I had been watching so many YouTube videos of Christmas Markets over the years that I was so excited we managed to properly time our Europe visit this year! We begin in Berlin but it was more about visiting the city and get a timely refresher on World War II than it was about the markets. It seemed fitting to begin our Christmas market marathon in Dresden, where this tradition originated a few hundred years ago. Then we popped over to Prague which again we were more excited about the city itself but visited a few stalls in their market just for fun. Back in Germany we explored Nuremberg and Heidelberg and were loving some of the traditional foods, especially lebkuchen and kartoffelpuffer! Keep reading below to find out what these are and see some delicious food pictures.
Contemplating History in Berlin
If you were to take a bus or train from Copenhagen to Berlin it would be another 12 hour journey, like the one we took from the Netherlands, so this time we opted to fly. It was still a little early in November for most Christmas markets in Germany, and the ones in Berlin sounded more like amusement parks so we decided not to visit those here and wait instead until Dresden. A few friends we met on our Southern Africa tour were from Berlin and said two things we had to try in Berlin were Currywurst and Doner Kebab. We found a kebab place not far from our apartment which was perfect as we had to wait a little before checking in. So after landing we took a few trains and had a tasty lunch!
The following morning we made our way to a unique restaurant for breakfast that was in an old school. It was really unique and we were able to sit in this one room with a really cool tree. We both had these giant brioche french toast that were so soft.
After breakfast we headed to meet up with our tour with a company called “Rude Bastards”. It’s a “free” walking tour where, completely optional, you pay cash directly to your guide as a tip, but that is how they get paid for their time. One of the favorite tours we’ve ever done was one of these in New Orleans on a cocktail tour that also taught you some fun history. This one was a bit unique, however, because it was advertised that they wouldn’t sugarcoat or give you the politically correct story of what had happened (or is currently happening), with a bit of colorful language and humor to break the ice.
We met in Potsdamer Platz which is a public square in the center of Berlin, and also one of the spots where the wall used to run through. We started with one small section of the wall that is still there. There are markings on the ground which ran through the city we spotted throughout the tour which was the Berlin Wall.
As we walked around we visited Berlin’s Central Park, Tiergarten, which was founded in the 1500s as a hunting grounds. Our guide told many entertaining stories of the royalty around this time and years after, but it was interesting to learn how modern day Germany was actually divided into Prussia (North) and Bavaria (South), some of this area including modern day Poland as well. It wasn’t brought together until 1870s as the German Empire. This lasted until the end of WWI which ended the German Monarchy. We stopped at this memorial which honored the Roma and Sinti genocide that occurred starting in 1933.
For a break she took us to have true currywurst from one of her favorite places. This is really just a bratwurst sliced and slathered in a mild curry sauce. There was also a bonus of some warm Glühwine that was a nice warmup not only for the chilly day but also for the upcoming Christmas markets!
We did visit several places related to WWII, including a memorial honoring soviet soldiers, the location of Hitler’s bunker (our guide liked to put an ‘s’ in front of his name), and especially the Jewish memorial honoring lives lost in the concentration camps. This was most striking, as from the outside you just see these concrete slabs (over 2700 of them!) making me think of graves. She had us each wander through separately, trying not to follow anyone, generally working our way counterclockwise.
I was not expecting that the paths between went up and down as suddenly these pillars are well above your head. Then as you walk, everyone is trying to be quiet and respectful but it was easy to get startled when you weren’t expecting someone to appear on the path crossing yours.
There are so many interpretations you could make from this memorial. The fact most people and even most Germans didn’t realize these concentration camps existed, or if they knew about labor camps they had no idea what the treatment was like. The unease about who might be around the corner, and how powerless you feel as these stone pillars tower over your head. If anyone else has been there I’d be curious to hear how you felt when you visited.
It had been a long time since I had reviewed much from World War II, and we honestly had never gotten that much background in what things looked like in Germany in the 10-15 years before the first shots were fired. It was a good refresher, but it was alarming to see just how many things were already sounding familiar, and this was back in November. I’m not going to go into more detail into this here but it’s definitely food for thought.
Our last stop of the day was Checkpoint Charlie. Most people think that Charlie referred to an actual person, so much so that they even have a statue of a random German soldier they are calling “Charlie”. In fact, it just refers to one of the gates of the Berlin Wall to cross between East and West Berlin. These gates were labeled with the alphabet: Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, Delta…etc. It became famous because of a standoff between American and Soviet soldiers during the Cold War that was so close to becoming an actual war. It was here we said farewell to our guide and group and made our way back to our hotel and picked up some dinner to enjoy in the room.
Our last night we decided to walk to an interesting restaurant but we realized when we got there it was closed. Thankfully there was a sushi restaurant we walked by on our way back that was open so we managed to get some food, and this display is absolutely gorgeous!
Starting with the Christmas Market OG, Dresden
It was only a few hours on a train to get to Dresden, where Christmas markets first began, so what a wonderful place to start our marathon! The Striezelmarkt in Dresden was first held in 1434 as a one day meat market for people to get supplies for Christmas dinner, after the traditional fasting during Advent. We had conveniently stayed right next to this square but since it was so busy that night we decided to just get food from a nearby restaurant and visit the market the following morning.
The next day we ventured out mid-morning as the markets don’t really open until after 10 or 11am. We begin by wandering around Striezelmarket and chose to start with a savory crepe and of course a first taste of Glühwein. Glühwein translates directly to “glowing wine” referring to the temperature at which to heat the wine, when the coals are glowing. You might know it as Mulled wine or glögg (or glog/glug/gløgg), which is wine heated with whole spices (cinnamon stick, star anise, cloves, etc), a cut orange, and sometimes sugar.
The Glühwein was very tasty but so far we just had the one example in Berlin in recent memory, but I’ll try to do some stats with our favorite markets, Glühweins, foods, and other interesting beverages at the end of the second market post! Perhaps this will be useful to you if you ever want to do your own Christmas market tour around Europe!
We didn’t make it much farther before we were enticed to try this Hungarian food called langos, which is a fried dough base that reminded me of fry bread tacos, but is traditionally served with sour cream, cheese, and garlic, so that was what we decided to get. Other options included ham, bacon, onions, or mushrooms. This was delicious and we did have this one later at a different market but we preferred this one in Dresden.
Pleasantly full for awhile, we walked around the market appreciating the decorations and even the amazing structures they set up for each booth. They are really cool and remained my favorites out of all that we went to.. There were so many booths of cool crafts or treats, some of these even handmade while others were likely just mass produced.
Wandering through some streets towards the river we found small square areas with other markets and a few people in costumed outfits. At the river was a park along some fancy buildings with beautiful domes, especially in the sunshine. We made our way across the Augustus bridge and was surprised to find a familiar symbol, avid readers may remember this from a blog back in September of 2024. Answer in the caption!
The bridge brought us to the Augustus market, which had recently changed their design to a white tented booth. There were a few bars with cool seating areas that looked like living rooms, including one with this stuffed moose!
We tried some white Glühwein and also some freshly roasted almonds, still warm and sweet. We made our way to the end of this market, scoping out what we might want to have for dinner. On our way back to the hotel we stopped to take a few pictures of the famous mural, Fürstenzug, and the Semperoper, the opera house, where they had a giant decorated Christmas tree. Finally we found a path to get on the outer wall to walk around the gardens at the Zwinger palace.
After resting until nightfall, we headed out to see the markets in all their festive lighting glory. They have a huge tree at the Striezelmarkt and the traditional Weihnachtspyramide, or Christmas pyramid. It is a traditional decoration said to predate the Christmas Tree, with candle holders and a propeller that is turned by the rising heat from the flames. Most at Christmas depict scenes such as angels or of the manger, but sometimes they may have mountain or forest scenes as well.
We then made our way directly to the Augustusmarkt because Mr. Wander had his eye on the handbrot for dinner, which is like a bread roll but inside is ham and cheese baked directly into the middle of the dough. They were cooking them fresh and it was definitely a highlight.
This time we also tried Eierpunsch, which is a traditional eggnog. This was the best one I had ever had, and still to this day! I tried to make my own last Christmas but I think what they were serving here was more like Eierliquor, which is before white wine is added. Perhaps I can get my hands on a proper recipe someday if we make it back to Dresden. I also decided to have a bratwurst because when in Germany, right? For dessert we tried this cookie ball that might just be scraps balled around marzipan and dipped in chocolate. After a few cups of Eierpunsch and our bellies full of delicious foods we decided to turn in for the night.
Bathing in Beer in Prague
The following morning we boarded a train to Prague in the Czech Republic. There was a bit of a heating issue on the train so they made us move to a different car but overall it was a pleasant experience. The route was gorgeous, following the river most of the way.
Mr. Wander had been watching a YouTuber from Prague, called the Honest Guide, so our visit here was less about Christmas markets and more about visiting a city that’s been on our list awhile.
We arrived at about lunch time but it was still too early to check in so we took our bags to a restaurant Mr. Wander learned about where you can get a burger with a topping of cheese sauce. It was pretty good and the local beers were delicious as well.
The following morning we made our way to the main square to check out the Christmas market. We stopped at a booth along the way to have some pastries and coffee for breakfast, this poppyseed one was very tasty. The market in the main square wasn’t massive but we made our way to one of the stands with their version of Glühwein. It was actually a honey and berry infused red wine that was absolutely delicious. Of the Glühwein type beverages this was my absolute favorite!
One thing we avoided at every market, but especially in Prague, are these chimney cakes, or Trdelník. They are marketed as Czech food, but maybe because they are all over Prague. However, according to both the Honest Guide and another Czech I’ve met, these aren’t actually a traditional food from here. According to a BBC article I found, the first records are actually from Heidelberg, Germany in the 15th century and moved around to eventually land in Skalica which became part of Czechslovakia, but the first Trdelník shop in Czech Republic didn’t open until 2004, who had claimed it came from Hungary.
If you ever come to Prague and they look delicious to you, don’t let me stop you – I mean who doesn’t like cinnamon bread and ice cream! However, now you know the full story and won’t be led into thinking it’s a traditional Czech food.
After the market we started walking our way up to the castle which was quite a climb. Most people seemed to take a tram up there but we like walking. We opted not to pay to get in but enjoyed the views from the top of the hill over the city. Once we made our way back down I was ready for a snack so we found some crepes and caffeine in this super cute courtyard area.
As we headed back to the center of the city we crossed that historic bridge we saw from the top and found the alley that is so narrow, it has a stoplight just for people coming from each direction. There was a line halfway down the block to go through so we opted to skip it. It was a Saturday so it was a very busy weekend in Prague! After plenty of people dodging we made it to this cafe overlooking a square. We had some traditional beer pours (yes it’s supposed to be half foam), tea and a cool “Czeched” cake. Ha, aren’t I punny? It was soaked in rum so you really cannot go wrong.
Back at the hotel we relaxed until dinner where we had reservations at this really cool restaurant the Honest Guide has shown at least once. They have the tallest beer tower here but honestly some delicious food. Check out this cake inside the mousse. Someday I’ll make a dessert like this, yum!
That evening we also booked an experience that I had seen on social media and was curious about it. It is a beer spa! I was able to rent a room all to ourselves which had a hot soaking tub, a bed of straw to dry off at, and cold buckets of water and snow if you want to do hot/cold cycling. What makes it a beer spa is they put the same ingredients you would use for beer, (barley, hops, etc) in to your tub because they supposedly have beneficial properties for your skin. You also have a tap between you and some fresh beer bread so you can drink beer while sitting in it. They had both a dark and light beer and so of course I went for the dark one. The beer bread wasn’t my favorite but it was a fun experience. Mr. Wander took advantage of the cold bucket and snow but I was a bit chicken.
On our way back we took advantage of the smaller crowd around the Orloj on the Old Town Hall, also known as the astronomical clock. It was built in 1410 and represents the position of the sun and moon in the sky as well as the Earth’s position in the universe. It has a 24 hour dial displaying current Central European Time, and a 12 “hour” dial that divides the time between sunrise and sunset into 12, this changing with different parts of the year.
Nuremberg
In the morning we had time to get an actual traditional Czech pastry, kolach, and ours were filled with poppyseeds with almonds, and a strawberry cheesecake cream filling. We made it to our train station only to find the train was a bit delayed, and ended up being at least an hour late. When booking the tickets I chose the 2 hour transfer over the 6 minute option because in recent years the DeutchBahn has a reputation for delays. By the time we arrived at the transfer in Schwandorf we only had about 30 minutes until our next train, but I felt bad as many of the people on our train missed their connection.
We got a few snacks for lunch and boarded the quite full train to Nuremberg, and relaxed for the rest of the evening. The next day we made our way to the Christkindlmarkt. It was a very close walk, just on the other side of the station and through a traditional looking street. After Dresden, I was really excited to try Eierpunsch again, but the one we had here was so strong! Mr. Wander spotted the shop attendant drinking something from his own cup so perhaps he mixed things a bit strong first thing in the morning! The cups with this one was super cute though and was probably the one I was most tempted to keep.
A little note on how these work, when you buy any of these drinks, they come in the themed mug for that city which usually changes each year. You initially pay extra, usually around 3-5 Euros, for a deposit called a pfand. There are often hightops nearby to stand and enjoy your beverage, and when you are done you can decide to keep the cup, or return it to get the pfand back. Although if you want to keep it you can trade it for one that is clean so you’re not carrying a wet and sticky cup around the rest of the day! Generally if you pay by card or cash it is returned in the way you pay but several times did give me cash back regardless of how I paid for it. It was a convenient way to not have to take as much out of ATMs.
There are several named markets here in Nuremberg but Christkindlmarkt is the one thats most well known. They also seem to just run into each other on all these walking streets! One of the markets was even themed to have booths from so many countries around the world. It is fun going to these after having visited so many places since now instead of just interesting foods and souvenirs, they also bring back memories.
The food Nuremberg is most well known for is lebkuchen, or gingerbread. There are permanent shops for these but we opted to get some from within the market stalls instead. The actual bread itself was so delicious, almost like a soft cookie and fresh from the oven. The downside is they put it on these wafers, think those cheap ice cream cones, that really took away from the bread. I’m sure it helped them release and serve enmasse during the market but the bread was so good it’s on my to be baked list. I’m already saying that a lot, aren’t I?
The other local dish we found was Drei im Weggla, directly translated means “three in a bun”, which is literally three little sausages in a hamburger shaped bun. It was quite delicious and washed down nicely with some Glühwein. Of course we had to visit the castle which was a little uphill in the town but was much quieter than around the markets.
That evening it was our second anniversary and we decided to have a different sort of meal from all the Christmas market options so we found a funky taco place to celebrate two years of marriage, and travel! I enjoyed that when you ordered instead of taking your name, they gave you some sort of pop culture character and I got Princess Buttercup, which is definitely one of my favorite movies.
On our way back to the hotel we were able to enjoy the city’s Christmas lights and dessert in the form of a churro. Not the most traditional but it went well after the tacos.
Heidelberg
Nuremberg must have had some sort of bad luck surrounding it since we had more delays trying to leave! Just before leaving the hotel we found out we were delayed by 30 minutes but figured we would still head there since we planned to get some snacks for breakfast. It turned into a few hours of train delays but we eventually made it to Heidelberg. We decided to explore the markets that evening to see all the festive lights right away.
This was probably the smallest place for Christmas markets but they had a few scattered across the city. We did get to check off another classic Christmas Market food here though, called kartoffelpuffer. This is a creamy hashbrown mix that is deep fried and served either with applesauce or a more savory mayo looking sauce. This was very delicious but probably not the most healthy option! We had tried this again later but this was definitely the best spot for it. We also tried a germnodel, a jam filled steamed dumpling served in a vanilla sauce. This was not quite what we expected, definitely not sweet but I’m glad we managed to find it as it’s more of a restaurant dessert. This place actually had a pfand for the plate and bowl for these dishes!
Then we made our way up the hill to explore gardens around the castle. It was quite a long walk this time but it was more in nature and overlooking the river so it was a very beautiful setup. The Castle itself is collapsed in spots and I think they are restoring it in other areas so we just stuck to the gardens and overlooks.
Then we made our way back down to the market area that had a view of the castle and even a skating rink. We decided to try Grog here which we thought was the scandinavian version of Glühwein but this time it seemed like rum with hot water. While this would have been good with a cough it was not what I was hoping for.
We found a place with pasta and poutine for dinner and then walked around to see some of the markets at night. I was excited when we found the booth for feuerzangenbowle. This is a jazzed up version of Glühwein where rum is soaked into sugar and then set on fire! It is very delicious, not as strong as the Eierpunsch from Nuremberg, but just something a little extra than normal Glühwein.
Next Time
The following morning we head to Cologne and Dusseldorf where we meet a fellow traveling couple for an evening and reunite with our new travelling companion for the rest of the Christmas Market Tour! We get to visit a new country for all three of us, Luxembourg, and see a point where three countries come together in Basel, Switzerland. Finally it is time to head home from Geneva, but not before filling ourselves with questionable amounts of fondue.
Let us know in the comments if any of you are thinking about touring the Christmas Markets someday!
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