Travel Tips

This year I visited eight Weihnachtsmarkt to include Strasbourg's. Not that I was in pursuit of a very unique gift, but because my sister, who lives in England, came for a visit. Since most big cities/towns have the Christmas Market, we decided we might as well visit them while visiting the attractions and the sights.

Speyer's Weihnachtmarkt was open until 4 Jan. We went after a day of running errands to get some gluhwein and see what kind of local food especialties were on offer.

It was well below freezing; the gluhwein warmed our hands but our feet were feeling numb. Anyway, we decided to eat out (I mean out in the cold like the rest of the crowd). To me food always tastes better when I am freezing, either that or I don't really taste it. After inhaling our food (Mike had Roasted Schwein, something like ham, mit brotchen. I had Feuerwurzt-spicy sausage- mit brotchen), we decided to get into one of the cafes in the area to thaw out with a mug of cafe au lait and apfel strudel. Yum!

We did not find anything unusual nor interesting in this market. :(

We went to Heilbronn only because on our way to Esslingen, we got stuck in a Stau (traffic jam). So after 30 minutes of crawling on the autobahn, we took the first exit which took us to Heilbronn. It was an "okay" market, nothing special about it. In fact there were stalls selling items from Malaysia (or other places in Asia), in almost every five stalls.

No picture of this market as my camera's battery died and my spare was in another purse, not the one I was carrying that day. :(

Heilbronn is probably the size of Heidelberg, if not bigger. It seemed there were more shops/stores. I found tall boots in "Evita", a store selling Italian-made shoes. That alone made my day as I have been looking for a pair that is not so ordinary-looking.

I love Bad wimpfen and so I just had to show my sister the town with its medieval castle and half-timbered homes. The Christmas markt was just starting that morning with all the stalls opening that evening. I imagine it was beautiful in the evening when all the lights came on.

Mike found something unique, which he sent to my father-in-law. I can't say what it is as I may be perceived as racist. :( I picked up homemade soaps and a couple of homemade wooden toys.

After Bad wimpfen, we decided to drive on to Rothenburg ob der Tauber. This is another town that I wanted to show my sister. Unfortunately, traffic was heavy that by the time we arrived in town, daylight was almost gone.

We were there for the opening ceremony. The Burgermeister gave a speech, then the carolers came out to sing before the tree-lighting. It was a beautiful but very cold night. Gluhwein came to the rescue.

Kathe Wolfahrt has its beginning in this town, and so has a big store here. We picked up some Christmas ornaments.

Gaiberg is a small town of 3,500 plus or minus. The Weihnachtsmarkt was a one-day affair and very small compared to Heidelberg's. All the vendors offered home-made items-- jams, toys, ornaments and one stall offered antique knick knacks. Then there were the food and drink stalls.

When in Heidelberg during December, one shouldn't miss the Weihnachstmarkt which is in the Altstadt (old town). Experience the Christmas spirit, German-style. This year there were 140+ stalls selling all sorts of goodies--from scarves to different kinds of honey and mustard, toys and of course, food. To warm you up, buy a mug or two of "Gluhwein" (mulled wine) and walk around while enjoying it. It will definitely keep your hands warm and maybe get you a little happier. Most big markets have a special mug made for the year's market, which can be purchased from €2,00 to €2,75. It's different every year.

The shops and stalls that are beautifully and brightly decorated, the aroma of roasted "marones" (chestnuts), grilled wurtz and fried potato cakes, plus the castle looming above the market all add up to a very festive atmosphere. As usual, the skating rink is there for those who are gifted, for the most part, with balance and grace. There is also a Merry-go-round and some other lesser rides for the kids.

We went to the markt a few times to soak in the spirit of Christmas. It's a lovely experience, freezing cold but lovely. B-r-r-r-r!

We went on the opening day and boy, was it crowded! There was a point where we were moving only because we were pushed by the crowd. I moved forward whether I wanted to or not. I told my sister to get out in the next possible exit which was a narrow space between stalls. It was not a pleasurable experience. We couldn't see what was being offered in the stalls. It was much better in the area of the cathedral, more room to wander about.

I picked up a miniature replica of an Alsace half-timbered house. It holds a tealight to light it up. I think I should start a collection, although I am in no way a collector. I take that back. I collect dust balls!!!!

Schwetzingen Christmas market is much smaller than Heidelberg's but fun to go to, as well. In the evening the band played Christmas songs and once in a while, pop music. There are several food booths and a couple of children's rides.

The markets have the same offerings, but once in a while, one finds that rare and unusual stuff. This we came across in Schwetzingen. We thought it was funny, but in a Christmas markt where children come to partake in the gaiety? But then again this is Germany, where the Frei Korpfel Kultur (FKK) is still as popular as ever. FKK is the nudist association/club (?)

The lady who crafted the dolls was gracious enough to answer our questions as to why? She said it was all for fun. Although she told us that an older lady told her, "These belong in a sex shop, not here." And yes, they have Sex shops here; at least one in every town, I think.