Almost ten years ago, one of my long-time friends and I boarded a plane bound for Munich, Germany. We were beyond excited because we were going to spend two weeks exploring the Christmas markets.
We snuggled into our seats and discussed which movies to watch for the nine-hour flight. Even as accomplished medical professionals, we giggled with excitement and bantered like the high school girls we were when we met decades previously.
Christmas Markets in Germany
The Christmas markets, known as Christkindlmarkts in German, are traditionally held outdoors in the town square and feature regional and seasonal foods, drinks, and wares of the local artisans.
The markets bring the feelings of the season to life in the community often featuring music, dancing, carousels, Christmas pyramids, and trains.
The vendors sell from open-air stalls which often look like miniature log cabins and are decorated with real boughs adding to the delicious aromatic swirl of the market.
The Christmas markets are very social places to be. Friends often gather in the market over steaming mugs of mulled wine called glühwein. Not only does the seasonal drink warm your core but friendship comforts the spirit during long dark winters.
Friends for life and travel
H and I met by chance in boarding high school and have remained close friends for nearly thirty years. While our paths have crisscrossed multiple times and we were often living far away from each other, the bond persisted.
When we finally had the time and freedom after years of school to spend two weeks together traveling in Europe, it was cause for excitement. Our giddiness only grew when we stepped off the plane in Munich and found a mini-Christmas Market and festivities in the atrium of the airport.
We enjoyed many cities and Christmas markets from Munich to Nuremberg to Rothenberg and on to Salzburg. Each market had its unique vibe and we delighted in the holiday discoveries and traditions.
The last destination on our trip was to visit my aunt and uncle who were living in Dresden, Germany. We boarded the train in Munich but as Americans, we were not well acquainted with how the trains work in Germany. We congratulated ourselves on getting our luggage stored and finding a comfortable spot with a nice window view.
Train to Dresden
An hour or so into the trip, a conductor checked our tickets and spoke to us emphatically in German. We had zero idea what he was saying to us and this was the days before Google Translate. Some nearby passengers kindly explained that we were in the wrong car because the train was going to split soon. We would need to quickly change cars at the next stop.
Oh geez, our heart rate immediately skyrocketed given that we had no idea which part of the train we needed to be on.
So, when the train eased into the next station, we jerked our luggage out of the compartment and stumbled down the steps onto the cold foggy platform. Our heads swiveled both ways and simultaneously our eyes locked on the conductor who had spoken to us in German earlier. He was wildly waving at us from a car down the platform to the left.
We ran down the platform with our ridiculously oversized American luggage and he guided us onto the correct train car and into some seats he had held for us.
“Danke, Danke,” we repeated over and over. The train started moving and we breathed a sigh of relief as the conductor grinned at us.
That’s the thing about travel. The smallest acts of kindness from a fellow human become a powerful bond and the happiest memories. H and I laughed together as we navigated the rest of our train trip to Dresden and both of us were happy to see my aunt waiting for us at the station. And we as stepped out into the city center, the most beautiful market we had ever seen glowed and twinkled in front of us.
Dresden Christmas Market
Our favorite market of the entire trip was the Dresden Striezelmarkt. This market is considered the oldest Christmas market in Germany and showcases carefully curated craftsmen from the Ore Mountain region. It famously features the largest Ore Mountain Erzgebirge Christmas pyramid standing at over 5 meters in height as well as one of the largest Schwibbogen, an Ore Mountain candle arch.
We reveled in the huge shop of the Erzgebirge hand-carved or -turned wooden incense smoker figures and nutcrackers. I am quite sure I walked through the shop at least 50 times trying to pick out gifts, each time discovering new figures that delighted me.
Dresden is also famous for stollen which is a sweet cake filled with nuts and fruit. However, H and I discovered a secondary market with a baker making Baumkuchen by traditional methods over the fire. We were mesmerized by the process and after our first delicious bite, we were obsessed.
Baumkuchen, or tree cake, is a traditional German cake baked on a stick, layer by layer, turning it over an open fire. Not only is this sweet spongy cake delicious, but the visual texture of the tiny individual layers created in the baking process adds to the complexity of the flavorful experience as the cake melts in your mouth.
The whole experience of Christmas in Dresden just enveloped us and brought warm feelings of traditional pride along with a deep sense of community. Seeing the lit wooden candle arches and Moravian stars as we walked neighborhood streets in the evening, awakened an understanding of how old traditions keep friends and family together.
We left Dresden with an additional large suitcase full of traditional crafts and gifts and we hand-carried our precious rings of Baumkuchen home to share with our families.
Seattle Christmas Market
Fast forward ten years and we’ve lived in different places, been through health crises together, and shared in tears and celebrations. So, when we heard about the first-ever Seattle Christmas Market, we decided we wanted to go and create a beautiful new experience together.
After being in some of the most incredible markets in Germany, we were full of curiosity for an American-German-style Christmas market.
The Seattle Christmas Market is outdoors at the Seattle Center right in the shadow of the Space Needle. The market is set up with a Christmas Pyramid in the middle and wandering alleys of small wooden booths in the style of a traditional market. As you enter, you pass through a large Schwibbogen candle arch and are greeted by the festive Nordstrom Very Merry Go Round.
Although surprisingly missing the aroma of fresh fir and cedar boughs, the wooden booths were topped with red and orange Moravian Christmas stars. The vendors each brought their holiday style and featured both traditional Christmas goods and Pacific Northwest flavors. From lacy, glass, and wooden Christmas ornaments to Alpaca wool knit goods, berry jams, regional honey, and crafts for kids.
Food vendors featured traditional German fare like pretzels, bratwurst, and schnitzel, along with other international and American choices. And of course, sweet treats were plentiful and tantalizing like toffee corn, macaroons, cakes, cream puffs, crepes, and fudge. And a Christmas market isn’t the real deal without the glühwein (hot mulled wine) which is served from the base of the Christmas Pyramid. Just as in each European city, there is a special Seattle Christmas Market mug that can be purchased as a memorable souvenir.
Adjoining the outdoor market area is the Fisher Pavilion or Alpen Haus draped with a faux façade and filled with trees, lights, and picnic tables for dining and resting.
Besides eating and shopping, live music is featured from the upper level of the pyramid. Other activities include a walk-through Christmas tree, a lover’s lane, a love lock installation, a letter drop to Santa, scavenger hunts, and karaoke.
We spent the afternoon wandering through the market surveying each vendor, taking short breaks to eat and rest, and sharing memories that came up often concluding in a good laugh. The only thing missing was Baumkuchen.
As afternoon stretched into evening, the clouds and lights combined into a romantic and moody backdrop. We watched as families tugged along tired children, friends chatted and laughed as they ate and drank, couples held hands and watched the lights dancing in each other’s eyes. I noted more genuine conversation and less mobile phone obsession than I’ve seen in a long time at a public place.
As we dragged our bags and tired feet back to the train, H said, “I’d come again next year with you. This was a great time away.” I smiled and nodded.
Christmas markets are about commerce for sure, but time-honored traditions bring us back to our roots and fill us with the light and warmth of cozy human connection in the northern hemisphere winters.
I think Christmas markets are best enjoyed with a good friend.