The market stands on the Schlossplatz in Durlach’s old town, in front of the Karlsburg (Pfinztalstrasse 9), with tram line 1 from Karlsruhe stopping at Durlach Schlossplatz beside it. The 2025 edition ran from Wednesday 26 November to Sunday 21 December 2025, open Sunday to Thursday 11:30–21:00 and Friday and Saturday 11:30–22:00; the 2024 market ran 27 November – 22 December on the same pattern. The organiser had not published 2026 dates when we checked, so 25 November – 20 December 2026 is expected from that rule.
Fire baskets and a large campfire light the square, and the stalls, traders and food are done in period: mulled wine and punch by the fire, roast meat, mead. Craftspeople demonstrate their trades, and there is a smithy, archery and crossbow shooting, storytellers with fairy tales, fire shows and jesters; children can dip candles in the historical candle workshop and work in the historic dye works. At weekends the Badische Schwertspieler, a Karlsruhe re-enactment group, set up camp on the square, show real armour and stage show fights. Live music plays every Thursday evening and on many other days through the season.
The market was started in 2002 to raise money for the victims of that summer’s Elbe flood and has been organised since 2008 by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Durlacher und Auer Vereine e.V., the umbrella association of Durlach’s clubs. Neither the organiser nor the city’s Christmas pages list an admission charge.
Durlach is a district of Karlsruhe with its own old town; Durlach station on the Karlsruhe–Pforzheim line is a short walk from the Schlossplatz, and the tram from Karlsruhe’s centre takes about 20 minutes. The Karlsburg houses the Pfinzgaumuseum, and Karlsruhe’s own Christkindlesmarkt on Friedrichsplatz runs in the same weeks.
