Travel tips for your Christmas Markets in Germany trip

Ahead of our our most festive escorted tour of the year, we share our top travel tips for your Christmas Markets in Germany trip or a Christmas river cruise with JWT.

Towards the end of November, something special happens in cities and towns across Germany: A swift transformation takes place, twinkly lights are switched on, music and bells start to ring and the lovely scents of cinnamon and spice infused bakes and drinks fill the air. It is that time of the year when Christmas Markets open their doors again!

ESSENTIAL TRAVEL TIPS

• Make sure you dress for the cold weather: don’t forget your woollie hat, scarf and gloves
• Wear comfortable shoes that are waterproof and keep your feet warm. Remember, there is a fair bit of standing up at Christmas markets
• Bring some cash with you, as some of the smaller stalls might not have the option to pay with card
• Most cities have several Christmas markets so remember you can visit different ones during your stay
• On our Christmas Markets in Germany escorted tour we will be visiting Dusseldorf and Cologne, both cities have several fantastic Christmas markets to explore

GERMAN TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS MARKETS FOOD

Here’s a selection of some of our favourite traditional Christmas foods you are likely to encounter during the Christmas Markets in Germany trip.

• Kartoffelpuffer – Potato Pancakes, delicious with sweet or savoury toppings
• Wurst – Grilled German sausages, one of the most common is currywurst, a Berlin classic that is widely available also in other cities
• Mushrooms – This is a classic winter warmer, fried in butter and garlic and topped with garlic sauce
• Marzipan – Available in all shapes and sizes
• Stollen – Traditional Christmas fruit cake with raisins, nuts and spices
• Gebrannte Mandeln – Roasted candied almonds
• Lebkucken – Spiced cookie, similar to gingerbread
• Mutzenmandeln – Fried dough with a sprinkle of icing sugar
• Chestnuts – Roasted chestnuts
• Handbrot – Filled breads, served fresh from the oven, with different fillings such as cheese and ham or cheese and mushroom
• Glühwein – Mulled wine, a Christmas classic
• Heisse schokolade – Hot chocolate, an alcohol-free winter classic
• Gluhbier – Mulled beer

USEFUL GERMAN PHRASES

A couple of easy German sentences are always handy for interacting with stall holders and other services during your visit, here’s a list of the most useful German phrases:

• Hallo – Hello
• Guten Morgen – Good morning
• Guten Tag – Good afternoon
• Guten Abend – Good Evening
• Danke – Thank you
• Bitte – Please
• Tschuss – Goodbye
• Ich verstehen nigcht – I don’t understand
• Sprechen sie Englisch? – Do you speak English?
• Frohe Weihnachten! – Merry Christmas
• Frohe Festtage – Season’s Greetings

WHAT TO BUY AT A CHRISTMAS MARKET IN GERMANY

It is highly unlikely you will come back from your Christmas Market in Germany trip empty handed! After all, that is their part of their ‘raison d’être’. They are a great place to find thoughtful gifts for your family and friends, festive decorations as well as souvenirs for yourself. These are a selection of popular products you will encounter at the markets:

• Traditional wooden toys and nutcrackers
• Local crafts
• Handmade Christmas ornaments and decorations
• Christmas village and nativity figurines
• Sweet treats such as homemade gingerbread heart cookies and artisan chocolates
• Glühwein mugs, generally depicting some of the city’s landmarks. They can be borrowed or purchased for a small deposit, known as ‘pfand’. You will get the pfand back if you want to return the mug
• Paper star-shaped lanterns in all sizes and gorgeous colours
• We recommend you check that you check if items are ‘made in Germany’ to make sure you are purchasing locally made hand crafts and works by local artisans (instead of mass produced)

MORE DETAILS AND BOOKINGS: CHRISTMAS MARKETS IN GERMANY ESCORTED TOUR

FIND CHRISTMAS MARKETS RIVER CRUISES AT: JWT RIVER CRUISES

MORE TRAVEL IDEAS AT: JWT ESCORTED TOURS

We hope you find these tips useful for your Christmas Markets in Germany trip, contact our travel experts to book your tour with us or additional information.