Christmas Markets in Stuttgart

• The most obvious Christmas Market to visit for anybody living in Stuttgart is the big one in Stuttgart. It stretches from Schlossplatz via Karlsplatz all the way to Marktplatz. Stuttgart Christmas Market is not only one of the biggest Christmas Markets in the area, it’s also particularly pretty because all of the stands display an individual roof decoration. There is even a competition going on and one lucky stand wins a prize for the most beautiful decoration every year! Next to many food stands you also find some fun rides for kids at Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt. Moreover you can enjoy a concert for free every evening as choirs are performing daily on the stairs in front of the city hall. Tip from a local: Take the public transport to get to Stuttgart Christmas Market! The U-Bahn stations Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz and Rathaus are close by as well as the S-Bahn stations Hauptbahnhof and Stadtmitte. Stuttgart Christmas Market is open from November 27 until December 23.
  
• One special part of Stuttgarter Weihnachtsmarkt is the Finnish Christmas Village (Finnisches Weihnachtsdorf). Here you can enjoy smoked salmon, drink a glass of Glögi (the Finnish version of mulled wine) and shop for Scandinavian products. The Finnish Christmas Village is located at Karlsplatz, right next to the U-Bahn station Charlottenplatz and it is open from November 27. to December 22.
• Also part of the Christmas Market in Stuttgart but technically a market for itself is Wintertraum at Schlossplatz. If offers an ice rink as well as several food stands. Moreover, it is open even after Christmas, from November 20 until January 1.
• Not really a Christmas Market but a very special Christmas attraction is Christmas Garden at Wilhelma. When it is getting dark, the botanical and zoological gardens at Wilhelma light up brightly. More than 20 light installations await you along a 2 km loop and food stands invite you to take a break and enjoy the romantic atmosphere. Christmas Garden is open between November 14 and  January 6. Mind that you have to buy a ticket in advance in order to get inside. If you want to get an idea of what awaits you check out my post about my visit to Christmas Garden at Wilhelma from last year.
  
• There is an alternative Christmas market going on at Marienplatz between November 29 and December 15 called Wouahou Winterdorf / Wouahou Winter Village. Not only food stands and little shops await you but also information stands for sustainability and a big tipi.
• At Adventsmarkt im Hospitalhof you can shop for handmade products on December 3.
• A Beer Adventsmarkt will take place on December 6 and 7 at Cast Brauerei Stuttgart. There will be more than 50 different beer styles available to drink and purchase as christmas gifts for your special someone!
• A small and very cozy Christmas market is Adventszauber at Mozartplatz/Heusteigviertel on December 15. Local shops like present themselves with stands and next to yummy food and drinks, live music, a special fire show and attractions for the kids await you.
• On December 21 the first Vegan Christmas Market of Stuttgart will take place at Karl-Kloß-Jugendbildungsstätte. Next to vegan food you might find the one or other Christmas gift.
• Most  the quarters of Stuttgart have their own, small Christmas markets going on, mostly only for a weekend. For example in Vaihingen from November 30 to December 1, in Weilimdorf from November 30 to December 1 too and in Bad Cannstatt from November 26 to December 23.

Christmas Markets around Stuttgart

• The Esslingen Christmas Market is probably one of the most famous markets in the area because of its medieval part. At the Esslingen Medieval Market you can find merchants in historical garments offering their goods, craftsmen like pewterers, felt-makers, and glass-blowers demonstrating their craftsmanship and artists fascinating their audience with juggling, music and more. Definitely worth a visit! Tip from a local: Go early and during the week! It is always crowded there but it get’s worse on weekends and in the evening. The Esslingen Medieval Market and Christmas Market is open from November 26 until December 22.
• You find another historically themed Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg. With all the light installations the  Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market is definitely a beauty. Nestled between two baroque churches and underneath the huge illuminated wings of angels you will feel enchanted right away. It is open from November 26 to December 22.
• Another very special Christmas market takes place between December 3 and 8 in Tübingen: chocolART! You might guess it already: it’s all about chocolate!! 😀
• In Fellbach a Christmas Market as well as an ice rink await you. Moreover a special program for kids is organized next to the town hall. Fellbach Christmas Market is open from November 30 until December 21.
• The beer garden Schwabengarten in Leinfelden has turned into a Winter Village. WinterdörfLE is not a real Christmas Market as the stands where you can buy gifts are missing. But you find four food stands and an open fire there. And if you’re into curling, you can go for it here, too.
• Castle Hohenzollern is worth a visit anyway but on when it turns into a medieval Christmas Market it is even more stunning. You can visit the Royal Christmas Market / Königlicher Weihnachtsmarkt from November 29 to December 2 and again from December 6 to 8. Please mind that you have to pay an entrance fee to get in the castle.
• Ever visited a Christmas Market in a stable? You can do so at Gärtringen-Rohrau on December 7 and 8 as well as 14 and 15. Rohrauer Stallweihnachtsmarkt awaits you in the stable of an organic farm. Here you find stands from local producers who are selling handmade goods and you can watch traditional craftsmen performing their work.
• At Waiblingen Christmas Market you will find something very special: Christmas cellars! In these cellars handmade goods as well as an exhibition of Christmas calendars await you. The Christmas Market in Waiblingen is open from November 29 to December 19.
• Shop for the perfect Christmas tree while enjoying a glass of Glühwein or browsing through locally produced artwork at Christbaummarkt Prevorst in Oberstenfeld-Prevorst on every weekend before Christmas starting on December 8.

These are just some of the many, many Christmas markets in the region. What are your favorite ones?

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Tom, what brought you to the Stuttgart area?

I had been working in Germany near Ulm and for personal reasons (ie. my future wife) wanted to be closer to Stuttgart. I was offered a job by an American company in Boeblingen, and was the only American working there. This resulted in a move to the Stuttgart area to be closer to work.

What did you do before you moved here?

I had been working as an engineering manager and sales engineer in the aerospace and automotive business for over twenty-five years, living in Los Angeles, California. As a sales engineer, I was able to work with many interesting companies like Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, Lockheed, GM, Toyota and Ford selling them testing equipment to determine the quality of their products. Prior to that, I was a metallurgical engineering working on the Space Shuttle main engines at Rocketdyne, Rockwell International, the prime contractor on the Shuttle. In 2004, I got a job with Zwick (leading materials testing equipment manufacturer) in Ulm as an Automotive Market Manager, responsible for Zwick’s business development in this market sector. Boy was I shocked to experience a real winter in Ulm after all those years in California!

Oh I can imagine that being a shock! It can get really cold here during winter… Did you know anything about Esslingen before you arrived?

I had a good friend who had lived in Esslingen, but knew nothing about the city. I knew it was close to Stuttgart and Mercedes Benz.

What was your first impression of Esslingen?

When I visited the first time, I spent a whole day walking around the city and photographing it. I immediately became enchanted about the old buildings (half-timbered homes) and architecture and how many beautiful sights it had. And of course, the canals in the city and the location in a river valley were quite impressive. I was really quite amazed about the city’s market square, the Kielmeyer house and double-towered church. (St. Dionyisius – the parish church)

Was something very strange to you at the beginning?

Living and working in Germany in general was an unusual experience. Not only the language (which I had to re-learn after having had German in high school), but the customs and day-to-day life. It was a “total immersion” experience as I tried to acclimate as quickly as possible.

How long did it take you to settle in and what helped you?

It took me a good year before I settled in and began to feel comfortable with life in Germany. It helped that I made friends quickly with colleagues and also joined a sports club. That helped tremendously with the transition. In addition, I was committed to speaking, reading and writing in the German language, including some further education in German as a second language course. I should mention that I was an exchange student in Germany in the 70’s, so it was not my first time living in the country.

Oh really? Where did you stay in Germany when you were a student and what were your impressions of Germany at these days?

Wow, what an impression it was indeed. I was a summer exchange student with a wonderful family from Aachen – a very historical city where dozens of Kings were crowned from the Holy Roman empire and maybe that influenced my life and my love of history. I guess as a 16-year old from a small town in Michigan, it was something that taught me a lot about myself and other people. Germany in 1976 was different then of course with West and East Germany being two countries, only three channels on TV, English and Belgian tanks driving on the streets, worries about terrorism and Russia, and a different music culture (people were crazy about Genesis, Deep Purple, James Harvest Barkley and other groups). The best thing was that I could legally drink beer!

Is there something you like in particular about living in Esslingen?

I have lived in three different countries, and in over 15 places. Esslingen is one of my favorites because it has a combination of things that suit my present lifestyle. I live outside of Esslingen north of the city and enjoy the rural aspect of living there, view of the mountains (Schwabian Jura) the moderate climate with four seasons, and that in 8 minutes I can be in the city, or when necessary travel to Stuttgart and easy access to Southern Germany, Austria and Italy. The older I get, the less tolerate I am of traffic, crowds, parking etc.

What advice would you give other expats that are moving to Esslingen?

Try to learn the German language, get involved in all the various clubs in Esslingen or in your area and participate in the festivals, tours and adopt your new town with an open and inquisitive mindset. There are also now many groups on Facebook who organize activities for expats – a good opportunity to meet others who have come here.

You started working as a tour guide for the city of Esslingen. How come?

I was able to retire early and was looking for something to keep me busy, and out of my wife’s hair (laughs). I love history, culture, photography and am a bit of a story teller, so I thought that it would be fun to show visitors this beautiful city of Esslingen. I introduced myself to the Esslingen Stadtmarketing GmbH, and they happened to be looking for new guides. I am the only American guide, so my English is a bit different than that of my colleagues. I have learned so much, discovered so many interesting parts of Esslingen and in addition to offering the standard historical tour, am expanding my offerings to specialized tours of Esslingen (wine tour, medieval Esslingen, Church Crypt tour etc.) The city offers over 30 tours, which is impressive. I also enjoy meeting so many new people from all over the world.

What are the three main places/sights one should not miss when visiting Esslingen?

Wow, it is quite challenging to limit the recommended sights to three places as I need at least 90 minutes to show my guests the main sights on my tours. However, if I had to recommend only three sites that visitors should not miss they would be:
1. Main market square with the St. Dionysis chuch,
2. Klein Venedig (little Venice)
3. the Maille island with the Inner Bridge (second oldest stone bridge in Germany)

Tom, thank you very much for your time and for sharing your insights about expat life in Esslingen with us.

For more information about Tom’s tours visit his website:

thomasleytonhale.wixsite.com/esslingencitytours

The post Expat Interview with Tom from Esslingen City Tours appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

Maybe you have heard of the City of Esslingen am Neckar, the city which is just 10 minutes from Stuttgart but with such a significant history. How can a city with only 93,000 inhabitants attract over 2.5 million visitors per year? Certainly Esslingen’s annual Christmas Market specializing its’ medieval market is a major tourist draw, but something else brings all these visitors to Esslingen. This beautiful city on the Neckar river, with its 3.1 km of canals, 200 half-timbered homes and famous churches, city wall towers and castle inspires awe is certainly worth a visit. The city has many many buildings and homes from the medieval period, prior to the 16th century and these are authentic, as Esslingen was not bombed in World War II.

A brief history of the City of Esslingen

This city’s history started around 1300 BC during the late stone age. Later, around 1 AD, it was a Roman and Celtic encampment, followed by a period from the 12 to the early 16th century when Esslingen had its “Golden Age” under the Stauffer kings. Esslingen became a wealthy and politically and religious prominent city, the largest on the middle Neckar at that time. This was due to it becoming a “Free Imperial City” which provided them autonomy, along with a very lucrative wine and trading business along the trade route between Italy and Flanders (today’s Belgium). The trader’s crossed the bridge at Esslingen and not only paid a toll, but also resupplied and traded for their long journey ahead of them.

When visiting Esslingen….

There are many important and picturesque places to visit in Esslingen, but if you have a limited amount of time, these sights are sure to please every visitor.

St Dionysius Church (The parish church)

This is the heart of the old town and where the history started. This church, named after Saint Denis was built in the early 13th century and is the third church built at this location. It has its’ iconic twin church towers connected by a bridge (to keep one tower from leaning). It has splendid stained glass windows, incredible wood carvings in the choir area and also a museum under the chruch, where the crypt and the remains of first two churches may be visited.

Old City Hall

The iconic building decorated in Esslingen’s medieval colors – red and green. The north side has a beautiful baroque fassade with its famous astronomical clock, while the south side is much older has one of the best examples of half-timbered architecture in all of southern Germany. This building was originally used as a market hall, town meeting hall and dance hall.

Little Venice

This picturesque corner of Esslingen highlights the beauty of the canals flowing under the Inner Bridge and showcases part of the city wall and working water wheels. This was the industrial part of Esslingen in the middle ages.

The Inner Bridge / Maille

Today an island and a beautiful park area where many “Esslingers” and visitors enjoy spending time. With the canals on either side of the island and direct view and access to the Inner Bridge, this is one of Esslingen’s many highlights and must be visited.

My Favorite Restaurants in Esslingen

Esslingen has a plethora of restaurants and while I have not tried them all, here are some of my favorites.

Weinkeller Einhorn (means Unicorn) – an institution in Esslingen with a Weinstube (den), “bake raum” and 800 year old wine cellar. Traditional Schwabian German food, good quality and quantity. Reservations are a must.

Posthoernle – One of the finest restaurants in Esslingen on the old inner bridge street with a view of the very old Pliensau gate tower. A varied menu of German and Schwabian dishes. Certainly not for those on a budget, but a great place to celebrate and to enjoy fine food and excellent service.

Copper Bowl – On the market square and great vegetarian, southern Indian food. I have eaten there on numerous occasions and was never disappointed.

Kleine Traube – Wonderful old Haus, traditional Schwabian food and fair prices. Probably the best Schwabian food that I have had in Esslingen. Try the Kuteln (marinated intestines) or Nieren (marinated kidney) No credit cards or EC card accepted.

Kielmeyer Besen – Also on the Market Square next to the Keilmeyer Haus. Good Schwabian food at reasonable prices. This is the “go to” restaurant when you are hungry and don’t want to break the bank.

Argo Greek Restaurant – while actually not in Esslingen but in the neighboring town of Sirnau, this is my all time favorite restaurant in the Esslingen area. Consistently good food, great wines, friendly owners and Greek music on Saturday night. A must!

About the Author

Tom Hale is a retired engineering manager, and an official tour guide for the City of Esslingen. He has lived in Esslingen for twelve years after moving here from the USA and now calls this city home. If you are interested in one of his tours, or more information about Esslingen he may be contacted through his website: thomasleytonhale.wixsite.com/esslingencitytours

Picture credit title photo: Alastair Rankin

The post Exploring Esslingen – The Medieval City with Heart appeared first on Living in Stuttgart.

Kessler Sekt was founded in  1826 by Georg Christian Kessler. He had worked for the luxury French champagne producer Veuve Clicquot for twenty years and brought the expertise of how to make wine sparkle back home to Germany. Nowadays, Kessler Sekt produces around 1 million bottles a year which are sold mainly in southern Germany.

A few weeks ago, I participated in a tour and tasting at Kessler Sekt sparkling wine and had a great time! Our guide led us through the medieval cellars which are located right under the market place of Esslingen.

We learned a lot about the history of Kessler Sekt and the production of sparkling wine.

Fun Fact: Did you know for example that  sparkling wine undergoes two fermentations? One from grape juice to “normal” wine, the second from wine to sparkling wine (that’s when the bubbles come into play! :-)).

Do you see the grey stuff that is hanging from the ceiling?

It is actually some sort of mold that helps regulate the climate in the cellar. Very special, right?!

After the tour, we were brought into another building where we had the opportunity to taste several sparkling wines. I can’t help it, I’m a rosé-lover! 🙂

If you’re interested in doing a guided tour through the historic cellars of Kessler Sekt sparkling wine yourself but don’t speak German, don’t worry: They offer tours in English as well!

More information about:

Kessler Sekt (only in German)

direct link to the guided tours

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I was lucky when I went to the Christmas market in Stuttgart during my lunch break as it had just begun to snow. And of course Christmas markets always look amazing when it’s snowing…

A great thing to do for kids is ride the miniature steam-train on Schlossplatz:

The Christmas market in Stuttgart is one of the oldest of its kind in Europe. Its roots date back to the 16th century. And it is also a very large one, including parts of the Schlossplatz, the whole Schillerplatz, several streets between Schillerplatz and Marktplatz and the whole Marktplatz. Around 280 beautifully decorated stands offer food, drinks, Christmas decorations and much more. Especially the roofs of the stands are worth looking at.

Poet Friedrich Schiller looking down on what’s going on on “his” square, the Schillerplatz.

Because of all the lights, it is always a stunning experience to visit a Christmas Market at night. So here are some impressions of one of my visits:

Two angels in front of the city hall on the Marktplatz:

Of course, the steam-train runs when it’s dark, too.

When it gets too cold, it’s a good idea to step inside the Sporer Alm, between Marktplatz and Markthalle. It’s warm and cosy inside.

Some of the stands offer very cute Christmas decorations. I have to admit, I do get weak sometimes…

When visiting a Christmas Market, it’s a MUST to have a Glühwein (mulled wine). This year, I got a bit adventurous and tried Eierpunsch, which consists of egg-nog and white wine… well, I can’t recommend it… If you want to have something different from the traditional Glühwein, try a white Glühwein. That tastes very nice.

What I found very fascinating, but didn’t have the guts to try, were these chocolate-covered chillies…

One of my favourite places on the Christmas Market in Stuttgart is the Finnish Village (Finnisches Dorf), which is located on Karlsplatz, close to the U-Bahn sation Charlottenplatz. They don’t serve Glühwein there but Glögi, which is made of berries and tastes very nice. And they sell the best salmon I ever had – seriously! You can have it on the plate for 10 Euro or in a bread-roll for 5 Euro. But they also offer a lunch special for 7,50 Euro for the plate. If you’re lucky, you find a seat inside the tent, close to the fireplace. Very cosy!

The next Christmas market I went to this year was the medieval one in Esslingen.

Actually, only a part of the Christmas market in Esslingen is called “Mittelaltermarkt” (medieval market), there is also a “normal” Christmas market around it. When you enter the gate to the Mittelaltermarkt, you step into another world…

… and meet people you would not expect…

Actually, the Grim Reaper turned out to be very polite and didn’t mind me taking a picture of him. Who would have thought that?? But I still asked him to keep his distance for some more decades… And he promised to do so! 🙂

When it comes to food, I made one epic discovery: Waffles with Nutella and cherries taste fantastic! How could I have lived without them for so many years???

There is one more Christmas market I would love to introduce to you: The Barock-Weihnachtsmarkt in Ludwigsburg. It takes place on the Marktplatz and is surrounded by baroque buildings and churches.

What blends in very nicely with the baroque surrounding are the illuminated angel statues in the middle of the market square.

Don’t they just look beautiful?

Unfortunately, it was raining heavily when I visited Ludwigsburg, so I didn’t take a lot of pictures. But I hope you can still get an idea of how lovely the baroque Christmas market is.

These were the Christmas markets in and around Stuttgart that I have visited this year. But of course there are many more around Stuttgart. I hope I get the chance to go to some of them next year.

That leaves me with only one more thing: I want to wish all of you a very merry Christmas with your friends and families! Have a good one!

More information about:

Christmas market in Stuttgart

Medieval Christmas market in Esslingen

Baroque Christmas market in Ludwigsburg

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