What's it like at a German Christmas market and how much will it cost you?
That's what I want to find out today.
The Christmas season is in full swing.
And here in Germany, Christmas markets are some of the best places to get into the festive spirit.
I'm in Bremen, at one of Germany's
biggest and most beautiful
Christmas markets.
I've set myself a budget of 50 euros today.
So let's see how far I can get with that!
I definitely want to try some Glühwein.
Tastes like Christmas.
Eat some sweets, check out some rides.
Oh no.
Shop for gifts and try a strange-looking Bremen speciality.
And I will also give you a special tip.
Wow, that's cool.
I'm hungry, so I wanna try something
that I've seen at a lot of Christmas markets, but have never tried before.
And I see it right over there.
Kartoffelpuffer mit Apfelmus!
A Kartoffelpuffer is basically a fried potato pancake and here it costs 5 euros.
It's crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, and comes served with apple sauce.
So apparently I'm supposed to put sugar on this as well?
That's kind of weird to put sugar on potatoes, but let's try.
Sweet and savory.
I like it.
Or with salt.
Okay, I think I actually prefer it with the salt.
The Christmas market season typically starts around the end of November
and goes on until Christmas.
The Hanseatic city of Bremen in northern Germany has its main market
at the historic Marktplatz.
The town hall and the statue of Roland, also known as
Bremen's statue of liberty are UNESCO world heritage sites.
And you might have heard of these guys.
These are the Bremen town musicians from the famous Brothers Grimm fairytale.
Legend says you can make a wish if you grab the donkey by the legs.
In the story, four animals run away to become musicians in Bremen.
Be sure to grab both of the donkey's legs and make a wish.
I wish everything fits into my budget today.
It's probably Bremen's most famous landmark.
Now it's time for some Glühwein, which for me, personally,
is the star of the Christmas season.
Many people come to Christmas markets, just for the Glühwein, or mulled wine.
Red wine typically spiced with cinnamon, star anise, cloves, sugar and oranges.
I paid 7 euros for this one.
So 7 euros for a Glühwein sounds like a lot, but that includes a 3 euro deposit for the mug.
So when I return the mug, I'll get 3 euros back.
Tastes like Christmas.
I can see why these are popular at Christmas markets, because it really
warms up your hands, and warms you up on the inside.
The price of Gluhwein has increased over the last several years.
Got my money back.
But luckily not on every market.
Now it's time for a sweet treat.
I'm getting a German Christmas classic called Lebkuchen, similar to gingerbread.
Hi, can I get the three original Elisen, please?
€8.50 please.
€1.50 back.
Thank you!
And could you explain to me what's special about these Lebkuchen?
This is handmade here in Bremen.
And here is no flour inside, only hazelnut, walnut and almonds
and other spices with marzipan and honey.
And how does it change the texture when it's without flour?
Fluffy, it's softer because it's not so dry.
It's like a very rich cookie full of those Christmas spices and it has a nutty texture
and flavor. And it's just perfect to get you in the Christmas mood.
I've eaten a few things now. Next, I want to get a little Christmas present, but what
else can I do here? Let's ask for some advice.
Eat! You have to eat something.
Mushrooms! Yes. Yes. It's very "mmh"!
Something to drink. Glühwein. Mead.
Sausage. Fish. But also Schmalzkuchen, these fried things.
This is my favorite thing. I have it every year. I think it's really interesting how
they cook the meat. And it's very tasty.
You have to get some ball for the Christmas tree.
Oh okay, like a Christmas ornament.
With glitter and snow.
I was thinking maybe one of the candles.
They are white and they look like a dome.
And you put the candle inside and you can see with the light the drawing.
A good currywurst is also a good idea.
Some great tips! I'm curious about those Schmalzkuchen.
But first let's find a present.
You'll find many beautiful handmade toys and ornaments here.
These are the ones she's talking about, but 12 euros is a little high.
So I think I'm gonna get one of these smaller ones here for 4.50.
Dankeschön.
Christmas present for my mom.
Oh my god is that Santa Claus?
The Weinachtsmann is in town! Maybe he has some tips.
So I have a question for you.
What kind of typical German present should I buy for my parents here?
Go for a nice hot egg liquor. I think, well, I'm a little bit older, I'm about 500,
but still I like this stuff. So maybe they might enjoy it.
Okay, not a bad idea! Thank you!
You're welcome.
Thanks for the tip, Santa! Let's see if I find some later. For now, I m paying 4 euros
to ride the Christmas market's ferris wheel.
Alright!
The ride felt a little shaky.
It's going a little faster than I expected.
Then it slowed down again.
Uh, I'm actually cold now from sitting for so long.
So the solution is to get some warm Schmalzkuchen.
To be honest, I wasn't so convinced by the rides here.
It was cool to see the market from a different perspective for a bit
but after a while it was just going round and round in circles
a little bit too fast, so I could have probably saved my 4 euros.
But anyway, it's time for Schmalzkuchen. Freshly-made dough deep fried in oil.
Basically little pillow-shaped donuts covered in powdered sugar.
A medium sized order costs 3 euro 50, which I find very affordable!
It's good, it's snowing on my scarf.
I also happen to find what Santa Claus suggested!
Eierlikör is similar to eggnog.
Still within my budget, I splurge on a small bottle for 10 euros.
I should have enough money left to try a strange-looking local delicacy.
But I'm going somewhere else for that.
What I'm showing you next is something really special for Bremen.
Let's take a closer look by the Weser river.
Not far from the main Christmas market is another one called Schlachte-Zauber.
Wow this place is really buzzing with people.
It has a medieval section full of pirates and themed gifts.
A totally unique atmosphere.
Here, the mead is plentiful.
Every year there are about 3.4 million visits to both markets.
And I managed to find something I've been wanting to try!
I get a to-go box at this stand for 7 euros.
So I found it! This is a northern German speciality called Grünkohl,
which is kale cooked with various meats.
And it looks really unappetizing actually, but I want to try it!
Of course, it's normally served on a plate,
but this is the street food style.
So how does it taste?
Definitely tastes better than it looks!
I have just enough money left for one more drink.
I ask the pirates for some honey mead which costs 7 euros.
But I will get 3 euros back when I return the cup.
Oh, that smells really good. It smells like honey.
And it's really hot, but that's just what I wanted.
Delicious.
So, I had Kartoffelpuffer, Glühwein, Lebkuchen, bought some gifts, rode the ferris wheel,
ate Schmalzkuchen, Grünkohl and drank some mead. Not too bad!
It was much cheaper than I expected. I was just 50 cents over budget, so I'd say that
was a success and I was able to do plenty to get into the festive mood.
The Christmas market season in Bremen is really something special.
What do you think about German Christmas markets?
Would you like to visit? Let us know in the comments!