Last Sunday we had our fourth German Christmas Market experience in the nearby city of Würzburg. We’ve visited the small market where we live in Schweinfurt as well as the markets in Munich and Nuremberg. I attempted to research what to do and see at the Würzburg Christmas Markets but I could find little other than the dates and the mention of a special artisans market.
So we just had to go experience it for ourselves.
It wasn’t surprising that the market was small. I’d estimate there were at least 50 stalls in the main market and about 20 in the artisans market.
We arrived hungry and went straight for the bratwurst. I got very excited when I saw ‘Nürnberger Bratwurst’ on the menu because it’s my favorite variety of bratwurst. I was served three smaller sausages in a Brötchen but I’m sad to say that they did not hold a candle to a real Nürnberger ‘Drei im Weggla’. Mr. Meena was able to find plenty of satisfying sausages, however.
There wasn’t a separate Christmas market for children but there were two merri-go-rounds that got plenty of action. The larger one had a spaceship in the center that raised and lowered children in a precarious manner.
We found a nativity scene in the market as well as this giant blushing Santa (I think he might have a medical condition).
Honestly there isn’t that much to say about the main market. The food is average and some of the stalls are a bit too modern – selling irons or plastic cutlery when we’re expecting handmade German ornaments and paraphernalia. At least the big red and white church does provide a lovely background.
The artisan market in the town hall is certainly worth your time. I wouldn’t have known that the town hall even had a courtyard if it wasn’t for this market. The handmade items were lovely and the setting was beautiful; there’s even a fountain inside. However, this particular market is only open on the four weekends of Advent.
The one big issue I had with Würzburg’s Christmas Markets was the lack of special desserts. We like to seek out the stalls where there are tons of chocolate balls mixed with everything you can imagine – nougat, baileys, amaretto, etc. But we couldn’t find fancy cookies or chocolate balls. I’m sad to say that Würzburg seemed a bit deficient in the sweets area. Sure, they have the same sugared almonds and chocolate covered pineapples (are these actually good?) that the other markets have, but they have no Christmas chocolate delicacies aside from one stall featuring rather expensive and fancy chocolate bars.
But the city does a lovely job decorating.
In case you’re wondering, they are tied down. I checked.
Okay this was Galeria Kaufhof, not the city, but we loved this Lego Santa nonetheless.
Since we went through the small market so quickly we ventured up to the Marienberg Fortress afterwards for this great view.
So there you have it. It’s not much information (because there isn’t much to the markets) but it’s better than nothing. Be sure to look up the dates (usually the last Friday of November through Christmas Eve) and hours; currently they’re open from 10 a.m. – 8 p.m. every day except for Sundays, when they’re open from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m.
You can go there and get your glühwein on, but if you want to spend more than an hour or two in Würzburg then I’d recommend having some other tourist locations in mind. There are plenty of things to see in Würzburg at Christmas, including the “Kaltes Herz” (The Cold Heart) play performed in the Mainfranken Theater.
