2021.12 Germany and Christmas markets (part 3)

2021.12 Germany and christmas markets (part 3) – Frankfurt and area markets

Throughout Germany starting in mid-November Christmas markets appear. Predominantly, they are located in city squares, however in the country side they’ll put on massive markets at a farm or even a field. Majority of the stalls are focused on food and beverages, however, some of the best stalls to visits are the crafts for sale. Here’s the first few we visited on our trip.

Frankfurt

Large cities, like Frankfurt, have multiple Christmas markets as there are many squares, plazas and parks that can accommodate a market. On our first day, after our refreshing nap, we headed to Hauptwasche u-bahn station where a large pedestrian-only shopping area is located. Markets are typically open before or around noon, and stay open into the evening and closing varies based on the day of the week.

We didn’t spend much time at this market, as we headed into the stores for some shopping. I know I promised to keep it at a minimum, however I thought this sign was a cute reminder that masks were required in the market:

On the second night we met up with my cousin where we went to another market in Frankfurt, where we had a few drinks before heading to a restaurant for dinner. We didn’t spend any time strolling past the stalls for arts and crafts. Now, when ordering a drink you’ll pay a deposit for the cup, that enables you to keep the mug if you like design, like we did! Or return the mug and get your deposit back.

We quickly found out that each market has different designs for their mugs and some we liked more than others. Mulled wine is the most popular drink available given the cool weather, and the alcohol free version is literally called Kids punch (“Kinderpunsch”), certainly inferring that only children have alcohol-free beverages at the Christmas market!

As you can tell by the feature picture of this post, we certainly did like the mugs from Frankfurt (to foreshadow we brought 8 mugs home in total), and happily kept them.

It was noticeably more crowded in the evening, and with it being the weekend people were in good spirits, and not in a rush to move onto other activities.

We grabbed dinner at a nearby restaurant and of course, I had Schnitzel!

Mainz Christmas Market

During our day in Mainz, the market was our main attraction. Held in the city’s square beside the Mainz Cathedral there was plenty of space for vendors’ stalls. Being a weekday, there was no concern about having to wait to enter, and at lunch time it was not too busy. Arriving at the market both hungry and thirsty was a great idea. Sausages, candied almonds, and several drinks helped to give us the energy to meander through the market. The single stall that stood out to us was designed as a mini-chalet. Instead of just walking past it to see the goods on display, this stall you’d walk into and through to look at the multitude of Christmas ornaments available for purchase. She happily walked through and found a few items to purchase to help decorate our tree back home.

Village southeast of Frankfurt

Unfortunately I cannot recall which town my cousin took us to on Sunday afternoon. We arrived early enough in the day that we didn’t have to wait to enter. The buildings around the town were spectacular, and we enjoyed the architecture as much as the market. Many people, including my cousin had brought their dog, and we noticed that it was the exception if any would bark, or whine even while in a crowded area filled with people and other dogs. Perhaps, the dogs are accustomed to being in these situations and are comfortable with them.