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Experiencing Germany's Christmas Markets

Article and photos by John Penisten
Pacific Pictures
Hawaii Travel Log

There is probably no other place in the world which celebrates the Christmas holiday season quite like Germany. Many of the country's traditions date back to the middle ages, including its colorful Christmas markets. These annual Christmas fairs turn its towns and cities into festive centers of holiday tradition and cheer.

Held during the four-week Advent season leading up to Christmas, these festive street fairs include numerous booths and stalls set up in the town/city center. A huge Christmas tree with hundreds of bright lights and garlands stands as the centerpiece. The booths and stalls sell a variety of Christmas decorations, ornaments, wooden toys, nutcrackers, figurines, gifts, clothing, and more.

Hungry shoppers cozy up to the food stalls, seeking out the wonderful range of German foods and holiday treats such as savory sausages, spicy and smoked meats, potato salad, luscious chocolate-dipped fruits, and warm mulled wine and fruit punch. Visitors gather around the booths to enjoy a tasty sausage sandwich and warming mug of mulled wine while ignoring the chilly winter air.

Live bands and choral groups entertain shoppers with favorite Christmas carols and hymns. Market goers crowd the lanes and aisles between the rows of booths, clamoring for the brightly colored Christmas ornaments and delicious holiday goodies available. The fragrance of freshly baked stollen (holiday fruit bread) and spiced lebkuchen (gingerbread), plus roasted chestnuts and almonds fill the air. The special aromas of the Christmas market are a delight to the senses and add to the holiday atmosphere.

Each town market has its own special attractions or traditions. But they all share similarities in the celebration of the magical holiday season of Christmas. It's a time to enjoy the color and excitement of Christmas German-style. And the nice thing is that there are no admission fees to the Christmas markets.

Here's a sampling of a few of Germany's wonderful Christmas markets:

Munich

Christmas Market stalls at Munich's Marienplatz

This Bavarian city holds its annual Christmas market at the Marienplatz in the city center. From its middle ages origins, it was referred to as the Christkindlmarkt, or Holy Child Market, honoring the spirit of Christmas. Next to the town hall, a huge Christmas tree ablaze with lights glistens above the rows of market booths and stands. Just off the Marienplatz, a narrow lane leads to the Kripperlmarkt, one of Germany's largest markets specializing in Nativity scenes. A German tradition is to add to the family Christmas Nativity set each year with a new shepherd, sheep, angels, or other figurines. There is also a special children's' workshop offering creative activities just for kids.

Nurnberg

Nurnberg has gained the reputation of "Germany's Number One Christmas City" due to its annual Christmas market. Each year, the city's central market place is transformed into as veritable fantasyland of nearly 200 booths and stalls (Germany's largest) selling a variety of Christmas ornaments, toys, carvings, candles, handicrafts and much more. Gold foil angels are a popular icon of the Nurnberg market. Numerous booths sell Nurnberg's famous "lebkuchen" (gingerbread), fruit cake and other baked goods. And there are stalls selling the delicious grilled Nurnberg sausages and warm gluhwein (mulled wine). The Christmas market festivities are overseen by a young girl chosen each year to be the "Nuremberg Christkind" or Christ Child, who represents the spirit of Christmas and makes frequent appearances at the market. There is also a special Kinderweihnacht, or children's market, with a carousel, Ferris wheel, miniature train and more just for kids.

Dresden

The oldest Christmas market in Germany dates back to 1434 in Dresden. It was established as the Striezelmarkt, the name being derived from Hefestriezel, the traditional sweet baked delicacy known as Dresden Christstollen. Commonly known as stollen, it is a varied fruit bread flavored with almonds, nuts, currents, butter, marzipan and more. The Dresden Christmas market's numerous booths and stalls are set up in the central city square. Among the popular items are the decorative prune men and women, ornaments and figurines made from prunes. There is also a treasure trove of traditional regional handicrafts such as carved wooden toys and figures from the Erzgebirge mountains, pottery from Lusatia, handmade German lace, delicate hand blown glass Christmas tree ornaments, Dresden pfefferkuchen (gingerbread) and, of course, the famous Dresden Christstollen.

Rothenburg ob der Tauber

Rothenberg's town square during the Christmas Market

In the heart of south central Germany just west of Nurnberg is the small medieval walled town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber. It has the atmosphere of the middle ages, complete with narrow twisting cobblestone lanes meandering among old-style steep roofed timbered homes, shops, churches, castle towers and fortifications. Rothenburg's Christmas market, known as the Reiterlesmarkt, is located on the central market square between the town hall and St. Jacob's Church. Narrow lanes leading off from the square also have market booths where the tempting aromas of gluhwein (mulled wine), roasted chestnuts and almonds, and savory sausages fill the air. A big attraction is the Garman Christmas Museum which features thousands of antique Christmas ornaments of all types, different Santa Clauses, and displays tracing the history of Germany's famed Christmas traditions. Shoppers will also enjoy the Kathe Wohlfahrt Stores which feature just about everything possible on Christmas. The stores offer some 30,000 different Christmas decorations and items like ornaments, nutcrackers, smokers, pyramids, schwibbogen (candle arches), and much more all reflecting Germany's Christmas traditions.

Chemnitz

Located just southeast of Dresden, this provincial small city hosts a colorful Christmas market with over 170 booths featuring traditional regional handicrafts. Located at the city center next to the town hall, the Chemnitz market has numerous booths of fine Erzgebirge wooden crafts ranging from tree ornaments and nutcrackers to smokers, schwibbogen, pyramids, and much more. These are the crafts for which this area of eastern Germany is noted. There are also the traditional food booths featuring German sausages, gluhwein, cheese, and smoked meats, plus holiday stollen, candies, gingerbread and much more.

Salzburg, Austria

A lebkuchen (gingerbread) stall at the Christmas Market in Salzburg, Austria

Just over Germany's southeastern border less than two hours from Munich is picturesque Salzburg, Austria. This city, known as the home of Mozart and music, also hosts an annual colorful Christmas market. The market is held in Salzburg's Old City on the east bank of the Salzach River which runs through the city. The Christmas market stalls surround the handsome Salzburg Cathedral, occupying the Domplatz and Residenzplatz areas. Numerous market stalls sell a variety of Christmas ornaments and handicrafts, gifts, and traditional foods such as sausages, smoked meats, breads, cheese, roasted chestnuts, almonds, candies, stollen and so much more. And of course visitors can enjoy a warm mug of gluhwein (mulled wine) or warm fruit punch to take the edge off the crisp wintry air.

Visiting the Markets

You won't be disappointed with a visit to any German Christmas market... Germany's Christmas markets are a sheer delight for the senses and certainly make the holiday season a brighter, more exciting, and joyous time of the year. Anyone who loves the Christmas season will enjoy experiencing Germany's Christmas markets.

For information on visiting Germany and the Christmas markets, check Germany's National Tourism Office website: www.germany-tourism.de or do a Google search on Germany's Christmas markets.

2006

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