Cactus Language Blog

The Best Christmas Advent Markets in Germany This December

Posted by Sarah under Cactus Languages Abroad, German, Learning a language

There’s no better place to get festive than in Germany’s Advent markets this Christmas

Christmas or Advent markets (Weihnachtsmärkte) are outdoor markets that can be found all over Germany during December in the period leading up to Christmas. They usually consists of stalls selling food, wine, toys, candles, sweets, Christmas decorations and other Christmas related goods. Some have rides for small children, and quite a few have live music.

There are different names for such markets in different parts of Germany: the standard name is Weihnachtsmarkt, however the Christmas market in Dresden is known as the Striezelmarkt; as the Reiterlesmarkt in Rothenburg, and as Christkindlmarkt in Bavaria.

These markets are usually open every day in large cities, especially those popular with tourists, but maybe only at weekends in smaller places. They are usually open between about 10 o’clock in the morning to 8 o’clock at night, and tend to attract most visitors on Fridays and Saturdays.

Germany’s capital, Berlin, holds more than 50 Christmas markets ranging from traditional ones selling handicrafts and antique toys to ones offering not only Christmas related items, but also skating rinks and fairground rides. They are open from around 11am to 9 or 10pm.

The historic city of Aachen attracts over a million visitors to its Christmas market, which takes place in the central Market Place, Katschhof, and in the surrounding little streets. There’s no shortage of traditional crafts here, as well as delicious baked goods and mulled wine. The market is open from 11am to 8:30pm.

No fewer than seven Christmas markets take place in Cologne (Köln), each of which has a different character. The oldest is held on Neumarkt, while a medieval one can be found at the Chocolate Museum. The markets are open between 11am and 9pm.

In Lübeck on the Baltic coast of Germany a Christmas market is held in the old quarter on the Rathausmarkt near the Town Hall. Christmas decorations, gingerbread, marzipan (Lübeck’s speciality), mulled wine and toys are on sale here. Elsewhere in the city there is a craft fair, a Christmas Fairy Tale Forest with scenes from Grimm’s stories, and an ice rink. The opening hours for the market are 11am to 8pm.

The Nuremberg (Nürnberg) Christmas market, known locally as the Christkindlesmarkt (Christ Child market), is one of the most oldest and most popular markets in Germany. Each year more than two million people visit the market for crafts, food and drink, and beautiful nativity cribs. The historic town itself and its castle are also major attractions. This market open between 9am and 8 or 9pm.

More details are available at:
http://www.lowfareflights.co.uk/German Christmas Markets.htm

About the author

Simon Ager runs a company that provides information and advice about languages mainly via the website www.omniglot.com.

Tags:advent, christmas, December, Germany, markets