The German Christmas Market

Right in the heart of Edinburgh is the Mound, a hill which connects the Old Town and the New Town. But the Mound is also a connection into a completely different world: Around Christmas it transforms into the place where German marketeers go to and build up a German Christmas market.

It all started around 15 years ago when a German market organiser decided to invite some other German stallholders to Edinburgh. It was just a little market then: No more than ten stands sold Steaks and Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes), Glühwein (mulled wine) and Bier. Over the years the market began to grow and expand – because the Scottish people loved it. There is no tradition of Christmas markets in Scotland. Today the German Christmas market below the Mound is big: There are a lot of stands selling Bratwurst and Kassler (smoked pork chop), Bier from Kaltenberg and Warsteiner and even Apfelstrudel (apple strudel). All the little stands are decorated with fir branches and Christmas lights and Glühwein-flavour is in the air. And at the German Farmers’ marketstall they sell a freshly baked Breze (pretzel) – and swear that it tastes exactly the same like the ones in Germany.

germany in edinburgh – the german christmas market

text and photo Patricia Kämpf
The team of city travel review, December 2014
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