History

A tradition dating back over 300 years – the Stuttgart Christmas Market is not only one of the most beautiful and biggest but is also one of the oldest Christmas markets in the whole of Europe. It was officially mentioned for the first time in 1692 but its roots go back much further. An official market privilege is known to date back to 1507. In it, Duke Ulrich of Württemberg cedes the town of Stuttgart the right to collect stall fees at the annual fairs. In all probability, the market privilege was the written confirmation of an already existing entitlement. In it a horse market on St. Ottmar’s Day (16 November) is mentioned. The annual market grew and at the same time crept ever closer to Christmas. It eventually formed the basis for the “Christkindleinmarkt” (Christ child market) that stretched from the Tuesday to Saturday before Christmas.

More than 3.5 million visitors now travel every year to the capital city of Baden Württemberg. Guests from near and far to come together to get into the true Christmas spirit. The traders’ wares still include traditional flea market articles but the range of goods in the approximately 300 stalls has become far more diverse: the range of wares includes wooden toys, crib figurines, arts and crafts, jewellery, sweet delights and culinary delicacies from all over the world. But the supporting program also has a lot to offer: daily live concerts, a large children’s fairyland with nostalgic carousels, a real mini steam locomotive to ride on and many hands-on activities such as the children’s bakery as well as the mini antique market make the Stuttgart Christmas market special.