When December arrives, Stuttgart comes alive with its beloved Christmas markets. In the heart of the old town between the New Palace, Schiller Square, the Old Palace, and the marketplace, the merry scene unfolds once again. Dating back to the early 17th century, Stuttgart’s market is one of Europe‘s finest with 290 kiosks of handmade treasures, delicious foods, including its own Springerle stall, and the dark, sweet Hutzelbrot, along with light displays from the botanical garden down to the main square.
Stuttgart’s beautifully decorated stalls are a draw for locals and visitors. The painstakingly-decorated roofs of the stalls, from Santa Claus with his fluffy white beard to traditional Nativity figures or wonderful winter landscapes, never fail to delight. Each year, visitors and a jury choose the best Christmas market stalls. A range of wares includes handmade wooden toys, crib figurines, arts and crafts, jewellery, mulled wine, cookies made from regional recipes, and Flammkuchen. Traditional Swabian specialties and delicacies include a “Springerle” stall selling not only the carved wooden molds needed to produce this traditional cookie, but also the aniseed-flavored biscuits themselves. And “Hutzelbrot”—a sweet fruit loaf made of dark yeast dough—is an absolute ‘must’ when strolling round the Christmas market.
A supporting program has a lot to offer with daily live concerts, a large children’s fairyland with nostalgic carousels, a real mini steam locomotive to ride on and many hands-on activities, such as the children’s bakery as well as the mini antique market, make the Stuttgart Christmas market special. Children get their own special activities at the Children’s Christmas market with hands-on activities, a genuine miniature steam engine, and the live animals in the Nativity scene. Additionally, the market boasts a Ferris Wheel on the Schlossplatz, offering soaring views of the lit-up city squares and market activity.
Another special addition is the Stuttgart Christmas Garden in the Wilhelma Zoological and Botanical Garden, which is transformed into a fairy-tale wonderland with glittering light installations and audio-visual effects. The circular walk takes visitors past illuminated animal sculptures and laser animations in the redwood grove.
Visitors and locals alike are delighted with Stuttgart as it turns into an atmospheric Christmas market town: fairy lights sparkling everywhere, the scent of cinnamon and vanilla, of bratwurst and Glühwein in the air and festive music sounding through the streets. Scents of mulled wine, gingerbread and punch waft through the air accompanied by seasonal treats. The illuminated palace square and the atmospheric streets create a unique atmosphere that are as important for the citizens of Stuttgart as they are impressive to visitors.
(Sarah Schmid)
Esslingen Christmas and its Medieval Market
The medieval Christmas market at Esslingen is known for its drumbeats, costumes, and fire jugglers. Merchants in historical costumes peddle their wares just as they did hundreds of years ago. Dyers, felters, blacksmiths and glass blowers demonstrate traditional crafts, and stilt walkers, jugglers, fire eaters and minstrels ply their trades around the more than 200 stalls. The concert of medieval music in St. Paul’s Cathedral and the atmospheric backdrop of timbered houses and romantic alleyways are some of the highlights of this market.
Various workshops are also on offer: Visitors can learn the old market language, find out how to smoke food, take part in a stick-fighting course or produce their own tinder. The main highlight will take place on the winter solstice, when visitors and market traders alike join in the popular torchlight procession up to the castle. Once they get there, the fire show begins and the winter is welcomed with drums and song.
Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market
One of the best parts about visiting Stuttgart before Christmas is that visitors can experience not only one of Germany’s oldest and most established markets, but also two additional and distinctly different Christmas markets: Ludwigsburg and Esslingen.
The royal town of Ludwigsburg and the backdrop of the Renaissance palace and gardens is a treat. Around 150 stalls at the Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market could fill every Christmas stocking with: glove puppets and music boxes, antique and modern Christmas tree decorations. In addition to the traditional Christmas market food, there are also Swabian specialties, such as Schupfnudeln (potato noodles) and “Holzofendinnede”—a delicacy similar to tarte flambée, baked in a wood-fired oven. The gingerbread at the Ludwigsburg Baroque Christmas Market is traditionally served fresh from the oven. The illuminations are no less special than the arrangement of the stalls, which reflect the symmetry and straight lines of Ludwigsburg’s streets and the gardens of its famous Baroque palace.
Guided tours of the palace are available daily during the Christmas market period, offering the only way to explore the magnificent historic state rooms of the Residenzschloss. In the evenings there’s atmospheric music to round off the day.
(Tourismus Events Ludwigsburg)
Getting to Stuttgart and Holiday Weekend Plus
In general, the Christmas markets are open by 11 a.m. and close around 8.30 p.m., and even later on the weekends. That said, each market’s specific opening and closing times do vary so please check the websites before you visit. A long weekend will give one just enough time to visit all of the markets and enjoy their individual handicrafts, atmospheres, and delicacies. The towns of Ludwigsburg and Esslingen are only a 20-minute train ride from the city center.
Just a few hours or less by direct train or car ride from Frankfurt (1.5 hours), Paris (3.15 hours), and Zürich (4 hours), Stuttgart is the hub of a very accessible network of train and automobile routes. The Stuttgart Airport is just a short flight from most European airports.
Once in Stuttgart, visitors can use the StuttCard for free entrance to most museums, discounts on meals and drinks, and access to all public transportation, including buses and the regional trains that take them into the wine hills or to the Baroque Christmas Market in Ludwigsburg and the Medieval Christmas Market in Esslingen. The StuttCard offers great benefits for travelers.
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