Most Spectacular Christmas Markets In Germany




Today you can visit a German Christmas market anywhere in the world and you don’t necessarily need to be in Germany to enjoy the festivities. While the English, French and American versions of this German tradition are fantastic places to spread some holiday cheer, nothing can beat the original markets that take place in German towns every festive season. Here are some of the best Christmas markets in Germany today where visitors can enjoy a unique holiday experience.
Munich’s Christmas Market
During the month of December, the gothic charm of Marienplatz is transformed into a Christmas fantasy when the medieval square plays host to the annual Christmas market. Here visitors can shop for handcrafted decorations, delicious Christmas goodies, and beautiful artisanal handcrafted Christmas presents. The square is finely decorated with thousands of twinkling lights, a large nativity scene and a 100 foot Christmas tree decorated with over 2500 golden Christmas lights.

Enjoy a warm cup of spiced wine as you do some Christmas shopping and enjoy the sounds of the traditional Christmas songs sung by the local children choir.
Colognes Christmas Market
Set at the foot of Colognes gothic cathedral you can find one of Germany’s largest Christmas markets. Here hundreds of beautifully decorated stalls sell everything from decorations to delicious traditional German Christmas cakes and spiced wine. With the beautiful cathedral in the background, the market looks as if it belongs on a chocolate box as carolers dressed in Victorian clothing sing on the steps of the mightly cathedral.

Local artists and craftsmen each operate their own stalls where you can buy beautifully crafted gifts made with only the finest materials. Whether you want to buy a hand-carved toy or delicate silver jewelry, this is the best place to do your shopping.
The Dresden Christmas Market
Known locally as the Dresdner Striezelmarkt, the Dresden Christmas market is one of the oldest in all of Germany. The market first began in 1434 and today it is widely known for its Stollen parade, giant nutcracker, and a giant Christmas pyramid that lights up and spins.

Stollen is a traditional German Christmas bread filled with nuts, dried fruit, and Christmas spices and covered in sweet icing and visitors can enjoy a piece with some hot chocolate or warm spiced wine. The entire square lights up at night with thousands of decorations, Christmas lights, and the well-lit pyramid.