The lights, the treats, the nostalgia! There's hardly a better way to get in the festive mood
than strolling through a Christmas market. That's why there's almost 3,000 of them across Germany!
We take you to some of the country's most beautiful Christmas markets and show you what specialities
you ought to try there. And without giving away too much Santa isn't the only Christmas
legend we'll meet. Have fun!
Our first destination is Nuremberg's Christkindlesmarkt,
probably the most famous in Germany. It is traditionally opened by the Christ Child,
and the prologue on the gallery of the Frauenkirche church
is broadcast by television stations around the world:
Culinary delights are aplenty at the Christkindlesmarkt.
First: the Nuremberg Rostbratwürste. They are so small that 3 of them fit into a roll,
which is called "Drei im Weckla".
Second: the Elisen gingerbread. Legend has it that in the Middle Ages
a baker, whose daughter Elise had fallen ill, put lots of nuts and
spices into the gingerbread dough.
Upon eating it, Elise immediately recovered.
That very special mixture of spices and nuts is the secret of Nuremberg gingerbread to this day.
Our journey continues to Lübeck. The Holsten Gate, a landmark of this northern German town,
is a recurring motif at Lübeck's Christmas market.
A medieval old town such as this is the perfect backdrop for a Christmas market.
In fact, the German tradition of Christmas markets dates back to the Middle Ages.
That's where people could buy everything they needed for the festivities:
from gifts to roast meats and sweets.
And things are not at all that different today!
An old seafaring city, Lübeck has connections all over the world.
Perhaps that's why visitors to its Christmas market are so international:
Aside from the delicious mulled wine, Lübeck is famous for a confection which is part of
Germany's Christmas tradition: Lübeck marzipan is made with ground almonds and lots of sugar!
If you prefer hearty fare, head to the Christmas market in Bremen, also in the north,
where the speciality is kale.
Kale is THE winter dish in Bremen.
Thanks to its vitamins and shelf life, it was already popular with the ancient seafarers.
A more modern invention, however, is the kale box to go!
Kale is served with with Kassler, boiled sausages and potatoes.
So, what does the kale box-to-go taste like?
And what better way to wash down the kale than with a cup of mulled wine?
Our next stop is the Christmas market at Cologne Cathedral, where the 25-meter tree in the
middle of the square is surrounded by a canopy made with 70,000 LEDs.
Bratwurst, waffles, gingerbread and candy cane are staples at every German Christmas market.
But here, all products come from Germany or Europe or are Fairtrade.
Cologne's organic mulled wine also comes from Germany and is always available in new flavors,
for which there is a special committee.
Did you know that the Christmas market at
Cologne Cathedral is the largest in Germany? Before Corona, it attracted 4 million visitors
in just 4 weeks. Whether those numbers will be repeated this year remains to be seen.
From the big city to a small town: medieval Rothenburg ob der Tauber, in Franconia, is
especially atmospheric during Advent! Its 500-years old Christmas market is called the
Reiterlesmarkt, after a mythical figure from the Middle Ages who is said to bring good luck.
If you get too cold, you can pay a visit to
the Käthe Wohlfahrt Christmas village, where you'll find all things associated with Christmas
to decorate your tree and your home.
Then head back out into the hustle and bustle,
where you'll be as excited as these visitors:
It's my first time to visit a christmas market
and I feel it is adorable, amazing, it's cool!
You might just bump into the night watchman.
Here, he is gathering strength with a bratwurst before starting his evening tour of medieval
Rothenburg, which is especially romantic at Christmas time.
We're now headed to one of the country's oldest Christmas markets, the Striezelmarkt in Dresden.
Striezel as the Saxons call the Christstollen have been sold here in the run-up to Christmas for 600 years.
If you're lucky, you'll meet the Stollen Girl handing out samples.
And in one of the show bakeries you can watch
the Dresden masters at work: mixing butter, flour, sugar, sultanas, almonds, candied lemon
and orange peel to make the stollen by hand! According to tradition, the Stollen is shaped
to look like the Christ Child wrapped in swaddling clothes. The icing sugar does the trick!
That's not the only thing that stands out at the Dresden Christmas market, where you'll
see lots of wooden Christmas decorations. Angels, nutcrackers, candle arches, pyramids,
traditional art from the nearby Erzgebirge mountains.
Finally, we head to Berlin. Among the city's more than 40 Christmas markets, the most
beautiful is at the Rotes Rathaus in Mitte.
Like every year, visitors here can skate on
the ice rink around the Neptunbrunnen fountain.
The 50-meter-high Ferris wheel is another
highlight, with heated gondolas keeping you warm whilst you enjoy the view.
Stay warm with a cup of mead, a drink that dates back to ancient Celts:
And if you have an apparition after a cup or two, don't blame the mead: Father Christmas
really does hover over the market here, live and in color. That's Berlin for you!