This is definitely the most German thing to do in winter, at least in normal winters
I have seen proper christmas markets only 2 years, in 2018 in my first winter in Germany and last year. Unfortunately in 2020 due to the pandemic is not the same, yet some cities like Lüneburg are making a nice effort to give the people something similar
Christmas markets are a 100% German thing, yet apparently you can also find them spread a bit around the world. Anyways, in Germany itself there are some Christmas markets that are more famous than the others. Here in the north the one in Lüneburg is known for being cute and in a historical pretty town. There are 2 in Hamburg, one typical and one in St Pauli. This one is way more modern and you can get not only the classical eggnog and Glühwein but other random things. There are also parties around it and techno music going on. I think the most famous Christmas markets might be in Nürnberg and Aachen, which unfortunately I haven’t had the chance to see yet ( we planned to do a Christmas market tour in 2020 but… you know) but they’re the biggest of the country.
I think this markets being in the hardest part and darkest time of the year make the winter more bearable. All those lights, sweet smell of caramelized nuts, beautiful colors and cozy beverages make up for a magical scenario that can make you feel happy quite fast, this year there was even snow so I can only imagine how beautiful it would have been magical. Let’s hope for a 2021/2022 where all this can happen and then we can make our Christmas market tour and show you more about them 🙂
