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DISCOVER GERMANY

Seven unmissable Christmas markets that open this week in Germany

Following two winters of fully or partially closed Christmas markets, Germany’s famous 'Weihnachtsmärkte' are opening their doors again - and are mostly free of restrictions. Here are seven you won't want to miss.

Published: 17 November 2022 17:52 CET
Updated: 21 November 2022 16:14 CET
Dresden Striezelmarkt
The illuminated entrance to Dresden's historic Striezelmarkt. Photo: picture alliance/dpa | Sebastian Kahnert

While some are limiting their opening hours in order to save on electricity costs, it’s again possible to gather in a group with a steaming glass of Glühwein, or sift through the many stands selling homemade goods and sweets, be it Lebkuchen (gingerbread) or gebrannte Mandeln (roasted almonds, usually laced with cinnamon and sugar).

While some Christmas markets have become more commercial in recent years (we don’t recommend to head to Berlin’s Potsdamer Platz as your only Weihnachtsmarkt stop), there are still many that retain a traditional character, serving up local specialties in a gemütlich (cozy) atmosphere. 

Here are seven of our top recommendations of top markets starting the week of November 21st.

Streizelmarkt, Dresden, November 23rd-December 24th

No Christmas Market list would be complete without the Streizelmarkt – Germany’s oldest Christmas market in the “Florence on the Elbe”.

This market, situated in Dresden’s charming city centre, first took place in 1434, and since then it has acquired quite a reputation. The ancient festival is home to the tallest Christmas pyramid in the world, as well as its largest nutcracker.

Amongst the dozens of traditional stands, visitors to this market must also indulge themselves with a Dresdner Christstollen: the famous fruit loaf that is baked according to a traditional recipe with chopped dried and candied fruits, nuts and spices and dusted with powdered sugar.

Visitors can also take a ride on the historic Ferris wheel and gaze down upon the lovingly decorated huts of the Striezelmarkt.

READ ALSO: The secrets behind Stollen, Germany’s beloved holiday treat

Mainzer Weihnachtsmarkt, November 24th-December 24th

Recently crowned Germany’s ‘most dynamic city’, Mainz also boasts a fascinating history stretching back over a thousand years. It is also known for one of Germany’s most charming old towns, making it the perfect setting for this market. 

Visitors can’t miss the eleven-metre high, ornately decorated Christmas pyramid, which lights up the entrance. Just a few steps away, hand-carved, life-size nativity figures glow in front of the Gotthard Chapel of the famous St. Martin’s Cathedral.

READ ALSO: The unlikely place crowned ‘Germany’s most dynamic city’

Medieval Market and Christmas Market, Esslingen, November 22nd-December 22nd

The Medieval Market and Christmas Market in Esslingen in Baden-Württemberg, with its backdrop of medieval half-timbered houses, offers visitors a trip back in time, with traders and artisans showing off their goods from times gone by.

The stands show off the wares of pewterers, stonemasons, blacksmiths, broom makers and glass blowers, as well as some old-fashioned merchants selling fun themed goods like drinking horns and “potions” in bottles. 

Esslingen Christmas market

Crowds of visitors peruse the stalls at Esslingen Christmas market. Photo: picture alliance / dpa | Jan-Philipp Strobel

Christkindlesmarkt, Augsburg November 21st to December 24th

With its origins in the 15th century, the Christkindlesmarkt in Augsburg is one of the oldest in Germany, and the Renaissance town hall provides a particularly beautiful backdrop to this winter wonderland.

As well as a wide variety of stands selling handcrafted nicknacks and tasty treats, the Augsburg market also has some especially magical features, including the “Heavenly Post Office,” and “Fairytale Lane”: an animated fairytale depicted in ten scenes in decorated shop windows around the marketplace.

Maritime Christmas Market on the Koberg, Lübeck, November 21st-December 30th

Centred around the gothic, middle-aged church of St. Jacob, this market in the so-called “Christmas city of the north” celebrates the city’s historical sea-faring residents by creating a cosy harbour atmosphere with old wooden barrels, nets and a stranded shipwreck as well as a Ferris wheel with an unforgettable view of Lübeck’s old town and harbour.

Culinary stands offer visitors sweet and savoury dishes, and beverages such as hot lilac punch, mulled wine and, of course, rum.

Erfurter Weihnachtsmarkt, November 22-December 22nd

It may come as a surprise to some that this Christmas market in the lesser known eastern German state of Thuringia consistently tops lists of the country’s (and even Europe’s) best Christmas markets. 

The enchanting Erfurter Weihnachtsmarkt encompasses over 200 stands, many of which sell local culinary specialties such as the Thüringer Bratwurst. There’s also a particularly large selection of arts and crafts, be it pottery or folk art from the nearby Ore Mountains. Kids will especially enjoy riding on the glowing Ferris wheel with its panoramic views of the Medieval Old Town. 

Christmas market Erfurt

Erfurt’s Christmas market in 2021. Photo: picture alliance/dpa/dpa-Zentralbild | Martin Schutt

Nürnberger Christkindlesmarkt, November 25th-December 24th

One of the oldest and most famous Christmas markets in the world, this market is practically synonymous with the Christmas season in Germany. Numerous stands sell local woodcrafts as well as the two sweets the city is known for: Lebkuchen gingerbread and Spekulatius almond cookies, in addition to many other delicacies. There’s also a special market for children, which includes a carousel and steam train. 

If you make it for the opening day, you can see the market’s namesake Christkind give an opening speech and gift-giving ceremony.

READ ALSO: German word of the day: Das Christkind

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COLOGNE

What to do, see and eat on a budget-friendly break in Cologne

Cologne is one of the oldest cities in Germany, with a history stretching back just over 2,000 years. It’s a past full of old Roman bones, Gothic architecture and world-famous fine fragrances. But it's possible to explore without breaking the bank.

Published: 5 April 2024 14:40 CEST
What to do, see and eat on a budget-friendly break in Cologne

You could spend months exploring Cologne, but most of us don’t have the time or resources.

Therefore, here’s what to do, see and eat during a weekend in one of Europe’s cultural capitals. 

DO

Cologne is a very walkable city, and it’s easy to get between the main sights, such as the iconic Hohenzollern Bridge and the historic Altstadt or old town. That said, it’s also well-served by an excellent public transport network. 

The most up-to-date schedules and journey planners are available through the KVB or Deutsche Bahn apps. 

READ ALSO: 10 facts you probably didn’t know about Cologne (even if you live there)

To get around, the KölnCard is your best option. Not only will it get you everywhere you want to be within the areas visited by tourists, but it can give you up to a 50 percent discount on selected attractions.

The KölnCard can be purchased at the tourist information centre, or KVB ticket machines at public transport stops. 

SEE

The first thing you’ll likely see upon arriving in Cologne is the Kölner Dom or Cologne Cathedral. (Domkloster 4, 50667). 

While there’s been some sort of church on the site since the 17th century, the current Gothic masterpiece began construction in 1248 and, due to war, plague and economic turmoils, was not completed until 1880. Indeed, a crane sat atop one of the incomplete towers for centuries. 

The cathedral is one of the holiest pilgrimage sights in Christianity, as tradition holds that the relics of the Three Wise Men are housed there in a reliquary.

Cologne cathedral

Cologne’s cathedral is one of the world’s most important Gothic masterpieces – it took over 600 years to build! Photo: Bea61 / Pixabay

READ ALSO: Eight things you probably didn’t know about Cologne Cathedral

You can spend hours drinking in the gorgeous medieval paintings and carvings, flooded with golden light streaming through the windows. 

With a €10 ticket per adult, you can enter the cathedral and the treasury, which holds even more stunning treasures. 

However, Cologne was occupied way further back than the Middle Ages. Cologne, or Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium as it was known, was an important Roman city founded in the first decades of the first century. 

While Roman remains can be found everywhere in Cologne – in the crypts of many churches, for example – many of the best-preserved artefacts and evidence of everyday Roman life are kept in the Römisch-Germanisches Museum, or Romano-German Museum (Cäcilienstraße 46, 50667). 

Everything you might expect from a bustling Roman provincial capital, from tiny, intricate jewellery pieces to monumental arches that led into the city, can be found here. Tickets for adults are €6. 

Another quite peculiar legacy of the Romans can be found in the Basilica of St. Ursula (Ursulaplatz 24, 50668). Locals uncovered a Roman cemetery in the early Middle Ages, which contained hundreds of burials and thousands of bones. 

Somehow, these were conflated with the legend of St Ursula, an English princess whom the Huns martyred along with eleven other virgins (and who eventually grew to 11,000). 

These bones now adorn the basilica’s Goldene Kammer or ‘Golden Chamber’, arranged in fantastic designs such as letters, numbers and geometric patterns. 

It’s something you’re rarely likely to have seen before. Best of all, photography is permitted, and entrance is free. 

The incredible interior of the Goldene Kammer, or ‘Golden Chamber’ in the Basilica of St Ursula. Photo: Mike Stuchbery / The Local

For something completely different, head over to the Farina Duftmuseum, or Farina Fragrance Museum. 

Cologne is world-renowned for its contribution to perfumery. Indeed, the city gave its name to the fragrances worn by men. 

This is mainly due to the work of Johann Maria Farina, who, together with his brother, established a perfumery in the eighteenth century that became spectacularly successful across Europe with their ‘Eau de Cologne’. 

The Farina Fragrance Museum not only tells the story of the family firm but also explains the production process in detail and demonstrates how the scent is manufactured. 

Tickets cost €8 per adult, and yes, there’s a gift shop with bottles of all shapes and sizes to take home. 

EAT AND DRINK

In Cologne—and especially when staying there on a budget—there’s no other place for snacks and quick meals like a Büdchen or Kiosk. 

Like the legendary Berlin Späti, these are places open all hours of the day for anything you may need and serving simple but good food. 

Pico Coffee (Neusserplatz, 50670) is one of the city’s most beloved Büdchen. Don’t let the name fool you—they also serve breakfast, sandwiches, crepes and other snacks, in addition to takeaway essentials and fantastic coffee. 

Carnival start

A woman holding a greeting sign of ‘Alaaf’ to mark the start of Cologne’s Carnival season on November 11th, 2022. picture alliance/dpa | Rolf Vennenbernd

Another cult Cologne Büdchen is Kölnkiosk (Brüsselerstraße 39 – 41, 50674), a very popular neighbourhood venue that serves a constantly changing menu of small bites to larger meals. You’ll recognise it with a riot of bright pink!

Locals also swear by Weinhaus Vogel (Eigelstein 74, 50668) a neighbourhood institution with cheap, filling regional fare that’s been keeping customers happy since 1898. 

Finally, get a taste of real local flavour at Knippschild Werk 2 (An der Kemperwiese, 451069), where you can enjoy a cold Kölsch beer alongside a selection of hearty, good-value German dishes. 

Have any recommendations for things to do, see or eat in Cologne? Let us know in the comments.

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