Whether you
are one of those who adore Christmas, whether you belong to those who feel a
bit melancholic and perhaps depressed in Christmas, in case you find yourself
in Germany these days you will discover the true magic of Christmas.
Cute wooden
houses that seem to have come out of a fairy tale, a smell of roasted sausages
among the frozen air, thousands of colorful hearts of ginger and plenty of
mulled wine. This is how Christmas in Germany looks.
Berlin
Berlin and
its approximately 60 Christmas markets were literally the reason why I loved
Christmas. In the end of November, the central square of the city and the area
around the Town Hall are transformed into a huge Christmas market.
And though
it is difficult to choose the best of all the city's markets, you certainly
should not miss the WeihnachtsZauber Gendarmenmarkt (27/ 1-31/12), which is the
only one of city's markets with an entrance fee (just 1 euro) with the great
concerts and even more wonderful delicacies (I really loved the velvet carrot
soup with ginger)! A bit further away from the center of Berlin is located one
of my also favorites Christmas markets, the Weihnachtsmarkt vor dem Schloss
Charlottenburg (21/11-26/12). In a beautiful area, in front of the
Charlottenburg palace, this market is less crowded than the most central ones
but it is certainly one of the most beautiful of the country.
Dresden
My second
favorite city in Germany during the Christmas season is Dresden. The bad thing
is that it's not just my own favorite as this small city on the border with the
Czech Republic is literally sinking by the tourists during Christmas.
The
Dresden Christmas Market, or Dresden Striezelmarkt as it is known, has been
operating since the 15th century and is Germany's oldest Christmas market,
making it an important reason to visit the beautiful Baroque city of Dresden.
The 583rd Dresden Striezelmarkt, which boasts the tallest Christmas Pyramid and
the world's highest Nutcracker, will open its gates from November 29 to
December 24.
Leipzig
Another
small town in Germany, very close to Dresden, which has its honor during the
Christmas season, is Leipzig. The Christmas market of the city has been
operating since 1458, making it the second oldest in the country. The Leipziger
Weihnachtsmarkt (28/11-23/12) in the central square of the city) with about 300
stalls, the trumpet festival and wonderful concerts is so majestic and serene
that it seems to have come out of a fairy tale.
Nuremberg
In a
country where Christmas markets are by far the best in the world, the city of
Nuremberg prides itself on having the most famous among them.
Christkindlesmarkt (1/12-24/12), has been operating since 1628 in the central
square of the city and is the paradise of food lovers with the delicious
Nuremberg sausages and the traditional ginger bread. A little further is the
children's paradise, the Kinderweihnacht market with the beautiful carousel and
the wonderful steam train.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
The small
medieval town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, 100 kilometers west of Nuremberg,
apart from a beautiful Christmas market, also hosts the Christmas Museum. The
Reiterlesmarkt (1/12-23/12), the Christmas market of the town has a history of
500 years and although it is much smaller than those of Berlin or Dresden it
exudes a sweet warmth enchanting the visitor.
To feel the magic of Christmas,
take a glass of mulled white wine and one of the famous Schneeballen of
Rothenburg and wander through the narrow cobbled and probably snowy streets of
the city.
Cologne
One of the
first 3 things that come to my mind when I think about Christmas is gluhwein.
Cologne, the city that gave birth to this sweet, warm wine with spices, could not
be missing from my favorite Christmas markets in Germany. There are several
markets in the city, but the best one is this in front of the impressive Gothic
Cathedral of the city (27/11-23/12).
I haven't been to any of those. I lived in Hamburg for several years so I know some of the Christmas markets there, and I really like them so the ones you listed might be even more impressive. :)
ReplyDeleteI'm sure that Hamburg's Christmas markets would be very interesting also. I hope to visit it in the futute!!
Delete