Germany’s Christmas Markets & Castles
With the last fall colours being blown away by the colder winds here in Toronto, our sights are already on the fun and exciting winter holiday season! It’s coming with anticipation of the cozy warm clothes, fun crispy days on the slopes or getting “lost in the enchanted woods”, quiet weekends in bed reading or watching your favourite movie and the smell of the Christmas tree. My favourite smell in the world! The smell of presents, decorations, hearty foods, holidays, and relaxing time to share with friends and family.
“Freshly cut Christmas trees smelling of stars and snow and pine resin — inhale deeply and fill your soul with wintry night.” — John J. Geddes
And yet I always wanted to travel during the holidays! It always seems logical and almost strange to have all this time to yourself when most offices are nearly empty, giving us a chance to go and explore places we always wanted to see! And one can argue it’s the best time as most travel destinations prepare special programs for those willing to experience holidays in new & exciting ways!
And today I am about to focus on a destination that is a must to explore!
Germany’s Christmas Markets and Castles
Frankfurt * Rothenburg ob der Tauber* Nuremburg * Regensburg * Munich * Fussen * Stuttgart * Heidelberg * Frankfurt
Ever since the 15th century, the festive time before Christmas — December — has been accompanied by delightful Christmas Markets. For visitors, it is the perfect month to experience centuries-old Christmas traditions that are still alive today when the candles are lit, Christmas decorations are set up & homes are filled with the smell of cinnamon & freshly baked cookies.
Starting mid-November people spend more time inside, slowly enveloping themselves & their homes in wintery magic. Families & friends get together to sing Christmas songs, for baking sessions or dinner or simply spend time with each other — things there was not enough time for throughout the busy year. Life slows down & the whole country dives into the holiday anticipation mood. Travelling to Germany in December is a great way to see the country in a festive mood & experience a fairy-tale-like atmosphere.
The culinary offerings of the Middle Ages are not neglected either. Every Bakery decorates & sells Christmas cookies — Gingerbread, Lebkuchen & Weihnachstgeback & a great gift to bring home. Another great sweet treat is a Weihnachtsstollen — a cake-like sweet bread with raisins, dried apricots, marzipan & nuts covered in a cloud of sugar powder. Hot drinks like Drachenglut (dragon’s embers) & spiced wine are prepared according to traditional recipes.
So, let’s start our virtual trip exploring enchanting Christkindlmarkts in exciting Deutschland!
Frankfurt-on-the-Main
Glinting with glass, steel & concrete skyscrapers, Frankfurt-on-the-Main (pronounced ‘mine’) is unlike any other German city. A bustling Metropolis & Germany’s commercial heart on the shores of the Main River, founded in the Roman era, it is home to major Banks including the headquarters of the European Central Bank in the gleaming colossal 338 metres Europe Tower, the 259 metres Commerzbank Tower & one of the world’s largest Stock Exchanges. It also famously hosts some of the world’s most important Trade Fairs, attracting thousands of business travellers.
But there is much more to the city than just big business. The city on the shores of the Main River also boasts a fabulous cultural life. With its towering, futuristic skyline & beautifully preserved historic quarter, it is certainly one of Germany’s most heterogeneous cities.
The birthplace of Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, Frankfurt is still an artistic & cultural beacon for Germans and, at its heart, an unexpectedly traditional & charming city. Half-timbered buildings huddled in its quaint medieval Altstadt (old town, reconstructed after the War, is the site of Romerberg, a Square that hosts an annual Christmas Market), cozy apple-wine Taverns serving hearty regional food, village-like neighbourhoods filled with outdoor Cafes, Boutiques & street art and beautiful parks, gardens & riverside paths. Its nightlife & entertainment scenes are bolstered by a spirited student population.
Frankfurt’s collection of Galleries & Museums, 2nd in Germany only to Berlin’s, is considered one of the world’s finest. Goethe’s former home is now the Goethe House Museum. You can retrace the footsteps of the city’s most famous son for a glimpse of 18th-century Frankfurt. For example, at his House or in the slightly less poetic setting of the Gerbermuhle, a quaint Beer Garden on the banks of the river Main, where the great poet indulged in an occasional glass of cider in his day.
The Museum embankment on the southern bank of the Main is a wonder to behold. In particular, the magnificent Stadel Institute of Art situated in the heart of Frankfurt’s Museum Mile features masterpieces spanning nine centuries of European art. The underground extension houses a Collection of works from 1945 onwards, including such famous names as Joseph Beuys & Gerhard Richter.
To the east of the Gallery, you will find the Film Museum & the Architecture Museum, which in itself is an innovative & unconventional example of building design. And just a stone’s throw from there stands the Museum of Applied Art (MAK). A thousand years of arts & crafts are represented in this striking building designed by American architect Richard Meier. There are also several smaller Galleries around the Cathedral, some of which are less mainstream.
It might be more serious, but the financial district is well worth a visit too, for a true taste of Frankfurt. The towering Banks & office blocks form Europe’s most impressive skyline and also own art collections any Museum would be proud of, and these are opened to the public at certain times. Skyscrapers as Art Galleries? Only in Frankfurt.
At this special time of the year, you can visit several Christmas Markets in the city: in Romerberg, on the Paulsplatz, on Mainkai, in Hauptwache, or on the Friedrich-Stoltze-Platz.
End your day in one of the charming traditional pubs, Apfelwein-Kneipen (apple wine bars) or restaurants serving simple German dishes and apple or cider wine (Ebbelwei in the local dialect), a Frankfurt specialty.
Rothenburg ob der Tauber
Rothenburg ob der Tauber half-timbered house
Visiting Germany’s fairy-tale dream town Rothenburg ob der Tauber (meaning “above the Tauber River”) is like stepping into a time warp. A true medieval gem along the Romantic Road, in the Franconian heartland, in northern Bavaria, the town has some of the most impressive medieval architecture in Europe, and citizens fight tooth & nail to keep developers outside of the city walls.
With its web of cobbled lanes, and half-timbered higgledy-piggledy houses lining the cobblestone lanes of its old town, it is the archetypal fairy-tale ancient Germany. The town walls include many preserved gate-houses & towers, plus a covered walkway on top. The medieval Town Hall has a Tower with panoramic views.
In the Middle Ages, when Berlin & Munich were just wide spots on the road, Rothenburg was Germany’s 2nd largest city, with a whopping population of 6,000. Today it’s enjoying tremendous popularity with tourists without losing its charm.
Rothenburg’s Medieval Crime &Punishment Museum, all explained in English, is full of diabolical instruments of punishment & torture. Some visitors may react with horror, while others wish for a gift shop. The Gothic St. Jakob’s Church contains a must-see art treasure — a glorious 500-year-old Holy Blood of Christ altarpiece by Tilman Riemenschneider, considered the Michelangelo of the local Woodcarvers. Climb the stairs behind the organ for a closer view of this realistic depiction of Bible scenes, Germany’s greatest piece of woodcarving.
Rothenburg is one of Germany’s best shopping towns. Lovely prints, carvings, wine glasses, Christmas tree ornaments & beer steins are popular. If you are glad Christmas comes but once every 365 days, then stay well clear of the Kathe Wohlfahrt Weihnachtsdorf, a Yuletide superstore that also houses an excellent little Christmas Museum upstairs. See the tree decorations through the ages, Christmas tree stands, mini-trees sent in boxes to WWI soldiers at the front, early Advent calendars & old-time Christmas cards, all thoughtfully arranged & described.
And, of course, spend time at the Christmas Market as Rothenburg is home to one of the most romantic Christmas markets in Germany! The medieval, walled city of Rothenburg ob der Tauber’s highly-acclaimed Reiterlesmarkt, traditional Advent pre-Christmas Market welcomes visitors from near & far to experience an arch-typical German Christmas season, a feast for the senses.
Aromas of cinnamon, nutmeg, allspice & brown sugar perfuming the air… Spicy hot mulled Gluhwein delight the palate… Music is in the foreground, with choral singing, deep-brass ensembles & bands performing classical & popular holiday works. While colourful decorations adorn the ancient homes & shops, some 50 stands entice guests with delicious, beloved Franconian culinary treats such as crispy fried Bratwurst, savoury Flammkuchen & finely-seasoned gingerbread Lebkuchen among dozens of holiday favourites. A local specialty — Schneeball — a pastry made from strips of sweet dough covered with powdered sugar or chocolate, is considered the signature dish of Rothenburg and should not be missed.
Beautiful Christmas ornaments, hand-made apparel, unique gift items, household decor & hand-crafted works presented by a bevy of Artisans are offered for sale. Traditional Christmas stocking stuffers & other gifts abound. While Christmas decorations can be bought all year long in Rothenburg, the Christmas holidays are a special time to view the city & the Christkindlmarkt in its illuminated splendour!
Nuremberg
Nuremberg Christmas Market
Bavaria’s 2nd largest city & the unofficial Capital of Franconia, Nuremberg is an energetic place where the nightlife is intense and the beer is as dark as coffee. It is one of Bavaria’s biggest draws, alive with visitors year-round, but especially during the spectacular Christmas market. And it’s sure to live up to your culinary expectations with Breweries & Beer Gardens & its most famous dish, the Nuremberg sausages with Sauerkraut.
For centuries, Nuremberg was the undeclared Capital of the Holy Roman Empire & the preferred residence of most German Kings. Rich & stuffed with architectural wonders, it was also a magnet for famous Artists, though the most famous of all, Albrecht Durer, was born here. “Nuremberg shines throughout Germany like a sun among the moon & stars,” gushed Martin Luther.
By the 19th century, the city had become a powerhouse in Germany’s Industrial Revolution. Nuremberg & the surrounding cities are home to many well-known German companies, e.g. Adidas, Diehl, Faber-Castell, Playmobil, Puma & several divisions of industrial giant Siemens.
When people think of Nuremberg, they mostly think of gingerbread, toys, and Christmas, but also Nazi Party Rally Grounds or the Nuremberg Trials. The Nazis saw a perfect stage for their activities in working-class Nuremberg. It was here that the fanatical party rallies were held, the boycott of Jewish businesses began & the infamous Nuremberg Laws outlawing German citizenship for Jewish people were enacted… On 2 January 1945, Allied bombers reduced the city to rubble, killing 6000 people in the process. After WWII the city was chosen as the site of the War Crimes Tribunal, now known as the Nuremberg Trials. Later, the painstaking reconstruction — using the original stone — of almost all the city’s main buildings, including the Nuremberg Castle & ancient Churches in the Altstadt, returned the city to some of its former grandeur. Nuremberg’s historical center quickly with its quaint character & picture postcard-worthy scenery, enthralls visitors. But the old town of Nuremberg is much more than a postcard & probably comes closest to many tourists’ expectations of a typical German city.
Although there are several contenders for the title of Germany’s most famous Christmas Market, the Christkindlesmarkt in the medieval city of Nuremberg can stake a pretty strong claim. Dating back to 1628, it epitomizes all we have come to associate with the more tasteful Teutonic take on the festive season. Favourite souvenirs include the “Nuremberg Plum People”, little figures made from prunes.
It’s impossible to resist the sweet smell of gingerbread & the smoke from grilled sausages! The main Market, held in the city’s largest square Hauptmarkt, positively hums with visitors enjoying the colours, sounds & quality of the handcrafted goods on sale (mass-produced goods are strictly forbidden). Beat off the cold with the glass (or small boot) filled with Gluhwein & munch on spicy grilled sausages & Nuremberg gingerbread. Make sure to sample as many of the local delicacies as possible!
Regensburg
