German Xmas Markets

We want to take the kids over for a weekend during December and was wondering if anyone could suggest one city over another in this regard.

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Dresden used to have a good lights show.

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Not Germany, but I enjoyed the Brussels Christmas market when I went there a few years ago.

Another vote for Brussels. Cheap hotels at the weekends, Chocolate, beer and creepy vintage fairground rides. Outdoor skating, hot wine and cheese. Can’t go wrong.

My parents go a lot, so have asked and Cologne is their destination of choice for Christmas markets. Apparently there are 6 different ones, that are all slightly different and within walking distance of each other, plus your in a major city with other sites and things to do.

Lived over there as a kid… being an army brat an all… loved the smell of ginger bread, Gluwein, and bratwurst cooking on charcoal… fantastic stuff… great OP post as made me think this might be a greta treat for the family as well… must be 35 years since I last went to a real one.

The New Chutters: family friendy

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Southampton’s traditional German Christmas market methinks. :lou_wink_2:

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Köln, Dresden and Nürnberg are three of the biggest. Rothenburg ob der Tauber is a quaint little town famous for its all year round Christmas experience. It’s a bit of a tourist trap though and full of old biddies. A nice alternative to the Christmas markets are the mittelaltermarkts (market of the middle ages) lots of people dressed up as pirates and warriors swords and leather goods for sale. There is a nice one in Esslingen am Neckar near Stuttgart at Christmas. Esslingen is a pretty little town but not much going on apart from the market. If you’ve not been I’d probably recommend Köln. Gay capital of Germany. Biggest brothel in Germany. Drinking kölsch beer seems stupid at first but if the waiter is any good it’s actually a great way to drink.

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Was just going to suggest that.

Blindfold the kids. Drive them around for about 7 hours and hey presto Soton-am-der See!

On a more serious note, Koln is very good. Make sure you take in the Cathedral.

Your last few sentences might not be what Flahute’s other half and kids are looking for. Never know though, what a surprise :lou_facepalm_2:

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Tsk… would just be Soton-am-See (because this is dative (i think) so the ‘an dem’ can be shortened to ‘am’

The new Chutters ; Fucking pedant

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or any other city in the UK’s, traditional German Christmas market

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Oh, pedant. Misread that as “Fucking paedo”

"

:lou_wink:

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Never go to Lincoln Christmas Market.

There were about three million people there and we were all kettled up a footpath between the stalls - a ridiculous event.

Sadly the UK ones all seem to be bad pastiche - slighty tacky even - often stalls selling the cheap shite they sell all year round only now they are doing it from inside a B+Q shed and are wearing a fucking Santa Hat… as well as being over crowded.

For some reason most seem to shut at 6pm ( probably because that’s when the local nightlife will start comming out and office party fuckwits and there is nowt that quite captures the real spirit of Christmas than Janice from accounts spewing in the gutter knickers round her ankles, whilst Josh from accounts tries to take her from behind having punched his boss earlier in the evening… Again).

Seriously, nothing in the UK has on the real atmosphere.

Go to A smaller town in Germany, or Austria and experience the real thing.

Brussels was a great market, but my favourite was Bruge. Really lovely place, but you could only get a few days out of it, as you run out of things to do.

Now I would love to do a German one, but could not narrow down as they have so many great ones.

When Papworld the theme park opens we should do a Christmas special - get a couple of lurchers wearing antlers, dot a few trees about, sit on Goat’s lap and have your picture taken in a potting shed, it’ll be a little goldmine.

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We have a very nice one now.

Seriously.

Started up last year, at least 4 stalls selling German Market type stuff, amongst about 100 but we DID have Gluhwein on sale! and there was stuff for everyone, was actually a bloody good effirt considering.

Mrs D_P made a fortune selling VW Camper Van Christmas Tree Baubles

I’m out that way a few times a year ridng so no, nice idea, but out for me.