Rothenburg's Christmas market, the Reiterlesmarkt, fills the medieval lanes around the Town Hall and St Jakob's Church every Advent, with around sixty stalls under the old gabled houses. The town traces it back to the 15th century, which would make it one of the oldest Christmas markets in Germany. Its name comes from an unusual patron: the Reiterle, a rider from old Franconian legend who was said to cross the winter sky with the souls of the dead.
The Reiterlesmarkt at a glance
- Where: in the old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, around the Marktplatz and the Town Hall, with more stalls and a children's carousel on the Kirchplatz by St Jakob's Church.
- When: every year during Advent, opening around the end of November or the start of December and running until 23 December; check the exact dates before you travel.
- What it is today: a traditional Advent market with crafts, Franconian food, mulled wine and a daily programme of music and figures from local tradition.
- Time needed: an afternoon and an evening; the lights and the night watchman's round are best after dark.
From the 15th century to the Reiterle
Christmas markets in German towns grew out of winter fairs where people stocked up on food, tools and gifts before the holidays, and Rothenburg's tourist office dates its own market to the 15th century. At that time Rothenburg was a Free Imperial City, answerable only to the emperor, and the Marktplatz in front of its Town Hall was the centre of trade. Much of the town still looks as it did then, which is why the market has become one of the best-known in Germany.
The name is newer than the market and comes from the Reiterle, a mysterious rider of Germanic legend. In the old belief he rode through the dark winter skies as a messenger from the other world, carrying the souls of the dead. Rothenburg turned this rather eerie figure into a friendly one: today the Reiterle is a rider in a red coat who opens the market on horseback on the Marktplatz, helps light the big Christmas tree and hands sweets to children.
What to look for
- The Reiterle: watch for the rider in red at the opening of the market and at the children's lantern procession.
- The Advent windows at the Town Hall: during the market, a decorated window made by local school classes is revealed every evening.
- The Pelzmärtel: a gruff Franconian gift-bringer in fur, a local cousin of St Nicholas, who walks through the market handing out treats.
- Schneeballen: Rothenburg's 'snowballs', balls of thin strips of pastry, dusted with sugar or coated in chocolate, sold in bakeries all over town.
- The night watchman: in the evening he starts his lantern-lit round from the Marktplatz, telling stories of the town's past.
The legend of the Master Draught
Look up at the Ratstrinkstube, the gabled building on the Marktplatz with the big clock. According to legend, in 1631, during the Thirty Years' War, the Imperial general Tilly promised to spare Rothenburg if a councillor could empty a huge tankard of wine in one go, and former mayor Georg Nusch did it. Historians treat the story as a legend, but it is told every year in a play, and at certain hours the windows beside the clock open to show Tilly and Nusch with his tankard.
Tips for your visit
- Come on a weekday afternoon if you can: weekends, especially in December, bring coach groups and the lanes get crowded.
- Stay until dusk, when the stalls and the half-timbered façades are lit; the climb up the Town Hall tower gives a view over the market and the roofs.
- Dress warmly and wear shoes with good grip: the cobbles can be icy in December.
- Bring your own mug back to the stall it came from, or keep it as a souvenir: mulled wine is usually served with a deposit on the cup.
Nearby
- St Jakob's Church: the Gothic church behind the Town Hall, with Tilman Riemenschneider's carved Holy Blood Altar from the early 1500s.
- German Christmas Museum: a museum of Christmas customs and decorations in Herrngasse, a few minutes' walk from the Marktplatz.
- Plönlein: the small fork in the road with a half-timbered house between two towers, the most photographed corner of Rothenburg.
- Town walls: much of the medieval wall walk is open, with views over the roofs and the Tauber valley.
See Rothenburg ob der Tauber with World City Trail
Our Rothenburg ob der Tauber scavenger hunt turns the old town into a game you play on your phone. The route links 10 stops and takes around two hours, with about 21 minutes of walking. It includes the Town Hall, St Jakob's Church and St Wolfgang's Church.
If you prefer a different format, there is also a self-guided walking tour and an outdoor escape game in Rothenburg ob der Tauber.
Play the Rothenburg ob der Tauber scavenger hunt →
Take the self-guided walking tour of Rothenburg ob der Tauber →
Play the outdoor escape game in Rothenburg ob der Tauber →
Facts checked in October 2026.