Winter World Christmas Market at Potsdamer Platz

The Winter World Christmas Market at Potsdamer Platz between Skyscrapers and Alte Potsdamer Straße

Potsdamer Platz is one of the few places in Berlin where a Christmas market is set up in front of glass facades and skyscrapers, rather than half-timbered houses or a castle backdrop. The square was completely redeveloped after the fall of the Wall, so the market stands against 1990s architecture. It begins on the square itself and extends into Alte Potsdamer Straße, where the stalls stand under old linden trees and the path leads to Marlene-Dietrich-Platz. Surrounding it are the Sony Center with its tented roof, the cinemas at Marlene-Dietrich-Platz, and the shops of The Playce, making a market visit easy to combine with a movie night or gift shopping. The transport links are unusually dense even for Berlin standards: regional trains, S-Bahn (urban rail), and U-Bahn (subway) stop directly under the square, while bus lines M41, M48, and M85 pass above. It’s less than a ten-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate.

Toboggan Run, Alpine Chalets, and Craft Market at the Christmas Market on Potsdamer Platz

The landmark of the area is the toboggan run: Europe’s largest mobile version is 12 meters high and 70 meters long, ridden on tire tubes, and on the descent, views open towards the Brandenburg Gate. Colorful disco lights accompany the track, making the run most impactful after dark. Next to it are the large wooden chalets Schmankerl Hüttn and Gösser Alm, bringing Austrian cuisine and après-ski atmosphere to the square, with live music and DJs on weekends. The catering is operated by Bergmann Eventgastronomie, which has been responsible for the Christmas market at Potsdamer Platz for many years and also rents out its party houses for company events. It’s considerably quieter in the craft market along Alte Potsdamer Straße, where handmade Christmas decorations, wooden toys, and gifts are sold. In addition, there are stalls with mulled wine, bratwurst, roasted almonds, and crêpes. Market entry costs nothing; payment is made at the stalls and for the toboggan run.