The Ultimate English Guide to Ludwigsburg Christmas Market
It’s a lesser-known Christmas market. But if you’re visiting Stuttgart around December, then it’s a great time to visit Ludwigsburg. The Ludwigsburg Christmas Market is small but magical. We’ve put this handy guide together to answer all you need to know to plan a visit to Ludwigsburg and its Christmas market.
Ludwigsburg is a little north of Stuttgart. It’s a small city with less than 90,000 inhabitants, but it’s an absolute German baroque gem of a town. The buildings are cheerful colours, grand and imposing. And it’s a perfect backdrop to a Christmas market.
Carry on reading to discover everything you might wish to know before visiting Ludwigsburg.
Did you know?
Ludwigsburg hosts the world’s biggest pumpkin festival every year. Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens welcomes thousands of pumpkins (and visitors) every year.
With pumpkin art, pumpkin-themed food, and carving competitions, it’s a treat for any autumn lover. Read all about it here.
What are the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market 2023 dates?
This year (2023) the Baroque Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg opens on Thursday 23rd November and closes on Friday 22nd December.
During this time the market is open every day*. Even on a Sunday. So, if you need to get a daily dose of Christmas spirit and warm Gluhwein, there’s nothing holding you back.
*There’s just one day you won’t be able to visit. That’s on 26th November which is a public holiday in Germany and everything stays shut for the day.
What time does the Christmas Market open and close?
The big city Christmas markets like Munich and Dresden tend to have longer opening hours compared to the markets in smaller cities and towns. And Ludwigsburg is no exception.
The market is open from 11am – 9pm. That’s every single day from 23rd Nov – 22nd Dec (apart from 26th November).
Is the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market open on Christmas Day?
Like many smaller Christmas markets, the Ludwigsburg market isn’t open on Christmas Day. In fact, it actually closes two days before Christmas Day.
Your last chance to visit the Ludwigsburg Christmas market is on 22nd December. The market doesn’t open again after Christmas Day.
How much does it cost to visit the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market?
Entrance to the market is free!
There’s no need to buy tickets or reserve seats or queue up to enter. The market is held on a public square meaning anyone can visit and come and go as they like.
When’s the best time to visit the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market?
This all depends on whether you like crowds or not. Weekends at the Christmas market in Ludwigsburg can get busy. If you wish to avoid a packed market square then the best time to go would be in the afternoon on a weekday. It still can get a little busy but it’s a good atmosphere.
Where is the Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg held?
The location of Ludwigsburg Christmas Market is ideal. It’s a picture-perfect square with not one, but two churches overlooking the market.
The exact location is on Marktplaz, right in the heart of Ludwigsburg. Which makes it perfect for a little sightseeing around the town. It’s also close to Ludwigsburg Palace and it’s extensive gardens.
How to get to Ludwigsburg Christmas Market?
Public transport in the Stuttgart region is good. If you’re travelling from Stuttgart to Ludwigsburg, you can hop on an S-Bahn and arrive at Ludwigsburg station in 20 minutes.
There are plenty of parking opportunities if you’re planning on driving to Ludwigsburg. From Stuttgart it’s a quick 30-minute drive.
There’s also an option to cycle to Ludwigsburg along the Neckar, providing the weather is good.
Is the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market close to Ludwigsburg train station?
The train station in Ludwigsburg is very central. It’s perfectly placed to visit the town by train. The Marktplatz in Ludwigsburg is a ten minutes walk away from the train station.
Getting the train to the Christmas market is always a good choice as you can have a couple of mugs of mulled wine and not worry about driving home. Plus, it’s often a cheap way to travel when you’re travelling as a group.
Where should I park to visit the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market?
If you’re driving to Ludwigsburg to visit the Christmas Market this year, you’ve got a few car parks to choose from.
On weekends and busy days in the week, the closest car parks will get full quickly. Most of them have a sign saying how many spaces are available.
A couple of car parks just a short distance from the Christmas market in Ludwigsburg are the Rathaus Parkplatz and the Akademiehofgarage. Both of these car parks are less than 500m from the market.
If you’re happy to walk a few minutes to the market, you could park in the Ludwigsburg Palace Gardens’ car park called Mömpelgardstraße Parkplatz.
How many market stalls are at the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market?
There are over 160 stands at the Baroque Christmas Market. From food and drink to hats and gloves, you’ll find all sorts of handcrafted goods. It can be a good place to pick up some Christmas presents or tree decorations.
What food and drink are served at the Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg?
As well as the usual Gluhwein and Bratwurst, you must look out for the Feuerzangenbowle. This is another warm, alcoholic drink. But this one is a punch which has alcohol soaked sugar burning above the cauldron-style pot.
It’s a popular drink at this time of year and there’s even a film about it that plays in universities up and down Germany before Christmas.
In years gone by, beer is served at the Ludwigsburg Christmas market, if you prefer your drinks a lot less festive.
Other foods to look out for are Langos – Hungarian deep-fried dough topped with cheese, garlic and bacon lardons, and Flammkuchen – thin, pizza-style tarts with crème fraiche, cheese and vegetables or bacon.
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Are there any other tourist attractions near to the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market?
Absolutely. Ludwigsburg is a hidden gem when it comes to international tourism in Germany. We’ve written about Ludwigsburg Palace and its gardens here. Every year it hosts the world’s largest pumpkin festival in the Palace Gardens, there’s also a blog post about it here.
Ludwigsburg Palace isn’t the only palace in the area. There’s two others. One is the Seeschloss Monrepos, the other is the Schloss Favorite. Both have lovely gardens.
The centre of Ludwigsburg is a beautiful example of a baroque town. There’s some great shops, restaurants and bars. When you’re taking a look around, make sure you look up to appreciate the architecture.
So that’s a round up of one of the very best Baroque Christmas Markets in Germany. Have you visited Ludwigsburg Christmas market? Let us know what you thought about it in the comments below.
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