Ladies and Gentlemen, the countdown begins, Christmas is just around the corner and the Christmas Markets will soon be open! Not sure where to go? No worries, here are a few personal recommendations for you from me. I hope that my list will help you organize your limited holiday time! In case this is your first Christmas here in Germany, let me introduce you to what a Christmas Market is, if you're already a pro, you can skip straight down to my list!
Christmas Markets: This centuries-old tradition reaches way back to a time where regular seasonal Markets took place throughout the year. The winter markets were a welcome and joyful occasion that added a bit of light to the cold, dark, winter nights. Throughout the years Christmas Markets have evolved, grown, and become less functional and more of a holiday tradition. Usually each village will have a small Christmas Market, lasting anywhere from a few days to a week, whereas the bigger cities will have both Christmas and New Year’s Markets lasting two to five, sometimes even six weeks. They are places full of cheer, with lovely Christmas lights, delicious Christmas treats, and warm Christmas drinks. From roasted chestnuts, to hot mulled wine AKA Glühwein, or warm “Kinder-Punsch,” the Christmas Markets here are something you do not want to miss. It's also a great place to buy homemade crafts, winter apparel, Christmas gifts or holiday souvenirs; you can find nutcrackers, wooden figurines, traditional German ornaments, incense smokers, baking tins, toys, hats, scarves, gloves, blankets, table cloths, tea, chocolate, dried meats—the list goes on and on. The markets are also often home to rides, live entertainment, games, and nativity scenes (some with live animals), and be sure to keep an eye out for Santa and his Reindeer (no, really). So, without further ado, here are some of the Christmas Markets I think you'll definitely want to visit this year:
September 2 to November 6, 2016 at Blühendes Barock (Baroque in Bloom) Ludwigsburg Family (and Dog) Friendly
Just 30 minutes from Stuttgart's Patch Barracks (and 2 hours from Ramstein Air Base) you'll find one of the biggest fall, pumpkin festivals not only in Germany, but in the world (over 450,00 pumpkins)! The event is held in Ludwigsburg at the Baroque Gardens of the Ludwigsburg Castle. The Festival is open every day from 9:00 till 20:30, and the farm and souvenir shops are open from 10:00 till 18:00. It's important to note that the event is outdoors, and therefore, the natural light of the day is the only light available; so be sure to come on a nice fall day so that you can enjoy all of the exhibits and activities. Entry costs are paid directly to the Baroque Gardens and are around € 8.50 for adults and € 4.20 for children and students (with a valid student ID). Family tickets, group discounts and evening discounts (after 17:30) are also available. Visit the Baroque Garden’s website for more details on pricing. http://www.blueba.de/eintritt-oeffnungszeiten.html
The Sunshine Pumpkin Farm is located in Gerhardsbrunn, a short 20 minute drive from Ramstein Air Base. Every year Familie Guhl opens up their pumpkin patch to families in the KMC area! Their fantastic pumpkin patch is so much fun; it's the perfect place to pick your pumpkins and get ready for Halloween. I've been going here the last two years, picking out my own pumpkins, and enjoying Familie Guhl's farm treats.
Don't miss your last chance to visit the Japanese Gardens in Kaiserslautern this year!
The Stuttgarter or more specifically Canstatter Volksfest is one of the largest beer festivals, second only to the Oktoberfest in Munich. Even the Stuttgart natives don’t say they are going “to the festival” (auf´s Volksfest) but instead say they are going “auf den Wasen.” The Cannstatter Wasen is the area between Mercedesstraße, the Neckar River, the Gaisburger Neckar Bridge and the King Karl’s Bridge. Already two to three months before the festival, the large beer tents begin their set-up. There are more than 300 vendors total, and taking the vendors’ suppliers into consideration, more than 17,000 people are there to guarantee the approximately four million visitors a once-in-a-lifetime festival experience. More than 20,000 Volksfest club members (former German emigrants and their families from New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, but also former Soldiers that were stationed in Stuttgart or in the surrounding areas) regularly visit the Cannstatter Volksfest in order to renew and strengthen the ties with their friends in the area.