Frankfurt Christmas Market

Christmas time in Birmingham would not be complete without a trip to the Frankfurt Christmas Markets, better known as the German Markets. Every year they take over the centre of Birmingham with a massive array of stalls offering a range of treats from toys, clothes and carvings to delicious hot foods or sweets. Not forgetting the massive stalls offering beverages such as beer and mulled wine as well as baileys hot chocolate. At the far end of the trail of stalls in front of the ICC there is also a fun fair, surrounded by the stalls from around the world. The stalls begin in New Street with the main hub of stalls in Victoria square.

The stalls open in mid November and pack up the weekend before Christmas, the market is open every day in this period until 9pm so there is plenty of time for visits. I would recommend setting aside an evening to explore all of the stalls and drink in the atmosphere which once it gets dark becomes electric. Admittedly the Markets can become very crowded, so don’t expect to be able to breeze through them in a few minutes, take your time and enjoy it.

One problem that the German Market does hold is that it can be a bit expensive, especially if you want to eat and drink there. Getting a beer is a must, but you have to put a deposit on the glass as so many people steal them, but they are nice glasses so I must admit I do have one of my own. So a pint can end up costing you around £8, the food is also quite pricey, but definitely worth it as it is delicious, I would personally recommend having a Garlic Bread, German Sausage then White Chocolate covered strawberries, but there is so much more to try and everything smells great.

The run up to Christmas would not be the same without a trip to the markets, when they arrive you definitely know it’s Christmas time.

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