Markets by theme
A Ferris wheel turns a market into a view. These markets have one at the market or a few minutes’ walk away, and we say which market it stands at.
39 cities with a wheel
39 of the Christmas market cities we cover have a Ferris wheel at the market or a few minutes’ walk away. The big ones are Stuttgart’s 58 m wheel in the palace courtyard and the 55 m wheels in Düsseldorf and Antwerp, but nothing beats a ride on Vienna’s Riesenrad over the Prater winter market.
Best Index score first. Open them on the map →
| Market | The wheel | Market open | Index |
|---|---|---|---|
| The winter market sits right under the Wiener Riesenrad, and Schönbrunn has a small wheel too.Hotels in Vienna → | 6 Nov – 6 Jan | 8.6 |
 Dresden Augustusmarkt (Hauptstraße) | There’s a Ferris wheel among the rides at the Augustusmarkt on Hauptstraße.Hotels in Dresden → | 25 Nov – 6 Jan | 8.4 |
 Budapest Fashion Street & Erzsébet tér | The year-round Budapest Eye stands on Erzsébet tér beside the square's Christmas stalls.Hotels in Budapest → | 13 Nov – 3 Jan | 8.3 |
 Colmar Marché Gourmand / Place Rapp | A big wheel turns next to the gourmet market on Place Rapp until 3 January.Hotels in Colmar → | 23 Nov – 29 Dec | 8.1 |
 Leipzig Augustusplatz | A Ferris wheel in the Augustusplatz family area of the main market.Hotels in Leipzig → | 24 Nov – 23 Dec | 8.1 |
 | A 55 m wheel on Burgplatz, right where the Weihnachtspromenade starts.Hotels in Düsseldorf → | 19 Nov – 30 Dec | 7.8 |
 Frankfurt WeihnachtsRoßmarkt | A historic Ferris wheel on the Roßmarkt section of the main market.Hotels in Frankfurt → | 23 Nov – 22 Dec | 7.8 |
 Graz Kinder-Advent, Kapistran-Pieller-Platz (Kleine Neutorgasse) | A small nostalgic Ferris wheel at the children’s Advent market by the Franciscan church.Hotels in Graz → | 20 Nov – 24 Dec | 7.8 |
 Lübeck Maritimer Weihnachtsmarkt (Koberg) | A Ferris wheel on the Koberg with views over the old town and harbour, 23 Nov to 29 Dec 2026.Hotels in Lübeck → | 23 Nov – 30 Dec | 7.8 |
 | A 58 m wheel in the Ehrenhof of the Neues Schloss, from 18 November 2026 to 6 January 2027.Hotels in Stuttgart → | 25 Nov – 23 Dec | 7.8 |
 Berlin Berliner Weihnachtszeit am Roten Rathaus | A panorama Ferris wheel stands right inside the market.Hotels in Berlin → | 13 Nov – 3 Jan | 7.7 |
 Brno Moravské náměstí | A 33 m wheel stands beside the main-square markets.Hotels in Brno → | 13 Nov – 31 Dec | 7.7 |
 Hamburg Weißer Zauber (Jungfernstieg) | A nostalgic Ferris wheel at the Weißer Zauber market on the Jungfernstieg.Hotels in Hamburg → | 23 Nov – 1 Jan | 7.6 |
 Cologne Hafen-Weihnachtsmarkt | A new 48 m wheel at the harbour market for 2026.Hotels in Cologne → | 13 Nov – 10 Jan | 7.5 |
 Montreux Place du Marché | A CHF 8 Ferris wheel on Place du Marché, at the end of the quays market.Hotels in Montreux → | 20 Nov – 24 Dec | 7.5 |
 Brussels Vismet | A 55 m wheel stood at the Vismet in 2025. The 2026 spot isn’t announced yet.Hotels in Brussels → | 27 Nov – 3 Jan | 7.4 |
 Edinburgh East Princes Street Gardens (LNER Big Wheel) | The LNER Big Wheel stands on the main market site in East Princes Street Gardens.Hotels in Edinburgh → | 14 Nov – 3 Jan | 7.4 |
 Dortmund Weihnachtsstadt Dortmund: Platz von Leeds | A large Ferris wheel stands on the Platz von Leeds behind the Reinoldikirche.Hotels in Dortmund → | 19 Nov – 30 Dec | 7.3 |
 Reims Place Drouet d'Erlon | The big wheel is part of the official Christmas programme, about five minutes’ walk from the main market.Hotels in Reims → | 25 Nov – 27 Dec | 7.2 |
 Geneva Noël au Quai | A Ferris wheel inside the market on the Quai du Mont-Blanc.Hotels in Geneva → | 19 Nov – 24 Dec | 7.1 |
 Ghent Korenmarkt | A Ferris wheel turns on the Korenmarkt every day in 2026.Hotels in Ghent → | 3 Dec – 3 Jan | 7.1 |
 Lille Grand'Place (Grande Roue de Lille) | A 50 m wheel next to the big tree, a block from the Village de Noël.Hotels in Lille → | 18 Nov – 30 Dec | 7.0 |
 Manchester Albert Square | A 50-metre Ferris wheel in Albert Square, open from 6 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027.Hotels in Manchester → | 6 Nov – 3 Jan | 7.0 |
 Luxembourg City Wantermaart, Place de la Constitution | A 32 m wheel by the Gëlle Fra looking over the Pétrusse valley and the Pont Adolphe.Hotels in Luxembourg City → | 20 Nov – 3 Jan | 6.9 |
 Paris Marché de Noël des Tuileries | The Tuileries winter fair had a grande roue in 2025. The 2026 line-up isn’t out yet.Hotels in Paris → | 12 Nov – 4 Jan | 6.9 |
 Newcastle Christmas Village, Old Eldon Square | A 22-metre Ferris wheel, up from 15 m in 2025, open from 21 Nov to 31 Dec 2026 except Christmas Day.Hotels in Newcastle → | 19 Nov – 23 Dec | 6.8 |
 Maastricht Magisch Maastricht Vrijthof | A 45 m wheel with closed glass gondolas over the Vrijthof.Hotels in Maastricht → | 27 Nov – 27 Dec | 6.7 |
 Oslo Jul i Vinterland, Spikersuppa | A Ferris wheel over Karl Johans gate, looking down on the rink and the parliament.Hotels in Oslo → | 7 Nov – 3 Jan | 6.7 |
 Bergen Bergen Julemarked, Festplassen | A 22-metre wheel by the lake on Festplassen, with six more rides around it.Hotels in Bergen → | 20 Nov – 22 Dec | 6.6 |
 Leeds Ice Cube at Christmas, Victoria Gardens | The Wheel of Light big wheel stands in Victoria Gardens, £6 for adults.Hotels in Leeds → | 19 Nov – 31 Dec | 6.6 |
 Antwerp Winter in Antwerpen | A 55 m Ferris wheel is a fixed part of Winter in Antwerpen. It stood on the Steenplein in 2025, and the 2026 spot isn’t announced yet.Hotels in Antwerp → | 4 Dec – 3 Jan | 6.5 |
 Craiova Craiova Christmas market | A 40-metre wheel this year. Last year it stood in Piața William Shakespeare at 30 lei a ride.Hotels in Craiova → | 13 Nov – 3 Jan | 6.5 |
 London Hyde Park Winter Wonderland (The Giant Wheel) | The Giant Wheel, with a nightly light show, on the main funfair site.Hotels in London → | 31 Oct – 4 Jan | 6.5 |
 Birmingham Centenary Square, about 10 minutes’ walk from Victoria Square | The Big Wheel in Centenary Square runs from 5 Nov 2026 to 3 Jan 2027, separate from the Frankfurt market, and you pay on arrival.Hotels in Birmingham → | 5 Nov – 24 Dec | 6.1 |
 Nottingham Old Market Square | The 60-metre Wheel of Nottingham stands in the square, a 12-minute ride.Hotels in Nottingham → | 12 Nov – 31 Dec | 6.1 |
 Amsterdam Het Amsterdamse Winterparadijs, RAI | A giant Ferris wheel inside the ticketed RAI winter fair, 17 Dec 2026 to 2 Jan 2027, not at the Museumplein market.Hotels in Amsterdam → | 3 Dec – 27 Dec | 5.9 |
 Bristol Bristol Christmas Market on Broadmead | A 15-metre big wheel turns in the Broadmead market every day, 10:00 to 21:00.Hotels in Bristol → | 6 Nov – 23 Dec | 5.7 |
 Dublin TwinkleTown Smithfield Square | A 33-metre Big Wheel on Smithfield Square, paid on the day, and Everwinter at the RDS has a big wheel too.Hotels in Dublin → | 20 Nov – 31 Dec | 5.4 |
 Glasgow St Enoch Square and Glasgow Green | A solar-powered observation wheel at St Enoch with an accessible capsule, and a wheel with enclosed capsules on Glasgow Green.Hotels in Glasgow → | 6 Nov – 3 Jan | 5.2 |
Picked for the wheel and for the view from the top.
Austria · Winter Market at the Prater (Riesenradplatz)
The Wiener Riesenrad isn’t a pop-up. It’s the city’s famous giant wheel, and in winter a whole market sets up on the square beneath it in the Prater.
Free Vienna pocket guide
A printable street map of Vienna’s markets with the transport stops and the walks between them.
Germany · Schlossplatz
A 58 m wheel in the Ehrenhof of the Neues Schloss, turning from 18 November right through to 6 January, so it keeps going for two weeks after the market closes.
Germany · Burgplatz (Wheel of Vision)
The 55 m Wheel of Vision stands on Burgplatz, right where the Weihnachtspromenade starts, with the Rhine and the old town spread out below you.
Pick a weekend and one of our picks. The map shows the hotels still free for those nights, with the real price for two.
That weekend
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