Fill your senses with the sights, sounds and smells of Germany’s Christmas markets

By Henry Homeyer
©2025 Telegraph Publishing LLC 

An impulsive decision in late November by my wife Cindy and I to explore German Christmas markets found us in Berlin visiting with an old friend. We also spent a few days traveling by rental car to Dresden, Leipzig and Naumberg, a walled medieval town that also has a UNESCO World Heritage Site cathedral.

The dark days of December and holiday blues are nowhere to be found in the festive German Christmas markets. Family and friends gather to eat rich food, drink hot spiced wine and search for those special Christmas presents for loved ones and perfect decorations for house and tree.

The spirit of each market is unique, but all have the basics: food, drink, and crafts. Artisans demonstrate their unique skills, whether it be blacksmithing, blowing glass ornaments or carving wood. Most items are made in Germany with a few from other European countries.

The outdoor market experience is set up in parks and town squares, so we dressed in layers of wool. Booths shelter the sellers and their wares from rain, which is common in December, and from the occasional snowfall. We were lucky and even had a couple of sunny days with temperatures in the 40s.

The Charlottenburg Castle Market is one of the largest in Berlin and runs from 1 p.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., as most do. Admission is free and there are over 100 vendors. This market features a Ferris wheel and two merry-go-rounds for children. They sit in front of the castle, which is illuminated at night, spreading the joy of the season near and far.

Arriving hungry, we were met with many delicious options to appease our pangs. High-top tables dot the market aisles, welcoming diners who prefer to stand while others may choose to dine seated in an enclosed tent. A seemingly endless array of choices included grilled sausages of many sorts (usually served on a fresh-made bun) and delectable desserts and sweets like marzipan, apfelkuchen (an apple strudel) fruchtebrot (bread with dried fruit baked in), all of which tempted our palate. Of course we wrestled with the option to satiate ourselves with the taste of roasted whole pig sold by the slice or a freshly grilled fish fillet cooked on an open fire. Decisions. Decisions.

As we perused our choices, the aroma of a delicious meat and mushroom stew drew us to a 3-foot-wide metal wok. Voila! Served in a proper ceramic bowl accompanied by a steel spoon we dined with eyes rolling. Yum! A deposit of five euros for the bowl and a steel spoon was refunded following consumption. No Styrofoam here.

Gendarmenmarkt was the second Berlin market we visited that day. Entry was two euros (about $2.50) and well worth it. The evening unfolded as we wandered around the vendor stalls, surrounded by the warmth of holiday lights on the buildings around it. Musical groups sang carols on a stage.

Craftsmen filled a huge tent with many interesting and unusual items. One fellow decorated the handles of handmade French pocket knives with carved tusks from mammoths. My budget did not allow for the $600 cost.  Another craftsman who made the barrels of pens from rare wood caught my eye but again they were expensive – and I lose pens all the time! Another vendor drilled tiny holes in old silver coins, inserted a tiny jig saw blade in the hole and cut out much of the interior. The end result was the filigreed silhouette of the raised portions of each coin attached to a silver chain for wearing.

We also discovered beautiful handmade leather gloves, wooden bowls, chopping boards and lace. A favorite find for me was the uncommon brush maker who made every sort of brush imaginable. I bought a very small one for cleaning out tiny antique bottles that we use as vases. A find for under $5.

Leaving Berlin, we headed to Dresden to visit the Striezlemarkt, Germany’s oldest Christmas market, dating back to 1434. A common thread began to weave as we found more delicious food.  I enjoyed a delicious bowl of Moroccan stew with lamb, apricots, almonds and olives served over couscous that filled me up for $14. We also noticed the happiness of children who never once cried and were always pleasant to be around. Evidently, hissy fits are verboten. We especially loved watching the kids on the merry-go-rounds, particularly one antique carousel.

The Leipzig market the next day was fabulous. Just outside the market, a band of two tuba and two trumpet players, dressed in medieval garb, played traditional carols from a balcony. Juxtaposed from the levity in the air we noticed policeman lined up at a booth. Of course! They were lined up for food. Joining the line, we obtained a new delicacy. A  handbrot or hand bread isn’t really a sandwich, but a warm soft roll filled with melted cheese and bits of ham. The top of the bun was lathered with sour cream and chives. Delicious.

Leipzig offered many of the same wares as in other markets: handmade soaps, cutting boards, ceramic plates, hand-carved figures, Christmas ornaments of all sorts, warm hats, brightly colored felt slippers, dry sausages and cheese. Above all, crowds of people, shoulder to shoulder, continued the tradition of market-going by eating and drinking and laughing with their friends.

Naumburg, our final destination, offered a much smaller market. An outdoor ice rink, with good ice despite temperatures well above freezing, was the biggest draw. Lovers holding hands and parents with kids lined up to rent skates. Everyone had the opportunity to ride on the ice. Little children could ride on plastic animals and be pushed by adults on skates. An impressive Tilt-a-Wheel ride that attracted teenagers in throngs was part of the fun.