Frankfurt’s Traditional Christmas Markets
The Christmas season is celebrated in different ways throughout the world, so I was excited to experience something new during my first full winter in Germany. Here towards the end of November, Christmas markets start popping up nearly everywhere from large cities to tiny villages. Since Andy and I are going on a long stretch without traveling, we decided to check out some of the Christmas markets outside of Freiburg. First on our list was the Frankfurt, Germany Christmas market!
Frankfurt’s Christmas markets date back to 1393, and for a long time only local merchants were allowed to sell their goods there. Today you can still find many local specialties. It also used to be tradition to do all your Christmas shopping at the markets. Many stalls still sell gifts for children, winter hats and gloves, handmade crafts, and local souvenirs.
Glühwein, Sausages and More
One of the most popular treats at any Christmas market is Glühwein, which is hot mulled wine, and it comes in red and white. Frankfurt’s specialty is hot apple wine. It turned out to be my favorite variety of hot wine, not quite as sweet as cider, but noticeably different from standard wine. Some places also sell Glühwein with liquor in it as well.
Aside from the many variations of Glühwein and other alcoholic beverages, you can also find lots of food. It’s Germany, so of course you’ll find sausages, but you can also get fries (pommes), schnitzel, steaks, soup, and lots of different sweets.
Sweet and Spicy
One of the local sweets we tried are marzipan and almond cookies. They were really tasty, but the stall we went to also sold countless varieties of these cookies in different flavors.
After the marzipan cookies, we wandered over to a stall selling almonds. You’d think that would be pretty straightforward, but it turns out they sell 50 different flavors of almonds. One of the owners told us a little about their business and let us try about a dozen kinds, including chocolate, Red Bull, Bacardi Gold, cinnamon, cookies and cream, strawberry vanilla, and balsamic raspberry.
Then we noticed the Chili Tower. Almonds flavored with several different levels of hotness from chili peppers. Germans aren’t known for spicy food, so we had to try this. Before we had a chance to ask for them, Andy overheard someone ask for the hottest ones they had. The woman told him, “I don’t think you can handle it. I’ll give you what you can handle.” She gave us one of the mid-range chili almonds, and it was perfect. We bought a cone of those, plus some of the Bacardi ones.
Before we arrived in Frankfurt, we read that there were chocolate covered chili peppers somewhere. Again, when there’s something potentially spicy, we seek it out. We did find the stall with the chocolate covered chili peppers and bought one. We had chili chocolate in Brussels and loved it, but this didn’t work out quite so well. The chili was definitely hot, but it was too much chili and not enough chocolate. The chocolate melted while we were still chewing the pepper, so it was hard to get both flavors together. Interesting, but the almonds were better.
Silly Santas
The food and drinks are obviously a big part of the experience. But I also really enjoyed all the creative ways different venders decorated their stalls. Besides the traditional Christmas decorations, we also saw lots of things that made me laugh a little.
Andy and I had a great time during our two days at the Frankfurt Christmas Markets. I’m not a fan of cold weather, but this is a great way to have some fun and try to forget that winter has just begun. When you go, just be prepared for crowds since everyone else has the same idea.
Visiting Information and a Great Hotel Deal
The Christmas Markets run from November 26, 2012 to December 23, 2012. The market stretches from the banks of the River Main across the Roemerberg old town centre, St. Paul’s Square and Liebfrauenberg to Hauptwache. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday from 10:00 am to 9:00 pm and Sunday from 11:00 am to 9:00 pm.
The Frankfurt Tourism Board is currently offering a weekend hotel package that includes coupons for free Glühwein, mugs, the marzipan almond cookies, and a Frankfurt card valid for public transportation. They also have a one and a half hour tour of the Christmas Markets. Unfortunately Andy and I didn’t get a chance to take the tour, but it sounds really fun and includes a view of the markets from the balcony of St. Nicholas Church.
The Frankfurt Tourism Board provided us with a complimentary hotel package for our stay in Frankfurt. All opinions are my own. The last photo was also provided by Frankfurt Tourism.
You might also enjoy:
- Local Frankfurt Cuisine
- Best Christmas Markets in Berlin – Plus Ones to Skip
- Freiburg’s Winter Wonderland
- How Much We Spent Traveling in Dresden and Leipzig, Germany
December 6, 2012 @ 10:04 AM
My home city Birmingham has its own variation based on the Frankfurt Christmas market. Frankfurt is the twin city of Birmingham.
December 6, 2012 @ 4:33 PM
Thanks Steve, I didn’t realize that about Frankfurt and Birmingham! I hope the Christmas market there has apple wine like the one in Frankfurt, it’s good!
December 6, 2012 @ 10:23 AM
Lovely pictures and post! Hopefully I’ll have the chance to visit the Frankfurt markets this year as it’s not too far away from Karlsruhe. =)
December 6, 2012 @ 4:35 PM
Thanks Jo Lene! It was really fun, I hope you make it up there. And don’t forget to email me if you want a shot at those boat tickets!
December 6, 2012 @ 2:24 PM
I love, love, love Christmas markets and am a bit disappointed that we won’t get to visit as many as we normally do this year due to our hectic travel schedule. Frankfurt is one I am adding to our list to visit next year though!
December 6, 2012 @ 4:38 PM
I hope you do make it up there next year, it was a lot of fun! It’s a pretty big area with lots of different venders, so it was really interesting and lots of great food and drinks to try.
December 6, 2012 @ 5:04 PM
These photos are GORGEOUS! Especially the last one, WOW!!! I’m ridiculously jealous. There is no better place to be in December than Germany.
December 8, 2012 @ 3:46 PM
Thanks Andi! You’ll have to thank the Frankfurt Tourism Board for that last photo. Germany is festive in December! Helps to deal with the cold weather.
December 6, 2012 @ 6:39 PM
Here’s my standard Weihnachtsmarkt routine when I’m out with friend(s) …
1. Glühwein. Yeah, let that alcohol sink in … or go straight up to me head.
2. Food dosage, part 1. Steak sandwich, bratwurst, or both, to be frank.
3. Glühwein: the next mug. Yeah, this one’s a little tougher, as my head has been pre-soaked.
4. Food dosage, part 2. Starch goodness in the form of Reibkuchen or Kartoffelpuffer, deep-fried packets of potato goodness; almost like hash-browns, but not quite. Accompanied with a savory sauce (Kräuter, Knoblauch) or a sweet sauce (Apfelmus).
5. If Glühwein 3 is consumed, I’m going to flop over and make like that Weihnachtsbaum is my best friend … EVER.
It’s a 2-drink minimum. But it’s always been a 2-drink maximum, too.
December 8, 2012 @ 3:49 PM
You’re hilarious Henry! Having a 2 drink max is probably a great way to make sure you don’t overdo it. You’re making me hungry with all the yummy food you just listed! I hope you’re enjoying many different Christmas markets during your stay in Germany this year!
Frankfurt Christmas Market : A Non-Instagram Photo Tour - Grounded Traveler
December 6, 2012 @ 11:38 PM
[…] more about the market check out Ali’s post about the Frankfurt Christmas Market as well. We are giving away a pair of boat tickets for Frankfurt there too. – – […]
December 7, 2012 @ 1:29 AM
Just curious, what camera did you use and did you do any correcting with a photo program before posting??
Glad you enjoyed the market also, it really is awesome at night.
December 8, 2012 @ 3:54 PM
Thanks Cal! I have a Canon, and I do use a free photo program to correct the lighting a little, but I don’t do any major changes to my photos.
December 7, 2012 @ 3:32 AM
Xmas is great.
Markets are great.
Sounds and looks like a winning combo in Germany!
December 8, 2012 @ 3:55 PM
Thanks Maria! It’s a lot of fun, and certainly makes dealing with the cold winter in Germany a little easier!
December 7, 2012 @ 10:37 PM
Lol at the picture with the Red Bull! That’s for the die hards:-)
Great pictures!
December 8, 2012 @ 3:57 PM
Thanks Sofie! I was surprised the Red Bull ones actually tasted good!
December 7, 2012 @ 11:19 PM
I love Christmas markets! Shame we’ll miss the one here because we leave on the 16th for our holiday trip
December 8, 2012 @ 4:01 PM
Shame you’ll miss the markets, but I hope you have a great trip!
December 9, 2012 @ 5:58 AM
Those marzipan cookies look tasty. I think I need to stop fighting the holiday season and just embrace it. If only I had European Christmas markets to visit during this time of year.
December 9, 2012 @ 1:16 PM
I’m not big on the holiday season either, but I sure do enjoy the Christmas markets over here! December in the US would be so different if they did this.
December 11, 2012 @ 9:28 PM
I would kill to go to a Christmas Market. *sigh*
December 11, 2012 @ 10:41 PM
Maybe next year?
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December 16, 2013 @ 1:01 AM
[…] Couch and Alison Garland also provide deliciously colourful perspectives of the Frankfurter […]
Ultimate Female Guide: How to Pack for German Christmas Markets - Her Packing List
September 7, 2015 @ 12:44 PM
[…] Germany is a varied country with differences in dialect, food, and culture from one end to the other. This makes for a diverse experience if you decide to visit Christmas markets in several different parts of the country. Each will serve up their own varieties of Glühwein and local foods. […]