American Women's Club of Hamburg Currents Magazine November/December 2013 | Page 12
FEATURE
M ar y ’s Top 5 G er man Chr istmas M ar kets
by Mary L.P.
Over the past three Advent seasons, I have been lucky enough
to visit 18 different cities within Germany to partake in their
festive Christmas market atmospheres. Seeing that this is the last
Currents before Christmas, I thought I would share my top five
favorite German Christmas markets:
5- Lüneburg: This quaint market is located only 50km from
Hamburg. The stalls are decorated in a Brothers Grimm fairytale
theme. The market itself is on the smaller side, but having the
historic churches of Luneburg as a backdrop make it worth the
short trip there.
4 – Schwerin: This market runs from the Schwerin Lake up to
the castle. There is a large heated tent to go into to get out of
the cold. The market is very family friendly; it hosts a toboggan
run and artificial ice rink, petting zoo, Nativity scenes, and lifesize polar bear band. Also, beneath the large Christmas tree that
can be found in the market square, children can visit Father
Christmas and tell him what they want.
3 – Hamburg: I am sure most have visited at least one of the
many Christmas markets Hamburg has to offer. If not, take
the time this year to stroll through what we have in our own
backyard. The Town Hall market has a wide range of stalls, a
Santa Claus that flies through the air on his sled several times
a day, as well as many different cuisines to try. Aside from the
Town Hall market, we are lucky to be able to find both large and
small markets throughout the city.
2 - Nuremberg: This may be the most famous Christmas
market in Germany, and I can understand why. Even though
Nuremberg is a trek from Hamburg, it is worth the visit for its
market. There are over 180 wood stalls with red and white cloth
roofs, all of which lends to an authentic feel to the historical
quarter of Nuremburg. At this market, I tried many different
foods and saw a wide variety of handmade items that were not
available anywhere else. The atmosphere is full of energy and
Christmas cheer. I believe that this market is more an experience
than a visit.
1 – Braunschweig: The number one market on my list is
Braunschweig. Braunschweig is only a short distance from
Hamburg, and well worth the train ride or drive. The beautiful
backdrop makes for a perfect background to get you into a
festive spirit. The market offers unique drinks, one of the tastiest
mulled wines I tried, as well as many local artists selling their
handmade items. Standing in the middle of this market with the
medieval backdrop made me remember why I think Germany is
so unique and magical during the Christmas season.
A website that I find useful when picking different markets to
visit is www.germany-christmas-market.org.uk. This site lists the
big markets in Germany and gives a short description of each one.
Take a few days out of your busy holiday calendar and experience
some of the different traditions cities close to Hamburg have to
offer. I know I will be doing exactly that in a short time
Chr istmas M ar kets and their Dates
by Kara W.
Hamburg is filled with many wonderful things to experience during the holiday season. Christmas markets, or Weihnachtsmärkte,
are perhaps one of the most unique and enjoyable things an American can attend. You will find below a list of several such events
as well as the start and end dates for some of Hamburg’s more popular Christmas markets in 2013, listed by the part of the city they
are located. Mary has also provided us with her top five Christmas markets in Germany, see page , so I have provided the dates for
those as well. Enjoy and happy holidays!
Winter Dom: 08.11 -08.12
Weihnachtsmarkt Harburg: 22.11-23.12
Weihnachtsmarkt am Rathaus: 26.11-23.12
Hamburger Märchenschiffe Weihnachtsprogramm für
Weihnachtsparaden: (Christmas Parades 2013) 30 November, Kinder: 25.11-23.12 Go to http://www.maerchenschiffe.de/ for
7 December , 14 December , 21 December The parades start at more information. As tickets sell quickly for these events, be
sure to buy yours ahead of time!
Saturn on Mönckebergstraße at 11:30, 14:00, and 17:00.
Weihnachtsmarkt am Jungfernstieg: 25.11.2013-06.01.2014 Weihnachtsmarkt Winter Pride St. Georg (Gay-Lesbian
Christmas Market in St. Georg) 28.11-30.12 (Closed from
(Closed from 24.12 to 25.12)
24.12-26.12)
Weihnachtsmarkt Gänsemarkt: 26.11-23.12
Lüneburger Weihnachtsmarkt: 27.11-23.12 for more
Weihnachtsmarkt an der Petrikirche: 26.11-30.12 (Closed information go to www.weihnachtsstadt-lueneburg.de
from 24.12 to 25.12)
Schweriner Weihnachtsmarkt: 25.11-30.12 (Closed from
Weihnachtsmarkt Santa Pauli: 22.11-23.12
24.12 to 25.12) for more information go to http://www.
schweriner-weihnachtsmarkt.de/
Weihnachtsmarkt Fleetinsel: 25.11-23.12
Weihnachtsmarkt Gerhard-Hauptmann-Platz: 26.11-30.12 Nürnberger Weihnachtsmarkt: 29.11-24.12 for more
information go to http://www.christkindlesmarkt.de/
(Closed from 25.12 to 26.12)
Braunschweiger Weihnachtsmarkt: 27.11-29.12 (Closed
Weihnachtsmarkt Niendorf: 29.11-24.12
from 24.12 to 25.12) for more information go to http://www.
Weihnachtsmarkt Ottensen: 25.11-23.12
braunschweig.de/weihnachtsmarkt/
Weihnachtsmarkt Bergedorf: 25.11-23.12
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American Women’s Club of Hamburg e.V.