The holiday season in Germany is one of the best times of year, and the Christmas Markets make it unique. It’s the nostalgia of walking along cobblestone streets, stalls lined up and intricately decorated for the season, selling little knick-knacks, handmade gifts, pottery, clothing, and more. But one of the best things about these Christmas Markets is the array of foods everywhere, and the foodie in me is in food heaven! Here are some of the top foods and drinks to try at the German Christmas Markets.
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Foods to Try
↠ Wurst (aka German Sausage): there’s no shortage of wurst at the Christmas market. You can find this typical German fest food at almost any food stall. Choose your wurst however you’d like, as they come in different forms. Here are the different types of wurst found at the Christmas Markets; there are many others, but I’ve listed the ones I am familiar with:
- Bratwurst-traditional German white pork sausage
- Rindwurst- beef sausage- this is deep red in color- my personal favorite
- Currywurst- sliced bratwurst with a curry-ketchup sauce on top
- Käsewurst- cheese sausage (cheese is inside the sausage)
↠ Kartoffelpuffer: Shallow fried potato pancakes, the toppings can be savory (garlic white sauce or, this may be weird, but it tastes pretty decent- apple sauce on top)
↠ Pommes (aka fries): Don’t dismiss this as just fries; in my honest opinion, German fries are much better than those in the States. Sprinkle Pommes seasoning on these babies, and they are delicious! Also, mayonnaise and ketchup with these fries are life!
↠ Lángos: This is my favorite German food at the fest! Not typically German in origin, this is Hungarian and is a deep-fried flatbread. You can make it savory with their delicious white garlic sour cream-like sauce or sweet with Nutella or cinnamon sugar. But, honestly, get the garlic white sour cream sauce!
↠ Dampfnudel: this steamed yeast pillowy dumpling is a German fest favorite! You can eat it on its own or pour vanilla sauce over it. Either way, it’s delicious!
↠ Flammkuchen: also known as tarte flambée, is the German pizza version, but the dough is very thin and then covered in a sour-cream-like sauce (crème fraîche) topped with thinly sliced onions and tiny bits of bacon meat. It’s a favorite fest food and well worth the try. You can also change the toppings to your liking.
↠ Gebrannte Mandeln (Roasted Almonds): These candied almonds are covered in cinnamon sugar goodness and roasted in a pan. I love walking around the Christmas markets, snacking on these.
↠ Mushrooms with Creamy Garlic Sauce: Another favorite of mine. If you love mushrooms, this is for you. Find these sautéed mushrooms topped with delicious, creamy garlic sauce, and you’re in mushroom and garlic cream heaven. I love these so much!
↠ Käsespätzle: I call this the German version of the mac-n-cheese. This is something to try at the markets. The best thing about this is the crispy onions on top. If you love pasta and cheese and caramelized onions, you will definitely love Käsespätzle!
Drinks to Try
↠ Glühwein: Also known as mulled wine, Glühwein is one of the most essential drinks at the German Christmas Markets. Look for vendors making their mulled wine from scratch, slowly heating it and adding spices and sliced fruit. I admit I’m not really a drinker, but a good glühwein at a market helps warm the throat and hands as I walk around the cold, cobblestone streets of the German market.
↠ Eierpunsch: Germany’s version of eggnog. It’s typically just eggs, rum, spices, and white wine, topped with cream!
↠ Kinderpunsch: for those non-alcoholic drink lovers and kiddos, this is for you. This is simply a Children’s punch, an alcohol-free, warm, spiced punch. I love this to help warm my cold hands as I walk around the Christmas market.
↠ Pfand fees for your mugs: not a drink, obviously, but this is good to know about drinks and mugs. When you order a drink at the Christmas market, the mugs are one of the best souvenirs you can take home. You’ll have to pay an extra “pfand” fee for the mug, but if you decide you don’t want it, you can return it to the vendor and get your “pfand” back (typically about 2-3 euros more than the cost of the drink). I love collecting unique mugs this way and displaying my Christmas Market mug collection every Christmas. If you want to keep the mug, you can also return your used one to the vendor and ask for a clean one.
Final Thoughts
Well, there you have it—my recommendations for food and drinks at a German Christmas Market. There are many more foods and drinks to try, but these are just some of the most popular. If you have any other recommendations I missed, please share them below in the comments! Also, I am open to trying more foods for upcoming markets!
Until next time, friends! Bis zum nächsten Mal!
My Favorite Travel Sites
FYI: Find My Favorite Travel Sites Below for Your Trip Planning
I’m attaching some of my favorite travel sites I use to book my trips below! If you use the links below, you’ll be supporting Hello Graciemo’s travel blog at no extra cost to you. I hope you find these helpful for your trip planning! Thank you for your support and Happy Planning!
Flights
I use both SkyScanner and Google Flights to track the best rates for flights. It searches for the best rates from hundreds of airlines to ensure you don’t miss the best deals. You can have SkyScanner and Google Flights send you notifications when flight prices have changed for the specific dates you want to fly.
Accommodations
I love using Booking.com to find our accommodations. You can filter out to your needs
and narrow down the best rates. Plus reviews are helpful when deciding which
accommodations are right for you and your family. Additionally, once you become a
Genius Level Member (based on the level and amount of times you book with
Booking.com), you can receive special discounts.
Airbnb is another favorite for booking our AccommodationS! I stick to places that have
good reviews.
Experiences and Tours
My favorite site to book tours and experiences are with GetYourGuide or Viator. They both have a range of tours and experiences on their website. However, check both sites as one may be sold out and the other may not be.
Rental Cars
I book directly towards the company’s sites to ensure I have the best deals. I compare between Booking.com’s rates and the company’s main sites.
Another option is to also check the rates from your credit card company if they offer travel rewards specials. We like to look at our Chase Sapphire and American Express travel offers as they may offer the best deals and even include insurance as part of the incentive, just double check with them and also the rental car agency if they honor this.
Transfers | Airport Pickups
For Airport Pickups, we have relied on Welcome Pickups for transfers. The drivers are reliable and it’s easy to use the Welcome Pickup Apps to reserve your transfers. Book and find more information here!
Priority Pass
Take advantage of your credit card incentives for travel. Our American Express and
Chase Sapphire offer Priority Pass. From research Platinum Card® from American
Express, the Chase Sapphire Reserve® and the Capital One Venture X Rewards Credit
Card allow cardholders to register for Priority Pass Select membership and enjoy access
to over 1,300 airport lounges worldwide that participate in Priority Pass.
Hopefully this will help alleviate some of your travel planning! Thanks for reading this! Happy Travels!
– Mo