district, is the smallest and most family-friendly of the Regensburg markets. The stalls stand by the water, looking across the Danube to the cathedral and the old town, which in our view is the best view you can get with a mulled wine in your hand in Regensburg. People sit around the fire, there is live music every day on a stage overlooking the river, and the food runs from sausage in a roll, roast ham rolls and lentil curry to churros, with spiked hot chocolate alongside the mulled wine. The stalls sell jewellery from a goldsmith and silversmith, olive wood and sheepskin goods and regional produce. Open 23 Nov – 23 Dec 2026, Mon–Fri 4pm–10pm, Sat 11am–10pm, Sun 11am–9pm. The detailed 2026 music programme hasn’t been published yet. As soon as it is, we will add it here.

The count’s enchanted Christmas market in Dörnbergpark

The Zauberhafte gräfliche Christkindlmarkt is set around the Rosarium rose garden in Dörnberg Park, about fifteen minutes’ walk west of the old town (Hoppestraße 3a). It is smaller, entry is free and it suits families with children best. The 2026 programme includes performances by the Doana G’sindl group, who keep alive the customs of the “Rauhnächte”, the wild winter nights (20 Nov and 19 Dec), and by the Walhalla-Hexen witches (29 Nov and 6 Dec). Open 19 Nov – 20 Dec 2026, Thu–Fri 4pm–10pm, Sat 2pm–10pm, Sun 2pm–9pm only, closed on Sunday 22 November.

Weihnachtszauber on Bismarckplatz

On Bismarckplatz by the theatre, Regensburg’s charities and social projects sell goods made in their sheltered workshops. It is a small market, but whatever you buy here goes to a good cause. The 2026 dates haven’t been published yet. As soon as they are, we will add them here.

What to eat and drink, and what it costs

• Regensburg sausages: “Original Regensburger Bratwürste” off the grill in a roll with mustard, and the “Regensburger Knackersemmel”, a smoked sausage in a bread roll, which you will also find at the palace market.
• Blueberry and apple mulled wine: regional specialities that Regensburg’s tourist office itself recommends. The blueberry one comes from the Bavarian Forest, the apple one from the orchards of the Upper Palatinate.
• Kasspatzn (Käsespätzle): soft egg noodles baked with cheese and topped with fried onions, a proper portion to warm you up.
• Feuerzangenbowle: mulled wine with a rum-soaked sugarloaf set alight above it. At Thurn und Taxis Palace it is made every evening in a huge cauldron to a secret recipe.
• Palace specialities: wild boar on the spit, Old Palatinate potato soup in a bread bowl and mulled wines with names like “Fürstenkelch” (the prince’s chalice) or “Blaublut” (blue blood). For something fancier, there is an oyster and champagne pavilion on the “Fürstenhügel”, the palace’s little hill, which according to the organiser has the best view over the whole market.
• Sweet things: gingerbread (Lebkuchen), roasted almonds, roast chestnuts, waffles and baked apples.

Rough prices: mulled wine costs around €4–5 (about £3.50–4.50), non-alcoholic punch and hot chocolate a little less, a sausage in a roll around €5–7 (£4.50–6) and roast chestnuts around €3 (about £2.50). Drinks come with a deposit on the mug, which you get back when you return it, or you can keep the mug as a souvenir. Prices for 2026 vary from stall to stall and tend to be higher at the palace market than in town. Even so, Regensburg is still pleasantly cheaper than Munich or Nuremberg.

A little history: from a Christkindlmarkt around 1790 to a princely palace

According to the city, the Regensburg Christkindlmarkt goes back to around 1790, and stalls have been set up around the Protestant church on Neupfarrplatz for more than two hundred years. The square itself has a darker history: until 1519 it was the Jewish quarter. After the Jewish residents were expelled, the quarter was torn down and a pilgrimage church built in its place, which later became today’s Protestant Neupfarrkirche. The remains of medieval houses and even older Roman buildings still lie beneath the market’s paving stones (you can visit them underground).

The princely Thurn und Taxis family, who ran the postal service of the Holy Roman Empire for centuries, moved to Regensburg in the 18th century, when the city was the seat of the Perpetual Imperial Diet. In the early 19th century the family acquired the former Benedictine abbey of St. Emmeram and turned it into the palace where they still live today. The romantic Christmas market in its courtyards is much younger than the city’s Christkindlmarkt, and according to the organiser it now draws hundreds of thousands of visitors a year. The Lucrezia-Markt, the market of Regensburg’s craftspeople, was added in 1982.

Where to warm up after the markets

• Historische Wurstkuchl: a tiny eatery right by the Stone Bridge that calls itself the oldest bratwurst kitchen in the world and has stood here for more than 500 years. Sausages grilled over charcoal, sauerkraut and sweet mustard. On Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve it is open 10am–2pm only, and it is closed on 25 and 26 December.
• Café Prinzess: a café and patisserie by the Old Town Hall that traces itself back to 1686 as the first coffee house in Germany and is purveyor to the Thurn und Taxis court. Handmade chocolates and cakes, ideal for an afternoon break between markets.
• Spitalgarten: a beer hall and inn at St Catherine’s Hospital (St. Katharinenplatz 1) with a view of the cathedral and the Stone Bridge, right next to the Advent market. Open Mon–Sat 11am–11pm, Sun 11am–10pm, hot food 11.30am–9pm. We recommend booking during Advent.
• Weltenburger am Dom: a Bavarian restaurant right on Domplatz 3 serving beer from Weltenburg Abbey, open daily 11.30am–11pm, hot food on weekdays 11.30am–2pm and 5pm–9pm, at weekends all day until 9pm.
• The arcades in the palace’s east wing: right at the palace market there is a covered, heated seating area serving baked apple punch and waffles, and in the evening there is live music in the café in the courtyard.

Things to watch out for

• Saturdays are the busiest. Saturday is also the most expensive day at the palace. If you can, go on a Friday evening, a Sunday or a weekday.
• Sunday 22 November 2026 (Totensonntag): the palace market and Dörnbergpark are closed.
• Cash: you can’t pay by card everywhere, especially at the smaller stalls. Carry euros in small change.
• Green sticker: you can’t drive into the centre without one. If your car doesn’t have one, order it a few weeks ahead.
• Mug deposits: every market has its own mugs, so return them where you got them.
• Sundays and holidays: shops and supermarkets are closed on Sundays, but the markets are open. On Christmas Eve, 24 December, no market is open.
• Pickpockets: in the crush on Neupfarrplatz and around the palace fires, keep your wallet and phone in an inside pocket.
• Cobbles and snow: the old town is cobbled throughout and the palace courtyard is dark, so wear sturdy shoes.

10 things to do in Regensburg in winter

The markets are mostly open in the afternoon and evening, which leaves your mornings free. These are the things we would do in Regensburg in winter, from old-town classics to trips out of the city.

1. The Stone Bridge and sausages at the Wurstkuchl

The Steinerne Brücke was built in the 12th century and is the oldest surviving stone bridge in Germany. The middle of the bridge gives you the best view of the cathedral spires and the old town rooftops, especially at dusk when the windows light up. The Historische Wurstkuchl stands at the town end, and on the far side is the Stadtamhof district with the Advent market in the Spitalgarten. You can walk across in a few minutes, but we would take our time.

2. St Peter’s Gothic Cathedral

Regensburg Cathedral (Regensburger Dom) is one of the most important Gothic buildings in Bavaria. Work on the Gothic cathedral began in the 13th century, and in 2026 it celebrates its 750th anniversary. Entry to the cathedral is free. Inside, look out for the medieval stained glass and the smiling “Regensburg angel” on one of the pillars. The cathedral is home to the famous Regensburger Domspatzen boys’ choir, who also sing at the opening of the Christkindlmarkt. Guided tours and their times are listed on domplatz-5.de.

3. Underground beneath Neupfarrplatz (document Neupfarrplatz)

Directly beneath the square with the Christmas market lie the excavated remains of a Roman camp and of the medieval Jewish quarter that stood here until 1519. You can only go down with a guide, and tickets and the meeting point are at the tourist information office in the Old Town Hall. Groups are small, so during Advent it is best to book a place in advance. For us it is the most interesting hour you can spend underground in Regensburg, and a great contrast to the stalls above your head.

4. House of Bavarian History by the Danube

The Haus der Bayerischen Geschichte (Donaumarkt 1) is a modern museum on the riverbank, a short walk from the Stone Bridge. Open Tue–Sun 9am–6pm, closed on Mondays and on 24, 25 and 31 December. A ticket for the 2026/27 Bavarian State Exhibition and the permanent exhibition costs €7 (about £6), and children and young people under 18 and students under 30 get in free. Audio guides are available for €3. A good choice for a rainy morning.

5. A tour of Thurn und Taxis Palace

While you are at the palace market, have a look inside too. You can join the regular guided tours of the historic state rooms straight from the market, with tickets and the meeting point at the princely house’s stall on the market grounds. The palace museum can tell you tour prices and times (museum@thurnundtaxis.de). In the courtyard you can also see a historic Thurn und Taxis carriage.

6. The Old Town Hall and the Imperial Diet Museum

From 1663 to 1806 the Old Town Hall was the seat of the Perpetual Imperial Diet of the Holy Roman Empire, and the hall where it met survives to this day, complete with a torture chamber in the cellar. The museum (Reichstagsmuseum, now called document Reichstag) can only be visited on a guided tour. Tours start several times a day, and tickets are sold at the tourist information office in the same building. There are fewer tours in winter, so check times on the spot.

7. Walhalla above the Danube

King Ludwig I of Bavaria had this marble temple, modelled on the Parthenon, built above the Danube near the village of Donaustauf, about ten kilometres from Regensburg. Inside are busts of famous figures from German history, and the terrace looks far out over the Danube plain, at its best in winter haze or under snow. From November to March it is open 10am–12pm and 1pm–4pm (last entry 11.45am and 3.45pm), closed on 24, 25 and 31 December. Admission is €5 (about £4.50), free for under-18s. A bus runs from Regensburg to the Walhallastraße stop, from where it is about 20 minutes on foot and 358 steps. By car you can park in the paid car park at Walhalla. Take care on the steps: there are few handrails and they get slippery in winter.

8. Ice skating at the Donau-Arena

Regensburg has no outdoor ice rink at the markets, but there is public skating at the Donau-Arena, where the local ice hockey club also plays. Public skating times and prices change with the season, and you will find the current ones on the operator’s website, das Stadtwerk Regensburg, where you can also buy e-tickets. A good way to fill an afternoon with children before the markets open.

9. Kaiser-Therme thermal baths in Bad Abbach

After a day out in the cold, warm water is just the thing. The spa town of Bad Abbach is about 15 km south of Regensburg, and its Kaiser-Therme has more than 600 m² of pools fed by a state-recognised healing spring, plus a sauna area. Opening times vary between sources and change during the year, so check current times and prices on kaiser-therme.de.

10. A trip to the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt

Nuremberg is about an hour from Regensburg by train, and its Christkindlesmarkt on the Hauptmarkt is the most famous Christmas market in Germany. In 2026 it is open from Friday 27 November to Christmas Eve, daily 10am–9pm. If you have four days, you can do it as a day trip, or the other way round: stay in Nuremberg and pop over to Regensburg. If you fly into Nuremberg, that is the obvious combination. Everything you need is in our guide to the Nuremberg Christmas market.

What we would do differently

Regensburg tempts you to work through all five markets in a single day and tick them off like a list. We wouldn’t. The palace market deserves a whole evening, not an hour squeezed between two others, and by the fire in the Spitalgarten the best thing to do is simply sit and look across the Danube at the cathedral until your mulled wine goes cold. Better three markets at a relaxed pace than five in a rush.

And most of the best of Regensburg isn’t on any list. Turn off Neupfarrplatz into the lanes around Haidplatz, where the medieval tower houses of the patrician families stand, and have lunch in a pub you have never heard of. Try Kasspatzn, blueberry mulled wine and a beer from a small brewery that doesn’t even have its own website. And in the evening on the Stone Bridge, leave your phone in your pocket. You will remember that view better than any photo of it.

Frequently asked questions (FAQ)

Where next

Regensburg makes a perfect start or finish to an Advent trip through Bavaria. An hour away is the Nuremberg Christmas market, and for an overview of the best markets across the country, see our guide to Christmas markets in Germany. In Saxony, it is worth heading to the Dresden Christmas markets, to Pirna or to Seiffen in the Ore Mountains. In Austria, Linz on the Danube, Salzburg and Vienna are waiting. And if you are combining Bavaria with Prague, the Pilsen Christmas market lies right on the way, and you will find more ideas in our guide to the best Christmas markets in the Czech Republic.