Liv Friis-Larsen/dreamstime.com

My nose led me to the big black oven. The aromas wafting from behind its doors were heavenly and hunger-inducing. Something delicious was certainly baking inside, and I had to have a taste. I was in Dresden at the Striezelmarkt, the city’s Christmas market, and it was Stollen turning golden inside the outdoor oven. Master baker Joachim Winkler was rolling another batch of dough as spectators watched the creation of Dresden’s famous holiday cake.

Stollen, a buttery cake with dried fruit, nuts and spices, is one of many holiday traditions in Germany, where the Christmas season is a fairy tale come to life. Like Dresden, almost every town has a Christmas market during the weeks before Dec. 25. When dark descends — as early as 4 p.m. in December — the outdoor markets are a magical scene with twinkling lights sparkling on the tinsel and gilded ornaments. If snow falls, it’s pure enchantment. People wrapped in heavy winter coats and woolen scarves pack the market square to eye the merchandise displayed at stalls decorated with swaths of fir and pine. Everything from holiday decorations to handicrafts, mittens to furry slippers is for sale. And, in addition to Stollen, there are other delicious edible treats whose aromas stir the appetite: grilled sausages, spicy cookies and Glühwein — “glowing wine” — hot spiced wine served in souvenir mugs.

Dresden, where Stollen originated, claims to have the oldest holiday market. It was first held in 1434 with its name, Striezelmarkt, referring to Stollen. Striezel is a Middle High German word for the cake and also refers to the long, oval shape of the pastry said to symbolize the infant Jesus in swaddling clothes. Packages of original Dresdener Stollen even bear an official seal.

After I tasted free samples of Stollen, I set off to investigate another stand emitting even more delectable aromas. Delicacies called Quarkspitzen were bobbing in a pot of bubbling fat. I’ve been to many a Christmas market, but I’d never encountered these gems:
little balls of dough with quark (curd cheese) in the middle, deep-fried and rolled in powdered sugar. Exquisite.

Food is my favorite part of Christmas markets. Be it in Stuttgart, which claims to have Germany’s largest holiday market, or Nuremberg, which says its market is the most romantic, or Dresden or any small-town Christmas market, there’s nothing quite like standing out in the winter cold, sipping Glühwein and savoring a grilled bratwurst as church bells toll and children sing Christmas carols. Move on to another stand for another Glühwein and a healthy portion of Schupfnudeln (potato dumplings with sauerkraut) or a Linseneintopf (a thick soup of lentils) and Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes). It’s a unique and thoroughly German culinary experience that is scrumptious.

Of course, the markets offer much more than food. Towering over the market in Dresden, in addition to a giant Christmas tree, is a gargantuan, lighted pyramid with carved wooden figures on multiple levels. Smaller versions of the handcarved pyramids are a traditional holiday decoration dating back some 300 years. The pyramids have holders for candles. When lit, the heat rising from the candles sets the various levels of the pyramid turning, its figures spinning round and round. Woodcarvers in the nearby Erzgebirge (Ore Mountains) region make the mobile decorations as well as other beautiful handcarved items such as candelabra, smokers (figures that blow smoke from incense cubes) and nutcrackers, which are famous throughout Germany. There are plenty of stands in Dresden and other Christmas markets selling these prized items of wood. I purchased a handcarved candelabra with nativity figures which has become a cherished Christmas decoration.

In addition to Striezelmarkt, the main Christmas market, there are more seasonal markets throughout Dresden. The Striezelmarkt is open Nov. 24–Dec. 24. For more information, visit http://www.dresden.de/striezelmarkt

Like Dresden, many of the larger cities in Germany have numerous Christmas markets with different areas of the city hosting their own neighborhood markets.

In Düsseldorf, the market stands are “gingerbread houses” where you can purchase all manner of holiday gift items and savory treats. A special attraction this year will be an ice rink at the Gustaf-Gründgens-Platz with free ice skating; instruction and childcare are also available. The Christmas market is scheduled from Nov. 17–Dec. 23 but is closed on Sunday, Nov. 20.

Hamburg has several Christmas markets. The one in front of Town Hall is the biggest, sponsored by Roncalli’s Circus, and features circus artists serving Glühwein. Most Christmas markets in Hamburg are open Nov. 21–Dec. 23.

Berlin, Germany’s largest city, tops the list with the most Christmas markets — 60 in all. One of the city’s most beautiful squares, the Gendarmenmarkt, hosts a market featuring traditional old handicrafts such as flax embroidery and wood carving. Near the Potsdamer Platz market is an ice rink as well as the Winter World, with the largest mobile toboggan run in Europe (12 meters high and 70 meters long). Most of the city’s markets are open Nov. 23–Dec. 31.

The Römer town hall in Frankfurt is the backdrop for a bustling Christmas market, among the oldest holiday markets in Germany. A gigantic Christmas tree dominates the square, and musical events are scheduled throughout the market, including trumpet players on the balcony of St. Nikolai Church. Frankfurt’s market is scheduled from Nov. 23–Dec. 22.

The main Christmas market in the fun-loving Bavarian city of Munich is at the Marienplatz with an added attraction — a Heavenly Workshop for kids. Children between the ages of 6 and 12 can participate in arts and crafts projects and bake Christmas cookies. Bavarian products are a market specialty: wood carvings from Oberammergau, glassware from the Bavarian Forest and more. Munich’s market is open Nov. 25–Dec. 24.

For more information on these and other German Christmas markets, visit www.christmasmarkets.com/germany.html
or www.germany.travel.