No Escaping the Glühwein… by Lynn Mulvihill
| Getting into the festive spirit at Römerberg Square: Frankfurt's traditional Weihnachtsmarkt dates from the 14th century. Photo by Dara Mulvihill
|
While my IL colleague Maria Savage was lapping up the festivities in Strasbourg's Christmas Market, I flew into the heart of Germany to experience the traditional Weihnachtsmarkt in Frankfurt am Main. The hub of all festive activity is Römerberg, the central square in Frankfurt's Old Town. Once you surface from the underground stop here, there's no fear of missing the market: Stalls start immediately at the station. Follow them along and you'll reach the main square, which is totally consumed by the festive stalls, carousels, and a 100-foot Christmas tree. Where to stay For our one-night stay in Frankfurt, we found the Hotel Excelsior, right opposite Frankfurt's Hauptbahnhof (south exit), convenient. From here, Römerberg is but two stops away on the underground and the airport is about a 15-minute train ride. We paid just 65 euro ($86) for a double room, including breakfast, free mini-bar, and all-day access to coffee, cakes, and fruit in the cozy lobby. We found the best rate through www.hotels.com |
Traditional decorations and the odd surprise
Among the staple stands of brightly-painted handmade wooden toys, traditional Christmas tree decorations, cookie cutters, and woollen gloves and hats, you'll find the odd surprise. My favorites were a stand selling bonsai trees and plants and another showcasing the most intricate doll's house furniture and accessories I'd ever seen-from miniature dining sets to musical instruments to workshop tools. Never more than 10 feet from Glühwein…
With almost every other stand selling local fare you can't possibly go hungry here. Alongside the stands selling crepes, waffles, and every kind of Wurst, look out for Frankfurt specialities such as Brenten (almond cookies), Bethmännchen (marzipan cookies), and Quetschenmännchen (edible figures made of prunes). And, there's no escaping the Glühwein (mulled wine) … Wherever you are in the market, you won't be more than 10 feet from a stand serving up the hot stuff. Liter-bottles can be bought for as little as $2.50. Missing…
But there are some things you won't find at Frankfurt's Christmas Market… - Elbow room. We hit the market at 2 p.m. and the serious shoppers were already out in force. By 6 o'clock, you couldn't move freely. It was as though Frankfurt's entire population had spilled out for the evening (to drink their share of Glühwein) and you literally had to fight your way through to get up close to any of the stalls. If you like your space, go early to avoid the crowds. (The markets open at 10 a.m.)
- Disposable cups. At any stand here, your Glühwein will be served in a ceramic mug (usually with a Christmas design). You pay for the cup as well as the drink…so it's yours to keep should you wish. If you'd rather not keep the cup, you can return it to the counter and be reimbursed (the charge for the mug is usually around 2 euro).
- Consistent pricing. Yes, the market is huge…but walk around for long enough and you'll begin to see some repetition in the product line. Nothing here seems expensive, but I was glad I resisted buying the first wooden spinning top that caught my eye-priced at 20 euro. I later picked up its identical twin for just 5 euro.
I wouldn't come here if I was looking for big gifts, but Frankfurt's Weihnachtsmarkt is a great place to pick up stocking-fillers, watch the crowds, and get into the Christmas spirit. And the setting is stunning: though most of the fairy-tale buildings here in the old town were destroyed during World War II, Frankfurters have done an impeccable restoration job. Frankfurt's Christmas Market runs until Dec. 21-Monday to Saturday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m; Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. |
