Much like our rushed, Christmastime introduction to Germany four years ago, our move to Berlin right before the holidays meant we could only manage a single trip to our neighborhood Weihnachtsmarkt on its final night. Much like Wiesbaden did, the Christmas market here surprised and impressed us. Held in the courtyard of a giant old brick brewery, the Lucia Weihnachtsmarkt in der KulturBrauerei pays homage to the Nordic and Scandinavian countries with its rustic, woodsy decor and real wood-burning standing heaters.

No different from the rest of our eating experiences thus far in Berlin, the food options at this market proved to be phenomenal. The Dinnele, a thin crust covered with potatoes, cheese, onions or other various toppings and baked in a wood fire oven (also called Dinnete in other regions), and the Kartoffelpuffer, which is essentially a potato pancake, were the best we'd had at any market. The specialty hot drinks from various countries were also quite good, the highlight being a variety of fruity Nordic liquor that could be added to the traditional mulled wine. I am anxiously awaiting the Christmas season next year, so I can return for all the variations that had sold out before we got there, including baked apple Glühwein and several I had never even heard of.

Thanks for a great first Christmas season, Berlin. We can't wait for next year!



Lucia Weihnachtsmarkt
in der KulturBrauerei
10435 Berlin-Prenzlauer Berg
daily from late November until December 22

I first fell in love with Freinsheim on a mini road trip a few years back. When a German historian friend tells you about a 5,000-year-old town, complete with a 15th-century stone fortification wall, you go. Based on the description, you might expect to step into a time warp once you get inside the city's walls - and you'd be right. The ancient wall (refortified in the 18th century after destruction in the Nine Year's War) remains and the city feels as through it still belongs in another era. Half-timbered, crumbling homes meander alongside the wall so close, at times you must turn sideways just to squeeze through. Even non-history buffs can't escape the immense feeling of time gone by.

So when I discovered they had a Christmas market, just like the rest of Germany, I knew we had to visit. Much like the town itself, its Weihnachtsmarkt is small, modest and lacks the showiness of larger cities, but that is its charm. Rather than the massive stalls, overflowing with meter-long gummi ropes and cotton candy machines, there is a little hard candy stand that I make sure to find every year to buy an assortment of flavors. Instead of loud and colorful kids' carnival monstrosities, there is a horse-drawn carriage you can ride through town. Food options stay more traditional, with Wurst and Flammkuchen, with a few eateries on the main block opening their patios to serve soups and a couple of plates centered around ubiquitous German meats and cheeses. We did make an amazing food discovery last year in the form of apple beignets - apple rings dipped in batter, fried, and dusted with cinnamon sugar - which were sadly absent this year. Here's hoping they return in the years to come...

Charm aside, one of the main reasons we made the hour-plus trek down for this particular market was the Portugieser Glühwein. While I'm not entirely sure what is different about this hot mulled wine, it is the perfect combination of not too sweet and not too spicy, not to mention it's served in the prettiest little rustic market mugs. Whether it's for the wine, the ancient wall or even for an excursion outside of the Christmas season, Freinsheim will remain one of my favorite little German towns.



Weihnachtsmarkt Freinsheim
Historische Altstadt, von Tor zu Tor
67251 Freinsheim
Friday evenings and weekends, from late November to late December

Perhaps it was the underlying rivalry across the river, or perhaps the fact that I am a good decade older than most in this university town, but I never spent a lot of time in Mainz while we lived in Hessen. That said, the things I did visit for - the best Mexican food in the area, helping little Italian girls practice their English and festivities like Fasching and holiday markets - were always more than worth the trek.

I admit, I haven't been to the Mainzer Weihnachtsmarkt that many times, and I'm sure there are even corners of it tucked away that I have never seen. But every time I'm there, I can't help but be won over by its sprawling lights and even wonder if they might rival that of our former home town market. The crowd there may be significantly younger and always more packed, but there's nothing quite like enjoying one's Glühwein beneath the starburst of light in the shadow of the impressive cathedral. It's no wonder this has been the spot for Mainzers to celebrate the holidays since 1788.

So if you're in the neighborhood at Christmastime, I definitely recommend stopping by for a steaming mug of special blueberry wine and some spectacular holiday lights. Just come prepared with ample time to make your way through the crowd and be in complete awe of the setting.



Mainzer Weihnachtsmarkt
auf den Domplätzen
55116 Mainz
open daily from late November until December 23

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...



Wiesbadener Sternschnuppenmarkt
Schloßplatz 1
65183 Wiesbaden
open daily from late November until December 23