German Christmas Markets for Children

German Christmas Markets are not only for adults, in fact there's just as much there for children - rides, games, toys, Christmas plays, children's punch so that the kids can have something to drink while the adults are enjoying their mulled wine and a festive atmoshpere.

Children's Rides at German Christmas Markets
The rides at each German Christmas Market will vary, but there's usually some sort of carousel ride and if you're lucky you may even find a unique twist on a ride.....

Carousels are a popular ride at German Christmas Markets for Children

Instead of a regular Ferris wheel this one is made of Christmas ornaments at the Stuttgart German Christmas Market

Keeping with the medieval theme at the Esslingen German Christmas market, this wooden Ferris wheel is pushed by two guys wearing medieval costumes

This is my favorite though at the Stuttgart German Christmas Market - it's a miniature train set - with a real castle in the background, and a train goes through it that children can ride on. 

Children's Toys at German Christmas Market
What would a German Christmas Market be without toys?  But what I like about the toys is that many of them are handcrafted and made of renewable materials instead of the usual plastic that many toys are made of.

Wooden toys handmade in Germany

Puppets are also a popular toy at German Christmas Markets

Wooden toys of all sorts are popular at German Christmas Markets, but when I asked J.P. if he grew up playing with handmade wooden toys in Germany he just laughed.  I'll take that as a no, but think if I had children I would be buying them these types of toys.

Children's Games at German Christmas Markets
Games  for children and adults are popular at some German Christmas Markets.

At the Esslingen German Christmas Market this was a popular game for children where you had to try and knock the egg off the log while being encouraged by a woman wearing medieval clothing.  It looked hard, but all the children I saw got some sort of prize which was nice.

Atmosphere of German Christmas Markets
The atmosphere of German Christmas Markets is festive and suitable for children and adults alike.  Each German Christmas Market has its own theme so each one is different.  The Esslingen German Christmas Market has a medieval theme and lots of medieval games to play which children seemed to enjoy.  The Stuttgart German Christmas Market is famous for its roof competition, in which each vendor decorates its roof in hopes of taking home the top prize.  Children would enjoy trying to pick their own "winner."

One of the roofs decorated in the Stuttgart German Christmas Market

 In addition, most German Christmas Markets have Christmas plays for children and special events for children so check ahead before you go.  There really is something for everyone at German Christmas Markets!
If you've taken children to a German Christmas Market please share your experiences below. 

For more on German Christmas Markets see:
The Stuttgart Christmas Market
5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market
Ludwigsburg Christmas Market
What Does Hiking in Germany Have in Common With German Christmas Markets?

For links to forty different German Christmas Markets see:
Christmas Markets in Germany

You may also be interested in:
5 Facts About Christmas in Germany

The Christmas Market in Stuttgart

The Christmas Market in Stuttgart is special, albeit it slightly unusual.  It's special because Stuttgart is home to one of the largest Christmas Markets in Germany, attracting weekend visitors from all over Europe and has been around for 300 years.  The Christmas Market in Stuttgart is nestled between the market square and the old castle and new castle creating a historical atmosphere.  But what really makes the Christmas Market in Stuttgart unusual is the decorating contest.  This isn't any old tree decorating contest, but a wooden roof decorating contest in which each of the 200 vendors decorates their roofs.  You be the judge:

Not surprising at a Christmas Market, Santa Claus was a common theme among many of the competitors

And of course Santa's reindeer 

Several polar bears also made appearances.  Perhaps because they also live at the North Pole with Santa Claus?

This sausage stand included some very clever advertising, which made me laugh out loud when I saw the giant sausage.  

But it wasn't all about Santa Claus and his reindeer.  Manger scenes were also common.

And then there were the rest!

I kept choosing a new "winner" in my head every time I walked pass a new booth.  But in the end, I think my favorite is the first image with Santa Claus and his sleigh and because the white things (which you can't see very well in the photo) are polar bears and being from Canada...well, I just couldn't help it.  Which one would you pick?  I will announce the "real" winner once it has been announced!

More on German Christmas Markets:

 German Christmas Markets for Children

 5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market

German Christmas Markets:  Ludwigsburg Christmas Market

What Does Hiking in Germany Have in Common With German Christmas Markets?

You may also be interested in:

5 Facts About Christmas in Germany

 Other Things To Do in Stuttgart

5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market

Going to a German Christmas Market is high on most tourists lists when they are in Germany in December, and many tourists come to Germany just for the Christmas Markets.  Before you go, read these 5 tips to make the most out of the wonderful experience of a German Christmas Market.
(Photo above of the Bonn Christmas Market courtesy of Stadt Bonn)

Ludwigsburg Christmas Market at Night

 Tip 1 For Going to a German Christmas Market:  Go at Night
While German Christmas Markets are open during the day, they really are most beautiful at night with all of the sparkling lights dancing about which really enhances the already festive atmosphere.

You can find Kartoffel Puffer - Fried Mashed Potatos at German Christmas Markets which will keep you full for hours!

Tip 2 For Going to a German Christmas Market:  Go Thirsty and Go Hungry
One of my favorite things about German Christmas markets are the food and mulled wine.  It appears I'm not alone in this judging by the crowds hanging out by the food and wine stalls.  German Christmas Markets are where special types of food are offered, many of which aren't offered at any other type of year.  Gingerbread and homemade truffles will tempt you around every corner.  It was at a German Christmas Market that I had my first Kartoffelpuffer, which is basically fried mashed potatos and is quite tasty but rather filling so I would recommend sharing it. And of course the mulled wine, which I've noticed has become quite a debate among my friends as to which German Christmas Market has the best one - as far as I can tell the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market appears to be unofficially in the lead.

Esslingen Christmas Market (Photo courtesy of Weihnactsmarkt-Deustchland)

Tip 3 For Going to a German Christmas Market:  Go to More Than One
Each Christmas Market in Germany is different reflecting local traditions.  The Ludwigsburg Christmas Market is celebrated for its ambiance, while the Stuttgart Christmas Market is celebrated for its size (one of the largest in Germany) and is known for its Black Forest Fruit Bread (not really to my liking, but it is popular).  The Esslingen Christmas Market has a middle-aged theme.  I would also recommend going to the smaller Christmas markets in addition to the bigger ones since they also have a different look and feel.  See  Christmas Markets in Germany for a listing of forty German Christmas Markets.  If the city you are in isn't listed, check out the city's local site since they may still have a Christmas Market that hasn't been listed as is the case with the Calw Christmas Market, a small German Christmas Market, but one that has the most delicious cheese I ever tasted.  We bought a huge chunk thinking it would last us two weeks, it only lasted three days and that was with restraint and there are only two of us.

German Christmas Market photo courtesy of:  Himmelstadlter Weihnactserlebnisse

Tip 4 For Going to a German Christmas Market:  Go With Friends/Family
The German Christmas Markets become a place to hang out with friends and family and people meet here instead of heading to a restaurant or bar.  The German Christmas Markets have an ambiance you only find once a year so why not enjoy it and take it in with friends?  Note:  dress warm because you may get cold if you're going to be there for a couple of hours.

Puppet Show at Haidhausen Christmas Market (photo courtesty of Wendy)

Tip 5 For Going to a German Christmas Market:  Check the Schedule in Advance
German Christmas Markets often have entertainment - think choirs, Christmas plays, puppet shows, and German traditions, to name a few of the things you might get lucky enough to see.  At the Calw Christmas Market we got to see the Traditional Bread Cutting Ceremony, where a very long (at least 5 meters) piece of bread was carried through the Christmas Market and then served to guests.  I don't what tradition this represented and neither did J.P. but it was fun to watch and by checking the programming schedule ahead of time, you can increase your chances of seeing something really interesting.  (See Christmas Markets in Germany for a listing of forty Christmas Markets in Germany with links to each of their programming schedules).  

What tips do you have for going to a German Christmas Market?

More on German Christmas Markets:

 German Christmas Markets for Children

The  Stuttgart Christmas Market 

5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market

German Christmas Markets:  Ludwigsburg Christmas Market

What Does Hiking in Germany Have in Common With German Christmas Markets?

You may also be interested in:

5 Facts About Christmas in Germany

German Christmas Markets - Ludwigsburg Christmas Market

I love insider tips from locals and several of my German friends had all given me the same one - go to the Ludwigsburg Christmas Market.  Germany is famous for its Christmas markets and there's a large one in Stuttgart where I live, but I was told that while the Ludwigsburg one was much smaller, it was the one preferred by most of Stuttgart locals and it is only 20km from Stuttgart.  Even J.P. recommended it and said we should go and being a typical German guy he doesn't typically get too excited about anything -especially German Christmas Markets.  I was there faster than you could say "Merry Christmas". 

The Ludwigsburg Christmas Market is in the historic city square nestled between two churches, lined with buildings hundreds of years old.  We went on a cold Sunday night thinking it wouldn't be that busy - we were wrong, it was packed, but at least all the people helped warm us up!

The Ludwigsburg Christmas Market has its own guardian angels!

Adding to the already storybook ambiance are lighted larger than life angels hovering over the German Christmas Market.  I am not particularly religious, but did find it rather comforting, although had I been one of the teenagers sneaking off to make out with my boyfriend, I'm not sure I would have felt the same about those angels, which really are quite big!

Homemade chocolates abound at German Christmas Markets, giving you the impossible decision of trying to choose!

As I quickly discovered, Germans are not there primarily for the beautifully hand crafted goods.  The largest crowds gather in other places at the German Christmas Markets - around the mulled wine and the food stands.  Yes, I think I will get along just fine with the Germans! 

Watch Rick Steves' German Christmas Markets Video.

Which German Christmas Markets would you recommend?

Locations and dates of German Christmas Markets

More on German Christmas Markets:

 German Christmas Markets for Children

The Stuttgart Christmas Market 

5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market

What Does Hiking in Germany Have in Common With German Christmas Markets?

You may also be interested in:

5 Facts About Christmas in Germany

What Does Hiking in Germany Have in Common With German Christmas Markets?

What do hiking in Germany and German Christmas markets have to do with each other?  I asked myself the same question as we pulled into a parking place next to the Calw Christmas Market.  Clearly we were in the wrong place, J.P. and I were the only hikers in sight!

I must say that Calw is a beautiful setting for a Christmas market though - even the half timber houses seem festive with their painted red wood and green shutters!

 

It was a cold day and J.P. suggested we start our 12km  hike with a mug of mulled wine since we were here anyway.  I thought he was kidding - he wasn't.   Despite my initial reluctance I have to admit that it did warm me up and the mulled wine salesman did point us in the right direction for our hike.  It turns out that the Christmas Market was the start of our hike! 

Before long, we had hiked up a hill in the Black Forest and were peering out at Calw through the trees.

 

Fortunately after we hiked up the hill, the rest of the trail was flat - that mulled wine was starting to kick in!  We were fortunate to have the trail almost all to ourselves only seeing two other people and the trees were gorgeous lightly crusted in white snow.

 Hiking in Germany is full of surprises though!  Before long we went from a tranquil snow covered path to a henker sight (beheading sight), where a famous German lady (but not famous to me) was beheaded for suspected witchcraft.  The sign (in German) went on to describe the sight saying it had been in use from as early as 1818 and was where the Henker went about his daily work of beheading people.  It seemed rather casual given the history, but perhaps that was just my elementary German interpretation and J.P.'s rush to translate the whole sign for me, which I naturally insisted that he do.  Who knows when I will come across a beheading sight again?

Needless to say, we couldn't resist a photo opp!  And suddenly we became extremely grateful for our jobs which don't involve beheading people.  Enough talk about beheading people!  Off to the next stop - Ruins!

Unfortunately we didn't make it to the ruins - perhaps the mulled wine slowed us down?  We were running out of day light so headed back to Calw where we were warmly greeted by the above sign which translates as "Christmas in Calw."  A hike that started and ended with a Christmas market - definitely a first for me.

 

And where there's a Christmas market, you know there will be mulled wine.  We enjoyed a cup and then saw a special white mulled wine which the shop owner said was her own original brew.  How could we resist?   Our defenses were weak after all that hiking.  And this time we had earned it - well sort of.  Perhaps hiking in Germany and German Christmas markets do belong together!

More on German Christmas Markets:

German Christmas Markets for Children

The Stuttgart Christmas Market 

5 Tips for Going to a German Christmas Market

German Christmas Markets:  Ludwigsburg Christmas Market

You may also be interested in:

5 Facts About Christmas in Germany