Events

Explore Haltern’s old town late at night and experience the interplay of light and shadow in this historic setting. Stroll through the evening alleys alongside the night watchman, discovering both beautiful and eerie sights along the way. In the past, the night watchman held an important position, and his duties were not limited to lighting the street lamps. Amusing anecdotes, the history and stories of our town, as well as the nocturnal atmosphere, characterise this themed city tour.

Four friends set off for the North Sea. Only three return. They all have something to hide. It was meant to be an unforgettable summer: Fleur, Manou, Nadia and Anna move into a small, renovated fisherman’s cottage on the North Sea coast. From the endless dunes to the gentle murmur of the North Sea, everything seems perfect – yet tensions lurk beneath the surface: what begins as a shared mission is overshadowed by unspoken secrets.

 When one of them is murdered, the fragile balance between the women is shattered.

Ten years later, the remaining friends return and realise that nobody told the whole truth back then – and that the murderer has

has still not been brought to justice …

Dorina Weßendorf was born in 1992 in the beautiful town of Haltern am See. She still lives there today with her husband. Her main job is as a nursery teacher, and she loves to spend her free time travelling, in the garden or on horseback.

With his unique voice and touching lyrics, Michael Schulte wants to inspire the audience in Haltern am See in November. The Bambi award winner and ESC fourth-placed will be playing an exclusive live concert with his band. The singer and songwriter is a proven crowd-puller everywhere, as he is now one of Germany's top pop artists. The Bambi award-winner's career began back in the noughties, when he regularly performed cover versions on YouTube. His videos were clicked over 100 million times. In 2012, the artist, who lives in the far north of Germany, came third in the TV show "The Voice of Germany". His fame increased again immensely when he represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2018 and took fourth place with the song "You Let Me Walk Alone". Further hits such as "Back to the Start", "All I Need", "Keep Me Up", "For a Second", "Here Goes Nothing", "Remember Me" and "With You" followed, as did winning the Newcomer Bambi.

Explore Haltern’s old town late at night and experience the interplay of light and shadow in its historic setting. Stroll through the evening alleyways alongside the night watchman, discovering both beautiful and eerie sights along the way. In the past, the night watchman held an important position, and his duties went beyond simply lighting the street lamps. Amusing anecdotes, the history and stories of our town, and the nocturnal atmosphere characterise this themed city tour.

Traditionally, the St Nicholas Market in Haltern am See begins on the first weekend of Advent. Mayor Andreas Stegemann will open the St Nicholas Market on 27 November 2026 at 5 pm in the market square.

The ‘Hüttenzauber’ on the market square is well worth a visit. Here, visitors can soak up the cosy atmosphere whatever the weather, browse the stalls and relax with a hot drink whilst listening to festive music. The adventure ice rink run by Stadtwerke Haltern am See invites you to have a few fast laps, and anyone looking to do a bit of present shopping is sure to find something to their liking amongst the arts and crafts on offer.

Once again, a curtain of lights spanning almost the entire square creates a festive atmosphere – achieved in an energy-efficient manner thanks to energy-saving LEDs.

On the Saturdays in Advent, the ‘Glücksthaler’ prize draws, organised by ‘Haltern am See. Tut gut.’, will once again take place at 3 pm.

As is traditional, St Nicholas will arrive by boat across the lake on 6 December at 6 pm and lead a small procession into the town centre.

On 6 December, a special Sunday shopping event will take place from 1 pm to 6 pm under the slogan: “Shop where others go on holiday!”

Opening hours of the St Nicholas Market:
Monday–Thursday 3 pm–8 pm
Friday 3 pm–9 pm
Saturday and Sunday 11 am–9 pm

The traditional weekly market on Tuesdays and Fridays will be held at Kärntner Platz during this period.

Explore Haltern’s old town after dark and experience the interplay of light and shadow in this historic setting. Stroll through the evening alleyways alongside the night watchman, discovering both beautiful and eerie sights along the way. In the past, the night watchman held an important position, and his duties were not limited to lighting the street lamps. Amusing anecdotes, the history and stories of our town, as well as the nocturnal atmosphere, characterise this themed city walk.

On the first two weekends of Advent, a diverse and festively decorated Christmas market will be opening its doors for the third time. Visitors can look forward to a lovingly decorated setting featuring large, festively decorated Christmas trees and atmospheric lighting. There are plenty of treats to tempt you to linger, including warming mulled wine, freshly baked bread on a stick and other festive specialities. A variety of stalls and activity stands ensure a varied programme for the whole family.

A Christmas road trip through the Ruhr region.

I’m sitting on a bench in the market square of my home town, pondering a new Christmas story. Suddenly, I’m addressed by someone who seems to have been sitting next to me on the bench for a while. It’s Ewald, with a ‘d’. He looks a bit scruffy – an old parka, a tousled beard with bits of some sort of meatball stuck in it, and several plastic bags. But my initial scepticism fades and my curiosity about his story grows.

Ewald tells me about his dream: a VW T4 Multivan Atlantis 2.5 TDI. He talks about a Christmas tree, about Horst, about two portions of köttbullar, about currywurst, the number 302 bus, the Bermuda Triangle. It takes a while, but then it dawns on me. The story Ewald is telling me is a sort of Christmas road trip across the Ruhr region. It’s a story of people, with people, for people. It’s a story you might only experience once in a lifetime. Or perhaps day after day, right where home is…

On the first two weekends of Advent, a diverse and festively decorated Christmas market will be opening its doors for the third time. Visitors can look forward to a lovingly decorated setting featuring large, festively decorated Christmas trees and atmospheric lighting. There are plenty of treats to tempt you to linger, including warming mulled wine, freshly baked bread on a stick and other festive specialities. A variety of stalls and activity stands ensure a varied programme for the whole family.