In 1997, Birmingham’s sister city of Frankfurt gave us an unusual gift for Christmas: the German tradition of a Christmas market. Almost three decades old, this has since grown into the largest authentic German Christmas market outside of Germany and Austria. But it’s still got nothing on the original.
The Frankfurt Christmas Market dates from 1393 and is one of the oldest in the world. Back then, it was based around locals purchasing much-needed winter essentials, but by the 19th century, it’d evolved into something you might recognise. Selling local crafts, toys, sweets and Christmas gifts.
It’s also around this time that the fir tree became a popular Christmas decoration, also often sold at the market, while until the 1880s, it was customary for Frankfurt parents to buy toys for their children exclusively from the Christmas market. Things like wooden carts, rag dolls and hobby horses.
Frankfurt Christmas Market!
Today, you will find more than 200 decorated stalls selling handicrafts and Christmas specialities from around the world at the Frankfurt Christmas Market. A towering Christmas tree sits at its heart at Römerberg, while stalls stretch from the Roßmarkt, along the famous Zeil promenade to the River Main.
Set against the picturesque backdrop of the Old Town, you can pick up traditional local goods, like the famous Bethmännchen, a sweet marzipan pastry, and a Quetschemännchen souvenir, meant to bring good luck. And every Wednesday and Saturday evening, the Playing of the Tower Horns fills the streets with Christmas spirit.
It’s not as long as Birmingham’s (from November 23 to December 22, 2026), but it’s certainly more impressive. And with many more Christmas markets found around Frankfurt, the city is bustling in the holidays—check out the LGBT+-friendly Pink Christmas Market, the Finnish and Swedish Christmas Market, and the Sachsenhausen Christmas Market on the edge of a forest.
Frankfurt flights…
You can fly directly from Birmingham (BHX) to Frankfurt am Main (FRA), taking 1 and a half hours. Here’s the bad news: It’s not going to be cheap. You’re looking at around £300 this December for the flight alone, so maybe it’s better if you stick to Birmingham’s Frankfurt Christmas Market this year…
