by Wyatt Scheu
Germany during the holiday season is nothing short of magical. From large cathedrals, to live christmas music, to singing songs in a castle courtyard; all of this accompanied by roasted chestnuts, hot chocolate, and mulled wine. It’s no wonder Germany’s Christmas markets have become synonymous with festive cheer and timeless traditions.
This holiday season, my wife and I were able to finally visit Germany and experience some of what it had to offer. We explored the Christmas markets in Cologne (Köln), as well as venturing out to visit Merode Castle, outside of Düren, and walk around a market surrounding a castle and its moat.
Our Visit
Cologne has become one of our favorite cities to visit in Europe. We were able to experience it in Summer, and walking around the city under the largest twin-spired church in the world was already a magical experience. Getting to go back and experience the same city and walking the same streets during the christmas season was more than we could have hoped for. The whole city seems to embrace and celebrate the spirit of their markets, and you can hardly take a few steps out of one market before you spot the next.
The two main markets we wanted to get to were the Chocolate Museum market and the Cathedral market. Both were amazing with plenty of food, drinks, handcrafted souvenirs, and countless markets for every item you could imagine. The Chocolate Museum market even had a ferris wheel! Even on the walk between the two, we came across 5 other markets and we naturally had to stop at each. One had live music, others had more of an outdoor bar-like setting. All were magical, and every moment of the night felt more christmas-y than I had ever felt in my life.
The next night we visited Merod Castle and walked the perimeter of the castle moat, seeing each of the 70+ market stalls. During our visit we visited the castle courtyard to see a short act announcing the arrival of Saint Nicholas, followed by the crowd singing Christmas songs (in German, so couldn’t understand any of it), and I tell you it’s hard to experience a more magical Christmas experience than that.
When to Visit
Every city/venue (and sometimes individual markets within cities), start and end their christmas market season differently. Cologne runs the majority of theirs from Nov 19 – Dec 23. The Merode Castle market runs from Nov 27 – Dec 22. So don’t expect to be in Germany on Christmas day and get the chance to experience these markets; early December is your best bet. Also most markets run from around early afternoon, maybe 3pm, until around 10pm at night, so plenty of time to experience everything there is to offer!
What to Expect
Weather: Nowadays, it doesn’t tend to get as cold in Central Europe as it may have in the past. When we visited on Dec 5-8 this year, the temperature was in the mid 40’s. So you still should bundle up because you don’t want to be distracted from the experience, but I would not expect snow. However, weather varies greatly from week to week and year to year.
Crowds: Especially in Cologne, expect crowds. These markets are a draw for people from all over the world. You will hear people speaking in English and Australian accents, in French, in Italian; it’s estimated that over 4 million people visit the Cologne Cathedral market alone in the span of one month. However, this should not be a deterrence. I have visited markets in the United States that felt far more congested and claustrophobic than anything we experienced in Germany. They have perfected their market experience over there.
Contact Us
We cannot recommend enough that people go and experience the Christmas season in Germany. Outside of Cologne, you have some of the best markets in the world in Nuremberg, Munich, Dresden, and Berlin. Many smaller towns and cities have markets of their own. They take pride in their advent season, and these markets are a great communal time for german citizens and tourists alike.
At Engage! Travel Co, we specialize in making your travel dreams a reality. As your trip planner, I will guide you through planning your Christmas Market adventures in Germany! Reach out to me today (wscheu@engagetravelco.com) to start planning next year’s magical Christmas vacation.
Let’s make your adventure unforgettable!