Concentrated holiday spirit can be found during Advent year after year at the Christmas market - and day after day at that! Here people drink mulled wine together well into the evening, eat gingerbread and roasted almonds, and of course buy handmade gifts and keepsakes. For many reasons, Christmas markets are probably the most popular gathering spots of the Advent season, when people want to get into a sociable Christmas mood just before the holiday.
Where do Christmas markets actually come from?
Christmas markets go back to the late Middle Ages. Admittedly, they looked a bit different back then than they do today: as a rule, they took place on just a single day, not over several days or weeks as they do now. They were more practical markets, where people in the cold season had one more chance to stock up on plenty of meat and other food for the winter. So in the early days, food was the main focus.
In the 14th century, craftspeople were allowed to sell their toys and other woodwork and small items at the markets, which were then gladly bought as gifts for the children. Stalls run by confectioners and offering roasted nuts existed back then, too. Gradually, the Christmas markets spread as a tradition throughout the German-speaking world. Since roughly the first half of the 20th century, Christmas markets have been a firm part of pre-Christmas custom and are impossible to imagine doing without.
Off to the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt!
A visit to the famous Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt is of course worthwhile not only for true Nurembergers and everyone from the surrounding Franconia: during Advent, people come from all over the world to the tradition-rich Christmas market in the Franconian metropolitan region to visit the main market, the international Christmas market, and the children's Christmas market. With an impressive variety, the three-part Christmas market in Nuremberg fills the historic city center and gives off a Christmas charm that's hard to match. One thing you absolutely must not skip on this occasion, of course: our oven-fresh gingerbread, which you'll find right at the Christkindlesmarkt.
Experiencing Christmas with all your senses
The full dose of Christmas atmosphere can only be had at the Christmas market: magnificently sparkling lights and shimmering decorations for the eyes, atmospheric Christmas music for the ears, sweet baked goods for the tongue, and wintry scents for the nose. And there's something to touch, too, of course: for example, the warm cup of mulled wine in your hand, the gentle animals in the petting enclosure, or a heartfelt hug from your loved ones when they're delighted by a fresh gingerbread you bought them at one of the many stalls. The image of a Christmas market is of course shaped in large part by the sweet baked goods on sale at the stalls: alongside Nuremberg gingerbread, Printen, Spekulatius, Christstollen, roasted almonds, and other nuts are popular, as are chocolate figures, cotton candy, and savory dishes. Drinks traditionally come in the form of mulled wine, punch, and Feuerzangenbowle. All of it usually available alcohol-free as well, don't worry. There's a lot to discover at the Christmas markets - and with all your senses.
If you can't make it to the Christmas market
You're out of time this year to stop by the Christmas market but still want juicy, fine Nuremberg Elisen gingerbread? No problem - you can order it online anytime, right from us at the Lebkuchen-Schmidt shop. Here you'll find our well-known and beloved gingerbread chests, tins, and of course our packages full of Christmas baked goods. This way to the Lebkuchen-Schmidt shop.
Christmas markets in Germany and around the world
In every city in Germany and in many, many other countries around the world, the Christmas market is a must. That naturally encourages travel, too: for example to the Christmas market in Cologne, the Christmas market in Berlin, Hamburg, or Frankfurt. Each of the countless Christmas markets is unique and usually shaped by the history of the city it's in. Accordingly, many Advent markets also weave in local traditions and customs. At the Nuremberg Christkindlesmarkt, for instance, you'll find the traditional Zwetschgenmännle made of dried plums, the Stuttgart Christmas market draws visitors with the backdrop of its impressive collegiate church, and in Munich you'll mainly find handcrafted work for sale at the stalls.
A trip abroad also pays off at Christmas, to pay a visit to the international Christmas markets. An especially lovely sight is the wooden stalls in the town hall square of the Vienna Christkindlesmarkt, or the Christmas market in Wrocław, Poland, surrounded by old buildings. France, Italy, the Netherlands, Sweden, or even the United States: Christmas markets can be admired all over the world, not just in Germany and Europe.
