It’s time to highlight one of the oldest and one of the largest Christmas markets in Germany. The Leipzig Christmas market dates back to 1458 and is laid out through the streets of the city center. Unlike the multiple locations of the markets in Vienna, you can wander through all the different sections of this one in one part of the city.
The city itself is beautiful and has so much history. Much of the city was destroyed in the second world war and the decades after weren’t kind to this city. In the past few decades, they’ve been working on an urban renewal plan and it is now Germany’s fastest growing city. It also has a consistently high quality of life.
The Leipzig Christmas market is a perfect excuse to make the trip to this beautiful city. We loved exploring the parks and old town streets. It is definitely on our list of surprises from this trip because we hadn’t really heard anything about it before deciding to visit.
Leipzig Christmas Market Photo Highlights
Each different square of the old town has a different look. There is a kids area, some location themed spots like the Finnish section and the medieval area. It was great to have such a variety all tied together. Each had different food and drink offerings and a totally different feel, but we didn’t have to leave the holiday bubble
I wrote about the Handbrot in our month 8 recap as my favorite meal. This was where we found it. The small black chalkboard sign in the window highlights their vegetarian option and it was amazing. We ate it two days in a row and I could have added at least one more. The food & drink options at the Leipzig Christmas market were definitely our favorites so far.
The amount of people was very manageable. We visited over a weekend and it was never too busy at this Christmas market. There have been others that felt like you couldn’t even walk around, but this one had plenty of free flowing walkways. It allowed us extra time to stop and take in the smaller details.
The decorations and lights were amazing. Each square had a feature piece – Christmas trees, carousels, Christmas pyramids (these were my favorite). Every corner you’d come around, there was another beautifully lit structure in the center of the square.
We were also able to see a lot of the most important sites in the city while enjoying the Leipzig Christmas market. St. Nicholas Church was one that was on our list. Its pictured above with the beautiful pink and green interior. This was the location that many people organized the peaceful protests that broke out in this city in 1989. We have learned so much about that year in Europe while traveling, so it was important for us to see this location as well.
Plus, the choir was rehearsing for a Christmas concert, so we got the extra bonus of beautiful music inside the church.
Justin was finally able to find hot chocolate with Bailey’s. This has not been easy for us to find anywhere that has been cold. He was a happy camper when we located multiple stands that had it. A little extra whipped cream on top and you can’t go wrong. Plus, it’s nice to switch up the drink of choice every once in a while.
Another special detail about the Leipzig Christmas market was the stalls themselves. The tops of each one had different holiday scenes. There were gingerbread houses, sledding Santas and mistletoe displays. We did one full loop just appreciating the different details located above our eye line.
I mentioned the food and the hot chocolate already, but I have to mention the glühwein here. We tried a Peach flavor and it was amazing. I would have never thought to order that, but we mixed up our German words and it was a happy accident. Each area had different mugs and different flavors. We had plenty to choose from during our two days exploring.
My favorite dessert so far also came from the Leipzig Christmas market. The Kräppelchen is a fried pastry sprinkled with powdered sugar. I am a lover of simplicity when it comes to desserts and this couldn’t have been more perfect for me.
The main square has the large Ferris wheel and all of the kids activities. It was my favorite after dark because the lights are beautiful. There is a Fairy Tale Forest with some interesting displays of different children’s stories. I loved the variety of carnival like games including the stand featuring Olaf from Frozen.
Details
The Leipzig Christmas Market runs from November 26 to December 23, 2019.
There are more than 250 stalls and it would make a perfect 2 day trip. The main train station is just blocks from the market if you come for a short trip.
Book your stay here to find amazing deals.
Final Thoughts on the Leipzig Christmas Market
The Leipzig Christmas market will always have special memories for us. I’m still drooling over the food. The city was a random selection along our train journey and we have it on the list to return during warmer weather to explore even more. The history is incredible, the buildings and parks are beautiful and we loved our long weekend here.
We will have a final ranking once we’ve finished our European Christmas Market tour, but this one is a definite favorite. Let us know if you’ve been to Leipzig or if you have a favorite Christmas market.
