Germany at Christmas

If you are based in Frankfurt, you can visit a multitude of Christmas Markets, besides the huge one right in the city itself. Look at visiting Bad Homburg, Seligenstadt, Mainz, Wiesbaden, Wuerzburg, or Ruedesheim (not my favorite market, but the decorations are nice and the location is lovely) I don't have my list ready yet for the smaller markets, but will post them later. For the last 2 weeks of December, do be aware that most markets, except for a very few, will be having their last evening on the 22nd, or possibly the 23rd. Germany sort of shuts down on the 24th, with all restaurants closed, the stores all close at 1400, and most museums and tourist attractions will either be closed on the 24th or have very short hours. Since the next 2 days are official holidays too, you would do well make plans to be at some sort of winter resort area, that offers Christmas packages. Many of these may be already booked, as this is a popular thing to do over the holidays. The Christmas markets are nicest at night, so do some sightseeing in the day time, either tours, or visiting museums (nice for when the weather turns nasty or rainy) This is why it is recommended to stay in a city that has some alternative sightseeing options. Finding a church on Christmas Eve shouldn't be difficult. They will all have services. Ask your hotel or B&B or at the Tourist Info.

I'll just type the names of some nearby towns that might be worth visiting (and that Jo hasn't already mentioned): Darmstadt, Hanau, Wetzlar, Büdigen, Heppenheim, Fritzlar, Königstein, Idstein, Limburg, Butzbach, and Münzenberg (for it's impressive castle ruin, not the small unremarkable town itself). I don't normally recommend people go out of their way to visit Mannheim, but their Christmas market is one of the better ones in Germany.

Thanks for your suggestions, but I was really looking for seasonal activities: festivals, parades, chorales, etc. celebrating Christmas/solstice/New Year's that aren't covered in RS. Sometimes small areas have traditional winter celebrations. Maybe these don't occur anymore in modern Germany. Thanks for responding.

How far do you want to travel? Two weeks is a good amount of time if you're staying exclusively in Germany. The festivals and stuff you're talking about are generally things that take place as part of the general Christmas festivities, in the form of the Christmas markets. Some do processions at various times, nearby churches will have choir performances, etc. It's not close to Frankfurt, but Berlin has over 50 markets and has the most "variety" in terms of feel of any place I've visited. The amount of museums and indoor activities makes it a good place to visit during the winter. Nurenberg's market is very famous, but it's also very crowded. Strasbourg, France, just across the border has a very famous and beautiful market as well. My favorite of all is the town of Esslingen am Neckar, near Stuttgart. Half of their market is typical but the other half is a Rennissance faire market. It's really beautiful and fun. If you do come this way, Stuttgart has a large, nice market with an ice-skating rink, and Tuebingen also has a good one.

I had a great time travelling to 14 Christmas Markets last year. Each one had its special lights, stalls and Advent performances. Check out my blog for ideas: www.christmasmarkets2011.blogspot.com Have a great time!

All of that Christmasy stuff goes on in the smaller towns as well as in the big cities. As soon as you decide where you want to go, then you can research what is happening in those towns. The churches put on all kinds of concerts, both instrumental and choir. Holiday bazaars, childrens nativity plays, and Christmas Krippen in some churches are the biggest tourist attraction in town. Small towns and neighborhoods in big cities all have smaller, local type Christmas markets, but they may only be on 1 day or 1 weekend. Some may start quite early, around the end of Nov. So again, the more specific you are with dates and where you want to go, the more we can help you with the extra events.