Typically, they may have (as this one in Berlin does):
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Large tents housing entire restaurants or bars
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Stalls selling a range of handmade gifts, including woolly hats, gloves, scarves, jewellery, handmade candles, wooden nutcrackers and other arts and crafts
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Traditional German foods like Lebkuchen, the German version of gingerbread often seen in cookie form, many kinds of sausages including Bratwurst, cheeses, hearty dishes like Langos (a deep-fried Hungarian flatbread with different savoury or sweet toppings) or goulash, and Spätzle
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Mulled wine for those who drink alcohol, not so much beer
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A location in a square in the Altstadt, the old part of a town. And in cities – lots of different markets in different areas
To Magrita, 66, who is enjoying a mulled wine with her husband Dietmar, 69, German Christmas markets are characterised by their unique atmosphere: “The colourful lights and Christmas decorations make it so special.”
Dietmar explains how “Christmas markets are not the same as other markets labelled as ‘Winter Market’ or ‘Winter Wonderland,’ because of the fairytale-like feeling you only get at an authentic Christmas market”.
“I visited a Christmas market in Milan a few years ago, and it wasn’t the same, it was just a collection of different stores,” he adds.
At another table, Anna and Karolina, both 19, are catching up over some chocolate-covered strawberries. “Apart from the mulled wine and the food, the colourful lighting and the festive and cosy vibe are what make Christmas markets unique,” says Anna.
But in Karolina’s view, “the star… is definitely the food and drink. [It’s] what really makes a Christmas market authentic”.
