Germany Travel Planning: Essential Tips for Exploring Germany’s Christmas Markets

Tracy is joined in this week's episode by travel expert Cate from My Germany Vacation to dive into the magical world of German Christmas markets. From iconic cities like Berlin, Cologne, and Munich to charming small-town markets in Rothenburg, Regensburg, and Esslingen, Cate shares her decades of experience to help you plan a festive getaway filled with culture, food, and unforgettable memories.

Discover how to choose between Germany’s countless markets, the best times to visit, and what to pack for cold winter evenings. Learn which foods and drinks you simply must try - like Glühwein, Lebkuchen, and roasted almonds - plus tips for avoiding “food fatigue” when market-hopping. Cate also explains why smaller, local markets often outshine the big-name ones, and how to balance busy itineraries with slowing down to savour the holiday spirit.

Packed with personal stories, hidden gem recommendations, and practical advice, this episode will inspire and prepare you to make the most of Germany’s yuletide traditions.

⭐️ Guest - Cate Brubaker from My Germany Vacation
📝  Show Notes - Episode 80

🎧 Listen to next

• Episode #45 – Germany Travel Guide: Expert Tips for first-time visitors
• Episode #37 - Tips for first-time visitors to France
• Episode #6: Discovering Switzerland with Swiss travel expert Carolyn Schönafinger

Chapters

• 0:00 Magic of German Christmas Markets
• 9:04 When to Visit and Market Selection
• 16:57 Kate's Favorite Hidden Gem Markets
• 24:01 Must-Try Foods and Glühwein Experience
• 30:14 Authentic Gifts and Seasonal Packing
• 33:27 Common Mistakes and Final Tips

Transcript

SPEAKER_02: 0:00

Twinkling lights, mould wine and centuries-old traditions. Today we're heading to Germany in December with Kate from My Germany Vacation to talk all things at Christmas markets, where to go, what to eat, what to buy and how to make the most of your festive trip.

SPEAKER_01: 0:14

Welcome to the Global Travel Planning Podcast. Your host is founder of the Global Travel Planning website, Tracy Collins. Each week, Tracy is joined by expert guests as she takes you on a journey to destinations around the world, sharing travel inspiration, itinerary ideas, and practical tips to help you plan your next adventure. Join us as we explore everywhere from bustling cities to remote landscapes, uncover cultural treasures and discover the best ways to make your travel dreams a reality.

SPEAKER_02: 0:47

Hi and welcome to this week's edition of the Global Travel Plan and Podcast. Now, Germany in December is pure magic, with Christmas markets popping up in towns and cities across the country. From historic squares filled with wooden stores to fairy tale villages lit with thousands of lights, there's nothing quite like experiencing a German Christmas market. Last year, Doug and I were lucky enough to spend time in Berlin soaking up the atmosphere, and it was truly unforgettable. In this episode, I'm drawn by Kate from My Germany Vocation and the Germany Travel Planner podcast to share her insider tips on visiting Germany during the festive season. We're going to cover where to find the best markets, when to go, what to know before you visit, what to eat and drink, what to shop for, and how to plan your days so you can soak up the magic without feeling rushed. Whether you're dreaming of a romantic getaway or a family holiday, this episode will help you plan a Christmas market trip you'll never forget. Hi, Kate. Would you like to introduce yourself and tell us where you are from and what it is that you do?

SPEAKER_00: 1:44

Hi, Tracy. So excited to be here. So yeah, I'm Kate, and uh right now I'm in the United States where I'm from, but we spend uh a lot of time in Europe, especially in Germany. So we, my husband and I run a website and a boutique travel planning business called My Germany Vacation. You do? You do, and you also have a podcast as well, don't you? Yes, yes, we do. It's uh Germany travel planning, and you just go to your favorite podcast player, you should be able to search and find it. Perfect.

SPEAKER_02: 2:12

And it'll be alongside UK Travel Planner Podcast too. So to listen to both of those podcasts, because if you go to the UK, go to Germany, we have the best podcasts and information for you. Now, we we are gonna jump into talking about Christmas markets in Germany, which I have to say are my favorite. Uh, I did mention the intro, Doug and I were very lucky enough to visit the German markets in Berlin last December, and it they were fabulous.

SPEAKER_00: 2:38

Now, we do have an episode about that on our podcast if anyone wants to listen to that, because we had you as a guest on our podcast talking about your experience in Berlin at the Christmas market. So link that up in the show notes so everyone can listen to that.

SPEAKER_02: 2:51

That's true. And thanks for reminding me about that. I forgot all about that one, Kate. Yes, we did. We came in and chatted all about it. But now, Kate, for someone who's never been to Germany in December, how would you describe the Christmas market atmosphere?

SPEAKER_00: 3:04

Oh my God. It's it really is magical. Um, they're just you, you know, if you if you're not from Germany and you haven't really been to any other Christmas markets, you just can't even imagine what they're like. They're just, they are so beautiful. Especially if you go at night, that's the best time to go. And especially as the sun is setting and the lights are just starting to turn on, and they start, you know, all the twinkling lights, and there's a lot of like white lights and and decorations, and sometimes there's music, or sometimes it'll be entertainment, and all the food booths, and and the vibe is just so festive and fun, and um, yeah, it's the best. I've been going to them for 35 years, and I I'm I never get tired of it.

SPEAKER_02: 3:49

Oh, I have to agree. I say I I honestly believe, and I I've experienced this, that the German markets leave all the other Christmas markets in Europe standing. They really do. They definitely do. Now, when do the Christmas markets usually start and finish, and how long do they run each day? So you mentioned that obviously the the the run into the evening, um, and and I agree the atmosphere is fantastic, especially in the evening. Um, but do they start in November or do they finish in January, or are they definitely kind of just a December thing?

SPEAKER_00: 4:18

Yeah, usually they start at the end of November. And um, they most of them close on the 23rd or 24th of December. But now there are some that do stay open until uh like around January 1st, but still not very many. There's a few, maybe Berlin, Cologne, you know, a few places like that.

SPEAKER_02: 4:38

Okay. Now you mentioned kind of some of them closing before Christmas Day, Boxing Day. Um do are any of them actually open on Christmas Day, Boxing Day, or do they No. No, okay.

SPEAKER_00: 4:49

No, they close at some point on uh December 24th. In Germany you celebrate Christmas on in the evening on the 24th. So uh they a lot of them start closing in the afternoon. Some of them just aren't open at all on the 24th. And then they're closed on the 25th, and the 26th is also considered a Christmas. It's yeah, basically Boxing Day in Germany too. So they're typically closed on that day as well. I mean, I just when I'm planning my visits, I only plan to go up until the 23rd or 24th. Because I and you can go after Christmas through New Year's, but for me, like the vibe is just gone once it's after Christmas. So I really like going before, you know, between that time of like late November to um Christmas Eve. And they used to be really strict about when they opened and when they closed, and it they've kind of loosened up on that. So each market has its own dates now. And the other thing to be aware of is that some markets are only open on certain days, usually smaller ones, or if they're you know more specialized. So you cannot assume that all the markets will be open all the time. And there are several markets in um, especially in larger cities, there will be several markets open, but they kind of sometimes they stagger the opening, or um they might only be open on the weekends or just a couple of evenings. So you really have to look at the dates.

SPEAKER_02: 6:15

Okay, that's good information. And how they also have so many Christmas markets, like even in Berlin, just think about Berlin, there were so many to choose from. Um, so how should first-time visitors choose where to go?

SPEAKER_00: 6:28

Yeah, that can be really tough because there's so many great places. So, my first answer to that is wherever you are in Germany, you will find a market. I mean, they are they are literally everywhere. Doesn't matter whether you go to a big city, medium-sized town, um, a village, there will be a Christmas market, more than one Christmas market near you. And every single Christmas market can be interesting. So I would say if you know, if you're already planning to go somewhere in Germany at this time, see which Christmas markets are going to be around where you're going to be and go visit those. If you are going to Germany just for the Christmas markets, then I recommend I thought about this before, before when I was preparing for this, and I had such a hard time narrowing it down because there's so many great places. But Cologne is really good. Um, Stuttgart, Munich, Berlin has some good ones. Um, Dresden is good. Nunberg has a very old one. Some people love it, some people don't love it as much. Um, Regensburg also has some really nice ones. And Rotenburg Op der Talbot, that one also, um, I really liked that one. Surprisingly, I was really surprised at how much I like that one. So those are the ones that I that I think about right off the bat. But like I said, they are everywhere in Germany. And sometimes going to the ones that are less popular can actually be a better experience because you're more local, you know, you're with locals. And I really like those because that reminds me of the way the Christmas markets used to be before they got super popular.

SPEAKER_02: 8:03

Oh, okay. And I, you know, I agree with the the fact that the wherever you're going in Germany, you're gonna find Christmas markets because they're just so popular. And interestingly, we we went to Berlin in December. We didn't do a lot of planning beforehand about which Christmas markets we were gonna go to, but we did get a little bit of overwhelmed with the a choice of Christmas markets to go to in Berlin. So I think that is also really important to be aware that you might be going to Berlin, but you're gonna have a choice of where you want to go. And and also even just walking down the street, actually, you you might not know about this market. Then you just walk and there's a Christmas market, the stalls all around you. Um, so how would you suggest somebody, for example, like we went to Berlin, how how would you prepare for that in terms of would you I know I know you you have articles and um a planner, I think. Is it right for the Christmas markets? Um, which would be very, really useful, I have to tell you, because you do get a bit overwhelmed with it.

SPEAKER_00: 9:00

Oh, absolutely. I mean, we spent um last all of Christmas market season last year, we went all over Germany and every single day we were visiting as many markets as we possibly could. And this is after decades of visiting. I've been to hundreds of markets all over Germany now. And it really can be overwhelming because when you're in Facebook groups, I mean, I'm in these Facebook groups and everyone's talking about all these amazing markets, and you look at lists on websites, and it's so hard to know which ones are worth going, or actually which ones are worth going for you. Like which ones are you drawn to? Because it's different for everybody. So, you know, you look at these long lists and and you're like, okay, well, where are those? Like you said, like you can be walking down in Berlin and you don't realize you're actually seeing like seven different markets. So you can you can actually visit a lot of markets in one go, and you don't realize because they kind of go from one to the next to the next, and you're like, well, this one looks a little bit different than this other one, but kind of seems like one giant market. So what we are working on right now is a Christmas market guide and a map so that you can see where these markets are on a map rather than just seeing a list. And then you can take a look at the photos because I find like seeing the photos, you see, like, oh, that's the market I really want to see, right? And then we also are giving some insider information on like which market um to go to if you're looking for this or for that. And so it'll really help people um narrow it down.

SPEAKER_02: 10:35

Well, I could have done with that last December, Kate, but I'll I'll definitely get that because I'm sure we'll be going back to the Christmas markets at some point because they are just such a draw. Now, but are there any personal favorite Christmas markets for you or one that's maybe a little bit of a like a hidden, I hate the word hidden gem, but you know what I mean, something that people don't necessarily know about, but you absolutely love.

SPEAKER_00: 10:56

Yeah, I actually did think of a few. Again, it was so hard to narrow it down because there's so many. But um, there's a few that I can mention. So one is in Esslingen, and that is near Stuttgart. And it's a they have a medieval market. It's so much fun. They have um there are people walking around in medieval clothes, they have like fire in different places, they have children's rides, like medieval rides that kids can go on and games and food and entertainment. I just have always had so much fun whenever I go there. Another one is in Cologne, it's called the Angels Market, and it's a newer market, and it's just beautiful. Like they just really thought about like the aesthetics of it. Just it's just gorgeous. And um, and it's it's not a huge market, but they have these beautiful lights, and all the stands are kind of uniform, and it's just so relaxing. Like I love the vibe of it, it's just a relaxing, beautiful vibe. And then another one, as I mentioned before, Rotenburg Ob de Talba. I did not think I would like that one. Um, and unsurprisingly, we really, really enjoyed it. We went on a Saturday, and it's right in the old town, which is like in a pedestrian area. And Rotenburg Ob de Talba is like a very well-preserved medieval town, and it's it's pretty touristy and it gets very busy. So some people love it, some people hate it. Um, I've gone there many times. I actually really, really like it. I know how to avoid the crowds, so I really enjoy it. But the market was so much fun. Like I said, we were there on a Saturday night. So um everyone was very excited to be there, and everyone's just walking around because it's it's in this old town pedestrian area, and it had all the standard stuff, but like, you know, all the food and the music and everything. But just being in this beautiful old town with all these old buildings around it, it was it was so much fun. We had such a great time. Um, another of two more. So another one is in Regensburg, and we went to this little tiny market, I can't remember the name, but you walk across the bridge and then you turn left, and there's this little market that's uh right along the river. And they had little fire pits and um some local specialties and you know, food and drink, and it just seemed very, very local. And it was just very low-key. People were standing around or sitting around the fire pits, and it was not very big, but it had local things to buy too. Like you could tell it was just all very local. So I really enjoyed that one. I and I love the like relaxing, kind of low-key vibe of that one and people just hanging out. And then the last one that I'll mention, because I could talk for like an hour about all the markets that I really like, but the last one I'll mention is in Munich, and it was outside of the city center, and it was a Gluewein Festival. So Gluwein is the mold wine, and it was this small market, but they had these really big tents, and they had like I think at least 20 or more different kinds of gluewein. So we went out and tried um, you know, various kinds, and and it was just fun to like try different combinations and flavors and and um and sit in a cozy tent and just enjoy the atmosphere.

SPEAKER_02: 14:14

Oh, they all they all sound magical, they really do. And I can't, I mean, being able to just travel around and visit all these Christmas markets in Germany, yeah, that just sounds fantastic. Now, beyond the stalls, because we kind of know that you're gonna see all the stalls when you get to Christmas markets, but what else can visitors expect when they go to a Christmas market in Germany?

SPEAKER_00: 14:33

So, yeah, there's the the ornaments and the things that you can buy. Um, there's also all of the food. So you definitely have to have a lot of food. One one of the things to do when you're going to a lot of markets is um think about like have one thing at each market. Like, don't just eat all of the food immediately at the first market because you'll get really tired of it. And if you think, okay, these are the things that I want to eat, like in our guide, we're gonna have a list of the things you're gonna want to eat at markets, and there's a lot of things. So you can you can look at that ahead of time and say, okay, these are the things I really want to try. I do this, I have kind of a mental list, or I sometimes put it on my phone. And when I go to a market, I think, okay, tonight I'm going to have a bratwurst and I'm going to have some Liebkuchen, the gingerbread. And then I go to another one, and I'm like, okay, in this one, I'm gonna have potato pancakes and I don't know, cinnamon roasted almonds or something. And that way you don't burn out, because you can easily burn out on Christmas market food. And also it makes the markets more memorable because if you go to a lot of them, they kind of all run together. And so you can remember, oh, yeah, that market is where I had this food. So um, so there's all the things you can buy, there's food, there's sometimes there's ice skating rinks. Um, some of them will have rides, like there might be a giant Ferris wheel. There was one in Stuttgart last year. Sometimes there'll be kids' rides. Um, Stuttgart also had this really cool uh little train, like a large model train, and kids could ride on it. Um there's uh let's oh, entertainment. So a lot of times you'll hear choirs or there will be um, yeah, different kinds of entertainment depending on the market. Sometimes you'll see uh St. Nicholas, and um yeah, I'm sure there's a few things that I'm forgetting, but those are some of the highlights.

SPEAKER_02: 16:24

Oh no, very excited. Now you've you've kind of pivoted into food, which is great. I always love talking about food. Um, and we we did try some amazing food. Doug loves German food anyway, so he was in his element. But are there any absolute must-try Christmas market foods that you would say you really should be trying when you go to?

SPEAKER_00: 16:43

Yeah, how long do we have? There's so many things. So, my favorite, what I always eat at every market, I have some Leepuchen. That is the round gingerbread, and it's kind of soft, and it has um different kinds of chocolate or iced um uh glaze on it. Potato pancakes, I love those as well. Nutella crepes, I always have a Nutella. You can get lots of different kinds of crepes, but the Nutella ones, oh, they're so good. Um, anything bread related, you can get lots of different types of, you know, like baguettes and um I don't, I can't even think of all the things, but like lots of different, you know, Germany does bread products really well. The roasted cinnamon almonds, that's always a good one. Glue vine, always good. You can get hot chocolate. Um yeah, there's um, oh, it's some of them, actually, if for anyone who is a meat eater, you can also get like these big um like meat on a stick, you know, like roasted, like freshly roasted meat on a stick, or you can get like a big turkey leg type thing. A lot of times at medieval markets, but so you can find you can find everything. Oh, the last one, the last one that I really like mushrooms. They have these huge skillets and they'll cook these mushrooms, and a lot of times you can get them in like a creamy sauce or like a creamy garlic sauce. Oh, those are so good too.

SPEAKER_02: 18:03

Oh, honestly, yeah, I could eat my way around the German markets. We we actually had this pancake with um uh uh Kirsch and cherries, black cherries, on it. And we loved it so much we went the next we went the next night back to that market and it sold out. We were absolutely got it. Oh no, because they were so, so good. So actually, if you see something and you think, oh, I want to try it, try it because you if if it's popular, you'll go back and it's all sold out. We were we were so sad about that.

SPEAKER_00: 18:30

But oh, absolutely. That is such a good tip because if it's your first time, you're not gonna know what's standard Christmas market food and what is regional. And there were a few times where I was trying to space things out and I didn't eat something, and then I regretted it because I realized, oh, that was a regional specialty, and we are not gonna find that anymore at the other markets we're going to.

SPEAKER_02: 18:52

Uh, yeah, that's that's a good point. And and yeah, yeah, don't eat before you go. That's the other thing I'd say. Now you've mentioned about glue vine. Um, is how about how do you order that and enjoy it? Because I know some places you get the mug, you pay for the mug and you get it, and some you don't. So, you know, give us a few tips for ordering some glue vine.

SPEAKER_00: 19:10

Yeah, so well, actually now there's multiple kinds of glue vine. A lot of places have it, like we had it with blueberry, we have blueberry glue vine, cherry glue vine. Um, a lot of times they'll they'll be like, they'll use local berries and um and then you can also get like a non-alcoholic version, so that's really good too. Um, so you just order, like, you know, you say you want a glue vine, they'll ask you sometimes if you want it mitschus, which is like an extra shot of alcohol. So you can get that in it as well if you want. And then um you'll you'll get it in some sort of mug or sometimes it's a a glass, usually it's a mug. And each Christmas market has uh different kinds of mugs. And so a lot of people now like to collect all of the mugs from the different markets. And it's fun, even if you don't want to collect them. I mean, I I used to have an extensive Christmas market collection. I collected them for years, and then I realized I never used them, so I got rid of all of them, and now I just have a few from the last market that we our from our last market trip. But um, when you order it, you get the mug, and then you pay for the glue mine, but you also pay a deposit for the mug. So it's gonna cost a little bit more than you think, and it might be another five euros for the mug. So then when you finish your glue vine, you bring it back, and there'll be usually there's a designated place where you return your cup and then they give you your money back. And that's also now um very common if you're going to get other things. Like if you get a noodle dish or I don't know, some other it kind of depends on what you get. With a crepe, usually they'll just put it on um, you know, something that's either biodegradable or um oh, I feel like we got something that you could actually eat too. Like I've gotten things like on like edible trays. Yeah. Um, but if it's something that's a drink or some other types of food on a real plate, then you pay that deposit and then you just take it back. Some people don't realize that, and then they don't go back and get their money. So definitely go back and get your money. Good point.

SPEAKER_02: 21:13

Good point. Now we're talking a little bit about the amazing things you can buy. So, what kinds of gifts and decorations are like traditional things to buy at German Christmas markets? And like how can you avoid like the mass-produced stuff and get the authentic items?

SPEAKER_00: 21:30

Yeah, so some really good things to buy are Christmas ornaments because Germany does Christmas, they do Christmas very well. So you can get lots and lots of really great like wooden and straw ornaments. Like almost all of our Christmas ornaments are from Germany, and I've collected them a lot of it from Christmas markets over the years. Uh, so Christmas ornaments, figurines, decorations, uh wooden pyramids, those wooden smokers. You know, do you know what those are? Yeah, like you put the little incense in it. Yeah, those are really cute. You can get those. So there's there's lots of things like that. You can also get um wool items. Um, and then at some of the bigger, very more touristy markets in the center of town, especially in bigger cities, they will have more mass-produced stuff. And then you'll even see things like brooms and you know, like cleaning products and stuff. So that can be a little bit disappointing. That kind of, you know, you'll see those at like a lot of different markets throughout the year. So you do have to be very careful now because um there is a lot of mass-produced items. So you can ask, where is this made? If it's really cheap, it's probably not handmade, um, but you can always ask. And then you can go out to the markets that are smaller and are not in the city center. You know, like sometimes you will find handmade stuff in the city center markets, but I have found if I go to the markets that are a little bit more artsy or are um more local, then you're more likely to get local vendors. But, you know, you have to like if you want to get handmade, like really get handmade stuff, it can be harder to find now, you know, and it's expensive. It's expensive to buy that stuff.

SPEAKER_02: 23:18

There's so much to buy, honestly. I it was the first destination we we stopped at on our um multi-country trip around Europe in we did in December, and I wasn't allowed to buy anything, which is really hard, because there's some amazing, beautiful Christmas decorations I wanted. So I will be going back to to buy some of those. Now, um, I'm just thinking about you know, somebody planning an itinerary to Germany, which obviously, you know, you're you're the the master at. Um, how would they, or what's the best way to fit Christmas markets into their itinerary?

SPEAKER_00: 23:49

So if you're going to Germany anytime during the Christmas markets are open, it's very easy because they're everywhere. So you can either approach it where you decide which markets you absolutely want to go to. You know, maybe you want to go to the medieval market in Esslingen and then you want to go to Munich because it's not that far away, and there's a bazillion markets in the Munich area. Um, you know, that's one way you can do that. Or if you are going because you want to visit family or friends, or there's specific sites you want to see, you can easily find markets that you can go to that are really near those locations.

SPEAKER_02: 24:24

Perfect. And obviously, your your planner that's coming out soon as well, Matt will be an excellent uh tool as well to help with planning. Now, I know people are going to be asking this question, how cold does it get? What should people pack to stay comfortable?

SPEAKER_00: 24:38

Yeah, you know, it doesn't get as cold as it used to. I have so many memories of wanting to go to the Christmas market because when I was living there, we would all just meet up at the Christmas market all the time. And you just meet up for a bite to eat or some glue wein, and we always had to strategize like, how can I dress as warmly as possible? And then you would drink a lot of glue wein to stay warm. But I don't really find that it like Germany's not as cold as it used to be. So when we were there uh last year for the Christmas markets, it was really only when we were in southern Germany at the beginning of December when it was cold. And then we, as we we continued around Germany, we went north, it just got warmer. Um, I think it just kind of warmed up a little bit more at the end of the month. And we were going out, we weren't even wearing gloves. You know, sometimes we put a hat on, but not, but you know, it can it just can vary. You just never know. It's not consistently cold anymore like it used to be. So what I recommend is wear layers, bring, bring, I mean, that's what we do. We just bring layers and then we can um, you know, take things on or off as needed. Uh, you don't need to have like this massive winter coach or anything like that. I mean, we live in North Carolina, so we don't have that kind of stuff. So we just wear a lot of clothes. Uh, I do recommend bringing rain gear because you know, you never know. It doesn't, and like last year it didn't rain all that much, actually, when we were there in in the winter time, but you know, it can be helpful to have that in case it does rain. Uh but definitely bring a hat, bring a scarf, gloves, bring uh warmer clothes that you can wear underneath your clothes in case it does get cold.

SPEAKER_02: 26:19

Yeah, that's good. We we we always pack hand warmers because we find those are really useful to have if you if you if you get cold fingers. Like I wear gloves anyway and have hand warmers. But it it was, I think it was pretty mild. I think the coldest we had was was when we're in Helsinki. That was pretty cold. But Germany wasn't too bad at all. Just kind of normal hat, scarf, gloves. I say I always have my hand warmers just in case my uh they're great because they stay warm for 24 hours and yeah, so uh we we always have loads of those with us.

SPEAKER_00: 26:46

Um now it was surprisingly warm actually last year. It was just at the beginning, and we thought when we first arrived and we actually went down to Munich and that's where it was a little bit colder and it snowed a little bit, and um, and that's where we thought, oh yeah, it's gonna be cold. And then it warmed up.

SPEAKER_02: 27:02

Yeah, that's true. I'll tell you what, the one thing I think that is the always most important for me is thinking about my footwear, because if it does get icy, if it does get cold and get icy, then the pavements can get slippery. Um, and that's always something I think about really carefully about making sure that I've got footwear that's got a decent grip. Um, even in the UK, that can be an issue as well if like the pavement just has to go below zero and then you've got that ice and and it's a little bit more slippery. Um we did get a lot of snow actually in in Finland, so that was interesting in Helsinki, but didn't get any snow in Germany. But um, yeah, it was it was a pretty mild Christmas, I think, because we were hungry for it and it was fairly mild.

SPEAKER_00: 27:37

Yeah. That's a that's a really good point about the shoes. So I usually bring a pair of uh boots, and often now I just bring like little ankle boots, and then uh and then I bring a pair of Nikes that are really, really comfortable. And I highly recommend bringing something comfortable because you're walking so much and you're standing. You know, the Christmas markets, you're standing, you're walking, you know, you're not always sitting very often. And we've been getting uh Nike type shoes that are waterproof. And and then we have uh wool socks. I really like merino wool. I have like those full out, I have like all of my travel clothes are now merino wool. I really like it. No, some people don't, but I really love it. I wear it in the summer, in the winter, you can layer it, it's great. So I have um warmer socks and then I have less warm socks, and I just kind of you know decide what to wear. But the waterproof shoes really do help.

SPEAKER_02: 28:30

Yeah, no, that's a good point. Now, are there any common mistakes visitors make at Christmas markets and how can they avoid them?

SPEAKER_00: 28:36

Oh, that's a good question. One of the things that I see is that people try to cram in way too many Christmas markets, and they try to just consume as many markets as they can, and they'll they'll go to, you know, 10 markets in one place and in just a couple of days. I don't recommend that because that's kind of the opposite of the goal of the markets. The point of the markets is to go and slow down and enjoy and meet up with your friends and just bask in the season and the vibe and enjoy the beauty of it and the food and you know, to relax. So it's I know it's hard because you want to see all the markets, but and we we've done this because we were doing travel research. So we were going to as many markets as we could during the day. And we had to slow down a little bit and say, we want to actually enjoy these. So when you're planning your trip, do some research to really decide which markets are your top priority. And if you decide that you want to go to others, do that. But don't try to cram so many in. Just g go and relax, enjoy, slow down at least at some of them. And then you'll really get the Christmas market experience.

SPEAKER_02: 29:52

Yeah, really get this get this festive spirit as well. Do you have a favorite Christmas market memory or story that you can share from your travels, Kate?

SPEAKER_00: 30:01

Yeah. So, you know, one of them was what I was mentioning earlier. When I was living there, um, I used to walk through the Christmas market to get home. When I when I was one year when I was in in um university um where I was living, I would walk through the Christmas market every day. So it was that was really fun. But I just, you know, I remember like I guess such warm, fuzzy memories or feelings, thinking about the memories of when I was living there and I would meet up with friends at night, and we would just stand around with our glue vine and just talking. And it was just, you know, it's just one of those moments where you're just like, this is just so awesome. You know, you're outside, you're um with other people, and you've got this beautiful surroundings, and it just really felt like you really could feel the holidays and the holiday, you know, you just you just get into the holiday spirit, and yeah, it was really fun.

SPEAKER_02: 30:52

That's really magical, really magical. Now, this is a really hard question, but if someone could only visit one Christmas market in Germany, which one would you choose for them and why?

SPEAKER_00: 31:05

Oh, that is so hard. Right now, um, I would lean towards going to Cologne because I really liked that that there was a variety of markets, and you can very easily see some traditional markets, some more local markets, and that angel market that was really pretty.

SPEAKER_02: 31:22

Yeah, that sounds really cool. I do like the sound of that one for sure. Now, I always end the episode with the same question. So, what is your one must-not tip for somebody visiting Germany in December for the first time?

SPEAKER_00: 31:34

I I would just reiterate what I said before: layers, layers, layers, layers. Just pack layers because you never know whether what it's gonna be like outside, whether it's gonna be cold or warm. And then when you go inside, it's more than likely going to be pretty warm. So you want to be able to um shed those layers when you want to, and then be able to put them back on. And then also comfortable shoes because you will be walking and standing everywhere. Uh, it's not, you know, there's not guaranteed that you'll be able to sit down at any of the markets. You know, there's a lot of um, even if you're getting something to eat, a lot of times there are tables where you stand at those tables, you're not sitting. So wear comfortable shoes.

SPEAKER_02: 32:12

That's true. A lot of standing for sure. And and just enjoy being having the opportunity to go and enjoy those Christmas markets because they really are beautiful. Um, so thank you so much, Kate, for joining us for this episode. I'm gonna put um we'll put links to your planner and your um podcast and website in the show notes at globaltravelplanner.com forward slash episode 80. Um, also, if you've got some, if you want to get back to us, you've got some comments, you've got a favorite German uh Christmas market that you enjoy going, get back to us via Speakpipe. We always love to hear from you um and we'll get back to you as well because we, you know, we just love to have that chat and find out who it is that's listening to the podcast. Um, but uh it's great as always to catch up, Kate. Uh, and uh I I believe you're gonna be in Germany soon. Actually, by the time this episode comes out, you'll be in Germany again.

SPEAKER_00: 33:00

Yes, we're going back to do another round of Christmas market research.

SPEAKER_02: 33:04

Wow, so exciting. Well, have a wonderful time and uh thanks for coming on this week.

SPEAKER_00: 33:08

Right, thank you so much. It was really fun.

SPEAKER_02: 33:10

And as always, I sign off with the usual words happy global travel planning until next week. Thank you for joining us on this episode of the Global Travel Planning Podcast. For more details and links to everything we discussed today, check out the show notes at globaltravelplanning.com. Remember, if you enjoyed the show, please consider leaving us a review on your favourite podcast app because your feedback helps us reach more travel enthusiasts just like you. Anyway, that leaves me to say, as always, happy global travel planning.