Japanese Christmas Market in Berlin

Japanese Christmasmarket

In Japan live about 2 per cent of Christians. For sure, it would not be the first country you would associate with Christmas. But this fact doesn’t keep Berlin from organising a Japanese Christmas market. What you can find there? Please scroll down …

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At the weekend of the second advent, I visited the Japanese Christmas market together with my flatmates (sometimes we’re Asia nerds). The market was in a big hall in Alt-Treptow in Berlin. The first look wasn’t really Christmassy (neither the second). There were a lot of different booths with typical Japanese stuff like soft toys, pictures, little action figures and accessories. We did also find hand-made kimonos and self-made art. The vendors were different people from Germany or Japan, who came to the market to present and sell special things.

Japanese food at a Christmas Market in Berlin

And of course, there were many different booths with Japanese food. Berlin is also really famous for offering a lot of Vegetarian and Vegan food, so there were also a lot of possibilities to have dishes without animal products. Of course, they had a lot of meals with rice like Japanese Curry or Thuna Don. The last one is a rice bowl with marinated tuna Sashimi. Other little things were Yakitori (chicken) or different crepes with Salmond-Teriyaki, Kimchi-Cheese or Matcha-Atzuki. They also sell all kinds of Hot Dogs with specific dishes like Kimchi, Wasabi and Teriyaki. Okonomiyaki reminded me of a big pancake, I think you could compare it with each other. Of course, you could eat typical food like Sushi and Japanese soup. They also sell Zenzai. It’s a sweet red bean soup. 

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My Gyoza

It was really hard to choose only one dish from the big offer. I decided to try Gyoza. It’s thinly rolled pieces of pastry filled with meat (pork) or vegetables (vegetarian). If you know the German “Maulentaschen” you will know, what I mean. You eat it with soy sauce. It was really delicious, but I waited for one hour to get them because the food needed a lot of time and many people wanted to eat them. But I was lucky because the seller gave me one Gyoza more. Thanks to the hospitable Japanese.

Click here to find more blog posts about different Christmas markets in Berlin

First written on Monday, December 14th, 2015, you have read the blog post Japanese Christmas Market in Berlin on My Travel Journal-Blog.

Christmas Markets at Alexanderplatz in Berlin

Christmas Pyramid at Alexanderplatz in Berlin

Two other famous Christmas markets are the one at Alexanderplatz and just a few metres from there at Rotes Rathaus. I will tell you where you find a rink for ice skating, real snow, which doesn’t depend on the weather and meet Santa Claus.

Snow at the Christmas pyramid at Alex in Berlin

💡 WHAT IS A CHRISTMAS MARKET?
Christmas markets are street markets during the weeks of Advent and are originally from Germany. Therefore, Christmas markets are very typical for Germany but also Austria, South Tyrol (Northern Italy) and some eastern regions in France. The history goes back to the Late Middle Ages of German-speaking parts of Europe. Christmas markets have a lot of different stalls which sell all kinds of things, also typical Christmas dishes such as German gingerbread (“Lebkuchen”), candied almonds, a variety of sausages (“Bratwurst”) and hot mulled wine (“Glühwein”).
Three Christmas markets at Alex

Alexanderplatz is the most famous square in Berlin with its TV tower and named after the Russian Tsar Alexander I. No wonder it also hosts three different Christmas markets around the area. The one directly on the actual square is full of different booths (more than 100) – and the favourite food of Germans (which you can find at basically every Christmas market) are German sausages, French crêpes and sugared almonds.

Let it snow

Right next to the World Time Clock is a Christmas pyramid designed with over 5,000 lights. Not only is it Europe’s biggest one but actually is also accessible to enjoy your hot mulled wine (“Glühwein”) inside. But also the small fireplaces around the pyramid offer a bit of warmth in Germany’s cold winters.  But the highlight is the snow which falls down from the pyramid every full hour. And this snow will fall no matter if it’s cold enough or not (the snow is foam).

Besides the pyramid is traditionally a big children’s carousel. In the stalls around are even more Christmas-themed articles – a lot of them handcrafted. 

Ferris wheel at the Chirstmas market at Alexanderplatz

Christmas Market at Rotes Rathaus

If you follow the square in the direction of the TV tower (Western part of the Alexanderplatz) you will reach the next Christmas market at the Rotes Rathaus. The famous red building is the town hall of Berlin, the home of the mayor and partially even open to the public. 

This Christmas market offers a 50m high Ferris wheel (it is actually the same you can find at the Octoberfest in Munich) and a skating rink around the fountain (Neptunbrunnen) for ice skating. Three times a day Santa Clause flies over this fountain in his slide and of course with his reindeers. Furthermore, here you can taste a special menu of Berlin – warm green cabbage (usually served with sausages). Another particular dish they sell is Lángos from Hungary, as well as roasted apples, homemade baked bread from the medieval bakery and hot mead (honey wine). 

The third Christmas market is more like an amusement park right behind the shopping mall Alexa. 

Click here to find more blog posts about different Christmas markets in Berlin

First written on Sunday, December 13th, 2015, you have read the blog post Christmas Markets at Alexanderplatz in Berlin on My Travel Journal-Blog.

City-Christmas Market at Zoo in Berlin

The next Christmas market I visited was the one around the Kaiser Wilhelm Memorial Church at the Breitscheidplatz in Charlottenburg. The Christmas market is right next to the famous shopping street of Kurfürstendamm. You can reach it by subway getting out at “Zoologischer Garten” or “Kurfürstendamm”.

💡 WHAT IS A CHRISTMAS MARKET?
Christmas markets are street markets during the weeks of Advent and are originally from Germany. Therefore, Christmas markets are very typical for Germany but also Austria, South Tyrol (Northern Italy) and some eastern regions in France. The history goes back to the Late Middle Ages of German-speaking parts of Europe. Christmas markets have a lot of different stalls which sell all kinds of things, also typical Christmas dishes such as German gingerbread (“Lebkuchen”), candied almonds, a variety of sausages (“Bratwurst”) and hot mulled wine (“Glühwein”).
The location

One of the most famous churches in Berlin is the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedächtniskirche at the Kurfürstendamm in Charlottenburg. The original church was built in 1890 but was damaged in a bombing raid during the Second World War. Nowadays the church is an important landmark of (former) West Berlin.

Thousand lights

I really enjoyed the mood of the Christmas market here, because of the thousands of beautiful lights in the trees and on the stalls as well as a carpet of lights above the heads of the visitors. A popular photo setting is also the huge Christmas baubles decorated with even more lights. Really typical for the markets in Berlin are the big Christmas pyramids with candles and figures from the nativity scene.

Christmas lights at Christmas market at Zoo in Berlin

The Christmas market is way bigger than it seems at first glance because the stalls are spread all over the square and some even continue along die Kurfürstendamm. Usually, it even has a pop-up restaurant with traditional German cuisine.

Click here to find more blog post about different Christmas markets in Berlin

First written on Sunday, December 13th, 2015, you have read the blog post City-Christmas Market at Zoo in Berlin on My Travel Journal-Blog.

Winterworld Market at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin

Berlin has more than 50 Christmas markets, including the Winterworld at Potsdamer Platz. Potsdamer Platz is one of the most famous places for tourists to visit in Berlin because it is close to the Brandenburger Gate and therefore to the former Berlin Wall. It also offers one of the first traffic lights in Europe (1924), two huge malls, and the Sony Centre nearby. In the Christmas season, there is a huge market – or actually, two because they are separated. You can reach the markets really easily by trains and the subway (the station name is also called Potsdamer Platz).

💡 WHAT IS A CHRISTMAS MARKET?

Christmas markets are street markets during the weeks of Advent and are originally from Germany. Therefore, Christmas markets are very typical for Germany but also Austria, South Tyrol (Northern Italy) and some eastern regions in France. The history goes back to the Late Middle Ages of German-speaking parts of Europe. Christmas markets have a lot of different stalls which sell all kinds of things, also typical Christmas dishes such as German gingerbread (“Lebkuchen”), candied almonds, a variety of sausages (“Bratwurst”) and hot mulled wine (“Glühwein”).

About Winterworld Market

The Christmas market has a large toboggan run out of ice. You can also try ice stock sports and ice skating in a small rink. An Austrian cabin (“Salzburger Schmankerl’ Hüttn”) offers a variety of typical food from our neighbouring country. Besides “Obazda” (savoury cheese spread – also typical for Bavaria), “Brettljause” (a wood plate with different meat and sausages), goulash, “Kasnocken” (as the German version of “Käsespätzle” – spaetzles with cheese so basically German Pasta), also sweet dishes as “Kaiserschmarrn” (sugared and cut-up pancake, typical with raisins), Sacher cake and apple tarde.

My favourite Christmas sweets – Schneeballen (Snownballs)
Snowballs

One of my favourite candies at the market at Potsdamer Platz was “Schneeballen” (means snowballs). I didn’t know the dish before. It is like a really large and round cake with chocolate glazing and filled with different topics. I had one with white chocolate and filled with nougat. I don’t want to make too many covered advertising, though it was really tasty.

Besides all the food Potsdamer Platz is also a good opportunity to go shopping. The large shopping mall was full of golden lights and decorations, in my opinion, it’s a little kitschy (but hey, it’s Christmas). Also really kitschy is a big colourful Christmas tree with tonnes of lights in front of the Theatre of Potsdamer Platz.

Christmas decorations inside of a mall

Last but not least, the stallholders also sell different things as clothes, Christmas decorations, lights or handmade woollen hats.

Click here to find more blog post about different Christmas markets in Berlin

First written on Thursday, December 10th, 2015, you have read the blog post Winterworld Market at Potsdamer Platz in Berlin on My Travel Journal-Blog.

Christmas Market at the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin

Berlin has more than 50 Christmas markets, one of them is at the Charlottenburg Palace. Charlottenburg is one of the most expensive districts in Berlin, however, in my opinion also one of the fancier ones. It has different Christmas markets, the one in front of the castle is reachable by a ten-minute walk from the train station ‘Westend’ or there is also a bus stop right in front.

💡 WHAT IS A CHRISTMAS MARKET?
Christmas markets are street markets during the weeks of Advent and are originally from Germany. Therefore, Christmas markets are very typical for Germany but also Austria, South Tyrol (Northern Italy) and some eastern regions in France. The history goes back to the Late Middle Ages of German-speaking parts of Europe. Christmas markets have a lot of different stalls which sell all kinds of things, also typical Christmas dishes such as German gingerbread (“Lebkuchen”), candied almonds, a variety of sausages (“Bratwurst”) and hot mulled wine (“Glühwein”).
What to find on the market

This Christmas market is really large and has one little section, especially for children with different carousels, a little roller coaster and a special train.

However, the market has also a lot of different stalls where the (international) holders sell Christmas decorations, candles, accessories as well as arts and crafts. You will also find an offer of a  variety of food. Germany is really famous for its large selection of sausages, you should give it a try. However, the market offers even more particular Christmas dishes such as German gingerbread (“Lebkuchen”), bread from a wood stove, of course, hot mulled wine and pan-fried mushrooms.

Nativity play

Beside a Christmas pyramid, the market has also a crib and of course, a castle, which will be illuminated the whole night in different colours.

Click here to find more blog post about different Christmas markets in Berlin

First written on Monday, December 7th, 2015, you have read the blog post Christmas Market at the Charlottenburg Palace in Berlin on My Travel Journal-Blog.