Weihnachtsmärkte in Berlin

Christmas markets in Berlin, in Germany in general, are great. A highlight of the winter, they offer warmth and brightness in the form of strong and hot glühwein (yum yum!), crowds, many well prepared and organised stands and food, lots of food… You buy Weihnachts decorations and gifts here (but be warned, some are very tacky). The two best ones, I think, are Weihnachtsmarkt at Schloss Charlottenburg and Weihnachtszauber at Gendarmenmarkt. But if you have a look through this link you’ll see that there are many more: www.berlin.de/orte/weihnachtsmaerkte.

Welcome to Gendarmenmarkt for 1 euro!

All the lights and the small huts are very welcoming. Stands everywhere with warm food and drinks or many many sweets and cookies.

Sweet almonds at Schloss Charlottenburg

The cute lebkuchen hearts of course, overwhelming in their presence and psychedelic look (seeing as Swedish pepparkakor are more, much more, modest in appearance):

Eat Me, Love Me

One thing is for sure, the Germans love their meat, in particular pork meat. Being a Swede I have an understanding for this, but being a vegetarian I can’t partake in the feasting, although I was at times tempted by the smells that were overwhelming. Instead I chewed on a Brezel that quickly went cold… Just have a look at this (all at Schloss Charlottenburg):

Meat meat meat

What a carnage!

Sausages in all sizes

And of course ready to eat, warm sausages…

Which sausage would you want to eat?

Dating back from the late Middle Ages, the Christmas Markets have most probably their origins in Germany, Alsace and Austria. The tradition has grown in commercial purpose and now is very much about selling, buying and perhaps not so christmasy attractions (swings that spin round and round to annoying music, small ferries wheels, and so on). They have also become more sophisticated in Germany with mini restaurants, art being sold and chalets that look like small shops. I never expected to find crystal chandeliers at a Christmas market:

Crystal chandeliers

I love the pre-run to Christmas

Lights and Winter

We wandered to Nollendorfplatz the other day, and it’s so great in the Winter time with lights everwhere, it gives a cosy feel that makes me prefer being out in the darkness of the night than seeing the grey and sluggish day’light’. Opposite the station I noticed a ticket shop. I wondered for a minute if it was actually in business as there seemed to be a blockade of posters, flyers, magazines and other things inside, against the door. How do they get in? The shop was generally messy looking but in an inviting and laid-back, what I find very Berliner, way, and sweet looking, in particular with the big heart on the shop window. A side note on the word window – reading yesterday about origins of words in different European languages, etc, I found out that the English word window heralds from the Old Norse vinauga meaning the wind’s eye. Fascinating, and slightly unsettling – is the wind spying on us?

Heart Shop

So I guess the fact that there is a plugged-in and litted heart implies that the shop is being used. I will walk over there at regular opening times and have a look. On the way home, on Motzstraße, we enjoyed the square by the Victoria-Luise-Platz of which the middle was covered by a strobe coupole that faded into different colours uninterruptedly. A few steps down on the streets there was another intriguing shop that must have been the ones comissioned to create the light-coupole.

Light Shop

Berlin has such a great selection of interesting shops that you stumble upon in every corner of the city.