Rothenburg Reiterlesmarkt

Rothenburg's market in 2028

Rothenburg ob der Tauber stages its Reiterlesmarkt among the half-timbered facades and cobbled streets of the old town. The 2028 edition in our calendar is 30 days, from Friday 24 November to Saturday 23 December, which is a week shorter than the estimated 2027 edition.

It is a market for strolling rather than for ticking off attractions, and the town itself is the main exhibit.

Status and date logic

The dates are estimated, meaning the organiser had not yet announced them when we checked. They follow the previous pattern of an opening nine days before the first Sunday of Advent. The first Advent in 2028 is 3 December, which would place the opening on Friday 24 November, nine days before.

The schedule can shift. If the organiser instead links the start to the weekend before Totensonntag, the first day could differ, so check the town's pages before you commit to non-refundable travel.

Character, sights and food

The old town is the real attraction. Local guides lead night watchman tours, and the Reiterle tradition gives the market a distinct story that you will not find in cities. In the weeks before Christmas the town tends to fill with day trippers by early afternoon, then quiet down in the evening.

If you like winter photography, the combination of lamps, wet cobbles and timber is the draw.

Schneebälle are the local speciality, available plain, with sugar or in chocolate versions. Franconian dishes such as roast pork and dumplings suit the cold weather in the inns. Walk the covered town wall for views, see the Plönlein, and visit the Rathaus tower and the church of St. James.

A rainy day suits the medieval crime museum or the Christmas museum, which are indoors.

Getting there and where to stay

There is no direct fast train: you travel by regional train, usually changing at Steinach on the line from Würzburg or Nuremberg. By car, the town lies on the Romantic Road, with large car parks outside the walls. Buses also link nearby places.

Because lodging inside the walls is limited, book rooms early or look in the surrounding villages, which are reachable by short drives.

Public holidays and vacation days in Bavaria, 2028

The estimated market opens on Friday 24 November 2028 and closes on Saturday 23 December, the day before Christmas Eve, which is a Sunday. Christmas Day and Boxing Day are Monday 25 and Tuesday 26 December 2028. No Bavarian holiday falls within the market period.

A weekend visit on 24 to 26 November costs no vacation days if you start after work on Friday. To visit during the week, such as Wednesday 13 and Thursday 14 December, you need two vacation days. A final-weekend visit on Saturday 23 December plus the Christmas holidays can be stretched with Wednesday 27 to Friday 29 December: three vacation days for nine days off from 23 to 31 December.

Tips and who it suits

This market suits visitors who like slower travel and historic architecture. Bring warm clothes and a rain jacket, and consider a night guide tour for a different view.

Check the organiser's announcement for the 2028 dates before booking, as ours are an estimate.

Because Rothenburg is small, a day visit can be enough, but an overnight stay lets you see the old town after the day trippers leave. Weekday evenings in early December are usually quieter than the weekends of 25 to 26 November and 2 to 3 December. Bring a small torch or use your phone light on unlit stretches of the wall walk, and do not plan a tight timetable: the pleasure here is wandering without a fixed route. Check the return timetable before you leave Rothenburg in the evening, as regional trains on this line run less often late in the day.