At the weekend, I headed to my first ever Christmas market of the year. I’ve been to plenty of these in the UK as they’ve become hugely popular, but this was my first market on German soil and I can officially say: the originals are the best.
We headed to Aachen for our first market trip, as it has a reputation for being the best in the state. It didn’t disappoint.
The Christmas Markets, Aachen
Aachen is Germany’s Westernmost town, bordering both Belgium and the Netherlands. It has a huge old town, of which the Cathedral is the most famous landmark and every year, three huge squares are filled with brightly decorated stands selling food, drink, gifts, decorations and more.
It was beautiful.
We strolled around the market as it got dark, drank Glühwein, Glühbier and Feuerzangenbowle and even had time to check out the cathedral.
Check out some of my snaps below.
The Aachener Weihnachtsmarkt is a popular choice for tourists from Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany and even the UK (Aachen is roughly 3h, 30m drive from Calais). The market is open until 23 December and is well worth the trip.
The market is free to enter and even has free Wifi. Find out more here.
Getting there by train: Aachen is approximately 36min from Cologne, 1hr 15 min from Dusseldorf, 1 hr from Brussels, 2hrs from Antwerp.
I do love a good Christmas market (I’m a mulled wine aficionado!) but have never done an original German one yet, may have to put that right next year though.
I would definitely recommend Aachen for your first – it is absolutely huge! I’ve heard the ones in bigger cities can be a bit disappointing. Dusseldorf’s is nice, but it wouldn’t blow you away…
Ah, this looks fab. We’re missing out on our German Christmas market trip this year (after Dusseldorf last year and Munich the year before) because our wee baby is only 3 weeks old. But we’ll be planning another German adventure for next year.
Glad to hear it – it really is a magical time to visit Germany.
P.s. Congratulations on your baby! Hope he or she is doing well 🙂
Beautiful snaps! I’d love to go to authentic German Christmas market 🙂
I really would recommend it if you get chance!
So much for not travelling for the rest of the year 😛 Beautiful pictures, I can’t wait to visit the Christmas market in Sibiu this weekend. 😀 I’ll make sure to visit an original German one in the future. Next year maybe? 😉
Aachen is only an hour away so it totally doesn’t count… I think…? I bet Sibiu would be a lovely place to visit a Christmas market. Maybe you could plan your German trip next year around the markets?
Wow! That’s so pretty. The only Christmas market I get here in Asia is one that sits within a shopping mall :p
They have become so popular in Europe now (even the UK), I was so surprised when the Americans at work said they’d never been to one!
Amazing!!! You just made even more excited to start visiting the Christmas markets of Munich this year… I have never been to this one in Aachen!!
I don’t know how well known Aachen is in Bavaria, but I think it’s considered the best here in Nordrhein-Westfalen. Are you going to go up to Nuremberg? Their’s looks incredible!
People here do know Aachen pretty well, just me as a foreigner who didnt know they had such an amazing Weihnachtsmarkt!! I’ve never been to the one in Nuremberg, but I hope to go this year 😀
I love the ones here in Munich, and also in Regensburg too 🙂
Funny enough, I was at MY first Christmas market on Friday – in London! And it was UTTER MADNESS. I think bc it combined the market with a full-scale amusement park and I nearly had a seizure from all the lights and sounds and people. The German version seems a bit more sane.
That sounds mental. Aachen was busy, but it’s a huge market set over three different squares, so there is plenty of room. Did you get some good snaps?
I did, but considering TOMORROW I am hoping to put up my first Baltics tale, you’ll hear about my London Christmas Market experience by mid-summer 🙂
Wow! I actually went here on a school trip when I was 11! I can’t believe how much it’s changed – free wifi?!! Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for your comment, Sophie. Think it’s a popular place for school trips, especially from the UK. Think it is a bit of a classic in that sense!
Oh yes, so lovely! I live in Munich and can’t imagine anymore how I ever celebrated those weeks leading up to Christmas without the markets! I’m already missing them. That stunning cathedral in the background of Aachen’s markets is amazing!
The setting in Aachen really is spectacular – it’s also very open and not too close together. I’m based in Dusseldorf at the minute and you sometimes feel they tried to fit in too many market stalls…
We have a lot of Christmas markets in the UK now, but I love that ones in Germany are just for four weeks – it makes it more special, somehow.