Christmas Markets happen all over Europe from the end of November through December 25th. These markets are full of “huts” or small, wooden, cabin-esque, temporary buildings. Each hut sells something different. At every market I have been to so far, they sell Glühwein (mulled wine), fries, sweets, gifts made out of wood and other souvenirs. There is often also homemade dishware, Christmas ornaments, lights and soaps.
While these markets are similar in a general sense, each has it’s own unique set up. The decorations on the streets are a little different or they have huts that sell something that another market didn’t.
wiesbaden ferris wheel! 
wiesbaden christmas market 
wiesbaden market 
mainz christmas market 
mainz market 
gießen christmas market 
marburg oberstadt market
One of my favorite thing about the Christmas markets is the Glühwein mugs. The mugs are personalized to each market, often saying the name of the city and the year. When you purchase the Glühwein you pay for the drink and the mug. If you return the mug later you can get that fee back, but if you don’t care about losing a couple Euros, you get a cheap and unique souvenir!
mug from marburg weihnachtsmarkt 
mainz weihnachtsmarkt
My advice if you are abroad in the fall/winter: go to at least two Christmas markets (hopefully more!!). I recommend going to at least two because each one is different. You don’t have to travel to a different country to see a different market. All the pictures I added in this post are from markets that were just a town or a few towns over! We were able to visit the markets and be back in our rooms at the end of the day.
They are also a great place to get authentic, local gifts for people back home. Of course there are touristy markets and gifts, but the ones outside of the big cities are really for the locals. It has been such a cool weekend Christmas market “hopping”!
I hope the winter season is treating you well! Bis bald!
The Story of A Girl 