Frankfurt Christmas Market

Visiting the Christmas Market in Frankfurt, Germany

Frankfurt, Germany was my last itinerary stop on a week-long Christmas Market hopping extravaganza with my long-time BFF. Honestly, the reason we picked Frankfurt as our last stop had more to do with the international airport than it did with our desire to see Frankfurt.

Most folks associate the modern metropolis of Frankfurt with business travel and the banking industry. With that thought in mind, I was expecting something akin to the Christmas Market in Munich, but with sterile surroundings. Still, we had heard good things and decided we would give it a fair shake and enjoy our final night in Germany before our long flights back to the States.

An overview of our complete 6-Day Christmas Market itinerary can be found here.

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We arrived in Frankfurt from Strasbourg via train. Coming in to the Frankfurt Central Station was pretty impressive. It is the largest and busiest train station in Europe (didn’t know that!). The iron and glass building is quite beautiful and showcases a Neo-Renaissance central hall with a huge Atlas statue.

Above photos: Frankfurt Train Station

While in Frankfurt, we stayed at the Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof, close to the historical city center. As usual, location was a key factor for us. Also, we wanted to be sure we had a large hotel room with modern amenities so we would have space to go through our bags, organize, and re-pack.

Above photo: Steigenberger Frankfurter Hof

Once settled, we headed out to Römerberg Square and Paulsplatz, the backdrops of the main market. Römerberg Square is surrounded by tall, half-timbered buildings and a huge, town-square Christmas tree. Ya can’t miss it! There were plenty of stalls full of ornaments, crafts, and gifts of all kinds. But, we felt like there was an abundance of food stalls.

Above photos: Frankfurt Christmas Market

This worked out rather well for us mostly because it was dinner time and we hadn’t eaten since the train. So, we made our rounds eating everything that hadn’t tried already. Nothing like eating your way through a Christmas Market!

Above photos: Food at Frankfurt Christmas Market

Another fun thing that I usually do when I travel, is bring home a bunch of foreign snacks for the kids in lieu of other souvenirs that end up squirreled away in a junk drawer. The first thing I do after walking through the door is layout a smorgasboard of all the food I’ve grabbed along the way (from market stalls, grocery stores, or the airport snack kiosks). The Frankfurt Christmas Market presented a perfect opportunity to buy all kinds of snacks and sweets that would still be fresh after I got back. The long, flavored gummy ropes were a huge hit. The gingerbread, not so much.

Above photos: Frankfurt Christmas Market

As you would expect, Frankfurt has a completely different vibe from the other medieval towns in Bavaria. The city has a whole different level of energy. Business professionals and commuters passed through the market to grab a bite or meet up with other local friends. It reminded me a little bit of the Christmas Market in Union Square in NYC, but again, heavy on the sausage and potato fritters.

Above photos: Frankfurt Christmas Market

The take-away for me was realizing that the Christmas Markets are not all one-in-the-same. When planning an itinerary, it is nice to experience different types of markets, different sizes, and a variety of specialties. It might get a little boring otherwise! They are all unique and wonderful in their own way. The most important thing is going with someone who can eat, drink, and be merry with you as you discover all the magic and time-honored traditions of the Christmas Markets.

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