I will have one day in Frankfurt on my way home from a business trip and would like to go to a Christmas market. Please provide your recommendations. I am considering going to Nuremberg - is this too far to go for a day trip?
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
It's not too far, but a better question would be, is it worth going out of your way to visit for the Christmas market alone? If you've seen Nürnberg before, then I would say the market isn't worth the additional trip. I didn't find it particularly stood out from any other large city market. But, if you have never visited the city, it's worth a trip anytime. Consider the Market as a bonus feature.
Posted by
Germany
868 posts
Nuremberg is 2h away from Frankfurt. If you want to spend 2 hours on the train I recommend to visit Erfurt instead of Nuremberg. Erfurts Christmas market is as big as Nurembergs, but not as horribly crowded. And whereas Nuremberg was completely destroyed in WW2 Erfurts old town is completely preserved. IMHO the setting is much, much nicer. http://www.erfurter-weihnachtsmarkt.eu/
Posted by
Germany, Germany
813 posts
There's better options in my opinion. Heidelberg and Stuttgart are better. Heidelberg is definitely quicker to get to and a great town. Stuttgart would be a few hours on the train, but the christmas market set up is better and larger than Nuremburg.
Posted by
Calgary
2297 posts
We visited the the christmas market in Frankfurt on a layover once and liked it a lot. Staying in town allows you to take it easy, no risky winter travel delays. So browse the stalls, sip some Glühwein, and see some sights as well. Frankfurt is worth a day. I would only venture further afar if I'd been to Frankfurt before and want to see different scenery.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
8938 posts
With so many Christmas markets nearer to Frankfurt, I don't think I would waste all that time sitting on a train. In that same amount of time it takes to get there and back, you could have visited 3 markets. Besides the Frankfurt market, which you may have already visited during your business trip, consider hopping on the S-bahn and going to Mainz, and then Wiesbaden. Lots of people enjoy going to Ruedesheim, though it can be very crowded on the weekend. Darmstadt has a market as does Hanau. Frankfurt also has a market out in the city forest which is beginning to get popular. If you tell us your dates of travel, I can tell you some towns that have just 2 day markets, like Bad Homburg, Seligenstadt, Idstein, Eppstein, Büdingen, Marburg, etc. all within just an hour of Frankfurt.
Posted by
Danville, VT
12040 posts
Adding to what Jo wrote, I particularly like the Darmstadt market.