Dear all, I cannot afford to go to Italy every weekend so several weekends ago I convinced a few of the interns to go check out the authentic Christmas Markets of Germany. We talked about going to Germany for a while but failed to ever set a date or buy train tickets, by the time we got around to it the tickets were exorbitant and it was cheaper to rent a car, hooray for the Autobahn. Four interns and an intern mom piled in the car on Saturday morning equipped with “Harriet”, our on board automated direction giver, and headed for Deutschland. I originally tried to talk the girls into splurging on a five star hotel but I was overruled and we stayed at a Holiday Inn and shopped till we dropped since we saved on the room. Saturday we arrived in Cologne, Germany in the late morning, dropped off our bags, and headed for the streets.

If you do not know about the Christmas Market scene it is not unique to Germany but they certainly know how to put together a wonderful scene. The pictures will help you get a better idea but essentially it is a collection of crafts, food stalls, random imported items, Christmas ornaments, and pretty much anything you can think of to buy during the holiday season. I was introduced to Christmas Markets last year while I lived in Germany and became completely enamored. The markets start opening the first week of Advent and usually stay open until Christmas Eve day or so. Not only are the markets a place to shop they are also a social venue; people stop by after work and have traditional glühwein, German mulled wine, enjoy the music, maybe skate around the rink, or just go for a stroll. Though for many people the highlight is the shopping it is the food and drink that keeps me coming back. I love German pretzels, sausage, sauerkraut, and a hot drink on a cold day. After a little shopping in the drizzle or the cold there is nothing better than a Christmas Market to sample some fine German fare and warm up a little.

The Cologne Christmas Market is particularly grandiose with no fewer than six different markets located in downtown. Often many of the items are similar and it is not necessary to visit all six but the ambiance and people watching make it a treat. Our little cohort roamed the streets of Cologne sampling the food and doing some serious purchasing. At one point we were all a bit damp and although glühwein does wonders to warm a person up we needed to sit down inside as oppose to huddling under the eaves of a wood hut. It just so happens that the Schokoladen Museum, Chocolate Museum, is conveniently located in downtown Cologne. After a sit down at the café and hot chocolate more reminiscent of a melted chocolate bar with some milk thrown in we proceeded to the museum. I visited last year but was in no way bored in a museum where they go through every phase of the chocolate making process from harvesting to marketing. The functioning truffle factory inside the museum is not to be missed and neither are the free samples. We warmed up sufficiently enough to go out and brave the weather and visit the Medieval Christmas Market.

Cologne offers not only a modern day traditional Christmas market scene but a replicated medieval Christmas market. As you approach the smell of wood smoke fills the air and you are transported into another time. The market stalls are entirely lit by candle light that cast shifting shadows exposing exotic elixirs, wonderful woolen goods, and hand crafted items. There is a team of bakers tending a wood fire turning out fresh bread, a blacksmith hammers out spear point and arrow tips, medieval music can be heard above the hubbub of the market. The costumes alone are divine.

From the medieval market we headed for dinner and I managed to link up with my friend Laura from college who is an aupair outside of Cologne. The conversation and food was lively and memorable, there is just nothing better than new and exciting adventures with fun people in a fun place. Sunday we proceeded to Bonn, we could not get enough Christmas Markets and strolled through the city shopping and eating the day away before heading back to Brussels. If you ever have the chance to visit Germany in December do not miss the Christmas Markets and be sure to have some glühwein and a pretzel.