It’s the most wonderful time of the year in Germany! It’s Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt) season. With the sun setting around 4:30 pm and rising close to 8 a.m., it’s no wonder we are counting the minutes until the trees go up, lights are lit, and the little market stalls open. And the smells from the markets are just amazing. It’s a mix of fried foods, roasting nuts, mulled wine, and chocolate. Perfection!
The question always asked is “which are the best markets to visit?” Christmas Markets stretch from the UK to Russia and now into North America and Asia. However, the list of the best Christmas Markets always seem to include cities such as Vienna, Munich, Nürnberg, Budapest, Prague, and Strasbourg. But you can find them in cities across Europe in France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and Scandinavia. All will have their own local fare and food.
Once narrowing down the choices and making a decision to attend one, here is how you go about visiting a Christmas Market.
Do Research Before the Glühwein
A quick google search of the impending Christmas Market locale will give you a bit of context. What makes it special, what to look out for, what special stalls to visit, and how big it is. Some markets start at the main plaza (platz), but then continue on through the streets to neighboring areas. It’s good to know what you’re dealing with in terms of size and space so you can plan.
Depending on how many people are in your group, a few hours may be required to eat, drink, shop, and be merry. And to be honest, the less crowded the market, the more enjoyable. Plan for between two to four hours per market. Between the queues for food, returning mugs, figuring out what to eat/buy, you’ll be glad to have enough time to linger. Sometimes a few laps around the market are required to find just the right gift.
Related: How the Internet Made the Adventure Even Better
Drag Along Some Fellow Peeps
Christmas Markets are meant to be enjoyed with others–family, coworkers, friends, or even your running group. If possible, the kids should bring along friends, too. Don’t worry, if you don’t all know each other well. By the time you’re done, you’ll all be friends. There is so much to see and experience at the markets that you need reinforcements and encouragement. Someone who can help point you to the stand with the Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes) or better yet, let you taste hers first. You need someone who can assure you more Glühwein is needed or that you totally need that woolly hat with the fluffy pom pom on the end. (You don’t, but you’ll remember it forever!)
Not to mention there are so many Christmas Market foods to try, it’s nice to have others to share. Between the soup in a bread bowl, fried bread, potato pancakes (so good, worth mentioning twice), mushrooms, and various forms of meat on a stick, it’s lovely to have others willing to taste and share.
Related:Bringing Teens to the Christmas Market (Weihnachtsmarkt)
Bring Along Lots of Cash
In Germany, cash is king. Few places will take credit cards besides grocery stores and large chain stores. The Christmas Market is not the place to be left without cash. Some larger markets with stalls selling big-ticket items may take a credit card, but highly unlikely. Don’t risk it! Make a quick stop at a bank ATM before heading to the market.
TravelTeening Tip: Smaller bills and coins will be much easier to manage when purchasing food and dealing with the deposits for the mugs.
Related: The Ultimate Guide for First-Timers in Germany (How Not to Look Like a Newbie)
Circulate the Market Before Making Food Choices
With such a variety of food options, it can be difficult to make the choice on what to eat. Circle once through the market to get an idea of what there is, and check out the lines. (The longest lines typically mean better food.) Once surveying all the delicious choices of pork, goose, and fried foods, then go back and make your selection. Things are usually priced within the same range, but things like wild pig wurst or venison burgers will cost more.
The drink choices are pretty similar from once place to the next. The price or the mug design might vary from one stall to the next, but in general you’ll have somewhat similar choices of Glühwein, Eierpunsch, Kinderpunsch, Feuerzangenbowle, Glühbier, or Hot Chocolate. Some may throw in extra shots of rum. Less circulating is needed for beverages. Drink them quickly because hot beverages turned cold are gross.
TravelTeening Tip: Throw out any notion of a Christmas Market being healthy. There are almost no veggies but plenty of vegetarian options like Champignons, Kartoffelpuffer, Flammkuchen, and Lángos. But this really is the place to embrace your inner caveman (or woman) and eat some meat!
Related: 13 European Foods to Try in Their Native Country
Understand the Pfand System
When ordering any kind of drink, vendors charge the price of the liquid and a deposit for the mug. On every menu you will find the two prices separately. Usually the deposit of pfand (pronounced “font”) is at the bottom and ranges from €2 to €4. A mug of Glühwein may cost €3, plus the €2 deposit/pfand. They will ask for €5. In exchange they may provide a small token. That proves you are returning the mug from the same stall. Once returning the mug, the vendor returns the deposit. Since many people collect these mugs, it’s perfectly acceptable to walk off with it since you paid.
TravelTeening Tip: If you want to keep your mug (or collect them), just ask for a clean one, and they will swap out yours with a clean one.
Related: Family Layover in Frankfurt: How to Spend 24 Hours (or Less) in “Mainhattan”
Speaking of Alcohol, Know the Drinking Age
When traveling with teens to Christmas Markets, be aware of the differing drinking age in said location. In Germany, kids (that’s right I said kids) can drink beer and wine as young as 16, which makes one of my kids completely legal for most drinks at the Christmas markets. I won’t go into all the wonderful warm drinks at the Christmas Market, but there are generally three types: 1) Those without alcohol (Kinderpunsch and Hot Chocolate, minus the rum); 2) Wine-based drinks (also known as Glühwein) and warm beer 3) Everything else that has a shot of rum.
TravelTeening Tip: A quick run down of popular Christmas-Market Countries and drinking ages: Austria:Age 16; Belgium:Age 16 for drinking and purchasing beer and wine; age 18 for drinking and purchasing spirits; Czech Republic:Age 18; Denmark:There is no legal drinking age in Denmark.There’s a purchase age of 16 to buy alcohol that’s less than 16.5 percent alcohol by volume (abv), 18 to buy alcohol of greater than 16.5 percent abv, and 18 to be served in restaurants, pubs, and bars; Estonia:Age 18; Finland:Age 18 for purchasing alcohol between 1.2 and 22 percent abv; age 20 for purchasing between 23 and 80 percent abv; and age 18 to be served in bars, clubs, and restaurants; France:Age 18; Germany:Age 14 for beer and wine (in the presence of your legal guardian); age 16 for beer and wine; age 18 for spirits Hungary:Age 18; Netherlands:Age 18; Spain:Age 18; Sweden:Age 18; Switzerland:Age 16 for fermented alcoholic drinks; age 18 for spirits; United Kingdom:Age 18.
Choose Night or Day, Choose Wisely
There is no bad time to go to a Christmas Market. But daytime vs. nighttime brings both ups and downs. Without a doubt, going at night is magical. The lights, sounds, smells, and crowds can be the perfect combination. With some of the larger markets, the crowds can be somewhat overwhelming. Lines can be long for food, and in some cities like Nürnberg, Rothenburg, Strausborg, and Köln a weekend evening can make it difficult to even just stroll around. While the daytime might not seem as festive, it is a calmer way to enjoy the market. Since my teens are not crowd fans, they actually prefer the daytime visits to the market.
TravelTeening Tips: In many cities, there is a sweet spot from about 3 pm until 5 pm when the market is not yet super busy, but starting to feel festive with the lights.
Dress in Layers, Bring Extras
I know this seems like common sense, but today, I headed out to the Christmas Market without the wool socks! Fortunately, if you forget something, there are enough hats, gloves, scarves, wool socks, and sweaters to clothe an army so you’ve come to the right place. Don’t forget the unders, too. Tights, leggings, and extra layers will help you stand around and eat and drink. Since there’s not a lot of walking — even if the market looks big— you’ll be moving at a snail’s pace to layer up and encourage your teens to do so, too. This may be the one time you get your teenage boys out of shorts in winter!
Be Aware of Your Surroundings
I hate to darken a Christmas market post with a warning, but it’s an important one. Sadly, the increase in attacks at the markets, means you’ll now find police and bollards at every Christmas market around Germany. Now they are even providing markets with Christmas-theme concrete barricades so they blend in better. It’s easy to see in the crowds how bad things can happen, especially once the Glühwein gets flowing.
Main photo bycmophoto.netonUnsplash
Frankfurt Market photo by Emily Korff
All other photos © Linda Kerr, TravelTeening
You Might Also Like These Posts
- Explore Rüdesheim with Kids by Cable Car, Chairlift, Boat
- Living the German COVID Restrictions, As Told By an Exhausted Parent
- How to Enjoy a Spectacular Day at Bavaria’s Neuschwanstein Castle
- What I Will Miss Most After Leaving Germany
- Prost! How to Drink Beer in Munich
