When it comes to Christmas markets in Europe, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: nobody does them quite like Germany. German Christmas markets just rise to another level of festive coziness, with their decorated stalls, steaming mugs of glühwein, and handmade goods for sale.
But even among German Christmas markets, some stand out more than others.
One such Christmas market in Germany that had been on my must-visit list for years was the market at Ravenna Gorge – and I finally got to go!
This magical Christmas market in the woods lived up to all my expectations (spoiler alert!), but it’s unlike most other German Christmas markets you can visit – hence why I’m dedicating a full blog post to it!
What is the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market?
The Ravenna Gorge Christmas market is a special little Christmas market that takes place beneath a stone railroad viaduct (the Viadukt Ravennaschlucht) in the middle of the Black Forest in the southwest of Germany. The market consists of 40+ wooden stalls strung with twinkle lights, with vendors selling regional items and foods beneath the illuminated arches of the railroad bridge.
If you think that sounds absolutely magical… you would be right!
I first saw photos of this Christmas market years ago online. And if it hadn’t been well before the days of fake AI images on the internet, I would have been convinced it was fake. But this is a very real – and very popular – Christmas market in Germany.
The important things you NEED to know about the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market are:
- It’s one of the only Christmas markets I know of that requires timed entry tickets to be purchased in advance. (And they do sell out.)
- It takes place kind of in the middle of nowhere roughly half an hour outside of Freiburg im Breisgau, so you’ll need to make plans for how to get there.
- It only takes place on weekends.
Read on to learn about how you can go!
When is the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market?
The Ravenna Gorge Christmas market, unlike many other markets that take place in cities and towns across Germany, only happens on weekends during the Christmas market season (which is generally the 4 weeks of Advent leading up to Christmas).
The market takes place on weekend afternoons/evenings. In 2024, the Ravenna Gorge market dates are:
- Nov. 22-23
- Nov. 29-Dec. 1
- Dec. 6-8
- Dec. 13-15
And opening times for the market are 3-9 p.m. on Fridays, 2-9 p.m. on Saturdays, and 2-8 p.m. on Sundays.
Getting Ravenna Gorge market tickets
Because of the limited dates, limited space, and high demand for this Christmas market, you need to purchase a timed and dated ticket in order to visit. I’m not sure when they implemented this ticket system, but it’s been used for the last few years.
I’m actually a fan of the ticket system, as it helps ensure the small space beneath the railroad viaduct doesn’t get too overcrowded. Yes, there are still a lot of people there each night; but not SO many people that you have to stand in long lines or elbow your way around.
Tickets for the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market go on sale each year in mid-October. In 2024, the ticket sales being on October 14, 2024 at 10 a.m. local time (which means 4 a.m. Eastern time).
Tickets cost €5.50 if you’re arriving before 4 p.m., and €7.50 if you’re arriving after 4 p.m. Kids are free, though they do charge €2 for kids to ride the market shuttle (more on this later).
You’ll want to think carefully about what time you want to buy tickets for, as you only get a set amount of time (roughly 2 hours) inside the market.*
We wanted to see the market around sunset, when the lights illuminating the viaduct would be turned on. But obviously time slots earlier in the day are slightly cheaper and will be less crowded!
*Note: While they were strict about checking entry times on tickets to board the shuttles to the market, no one checked our tickets on the way out. Meaning you probably *could* stay longer than 2 hours, though most German people would never dream of breaking a written-down rule.
How to get to the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market
1. Take a shuttle
When you purchase a ticket for the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market, you can also book a spot on a free shuttle to take you to the gorge. (In this case, the time on your ticket will be the time you need to board your shuttle.)
The market runs free shuttles from three nearby train stations: Hinterzarten, Himmelreich, and Titisee. When you purchase your ticket, you’ll need to specify which station you’ll be catching a shuttle from/to. All the train stations are within a short drive to Ravenna Gorge.
And then how you get to your designated train station is up to you. All are easily reachable from Freiburg; from the main train station in Freiburg (Freiburg Breisgau Hbf), it takes 14 minutes to Himmelreich, 27 minutes to Hinterzarten, and 34 minutes to Titisee on the S1 train. This is a light rail S-Bahn train, and you don’t need to buy tickets in advance.
Taking the train to your desired shuttle stop is definitely the easiest option, and the Ravenna Gorge shuttle pickup spots will be signposted/easy to find once you get to the train station.
2. Drive yourself
There also are some reserved parking places right at Ravenna Gorge, and parking passes can also be purchased online in advance when you buy tickets. The parking lots are located at Hofgut Sternen, Höllsteig 76, 79874 Breitnau/Hinterzarten. These parking spots sell out very quickly, though, so it would not be my first choice.
You could also drive to one of the towns where the market shuttles run from, but I can tell you from experience that it can be really tough to find parking on market days. (We planned to take the train and then a shuttle on the day we went, but a train strike forced us to drive instead. It was very stressful to find parking and then get the parking machines to let us pay!)
If you’re going to drive yourself to one of the train stations the shuttles run from, my advice would be to go a couple hours early so you have more time to find parking. Then you can wander around the town a bit before going to Ravenna Gorge.
3. Stay in Ravenna Gorge
There’s actually one additional option, and that’s to stay overnight at the Hotel Hofgut Sternen, which sits right at the entrance to Ravenna Gorge. The hotel has a cozy Black Forest design, and has its own restaurant and private parking.
The hotel does sell out during the holiday season, though, so you’ll need to book far in advance if you want to stay overnight on a Christmas market weekend. (And while staying here means not having to worry about transport, you will still need to purchase a timed ticket to enter the market just like everybody else!)
Things to do at the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market
So once you’ve gone through the process of securing tickets and figuring out how to get to the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market… now you get to actually enjoy it!
So what exactly is there to *do* at a Christmas market like this?
1. Shop local stalls
The 40+ wooden stalls at the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market aren’t just there for the atmosphere (though they contribute nicely to that, too). The market here is unique in that all the stalls sell locally-made goods or food; there aren’t any mass-produced trinkets here!
So definitely spend some time perusing all the stalls and what they have for sale. You might find some unique gift ideas, from carved wood to jewelry to ceramics and more. Several stalls also sell pre-packaged Black Forest foods, like fruit sauces, mustards, sausages, salt, and spirits.
NOTE: Bring cash with you for this market, as most stalls are cash-only!
2. Eat all the food
Along with locally made items for sale, you’ll also find delicious regional food on offer at this market. Grab a Black Forest tarte flambee, a Flammlachs (flamed salmon) sandwich, some Käsespätzle served with cranberry, local Black Forest sausages, or chocolate-covered fruits. There’s so much food to choose from!
You can also sample a variety of hot and mulled Christmas market drinks here. Get a Feuerzangenbowle (mulled wine with a shot of rum and a sugar cube set on fire), mulled fruit wine, or a non-alcoholic hot drink like hot cider.
The Ravenna Gorge Christmas market always has its own special market mug, too, which I was excited to collect!
Just like at all other Christmas markets, you’ll pay a “deposit” on the mug, which you can get back if you return it. Or, you can keep the mug for the price of the deposit. (Deposits are usually €3-€5.)
3. Hang out around a fire
Since the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market is fully outdoors in a wooden area, you’ll find fire pits and campfires set up throughout the market, which is fairly unique. You can huddle around these with your mulled wine to ward off the cold.
Last year, at least one stall was also selling marshmallow kits for kids to roast marshmallows.
4. Walk the Nativity Trail
During the summer months, the area around the Ravenna Gorge viaduct is a popular hiking spot, with lots of hiking trails. One of these trail travels beneath the viaduct arches and into the gorge itself, and along part of it nativity scenes are set up during the Christmas market. These scenes by artist Simon Stiegeler are illuminated after dark.
5. Admire the viaduct at night
After dark, the Ravenna Gorge viaduct gets illuminated in alternating red, green, blue, white, and purple lights. When you add in the twinkling market stalls and a few towering lighted Christmas trees, it honestly does look like something out of a fairy tale.
The market is magical before dark, too, but there’s a good reason it gets much busier at night.
6. Hike up to the viewpoint
There’s a trail that leads up to a viaduct viewpoint that offers one of the most famous overhead views of the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market. (The viewpoint is marked as Galgenbühl Höllsteig on Google Maps.)
The main access point to this trail is located right before the main path passes beneath the viaduct arches. A steep trail forks off to the right, and leads up to the viewpoint with a small wooden hut (it’s only about a 5-minute hike).
This trail was roped off when I visited due to snow/ice (the trail literally was just a big ice sheet), but I believe a secondary trail leads up there that connects to the end of the Nativity Trail. At the end of the Nativity Trail, you can pass a fence and head up a zig-zagging trail that I’m assuming must also lead to the viewpoint, because people were definitely up there!
I did not have the proper footwear to attempt this trail myself (I would have needed some Yaktrax to tackle the ice), so it’s the only thing I didn’t get to do at the Ravenna Gorge Market.
Is the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market worth it?
So, is the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market really worth going to?
Listen, I thought this was one of the most magical Christmas markets I’ve ever been to! I loved the setting and the illuminated viaduct, and thought the food and drinks were top-notch.
BUT, I know there are plenty of others who have gone to Ravenna Gorge and left underwhelmed. The market takes quite a bit of planning to visit, which is unlike most other Christmas markets across Germany that you can just visit whenever you want. People don’t like paying for tickets or the complicated parking/shuttle situation.
And this market does get crowded, even with the timed tickets. It’s also fairly small as far as Christmas markets go. 40+ vendor stalls might seem like a lot, but half are selling food/drinks. Even though I personally felt like 2 hours was not enough time here, some people claim to get bored after an hour.
So it really just depends on what you like/dislike about Christmas markets!
Here are some pros/cons I came up with:
Pros of the Ravenna Gorge market
- Super unique setting; you cannot beat the market stalls under the illuminated railroad viaduct.
- Local vendors selling local products.
- Excellent food and drink options.
- A market experience that is unlike any other I’ve been to (and I’ve been to dozens of Christmas markets!).
Cons of the Ravenna Gorge market
- Required timed tickets that you have to pay for (and that sell out weeks in advance).
- Parking/shuttle situation that you have to plan in advance for.
- Time limit on visits might make you feel rushed.
- 40 stalls might feel too small.
- It gets crowded at night, even with the timed ticket structure.
- Restrooms are located a good 10-minute walk from the market itself.
- Cash-only.
Tips for visiting the Ravenna Gorge Christmas market
If you decide you’re definitely going to Ravenna Gorge for its Christmas market, here are my top tips for you:
- Set a reminder for yourself so you can get the tickets you want when they go on sale.
- Allow yourself extra time to get there on the day so you don’t miss your entry slot (I can’t speak to how strict they are with this, but since this is Germany, I imagine they might actually be strict about punctuality!).
- Dress for the weather. This market is entirely outdoors in the Black Forest, so be sure to wear warm layers and waterproof shoes/boots! (Find a full packing list here.)
- Use the restroom before you arrive, or right as you get there before walking to the market, since the walk might take you 5-10 minutes.
- Bring cash, as most market stalls here don’t accept card.
And then just have the best time soaking up the magical atmosphere!
Is this a Christmas market you’d like to visit? Or, if you’ve already been, what did you think?
Amanda Williams is the award-winning blogger behind A Dangerous Business Travel Blog. She has traveled to more than 60 countries on 6 continents from her home base in Ohio, specializing in experiential and thoughtful travel through the US, Europe, and rest of the world. Amanda only shares tips based on her personal experiences and places she’s actually traveled!
