Paying, deposits and what things cost
Cash or card, how much the deposit on the mulled-wine mug is, what the Christkindlesmarkt-Taler is — and why any price quoted for a Christmas market stays a rough guide.
About the facts in this text: the checked dates and the links to every organiser are in the list of all markets (checked 21 September 2026). Opening hours, prices and programme mentioned in the running text refer to the 2025 season or to the state of the organiser's page when this was written — check before you travel.
Cash or card?
Both. On its official page about the Christkindlesmarkt-Taler, the City of Nuremberg explicitly refers to “payment by cash and card” at the market, so card payment is normal.
The practical advice all the same: bring euros in cash, preferably small notes. A Christmas market is made up of many small independent stalls, and nobody can guarantee that every single one has a card reader or that it works reliably in the cold. Cash is simply the solution that never fails here.
The Christkindlesmarkt-Taler
A Nuremberg peculiarity: the Christkindlesmarkt-Taler is, according to the city, an official means of payment at the market. One Taler is worth 5 euros and can be spent at every hut on the Hauptmarkt, at the Markt der Partnerstädte, at the Kinderweihnacht and at Original Regional.
It is sold in packs of ten, which in the 2025 season cost 45 euros — against a value of 50 euros, so five euros to the good. There was a limit of 100 Taler per person while stocks lasted. The city fixes the outlet and the start date afresh each season; the figures we found refer to 2025. For 2026 the outlet and start date have not been published — if you want to use the Taler, check the official page shortly before you travel.
As a gift it makes sense; as a travel purse only up to a point, because anything you do not spend stays a Taler.
The deposit on the mug
Mulled wine is served in a mug, and the mug carries a deposit. In the 2025 season it was €5.00. The money is not gone: hand the mug back at a stall and you get it back.
The mug's design changes from year to year and many visitors deliberately take one home. Both are fine — it is simply worth knowing that with your first mulled wine you are deciding whether you have spent €4.50 or €9.50.
Practical point: you do not have to return the mug to the stall you got it from.
Guide prices — and why they are only guides
There are no official prices. Every trader sets their own, they change each season, and the city publishes no price list. The figures below come from the regional press and are labelled with the year they refer to. No prices are available for 2026.
| Item | Price | Season |
|---|---|---|
| Mulled wine | €4.50 | 2025 (same as 2024) |
| Deposit on the mug | €5.00 | 2025 |
| Berry mulled wine | €5.00 | 2025 |
| Children's punch | €3.50–4.00 | 2025 |
| Shot added to mulled wine | €2.00 | 2024 |
| Drei im Weggla | €4.50–5.00 | 2024 |
| Lebkuchen | approx. €4.50 / 100 g | 2024 |
Budget conservatively for an evening of mulled wine, a sausage and something small — and remember that the deposit is added once, with your first drink.
Common questions
Can you pay by card at the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt?
Yes. The City of Nuremberg's official page refers to payment by cash and card. Since the market consists of many independent stalls, carry euros in cash as well.
How much is the deposit on the mulled-wine mug?
In the 2025 season it was €5.00. You get the money back when you hand the mug in at a stall — including a different stall from the one you got it at.
What is the Christkindlesmarkt-Taler?
An official means of payment at the market worth 5 euros, valid at every hut on the Hauptmarkt, at the Markt der Partnerstädte, the Kinderweihnacht and Original Regional. In the 2025 season a pack of ten cost 45 euros. The outlet and start date for 2026 had not been published.
