Ahhh, Wiesbaden. It's only been a few weeks since we moved and already I feel pangs of sadness when I look back at these photos of what a beautiful city we left behind. Don't get me wrong, Berlin is definitely the place for us, but as our first home in Germany, Wiesbaden will always hold a special place for me. And since we have yet to celebrate Christmas amidst all our moving disasters, I'm still channeling the Christmas spirit - or at least, trying to - well into January this year. Germany is full of charming Christmas markets and Wiesbaden was our very first experience with holiday festivities over here. Arriving in Germany with only a few suitcases and our dog in a crate mere days before Christmas, the Sternschnuppenmarkt within walking distance was the one thing that brought us joy that present-less, furniture-less and friend-less first holiday season in our new home.Even after five years of meeting friends for evenings out and picking up the odd mug of steaming Glühwein to warm my hands walking home from running errands, there were still things that managed to surprise me at our home Christmas market. It wasn't until year three that I discovered Glühbier (the Schwarzwaldhaus stall, just off from the stage), a hot and sweet cherry-flavored beer. Just this year, I realized that all those people holding what I thought were mugs of hot orange juice - which always seemed like such a waste of a hot drink at a fest, if you ask me - were actually drinking Sanddorn Grog, a light, slightly fruity and slightly spicy kind of hot alcoholic drink that has now become one of my favorite alternatives to the heavy, spicy Glühwein. Conveniently, at the same stall (directly in front of the Marktkirche, if you're looking) this season I also discovered Lebkuchen waffles, which are like heaven, hot off the waffle iron, dusted with ample powdered sugar and washed down with the not-too-sweet Sanddorn Grog. So lecker!
So I know I'm biased, and I still have a lot of major German Christmas markets to discover - like Munich, Hamburg and Nuremberg, most notably - but Wiesbaden will probably always be one of my favorites. There are bigger markets, like the sprawling one in Düsseldorf, and themed markets, like the medieval section of the one in Erfurt, and overly-touristy markets, like the one here at Alexanderplatz, but Wiesbaden's has it all: the setting surrounded by stunning old architecture, the abundant food and drink options beyond just Glühwein and Wurst, that it is big but not so big you get lost in it. But most of all, for five years, it was home. I think I know where we'll be headed back to for next year's Christmas markets...
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Wiesbadener Sternschnuppenmarkt
Schloßplatz 1
65183 Wiesbaden
open daily from late November until December 23
Beautiful pics - I really like the lit-up flowers.
ReplyDeleteThanks Natalye! They really do make for a magical setting against the night sky.
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