It is that time of the year again. Christmas is around the corner, and it is time to start your shopping soon. Christmas markets in Germany are snowy and full of traditions. It is one of the best places in the world to celebrate Christmas. Christmas shopping in Germany is a grand affair with some of the oldest and best markets in the world. You’ll be left spoilt for a choice.
Christmas isn’t just another festival in Germany, it is an experience. The Christmas markets open around late November and last till 24th December. Even when you go shopping, you’ll encounter traditional music and meals. The air right around this time starts feeling magical. Don’t know where to go for your Christmas shopping? Don’t fret. We’ve compiled a list of the best markets in Germany.
Dresden Christmas Market
The Dresden Christmas Market is the one of oldest and one of the best Christmas markets in Germany, with a history that dates back 600 years. Every year at the end of November, it takes place in the city’s baroque Old Town against the commanding backdrop of the Church of Our Lady.
The Stollen Festival, the world’s tallest Christmas pyramid, one massive Christmas carousel, and the largest nutcracker in the world are among the Dresden Christmas Market’s standout attractions. The atmosphere gives a medieval vibe with twinkling lights, and foodies are spoilt for choice with a variety of Saxon delicacies. This wonderful holiday attraction has over 230 booths with genuine Christmas-themed pottery, candles, handmade toys, wooden ornaments, and many other items.
Weihnachtsmarkt Am Kölner Dom, Cologne
It is set right in front of the gothic backdrop of the Cologne Cathedral and under the largest Christmas tree in all of the Rhine. It is the biggest and most popular Christmas market in Cologne. You can find handmade gifts including wood carvings, tree decorations and soaps.
With a particular emphasis on regional organic foods, this is a perfect place for travellers who love food. Grab yourself a mug and fill up on gluhwein, before joining in the festivities with song and dance in the streets. There’s entertainment provided for all ages, including young ones, who can enjoy a ride on an old-fashioned merry-go-round, or spin the wheel of fortune.
Berlin Christmas Market
Berlin hosts one of the best Christmas markets in Germany. In the weeks leading up to Christmas, there is always something fun happening, and there are a ton of delicious dishes and creative crafts you should try. You can watch dressmakers weave in their booths and woodworkers meticulously carve gifts. There will be performances with jugglers and fire-eaters and numerous musical performances. It is also a place for artists to congregate and display their work.
You could start with the Weihnachtszauber am Gendarmenmarkt, a market with a historic feel. This traditional market hosts regular Christmas performances too. The 18th Fairy-Tale Christmas Market at Jagdschloss Grunewald also provides for a beautiful day trip. On weekends leading up to Advent, market stalls open in the courtyard of Berlin’s oldest castle, where guests are welcomed by figures from fairy tales like Hansel and Gretel.
Stuttgarter, Weihnachtsmarkt
The Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt is known to be one of Europe’s most beautiful markets with its nearly 300 elaborately adorned stalls. You can enjoy a stroll through mediaeval times as the New Castle, Old Castle, and Collegiate Church serve as a background. Enjoy the choirs’ singing, load up on regional specialities, and slip and slide at the ice rink.
The nearby Esslingen Medieval Market has about 100 stalls filled with Christmas decorations, mediaeval merchants, and sweets. It also has Stuttgart’s Finnish Christmas Village which honours Finnish holiday customs by selling reindeer meat, smoked salmon, and Finnish beer and vodka. It will prove to be an entirely different experience.
Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt
Nuremberg is said to have the best Christmas markets in Germany. As soon as the Christmas festivities start, this fascinating mediaeval city in the state of Bavaria becomes truly spectacular. The overpowering atmosphere of tradition and history at the Nuremberg Christmas markets is what makes it so unique. The city’s markets have existed since the sixteenth century.
Delicious gingerbread and Nuremberg sausages, which come in rolls with three little sausages for easy holding, are available on the culinary front. Of course, this is best enjoyed with a mug of wine, or glühwein as it is known in Germany. The comical prune men, stick figures constructed from dried prunes, and the Rauschgoldengel, a miniature gold foil Christkind figure, are available as gifts and ornaments.
If you’re spending Christmas in Germany, then be sure to visit these markets. They are guaranteed to provide you with an unforgettable experience. Dine on traditional feasts and buy the unique trinkets these markets have to offer. You get to experience a traditional, medieval Christmas that you won’t be able to forget!
Click here to read about the 5 Best Christmas Markets In Europe!
