We are considering a trip in early December to go to a Christmas Market (or two). I know many towns have the markets (Vienna had stalls being put up in early November when we were there). I think we are leaning towards visiting a town in Germany that would have a really great Christmas Market but also be an interesting place to visit--not too large with good accomodations and lots of medieval charm. Not sure if we would have car or use train but have driven in Germany previously.Can anyone share their CM experience?
Posted by
Salt Lake City
1528 posts
We visited Germany last year during the Christmas market season and are going back this year. We enjoyed it but from prior experience felt that there is a certain sameness to Christmas markets. We picked the towns for sightseeing and regarded the Weihnachtsmärkte as frosting on the cake.
We most enjoyed Rothenburg last year. The market is fairly small but the every tourist store in town (dozens) turned to selling Christmas items, some a bit above the market-stall norm. Rothenburg is normally overrun with tourists but was not bad the first week in December. Our pictures:
http://mcchelsea.smugmug.com/gallery/6787052_w2d22/1/433656478_iwoYP
We traveled by train and considered it part of the adventure.
Regards, Gary
Posted by
Brangwin, Wa, USA
349 posts
FYI what we enjoyed most about Nuremburg was the Toy and Train museum we enjoyed the Dresden and Leipzig mart more then Nuremburg BUT all were fun. We have close friends at all spots or I think it would have been overload christmas style
Posted by
Zurich, Switzerland
61 posts
Last December we went to Nurnberg and Rothenburg and enjoyed both the markets and towns. Personal opinion, but I liked the town of Rothenburg better and the Christmas market in Nurnberg better. They are very close together so you can do both over a couple of days (by train or car). Here is a great website that lists the markets in Germany: http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de. If I remember correctly there are several towns in that area that have Christmas markets as well. I also really enjoyed the Christmas markets in Munich, but that may be a larger city than you are wanting.
Posted by
Pittsburgh
33 posts
Right away I thought of Nürnberg, which has the largest Christmas market in Germany (so it will be busy, but also have a lot of spirit). It's also a city, so it has lots of other things to offer, but some of its main attractions are medieval and it still maintains that look.
Posted by
West Coast, California, USA
485 posts
We did a Christmas Market Tour last December. Rothenburg and Nuernberg were wonderful (for the reasons listed above). We also really liked the market in Munich. The vendors were different from the other cities and we found some very unique Christmas decorations.
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9224 posts
This is a list just for the Rhein Main area.
Short markets first:
27-29 Nov. Ruesselsheim Fortress
27-29 Nov. & 4-6 Dec. Hadamar, Castle Square
28-29 Nov.& 4-6 Dec.& 12-13 Dec. Ronneburg Historical Christmas Market
28-29 Nov. Ober-Moerlen Christmas Market at the Castle Courtyard
28-29 Nov. Butzbach Christmas Market
28 Nov. Bad Homburg v.d. Hoehe 11th Bad Homburg Christmas Festival
28 Nov. Waechtersbach City Center
28-29 Nov. & 5-6 Dec. Langen Christmas Market
28-30 Nov. Langenselbold, Castle Grounds
28-30 Nov. Bad Camberg
4-6 Dec. Buedingen Old Town Christmas Market
4-6 Dec. Koenigstein Christmas Market in the Spa Park
4-6 Dec. Schluechtern Christmas Market
5-6 Dec. Idstein Christmas Market
5-6 Dec. Hoffheim am Taunus Advent Market
5-6 Dec. Heusenstamm St. Nicholas Market
5-6 Dec. Muehlheim am Main Old Town Christmas Market
5-6 Dec. Bad Soden Christmas Market in the Old Spa Park
5-6 Dec. Neu-Isenburg Old Town, Market Square Christmas Market
6 Dec. Kronberg St. Nicholas at the Opel Zoo
5-6 Dec.& 12-13 Dec. Dreieich-Dreieichenhain Hayn Castle Christmas Market
11-13 Dec. Steinau Christmas Market at the Castle, City Center, Town Hall
11-13 Dec. Bad Vilbel Christmas Market at the Moated Castle
12-13 Dec.& 19-20 Dec. Weilburg Christmas Market
12-13 Dec. Kronberg Christmas Market
18-20 Dec. Bad Nauheim, Sprudelhof Christmas Market
Posted by
Frankfurt, Germany
9224 posts
Now the longer markets in the Rhein Main area:
23 Nov.- 23 Dec. Offenbach Located around City Hall
23 Nov.- 23 Dec. Darmstadt Located at Market Square
24 Nov.- 23 Dec. Wiesbaden Located at Castle Square - City Hall
25 Nov.- 22 Dec. Frankfurt Located at the Roemerberg Town Square
26 Nov.- 22 Dec. Aschaffenburg Located at Castle Square
27 Nov.- 23 Dec. Limburg
28 Nov.- 20 Dec. Bad Homburg v.d.Hoehe Romantic Christmas Market at the Castle
28 Nov.- 13 Dec. Seligenstadt Located at Market Square
or look at this website:
http://www.weihnachtsmarkt-deutschland.de/burgweihnacht.html