German Christmas Markets: A Journey Through Historic Cities

For a long time, we had been eager to explore Christmas markets in Germany. We selected cities and regions that were new to us.

After a nearly direct flight from the United States through Amsterdam, we arrived in Frankfurt and picked up our car. We had reserved our usual four-door sedan, but as is often the case in Europe, we ended up with a station wagon. They "upgraded us" to a brand-new Mercedes, which at least provided plenty of space for our luggage.

Following a 2-hour drive in 32-degree weather with snowy conditions, we reached Nuremberg. We stayed for two nights at the Sheraton Carlton Hotel Nuremberg, a lovely property featuring an indoor swimming pool, jacuzzi, and sauna. After dropping our luggage in our room, we walked 15 minutes in the freezing cold to the main Christmas market area called Chriskindlemarkt. The trip was already worthwhile. The experience is indescribable. After enjoying a couple of Glühweine (hot spiced red wine with cinnamon, orange, and cloves) that warmed our cold bodies and spirits, we had an excellent dinner at Trattoria Provenza, located in the main square. Although it was fully booked, the owner found us a table, which we greatly appreciated.

The following day, we explored the city, beginning with the Historische Felsengänge. This requires joining a guided tour that takes you through the historic rock-cut cellars beneath Nuremberg. During the tour, you learn about the city's brewing history and how these tunnels were used as air raid shelters during WWII. Since tours are primarily in German, it's advisable to book an English tour in advance. Afterwards, we walked to the Nuremberg Castle and embarked on a self-guided tour. On our way to lunch, we paused at St. Sebaldus Church, one of the city's oldest churches, dating back to the 13th century.

In the afternoon, we spent a few hours at the Nuremberg Documentation Center. Situated on the former Nazi Party Rally Grounds, this museum provides a chronological overview of the rise and fall of the Third Reich, along with Nuremberg's post-war history. The highlight of the self-guided tour is the opportunity to visit Courtroom 600, where the Nuremberg Nazi Trials were held. It's a solemn experience, but it's a must-visit when in Nuremberg, even if much of your time in the museum involves watching videos narrated in various languages.

We returned to the Christmas market area for our final evening in the city. We visited St. Lorenz, a medieval church dedicated to Saint Lawrence by the Roman Catholic Church. The church suffered significant damage during World War II but was later restored. After walking back to the main square, we paid a few Euros to access the balcony of the Frauenkirche (Church of Our Lady), constructed in a Gothic style between 1352 and 1362 under the guidance of Charles IV, Holy Roman Emperor. It offers a fantastic view of the main Christmas square. On our way back to the hotel, we dined at LêBar, an Indian restaurant with well-deserved excellent reviews.

The following morning, we drove for approximately forty-five minutes to visit Bamberg, a UNESCO World Heritage city known for its medieval layout and well-preserved historic structures.

Our next destination was Leipzig, where we spent one night at the Marriott Hotel.

The hotel features an indoor swimming pool, but its prime advantage is its location, just a 5-minute walk from the Christmas markets. We explored St. Nicholas Church, a significant landmark in Leipzig, and Augustus Platz, one of the largest squares in Germany. After a short walk, we arrived at Marktplatz, home to Leipzig’s main Christmas Market. It was pleasant, though not as impressive as Nuremberg.

The next morning, we departed from Leipzig and drove to Dresden, a journey of one and a half hours. Before arriving at the hotel, we stopped by the Semperoper, the renowned opera house in Dresden, celebrated for its magnificent architecture and rich history. We had arranged for a tour in English, but it fell short of our expectations. Numerous tours in various languages were happening simultaneously, creating such a cacophony that we often couldn't hear our guide.

We checked in for two nights at an Autograph Collection property, the Gewandhaus Dresden, a 18th-century building with an atrium and an indoor pool. Our room was on the small side and the front desk staff was hopeless, but we enjoyed the location of the hotel, a few minutes from the main Christmas markets.

We stayed for two nights at an Autograph Collection property, the Gewandhaus Dresden, an 18th-century building featuring an atrium and an indoor pool. Although our room was somewhat small and the front desk staff was unhelpful, we appreciated the hotel's location, just a few minutes from the main Christmas markets.

Our preferred market in Dresden was the Medieval Christmas market located in the Stallhof, a courtyard from the 16th century originally designed for games and tournaments. It felt as though we had traveled back in time. We dined close to the hotel at Mamma Mia, a well-loved and budget-friendly Italian restaurant.

The following morning, we began our tour at the Royal Palace, having pre-booked our tickets online. The Palace, which was nearly obliterated during the 1945 bombing of Dresden, has been magnificently restored to its original grandeur. It houses one of Europe's largest art collections, the Staatliche Kunstsammlungen Dresden, making it an essential visit.

Afterwards, we walked to the Zwinger Palace, a renowned landmark in Dresden. This site houses various museums, with the main gallery featuring works by Raphael, Rembrandt, and other Renaissance masters. Unfortunately, the garden and a few museums were closed for construction.

We walked past the Fürstenzug (Procession of Princes), a mural depicting Saxon rulers, crafted from 23,000 Meissen porcelain tiles. It ranks among the largest porcelain artworks in the world. Before returning to the Christmas markets, we stopped by the Frauenkirche, Dresden’s renowned Baroque church, destroyed in WWII and reconstructed as a peace symbol. We concluded our day with a meal at Paulaner, a restaurant affiliated with the famous Paulaner beer brewery, offering delicious Bavarian and Saxon dishes. The schnitzel we had was excellent.

We set off from Dresden to Potsdam early in the morning, and the journey took a bit longer because of the rain. Our first destination in Potsdam was the Sanssouci Palace and Gardens, a renowned UNESCO site. This was the pleasure palace of Frederick the Great and is known for its stunning Rococo-style architecture. We opted for a self-guided tour and quickly noticed that the place required some maintenance both inside and outside. Later, we learned that UNESCO is funding many of the ongoing renovations. During our visit, several other Sanssouci buildings, like the Roman Baths and the Orangery Palace, were closed for restoration.

We continued our exploration of Potsdam by visiting the Dutch Quarter and the Russian Quartier, a UNESCO World Heritage site established in 1826 for a group of Russian singers. This area features wooden houses in the Russian style, set in a tranquil and green environment. Before leaving the city, we attempted to visit the Cecilienhof Palace, the venue of the 1945 Potsdam Conference attended by Harry S. Truman, Winston Churchill, and Joseph Stalin. Unfortunately, it was closed for renovations, which was not mentioned on their website.

On our way to our hotel in Berlin we stopped at the Charlottenburg Palace Christmas Market. The market is in the courtyard and outside the Charlottenburg Palace, a baroque edifice built in 1695.

We eventually checked into the Berlin Marriott at Potsdamer Platz, just a 10-minute walk from the Brandenburg Gate. It's a typical large city hotel conveniently located near shopping and entertainment. On our next visit to Berlin, we might choose to stay at the Westin Grand Berlin, which offers a more central location for exploring the city's history and culture. We dined across from the hotel at Amrit, a fantastic and stylish Indian restaurant established by the Bans brothers, featuring a menu inspired by their mother, Mamma Bans.

We bought a 2-day Hop-on Hop-off bus ticket with City Circle near the hotel at Potsdamer Platz. The bus took us around the city, stopping at over 15 locations, including Checkpoint Charlie, Red Town Hall, Alexander Square, Karl Marx Avenue, East-Side-Gallery, Friedrich Street, Brandenburg Gate, Reichstag, Victory Column, KaDeWe, and Tiergarten. This allowed us to get a comprehensive overview of the city and its various neighborhoods in one day. We had dinner at Ristorante Essenza at Potsdamer Platz, which also has another location at the Mall of Berlin. The menu is more refined than the typical Italian restaurant, and we enjoyed the experience.

The next day, we had tickets for the Neues Museum. Its Egyptian Museum features the world-famous Bust of Nefertiti. Photography is not permitted, which is understandable because you really need to just gaze at it and appreciate its beauty. This piece is so renowned that the Egyptian government wants it returned to Cairo, but the Germans have declared it “non-transportable.” The museum is part of the Museum Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site, where you can explore other exceptional museums like the Pergamon Museum and the Berlin Cathedral, which was our next destination. The interior is stunning, but the 10 Euros entrance fee is not justified (we generally dislike paying to visit a church).

We took a taxi from there to KaDeWe, one of Europe's most renowned and prestigious department stores. We enjoyed lunch at Ovest, an Italian Cucina, and had a glass of champagne at the Veuve Clicquot bar, both situated within the store. This entire building is a destination in its own right. In the late afternoon, we took a taxi to the Berlin State Opera, where the well-known Gendarmenmarkt Christmas market had been moved due to construction. It is now located at Bebelplatz square. There is a 2 Euros entrance fee, but it is well worth it. We enjoyed a traditional German dinner with roasted chicken for our last evening in Germany.

We thoroughly enjoyed our week in Germany exploring Christmas markets and historic cities we hadn't visited before returning home to Switzerland for the holidays.