For the Germans, it’s hard to imagine Christmas where the Christmas market doesn’t start from the advent season. More than 130 towns hold such festive markets, each highlighting the local specialties and sense. Mark those dates on the calendar and take part in the most romantic festivals you can’t miss.
Whether in the old Hanseatic cities of Rostock, Lübeck, Hamburg, Lüneburg or Bremen, or even inland, every Christmas market has its own charm and features that are held in the most beautiful historical settings of each city. Domestic and foreign guests are growing in popularity among many visitors. Everyone enjoys the smell, taste, sight, and sound that everyone remembers.
Rostock
26.11. -December 22, 2009, Monday to Thursday 10 am to
8 pm, Friday and Saturday 10 am to 9 pm, Sun 11 am to 8 pm Rostock, the Hanseatic city almost 800 years ago, retains much of its original charm And is the home of various cultural scenes. This cosmopolitan university and port town has a typical northern-style German brick building and a historic center with a marine atmosphere. Once a year, sparkling Christmas lights sparkle along the Warnowa River and the Baltic Sea, turning Rostock’s historic city center into one of the largest and most luxurious Christmas markets in North Germany. Here, Father’s Christmas traditionally arrives at the town harbor by boat and opens the Christmas market. Northern specialties include candied apples, fried bananas, cotton candy, baby donuts, burnt almonds, gregs, a Swedish mulled wine and Swedish biscuits. Rostock sausage smoke, Warnemuende fish smoke, buttered North German fried fish.
Lubeck
23.11. -December 30, 2009 Monday to Thursday 11 am to 9 pm, Friday and Saturday 11 am to 10 pm, Sunday 11:30 to 9 pm The
entire old oval city is registered as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Lübeck is now a modern trade port and travels through the coastal resort of Travemuende, a ferry terminal that travels between Scandinavia and the Baltic Sea. The first mentioned Christmas Fair area in 1648 is a must-see for all visitors to Lübeck. The market and about 400 merchants offer toys, Christmas decorations, gingerbread and spicy wines.
For 30 years, the fairy tale forest of Lübeck has been a festival attraction. 500 fir trees and 21 stalls beautifully recreate the story of Brother Grimm. (Open until 23 December)
Visitors travel over time at the historic Christmas Fair held at the foot of St. Mary’s Church. The medieval atmosphere spreads out in modern Lübeck. (Open 26.11-23.12.) At the Craft Fair in St Peters, more than 50 North German craftsmen and women offer a variety of traditional and contemporary gift ideas. (Open 27.11-14.12.) The arts and crafts market in a festive decorated church hall and a small cabin in the long hall of the medieval Holy Spirit Hospital is unique! Exhibitors come from Germany and all over Northern Europe. (Open 28.11-08.12). Of course, Lübeck’s Christmas will not be complete unless you visit the Niedelegger Christmas Bazaar where you can taste the famous Marzipan cake, a delicious gateau with a brittle cream of rich nuts and a thin coat of Marzipan.
Hamburg
23.11. -December 23, 2009, every day from 10am to 9pm
Free Hanseatic Hamburg is the second largest city in Germany and one of Europe’s largest ports. Even small canals and waterways in the old warehouse district have a taste of far away in the city. During the advent, Hamburg’s City Hall provides a magnificent setting for the city’s most attractive Christmas market. 100 merchants set up shops in Hamburg’s largest city square. A quaint cottage designed by Bernhard Paul, the director of the famous nostalgic circus Roncali, roasted apples, handmade items, makes this Christmas market different from other seasonal activities. Here you can find handmade Christmas decorations in the Ore Mountains, Tyrolean wood craftsmen, a bakery that makes Aachen’s famous pudding cookies, Nürnberg gingerbread maker, and Lausitz pottery. Silversmith and many other craftsmen and craftsmen invite you to surprise, participate, taste and enjoy. New is Nordic Lane. This is a tribute to Hamburg’s traditional close connection with Scandinavian and Baltic countries. Santa Claus rides in the sky on a market cottage roof with a reindeer sleigh.
Luneburg
22.11-22.12.2009, daily from 10 am to 7 pm, Historic Christmas Market, 05.12-06.12.2009
Lüneburg is at the end of Lüneburgerheath, between Hamburg and Hannover. Medieval salt, so-called white gold, made Lüneburg a very prosperous town. This is still evident today because most of its magnificent and historic buildings are intact and in their former glory. This ancient salt trade and Hanseatic town has a romantic Christmas market atmosphere with Christmas lights showing the house of the gable.
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