Spirits are high in German Christmas markets

CORNISH FLAT, N.H. – An impulsive decision in late November by my wife Cindy and I to explore German Christmas markets found us in Berlin visiting with an old friend. 

We also spent a few days traveling by rental car to Dresden, Leipzig and Naumberg, a walled medieval town that has a UNESCO World Heritage Site cathedral.

The dark days of December and holiday blues are nowhere to be found in the festive German Christmas markets. Family and friends gather together to eat rich food, drink hot spiced wine and search for the special Christmas present for loved ones and perfect decoration for house and tree.

The spirit of each market is unique, but all have the basics; food, drink and crafts. Artisans demonstrate their skilled blacksmithing, blowing glass ornaments or carving wood. Most items were made in Germany with a few from other European countries. Nothing I saw came from China.

The outdoor market experience is set up in parks and town squares, so we dressed in layers of wool. Booths shelter the sellers and their wares from rain which is common in December, and from the occasional snowfall. We were lucky and even had a couple of sunny days with temperatures in the 40s.

The Charlottenburg Castle Market is one of the largest in Berlin and runs from 1 p.m. to 9 or 10 p.m., as most do. Admission is free and there are over 100 vendors. This market features a Ferris wheel and two merry-go-rounds for children that sit in front of a castle which is illuminated at night, spreading the joy of the season near and far.

Arriving hungry, we were met with many delicious options to appease our pangs. High top tables dot the market aisles, welcoming diners who prefer to stand while others may choose to dine seated in an enclosed tent. A seemingly endless array of choices included grilled sausages of many sorts (usually served on a fresh bakery-made bun) and delectable desserts and sweets like marzipan, apfelkuchen (an apple strudel) fruchtebrot (bread with dried fruit baked in), all of which tempted our palate. Of course we wrestled with the option to satiate ourselves with the taste of roasted whole pig sold by the slice or a freshly grilled fish fillet cooked on an open fire. Decisions. Decisions.

As we perused our choices, the aroma of a delicious meat and mushroom stew drew us to a 3-foot wide metal wok. Voila! Served in a proper ceramic bowl accompanied by a steel spoon we dined with eyes rolling. Yum! A deposit of five euros for the bowl and a steel spoon was refunded following consumption. No Styrofoam here!

“Gendarmenmarkt” was the second Berlin market we visited that day. Entry was two euros (about $2.50) and well worth it. The evening unfolded as we wandered around the vendor stalls, surrounded by the warmth of holiday lights on the buildings around it. Musical groups sang carols on a stage.

Crafts makers filled a huge tent with many interesting and unusual items. One fellow decorated the handles of handmade French pocket knives with carved tusks from mammoths. My budget did not allow for the $600 cost. Another craftsman who made the barrels of pens from rare wood caught my eye but again they were expensive; and I lose pens all the time. Another vendor drilled tiny holes in old silver coins, inserted a tiny jig saw blade in the hole and cut out much of the interior. The end result was the filigreed silhouette of the raised portions of each coin attached to a silver chain for wearing it.

We also discovered beautiful handmade leather gloves, wooden bowls, chopping boards and lace. A favorite find for me was the uncommon brush maker who made every sort of brush imaginable. I bought a very small one for cleaning out tiny antique bottles that we use as vases. A find for under $5. Perfect.

Leaving Berlin, we headed to Dresden to visit the Striezlemarkt, Germany’s oldest Christmas market, dating back to 1434. A common thread began to weave as we found more delicious food. I enjoyed a delicious bowl of Moroccan stew for dinner with lamb, apricots, almonds and olives served over couscous that filled me up for $14. 

We noticed the happiness of children who never once cried and were always pleasant to be around. Evidently, hissy fits are verboten. We especially loved watching the kids on the merry-go-rounds, particularly one antique carousel.

The Leipzig market the next day was fabulous. Just outside the market, a band of two tuba and two trumpet players, dressed in medieval garb, played traditional carols from a balcony. Juxtaposed from the levity in the air we noticed policemen lined up at a booth. Of course. They were lined up for food. Joining the line, we obtained a new delicacy. A Handbrot or hand bread which wasn’t really a sandwich, but a warm soft roll filled with melted cheese and bits of ham. The top of the bun was lathered with sour cream and chives. Delicious.

Leipzig offered many of the same wares as in other markets: handmade soaps, cutting boards, ceramic plates, hand-carved figures, Christmas ornaments of all sorts, warm hats, brightly colored felt slippers, dry sausages and cheese. Above all, crowds of people, shoulder to shoulder, continued the tradition of market-going by eating and drinking and laughing with their friends.

Naumburg, our final destination, offered a much smaller market. An outdoor ice rink, with good ice despite temperatures well above freezing, was the biggest draw. Lovers holding hands and parents with kids lined up to rent skates. Everyone had the opportunity to ride on the ice. Little children could ride on plastic animals and be pushed by adults on skates. An impressive tilt-a-Wheel ride that attracted teenagers in throngs was part of the fun.

Naumberg Christmas market had little in the way of fine crafts or presents, but there was plenty of Glühwein, a drink sold hot in every market. It is a spiced wine and fruit juice mixture. Cindy persuaded one vendor to share his secret recipe. It makes five gallons. It is not a strong drink, it is a merry one when consumed with friends outdoors at a Christmas market. It seems to work, warding off those gray raw days of December and instead welcoming high spirits that feed the body and souls of happy family and friends.

If you go, bring raincoats, layers of wool, warm shoes or boots, a camera, cash (most food vendors do not accept cards, most other booths do) and a cloth bag to carry away all the goodies you buy.

Ingredients for German Glühwein: equal amounts of pineapple juice and cheap white wine. Simmer juice with slices of orange and a few slices of lime. Add spices, in order of amounts: anise, hot pepper powder, cinnamon and a few cloves. Turn off heat and let sit overnight. Decant the liquid and mix with an equal volume of cheap white wine. Keep and serve hot. There are many types of Glühwein, so feel free to create your own.

Homeyer writes a monthly gardening column from his home in Cornish Flat, N.H.