Germany Christmas Markets – December 2018

Hubs has been telling me for years that I would love the German Christmas markets. Last December, we decided to go visit them, and our darling MiLea joined us. I also planned some non-Christmas market activities because I thought I would get sick of Christmas markets after we visited one or two, but honestly, I could not get enough of them. On our trip, we wandered through strings of large, dramatic markets as well as charming little neighborhood markets. I knew Germany was famous for wooden ornaments, and we saw thousands of them for sale, but the markets also sold food, drink, local crafts, clothing, and all matter of Christmas decor. Granted, there was overlap with some of the products we saw from city to city, but regardless, each market was as unique as the area in which it was set. I compiled some tips and a little summary of the places we visited.

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General Tips

• Bring Cash. Allowable payment types are a mix of cash-only, credit cards accepted, or credit cards accepted with a minimum purchase.
• Timing Counts. Christmas markets run throughout the advent season. Hours of operation vary, but generally they are open daily from late morning into the evening. Go early in the day or on weekdays if you wish to avoid crowds.
• Eat the Food. There were many food options, and I am sure they were all tasty. As a concept, currywurst sounds disgusting to me. I cannot explain why, but it is actually delicious. A mint, the Staatliche Münze Berlin, even released a sorta hideous/ sorta glorious coin commemorating its 70th birthday this year. Eat some.
• Drink the Gluhwein. Germany is cold in December. There is no better way to warm up than with a steaming mug of hot, spiced wine. It is ubiquitous and delicious. As an aside, they charge a mug deposit which you get back when you return the mug to any stand that serves Gluhwein. As another aside, the designs on the Gluhwein mugs vary from city to city. Collect them all.
• Pack light. Leave room in your luggage or bring a collapsible bag so you can get your spoils home. I brought my own shopping bags to the markets thinking no one would provide them, but many of the things we bought were boxed properly by the vendors. We also packed light because we mostly got around by train.

Christmas Markets We Visited

• Cologne – We strolled through a string of Christmas markets in search of dinner and kölsch, and they were all adorable. We started at the market in the courtyard adjacent to the Cologne Cathedral, and you would be hard pressed to find a more dramatic backdrop. The scale and facade of this massive structure is impossible to describe, and it was enlivened by the jolly lights and decorations. These markets were Matt and MiLea’s top pick.
• Heidelberg – We stumbled across this market while in search of Doner Kebab before a visit to Schloss Heidelberg. At this point we realized that in Germany the equation is every Old City Center + open air Market Place = Christmas Market.
• Stuttgart – The long, meandering Christmas market we visited was situated alongside the large square and a former baroque castle that now houses government offices. The grand, sweeping backdrop made for a gorgeous walk, and when we started to get chilly? Currywurst and Gluhwein.
• Nuremberg – This was the largest of the Christmas markets we visited (180 stalls!) and certainly the most famous. If you only get to visit one Christmas market and are there solely for the shopping, then I would hit up this guy. The Nuremberg Castle and St. Lorenz church are also within walking distance of the market if you want to make a very full day of it.
• Rothenburg ob de Tauber – We drove a little stretch of the Romantic Road, and this was our last stop of the day. This little medieval city was basically magic. Again, a walk thru the old walled city was just as much fun as the market itself, and I wish we had more time to take in the scenery. As an aside, the brick and mortar store, Käthe Wohlfahrt Weinnachtsdorf, was fantastic!
• Dresden – We were on the fence about a day trip to Dresden, and we were all so glad we decided to make time. The markets in this city were my top pick. The first one we visited was near a complex of buildings associated with the Dresden Castle, and the other two we visited were outside the Frauenkirche. We needed a few days to visit all the amazing buildings in the area.
• Berlin – We visited three markets in Berlin, two little neighborhood markets and the large Gendarmenmarkt. We paid one euro for entry into the large market which is located in a historic square encased by a concert hall and two churches. It was insanely busy on a Saturday night.

Our trip to Germany was basically a delicate ballet of me trying to buy all the things and Matt trying to keep me from buying all the things. As it was, our luggage was bursting on the way home as it was crammed full of chocolate, wooden ornaments, and Christmas gifts. I literally started planning our return trip as we waited to fly home from the Frankfurt airport. Maybe next time I can collect some of the adorable little wooden figurines I had to leave behind.

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