If you’re searching for the perfect place to get you in the mood for Christmas, look no further than Berlin! With beautifully decorated streets and open squares in festive colors and lights, Christmas markets, mulled wine and an assortment of mouth watering festive dishes, Berlin transforms itself into a Christmas wonderland! If you are spending your first Christmas in Berlin, here are a few things we suggest you experience firsthand!
Christmas Markets It’s said that Berlin is the “Capital of Christmas Markets” with over 60 spread across the city! These markets have a long tradition in German culture and embrace many local traditional customs. Small wooden huts are beautifully decorated with nutcrackers, glass baubles and festive lights where a variety of local handicrafts such as wood carvings, holiday decorations, children’s toys or winter clothing can be purchased. As you stroll through the markets, you will see Christmas plays performed by children; hear musical bands and choirs sing German Christmas carols while the delicious smell of German sausages roasting over an open fire; the sweet smell of cinnamon, baked goods and treats waft through the cold winter evening.
Foods & Drinks
While the weather can be very cold at this time of the year, be sure to warm yourself with a glass, or two, of the traditional Christmas drink, Glühwein or “glow wine”. This warm drink is made from red wine and various spices (cinnamon, nutmeg, cloves, and oranges) and can either be alcoholic or non-alcoholic. Along with Glühwein, some other popular foods to try are Stollen (German Christmas cake), Bratkartoffeln (fried potato with bacon and onion), Bratwurst (German sausage), Gans (roast goose), Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes served with apple), Lebkuchen (spicy gingerbread) and Schweinshaxe (roasted pork hock).
Activities
A wide range of winter activities are readily available for everyone! With Potsdamer Platz as a background, visitors can participate in ice-skating, curling or ride down the largest mobile toboggan in Europe. Ballet performances of the Christmas classic “The Nutcracker” are also very popular as well as a visit to the Roncalli Christmas Circus. Whatever activities you choose or however many glasses of Glühwein you have (and we promise, you’ll have many), we’re sure your Christmas in Berlin will be enjoyable and one you’ll never forget!