The German Christmas Market Experience

Weihnachtsmarkt apple testing.

Thankfully, Germans go bananas for Christmas.

In fact the whole Christmas Tree concept started here. One of the more atmospheric embodiments of the Christmas holiday in German-speaking Europe is the venerated "Weihnachtsmarkt" or Christmas Market. This is the cold-weather take on the traditional neighborhood markets and must be accompanied by lots of holly and fir bough adornments, twinkling lights, a large Christmas tree and, ideally, a light dusting of snowfall.

Month-long vendor stalls are set up and visitors amble up and down the rows of closely-packed outdoor "shops" while the scent of mulled wine "Gluhwein" and gingerbread and stolle bread hang in the air. Admittedly, these are prettier at night, when the Christmas lights along the roofs of the wooden stalls and snow crunching underfoot makes you think that you are stepping into a holiday storefront display. Most of these markets take place between November 23 and December 25.

The entire concept gets more intense the further South you go and achieves its full expression in German Bavaria and Austrian Tirol. The Vienna Weihnachtsmarkt is reputed to be the most beautiful and exciting. However even in immigrant & expat-heavy Berlin we still find many Weinachtsmarkt options.

I'm fascinated by the concept. Since spending a summer in Austria in college, I've wanted to come back and experience one of these Weihnachtsmarkts. The trouble was, there isn't much reason to launch a European trip between Thanksgiving and Christmas when living in the States so I had gradually started to accept that this is something I'd only know through books.

And then, this job came through. One more reason for being thankful! So now I will have the chance to overdose on Christmas Markets with my family. I shall walk arm in arm with my Frau, sipping spiced wine, taking in the handmade goods offered by cheerful shopkeepers while the children scamper to and fro dazzled by the lights, sounds and smells of this new Boynton holiday tradition. Years from now the kids will look back fondly on their memories of German Christmas markets!

This idea, like many of the best-laid plans, did not survive its first contact with reality. So how did our first Weihnachtmarkt unfold?

Last weekend we visited the markt at the Charlottenburg Schloss (palace) in city west. We took our trusty U7 to Richard Wagner Platz and then a city bus two stops to the Palace grounds.

This is prior to the cold foot meltdown.

Charlottenburg Schloss was built in 1699 and functioned as the royal residence for the Prussian kings of the Hohenzollern line, which ruled up until the dismantling of the monarchy after Germany's defeat in WWI. The grounds directly in front of the main entrance are transformed into a Weihnachtsmarkt featuring the long rows of wooden "stalls" selling artesenal goods and Gluhwein. In between the rows of stalls are counters with little roofs over them where people gather to sip their drinks and chat. At one end a small children's play area sits with sensible-sized merry-go-rounds and a small train.

A wonderful, GDR-era merry go round that was extremely creaky.

The Feuerwehr Truck!

You do have to hand it to Germans, who will come out on a sleety day just to stand outside and drink spiced wine underneath freezy-dripping overhangs in order to enjoy their Christmas spirit.

It was snowing when we arrived around noon, which is just what I was hoping for, although the ground was still too warm and it mostly just melted. The temperature hovered around freezing for the three hours we spent there so we enjoyed a bit of a light rain/sleet combination. Heated enclosures provided some warmth and another long row of merchant tables to wander by. Importantly, there was a bathroom at one end. However you pay a Euro to go to the bathroom here, proving yet again that simply relieving yourself outside of the home in Germany is kind of an executive privilege.

Walkways between vendor stands were wood-chipped, but lots of it was still slightly muddy and puddle-filled. Cody's feet became wet and once he gets wet and cold you know that you are only a minute away from the screaming and whining. Both kids were quite excited about the different candy offerings at some of the huts, but in the end you can only buy children so many sweets if you want to keep your sanity. The rides went over well so that plus getting lunch in a heated tent helped bring the balance back.

In the midst of it all, I relished my Gluhwein in a warm mug like it was a priceless treasure.