Every year I have a different favourite Christmas market. First was the all-year-round Christmassy Rothenburg-ob-der-Tauber , where Santa’s little elves live and work.
Then it was enchanting Dresden , with its ever-changing Christmas mood and era: now you’re giggling in a pleasure wheel, then you turn a corner and you’re in a 19th century market hearing the clip clop of the horses and carriages, then, in the blink of an eye, it’s a medieval winter fair with roast pig, blacksmiths clanking and minstrels singing bibulously a slurry ballad.
Then I had a soft spot for Quedlinburg and its authentic medieval magic atmosphere, where old German tales seem to outlive their time.
Now it’s Bremen’s turn to be in the spotlight, with its double Christmas fair, the elegant and marvelous one in the Market Square and the merry, buccaneery, maritime Schlachte Zauber .
Schlachte Zauber / Schlachte Magic
Let me just start with the latter, because its atmosphere is quite novel among the usual cutesy-Christmassy colours. It’s called Schlachte Zauber because it takes place at the Schlachte promenade on the river Weser and because it’s, well, definitely magical.
The word Schlachte (akin to beaten ) refers to the old method of reinforcing river banks with fascines (bundles of sticks), which were hammered (beaten) into the river sides. The magic comes from the fact that it’s nothing short of a regular pirate dock from the 16-17th centuries.
Capitalizing on Bremen’s rich Hanseatic maritime history and way of life, the corsair winter market plunges you head first into a carefully choregraphed and designed medieval reenactment.
A harp player is the first to tune you to the right century, and then, you’re on your own. Your foray will be perilous, the spoils bountiful and the adventure unforgettable.
A short drunken sailor’s gait away from the jolly buccaneer feast you will find an equally exquisite regale, this one in tune with Bremen’s old town mood: effervescent and classically elegant, a golden rush of smells and lights and sounds.
Bremen’s Christmas market at the Marktplatz
What makes Bremen’s Weihnachtsmarkt particularly pleasant is its setting: the Marktplatz in the old town is a gem of Gothic and Renaissance architecture.
The old Rathaus / City Hall steals the show, of course.
600-years old Roland overlooks the festivities facing St. Petri Dom.
Behind him, one of the most beautiful rows of gabled houses. From left to right: Haus der Stadtsparkasse, the double Raths-Apotheke, the old Haus zum Jonas, the Rathscafé.
Flemish Schütting, the old guildhall, now chamber of commerce, marks the access to another Bremen treasure, Böttcherstraße, an unexpected meander of Brick Expressionism:
One of the most popular landmarks, recurring all over the place, is the Town Musicians of Bremen/ Bremer Stadtmusikanten, from the Grimm Brothers’ fairytale, here pictured as a bronze statue, dutifully touched, poked and rubbed for good luck.
Across the market square, there’s a manhole that always draws a big crowd around it. If you can’t find it, just listen carefully for some barking, hee-hawing or even cock-a-doodle-dooing. It’s the Bremer Loch, a musical donation box. (listen to it here).
The closer you go to the sea, the more fish you will find in the Christmas markets. The Finnish salmon flambé was a special treat. And of course there’s the local sausages. Of all sorts.
So that’s your Bremer Christmas market offer: one debonair, one corsair, both jolly and merry. Should you need to take a break from all the frolic, the String/ Schnoor is just across the street, offering a peaceful walk in the 17-th century setting of the neighbourhood where ropes, naval cables and chains were once manufactured.
Do you love Bremen at Christmas? Would you like to see more photos of the Christmas markets, and of the medieval Schnoor? You can check them out in the gallery below.
More Christmas Stories
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