This post is part of a series on European Christmas markets.
[dropcap style=”font-size: 60px; color: #9b9b9b;”] I [/dropcap]t’s just steps past the modern Bleidenstrasse in Frankfurt, a pedestrian shopping street ablaze with lights, and if you venture there anytime in the month preceding Christmas, you might think you’ve fallen down the rabbit hole. When the Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt – or Christmas market – is occupying the large Römerberg and Paulsplatz town squares, it’s hard to tell exactly which century and which country you’ve stumbled into.
Maybe it’s the antique half-timbered buildings, or the wooden stalls covered with lights, pine, and snow…
The Römerberg of Frankfurt during the Weihnachtsmarkt (Christmas market)
or the handmade wooden ornaments…
Traditional wooden ornaments
the Candyland array of sweets…
Sumptuous chocolate apples
or gargantuan tree and carousel.
Supersize Christmas tree
A double-decker carousel: not just for kids!
Regardless of how the spell is cast, you can’t help but feel transported. You might even forget that the Beidenstrasse, and the financial hub of sky scrapers that surrounds it, is just a stone’s throw away.
Frankfurt's Bleidenstrasse
*UPDATE* Shortly after this was written, I happened upon a great post by Abi at InsidetheTravelLab covering the best Eastern European Christmas markets. It’s the perfect complement to this series and a great way to get the full scoop on holiday revelry in Europe.
[box type=”shadow”] Have you ever turned a corner and stumbled upon something completely extraordinary? Have you visited the Frankfurt market and uncovered share-worthy tips? We’d love to hear about it! Also, please use the buttons below to share this article if you found it interesting! [/box]
[learn_more caption=”Tips for the Frankfurt Weihnachtsmarkt” state=”open”]
- No market is complete without a cup of Glühwein (or mulled wine or vin chaud, depending where your market is located) to combat the winter chill. You’ll pay a couple extra euro for a deposit on the cute mug (different each year at each market, and sometimes even at each stall in a market), which you can either keep as a souvenir or return for cash back. Have some roast chestnuts to keep you walking a straight line.
- Head to the large tree and check out the Feuerzangenbowle stall – fire-tongs punch – for some glühwein with a kick. It’s typical to order your glühwein “mit Schuss” (with a shot of rum or liqueur), but when we asked for it here, they looked at us like we’d grown two heads. It turns out this punch is plenty strong already, because a fiery rum-soaked cake of sugar liquefies and slowly drips into the brew in the cauldron below.
- Take a spin on the double-decker carousel. Who said kids should get all the fun?
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[learn_more caption=”Related tweets” state=”open”]
- Christmas markets! Christmas markets! Christmas markets!
- Gingerbread and candy galore at Frankfurt’s Christmas market twitpic.com/7iz8hp
- Greetings from old town Frankfurt twitpic.com/7j0ify
- The chestnuts are roasting, brats are smoking, gluhwein is steaming here at Frankfurt Christmas market…
- Would post more, but it’s just so fricking COOOOOOLD!!!
- The Starbucks at the Frankfurt Christmas Market is packed. Can I have some glühwein with my venti, please?
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[learn_more caption=”Learn more” state=”open”]
- A Night At The Weihnachtsmarkt (justcountingtime.wordpress.com)
- Christmas markets: readers’ tips, recommendations and travel advice (telegraph.co.uk)
- You can bank on a good time in Frankfurt (independent.co.uk)
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