When the cold months herald the short days of winter, Germans find comfort knowing the Christmas Markets are getting a bit closer. Jealousy of our chance to hit the markets peppered us before we ever set foot in Germany, and since arriving, we’ve heard nothing but the constant yearnings of friends whose inaugural visits were stolen away last year by the pandemic. The Christmas Markets have a tremendous reputation in Germany, and we quickly built up our own appetite for experiencing their wonder for ourselves.
Unfortunately, the pandemic of last year is not ancient history. In late November, the southern German states cancelled the Christmas Markets due to surging Covid cases and overcrowded hospitals. Devastation swiftly set in when we learned the news and realized we would miss them. A few weeks went by as we begrudgingly accepted our fate, but luckily a stroke of boldness soon found us—we resolved to conquer any distance to find an open Christmas Market!
The research began and pointed us to Berlin, where the markets are famous, charming, and, most importantly, open. The trek from Munich to Berlin is not well-suited for a weekend, but our will was steady as we booked a same-day, round-trip ticket: ten hours of train-travel for six hours of markets. 24-hours later with backpacks and jackets on, we set out early in the morning to start our journey.
Jenni sleeping on the way to Berlin.
A short subway ride on the U-Bahn took us to our first market of the day: Gendarmenmarkt, a beautiful city square situated between two large cathedrals and a concert hall, the perfect architectural backdrop. As we approached the entrance, a tinge of nervousness creeped in as we read “Digital Vaccination Certificate Required”—something Jenni and I do not have. EU citizens have digital QR codes to prove their vaccination, but we still use our CDC paper vaccination cards from the United States. Crossing our fingers that we could explain the situation, we stepped toward the entrance.
I busted out my limited—albeit improving—German skills and explained the situation: “We are from the U.S. but now live in Germany. We are triple vaccinated. The cards are from the United States.” The man checking our credentials looked nonplussed and asked to see the card. I repeated that we live in Germany and showed him our visas. A few dreadfully long seconds passed until he finally told us in German, “Okay, no problem. Have fun.” Hoping that my massive sigh of relief was neither audible nor incriminating, we eagerly put away our documents and entered the market.
It did not take long to realize that the long trip to Berlin was worth it. The decorated white tents, with their twinkling Christmas lights and yellow stars, stood beautifully between the large stone buildings. Rows of vendors were selling everything from hand-made Christmas ornaments to savory sausages. Lines stretched in all directions as people waited anxiously for the classic Christmas Market drink: Glühwein (pronounced gloo-vine), a spiced, mulled wine served hot. Ready for lunch, we enjoyed two Thüringers—a classic Christmas Market sausage—at a standing table and soaked it all in.
We took a few laps around the market to buy some trinkets and enjoy our Glühwein in the crisp winter air. Each market has its own unique Glühwein mug, and we happily forfeited our €3 deposit to keep one as a souvenir. Once our toes began to feel the cold, we decided it was time for a short respite on the U-Bahn on the way to the next market.
Our next step was Alexanderplatz, one of the busiest markets in Berlin. As we waited in line for entry, we noticed a pair of CDC vaccination cards in the hands of the couple in front of us. Jenni and I looked at each other with wide, worried eyes as we silently agreed that this couple better not mess us up. When we reached the front to present our documents, we went left, and they went right. I busted out my broken German and Jenni her innocent eyes, and we passed through with ease. However, as we looked back, we sadly saw the other couple being turned away. We pitied them for an instant then high-tailed it around the corner before they could change their minds about us.
We walked around this market for a short while, enjoyed another Glühwein, and, of course, kept a mug. The highlight of this market is a beautiful Christmas pyramid—the largest one in Germany—with a windmill on top.
As twilight fell over the city, we made one final stop at Rotes Rathaus (Red City Hall), and it quickly became our favorite. This was the largest market yet, with beautiful wooden stalls, an adorable nativity scene, and a massive ferris wheel. After nightfall, the Christmas lights were spectacular. We enjoyed one last Glühwein here before heading back to the train station, mug in hand.
The day finally caught up to us as we found our seats on the train—we were exhausted. But, the adventure was a success, and we were both glad that we decided to go and delighted with how the day turned out. We loved the markets and felt grateful that we didn’t miss them. After a day like that, the train ride home felt much, much shorter.
Me sleeping on the way home.