German Christmas Markets

Staying at the Altdeutsche in Rudesheim with the Christmas Market outside the Hotel and around the pretty town. (some train noise)

Included
Frankfurt Christmas Market & excellent shopping. This is a big Christmas Market with the added benefit of a wonderful shopping area for you to get all your Christmas shopping. The Frankfurt Christmas Market takes place on the Römerberg square, Paulsplatz and Mainkai quay, 200 stalls offer arts, crafts and seasonal food and drink. A wide range of entertainment around the 30-metre high Christmas tree includes concerts, trumpet fanfares from the balcony of St. Nicholas’s Church and the church carillon.

Optional
Wisbaden Christmas Market: The Wiesbaden Christmas Market transforms the city into a sparkling winter wonderland. Four entry gates, decorated with the golden lilies of the city’s coat of arms, grant access to the quaint fairytale scenery of the Twinkling Star Christmas Market. Unique arts and crafts are offered at these nostalgic market stands that are decorated in the city’s traditional colours of gold and blue.

Mainz Christmas Market: Good market square and good shopping. Against the imposing back-drop of the over thousand year old Cathedral of St. Martin, showmen and craftsmen offer Christmas specialties and original presents. People saunter leisurely past festively decorated stands, collecting many suggestions and ideas for the perfect Christmas present: Home-made Advent garlands and straw stars, Christmas tree decorations, wooden toys, carvings, ceramics, candles and much more are on offer.

A particularly vivid representation of the Christmas story is the hand-carved crib, which has been standing in front of the Romanesque St. Gotthard’s chapel next to the cathedral since 1981. The life-sized figures made of lime wood are unique in Europe and do not just impress children. Also made of wood, but much larger still, is the eleven meter (36′) high Christmas pyramid from the Ore Mountains in eastern Germany.

Apart from the typical figures, such as an angel and Santa Claus, figures from the history of the city of Mainz are also represented. Thus Gutenberg and the Roman commander Drusus also go round in the circle here. You cannot overlook the pyramid, it stands directly at the center of Höfchen square.