First, we apologize for posting photos of Christmas markets we saw in December 2021 in January 2022, but with the frenzy of the season upon us when we returned from this Viking cruise – Christmas Along the Elbe — and then with an unexpected New Year’s trip to our beloved beach destination, Pawleys Island, we’re just now joining the blogosphere for ’22.
But after being overwhelmed by the beauty of the stalls and the quality of goods for sale at the German markets (like the ones we published first of Dessau and Magdeburg), we’re ready to share memories of a couple more with you . . . even if they are a bit late.
Hannover (German spelling), Germany, really knows how to do Christmas! In fact, the market stalls in and around the venerable Market Church were some of our favorites of the river cruise along the Elbe.
Most outstanding for us — other than the quality of goods — was the decor of the stalls: some topped with fresh greens of the season, others with special add-ons from Christian nativity scenes to secular Santas with reindeer.
Markets in Hannover were added at the last minute by Viking when some of the scheduled markets (like Dresden) were cancelled due to Covid outbreaks. We can only imagine what we missed!
What was inside the stalls was equally notable. From handmade brushes to cloth neck warmers, Hannover’s goods were meant to be bought and shared with folks back home. (We brought an extra suitcase just for shopping, so we had to buy. Right?)
After making our purchases, we gathered with other cruise guests and lined up for more gluhwein (mulled wine) in take-home souvenir mugs.
For these and other reasons — festive stalls; unique, homemade goods; friendly salespeople; and a setting among historic buildings — we loved the Christmas markets in Hannover.
And we have one more market to share in our next post: Berlin!
We’re hoping that Covid cases will subside this year so ALL markets along the Elbe will be ready for business in December of 2022! If they’re open, book a trip early! And bring that extra suitcase.
Travel warmly,
Rusha & Bert
Amruta
Beautiful market.
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much! We thought it was beautiful, as well. And the backdrop of great buildings, the music from the brass instruments, and the dancers — all made it a special day for us.
Forestwood
The Germans really know how to decorate for Christmas and the festive season! Fantastic.
Oh, the Places We See
They really do! We loved all the wood decorations and the porcelains. They did it up right!
Jane Lurie
Such fun to see, Rusha. I bet you’re wearing that neck warmer on Pawley’s. It sounds unusually cold in SC! Wishing you and Bert many fun adventures in the year ahead. 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
Thanks so much. We hope this is a good year for travel, but we’re waiting on some health news. No matter, we’ve got a neck warmer and great memories, for sure!
Jane Lurie
Hope all is well, Rusha.
Amy
I can only imagine the joyfulness of visiting there through the cruise. Thank you for taking us there through your beautiful photos. 🙂
Oh, the Places We See
You’re so very welcome, Amy. We’d love to go again.
Bama
In recent years, Jakarta has seen a fair share of Christmas markets popping up across the city. The setting is of course tropical, and they look nothing like the ones in Germany like this one in Hannover. I’d love to experience the festive atmosphere of Christmas market like depicted in your photo — cold but full of lights and happiness. Speaking of mulled wine, it was only in December 2020 when I finally tried it and I loved it! Look forward to the other market in Berlin.
Oh, the Places We See
I hope to write about Berlin this week. Stretching out the posts helps me enjoy the experience even more! Would love to see Jakarta with or without the markets.
Grammy Writes
We may be taking this trip someday. We love Germany, and we love Viking! Thanks for the preview.
Oh, the Places We See
It was a beautiful trip. Someday I’ll share even more. Thanks so much for following and commenting. I hope you can book this trip one year.
philosophy through photography
Love the stalls my friends.
Beautiful!
Oh, the Places We See
And each one was unique! Pretty special.
WanderingCanadians
Happy 2022. Glad to hear that the pandemic didn’t close down all the Christmas Markets. Nothing says Christmas in Germany like a glass of mulled wine. Cheers! Linda
Oh, the Places We See
We loved being in the thick of things. And the people- shoppers and shop owners- couldn’t have been nicer!
gallivance.net
Rusha, I could never get tired of your Christmas markets. They’re so enticing! And Hanover is such a beautiful city. I can’t wait to see Berlin. When we lived there we were gone over the holidays and missed them. ~Terri
Oh, the Places We See
We love the whole idea of Christmas markets. They actually bring people together during the coldest season, and everyone gets to experience the craftsmanship of food, drink, and homemade goods. It’s also a great way to get people downtown, something we’ve sort of lost with our patronage of suburban malls. I’d love to go again!
Toonsarah
Those stalls are really pretty. They remind me of ones I saw at the market in Karlsruhe a few years ago. We get German Christmas markets in the UK these days but they don’t have the variety of goods and are rarely so elaborately decorated!
Oh, the Places We See
You’re right about being elaborate! Each booth was unique and looked to be time-consuming to decorate. I’d love a return trip. So much to take in.
Rebecca Cuningham
Thanks, the stalls look a familiar design from 30 years ago. The brushes were beautiful!
Oh, the Places We See
In some ways, nothing may have changed and that’s what I love. Simple brushes become elegant when grouped together in a festive booth. Thanks for commenting.
Curt Mekemson
Beautiful markets, Rusha. It may be a good thing that you only brought one suitcase. 🙂 –Curt
Oh, the Places We See
I must confess . . . We learned to ship things home! Yessss!