Christmas Markets Newpaper Article

[capriccio]

This article is on line today at the Washington Post website: https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/germanys-christmas-markets-take-yuletide-spirit-to-another-level/2015/12/09/322d39ee-9b6e-11e5-b499-76cbec161973_story.html?hpid=hp_hp-cards_hp-card-lifestyle%3Ahomepage%2Fcard.

 

I thought some of the Christmas Markets cruisers would find it interesting.

[steamboats]

Nice article, although I´ve never heard about the market in Stuttgart being any special...

 

I went to one of our markets here in Munich yesterday (at the Chinese Tower in the English Garden - where you find the world largest beergarden and there were even some people drinking beer as it was pretty warm and sunny yesterday). There´s a booth selling locally made honey and bee wax candles. I decided for a chestnut honey and the first thing the vendor said to me: Deutsch or English? I replied: You can speak Bavarian with me :D! Then I told him that two days ago I would have been able to improve my skills in Italian - Italy had a national holiday on Tuesday and therefore a long weekend. Every market and the subway were filled up with Italians.

 

steamboats

[notamermaid]

Nice article indeed, something to warm your heart - good change from watching the news or reading the papers full of the negative, even at this time of year. "Silvery threads" on the Christmas tree - I like that expression. :D Took me a moment to figure out they mean "Lametta", the German word. The word apparently is actually Italian in origin. Which leads nicely over to the Italians in Munich. :cool:

 

The Italians - on their national holiday - do not get as far as the my part of the Rhine, just too far for a short trip. Here on a public holiday the Rhineland-Palatinate people go to the shops in Hesse and vice versa on another public holiday.

 

On my shopping trips to Koblenz I now normally always hear American English in the old town. It is those Viking ships...

 

Back to the article: I have heard of the Luwigsburg castle market being very good. A lot of markets, especially those organized on weekends and at remote castles, are not easily accessible to river cruisers. A real pity.

 

notamermaid

[dln929]

Thanks for sharing! I had always wanted to visit the Christmas markets and our river cruise last week brought us to many wonderful ones. The weather was pretty mild and the skies were overcast. I guess I will need to book another in the future so we can get the snow effect!

[Langoustine]

In 2002 my wife and I spent several days at the Nikolausmarkt in Bad Kreuznach (south of Bingen) on the Nahe River. We stayed in the Hotel Michel Mort overlooking the Eirmarkt where it takes place, and had a wonderful time. Since the U.S. Army pulled out of BK in 2001, there were few (if any) other Americans there, and the atmosphere was very untouristy. Loved it. We met one of the vendors (a wood carver from Oberammergau) at breakfast in our hotel, and bought several small pieces from him.

[Hipockets]

We will be in Munich on Dec 27 before our AMA cruise leaves the 28 will any of the markets still be open?

[dln929]

We will be in Munich on Dec 27 before our AMA cruise leaves the 28 will any of the markets still be open?

 

Sadly for you, the markets end a few days before Christmas, so no.

[Hoyaheel]

Sadly for you, the markets end a few days before Christmas, so no.

 

Well, not "a few" days, but rather Dec 24 (for Munich specifically) http://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/home_en/Tourist-Office/Events/Christmas

 

Dates for all German markets can be found online. Here is one website (of many) giving information http://www.christmasmarkets.com/Germany.html

[dln929]

Well, not "a few" days, but rather Dec 24 (for Munich specifically) http://www.muenchen.de/rathaus/home_en/Tourist-Office/Events/Christmas

 

Dates for all German markets can be found online. Here is one website (of many) giving information http://www.christmasmarkets.com/Germany.html

 

I stand corrected. That's the same website I looked at before we went on our Romantic Danube cruise to see what and where the markets were. The dates are written European style, ie, 23 December 15 and I read it too quickly and computed it in my head as most of them ending on Dec. 15. lol Not! Nonetheless it's too late for Hipockets, but maybe there will be some nice NYE or New Years Day festivities to enjoy instead.

[claypot77]

Thank you for posting the link for the Christmas market dates! Very helpful for future planning purposes!