FEATURE
CHR I STMAS MARKETS
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2012/13
WIZZ MAGAZINE 33
TINSEL TOWNS
Words by Clive Morris
Looking for some festive cheer? Follow the scent of
roasting chestnuts, cinnamon and cloves to one of
these magical Christmas Markets
BASEL
Dates
Until 23 December
Where
Barfüsserplatz in the Old Town, and a more
recent arts and crafts market at Münsterplataz, right
next to Basel Cathedral. The Rhine adds something
special, too. You can also head out of town to the
Freiburg Christmas markets on the edge of the Black
Forest, with the magnificent Münster Cathedral.
Happy Christmas!
Frohe Weihnachten!
Local traditions
If you have to pick just one Swiss
destination for a Christmas market it has to be Basel.
Expect scores of pine trees to line the streets and
plenty of concerts. The stalls sell glass glitter balls,
spices, children’s clothes, folk art and linen.
“
Basel used to be closed everywhere at this time
of year, and you were stuck with your family, but now
people come and congregate in the city,” says Johann
Wanner. “It’s different to how it was when I was a
child. Christmas is a mirror of society, and society
has changed.” As evergreen as the tree, 73-year-old
Johann Wanner’s Christmas Shop on Spalenberg 4
(
johannwanner.ch) has been going for 35 years, is open
all year round, and sells to customers from around the
world. “I have 10,000 different ornaments. It’s hard to
pick out one I like best. Each is individual and special.
“
Every culture has its own Christmas. They all have
similar theme – once a year people can relax. The
Christmas tree was first mentioned in the Alsace region
500
years ago, this is its birthplace.”
To eat
A sumptuous feast of goose, or carp,
traditionally on Christmas Eve.
What tipple?
“
I like to start a glass of Champagne, and
maybe a glass of Bordeaux. I don’t drink
glüwein
,
the
alcohol penetrates your skin!” says sprightly Mr Wanner.
Candy time
Doughnuts (
ringli)
and brownies (
brunsli
).
DORTMUND
Dates
Until 23 December
Where
Head to the old market place, Alter Markt.
Its centrepiece is a gigantic, 45m high Christmas tree
creation made up of 1,700 individual fir trees, decked
with 13,000 lights. Imagine trying to find and screw in
the bulb that’s faulty on that one!
Happy Christmas!
Frohe Weihnachten!
Local traditions
“
We chose Dortmund because it has
the highest Christmas tree in Europe. It also looked a
little less touristy than other markets,” said Hannah
Mia, a British wedding photographer and blogger who
flew to Dortmund with her boyfriend last year. “It was
colder than we expected – we ended up having to put
on all the clothes we’d taken for the trip!” Every day
the Alter Markt Theatre Company puts on a puppet
or magic show to keep the kids entertained. There are
over 300 stalls, selling wood carvings and unusual toys.
A decoration with a slightly sinister Red Riding Hood
and Wolf, or Hansel & Gretel, is common here.
To eat
Tuck into hearty teutonic fare, such as
mettewurst hotdogs, Westphalian grilled ham
(
schinken
)
or roasted almonds (
mandeln
)
or pancakes.
“
I’m a vegeterian, so I wasn’t excited about the meat,
but my boyfriend loved all the different bratwurst
on offer! I would definitely recommend getting an
Amaretto hot chocolate! They come in limited edition
mugs with little Christmas scenes on them.”
What tipple?
It has to be
glühwein
(
hot mulled wine).
Candy time
Lebkuchen
(
gingerbread biscuits),
marzipan figures,
muzen
(
a kind of flavoured
doughnut), and
germknödel
,
a kind of fluffy sponge
cake with vanilla and cherry sauce. You’ll also notice
lines of green and red shiny toffee apples, and even
toffee grapes, of all things.
